Can my parents sponsors my Thai girlfriend?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions by UK sponsors on a daily basis and even more so now the World global financial climate is a problem “can my British Parents be a sponsor for my Thai girlfriend?”.

Due to many UK sponsors loosing there employment or having money problems at the moment they feel that it is ok to turn to their parents or family to be the financial guardians/ sponsors to help with the financial documentation to put in the application as the sponsors of their Thai girlfriend/Thai partner. Unfortunately they will find in most cases that the British Embassy will not be very accommodating with your parents/family putting up the financial side of an application including paying the flight tickets and the expenses incurred during the full holiday.

The clearing visa officer will probably take the attitude that if you are the boyfriend/ sponsor then you should be able to take care of your Thai girlfriend/ Thai partner yourself without them being a burden to the British Government or a burden to your parents or family.

We see numerous refusals because the sponsor has got a weak bank balance and in most cases overdrawn which is not acceptable because in all applications including a Thai tourist visa or definitely a Thai settlement visa you are proving that your Thai girlfriend/ Thai wife will never become a burden to the British Government.

We have also seen numerous instances where the UK sponsor has not enough money to pay for the flight ticket and yet he feels showing bank statements with a small amount in is sufficient to make a UK Visa application “wrong again”.

Another major misconception is a UK sponsor thinks that even though he has a weak bank account but he is working full time “and the Embassy should realize he is in receipt of regular money” this is enough and you would be seriously wrong again!! It helps to obtain a UK visa if you have a full time job and money in your bank to support your Thai girlfriend/Thai wife’s holiday.

When we see a weak bank balance and we ask the UK sponsor the reaction and answer tends to be “but I am working” and “how can I save money when I am sending money to my Thai girlfriend/Thai wife to support” and there is the answer in most cases a weak bank balance is due mainly because of supporting a Thai girlfriend which unfortunately does not help obtain a visa it only shows your devotion towards helping her financially.

However the British Embassy in most cases do not have a problem with your parents or your family being accommodation sponsors if you can show they rent or own the property and that you as the UK sponsor have at least 1 utility bill going to their address in your name and if your parents or family live at that address were you are taking your Thai girlfriend/Thai wife then it is a good idea to make sure the home has more than 1 bedroom.