Sponsoring queries.

[iceCold]

My mother(retired banker) and sister (IT professional) who live in India are planning to visit us next summer for about 2 months. I went through the UKBA website and found it was not very helpful.Hope to find some answers here.

1) How much money do both of them need in their bank accounts before they make a geneal visitor application?
2) If I am sponsoring what amount do I need to show?
3) I live with my wife in a 1 bedroom flat in Surrey and my cousin lives with his wife in Kent in a 3 bedroom. Can I get a letter from my cousin stating that he would be happy to accomodate them for 2 months?
4) Mother has 3 properties in India , shares etc. Will also be booking the return ticket in advance. Is this enough to prove that she will return in 2 months?
5) Sister has no properties, probably not much in her bank as well. (She's in her early 20s.). But she has a good job and a husband who is doing quite well (Properties, shares in his name.) . How do I prove that she will return in 2 months time?

Any advice/suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

[batleykhan]

My mother(retired banker) and sister (IT professional) who live in India are planning to visit us next summer for about 2 months. I went through the UKBA website and found it was not very helpful.Hope to find some answers here.

1) How much money do both of them need in their bank accounts before they make a geneal visitor application?

As much as they have to cover their costs during their stay here in Uk for 2 months

2) If I am sponsoring what amount do I need to show?

If you are sponsoring them, then for example 2 x return tickets ( say £1000)plus costs such as food, spending money etc for 2 people for 2 months in UK =£1000. Thats a total of £2000.

You then will have your own + your wifes daily cost to pay for that you will have to pay for on top of what you are going to spend on your mum and sister, I would say another £1500. That makes ita grand total of a minimum of £3500.

3) I live with my wife in a 1 bedroom flat in Surrey and my cousin lives with his wife in Kent in a 3 bedroom. Can I get a letter from my cousin stating that he would be happy to accomodate them for 2 months?

This might be a problem. You certainly wont have enough room in your flat to accomodate them. I dont know whether teh ECO will be happy with teh arrangements taht you want to make with your cousin to stay with them whilst you will be acting as teh sponsorer.Ideally teh sponsoror should maintain, support and accommodate ones visitor during their stay in UK

4) Mother has 3 properties in India , shares etc. Will also be booking the return ticket in advance. Is this enough to prove that she will return in 2 months?

No simply having a return ticket is no proof that they will return back home. You need to show more concrete evidence like family, job, land , savings etc to prove this point, as it is on this which more refusals are based

5) Sister has no properties, probably not much in her bank as well. (She's in her early 20s.). But she has a good job and a husband who is doing quite well (Properties, shares in his name.) . How do I prove that she will return in 2 months time?

Same as above by providing good evidence that she will return

Any advice/suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

[iceCold]

batleykhan ,thank you very much for your reply. Sorry, but a few morw doubts.

1) Do I need to maintain £3500 for 3 months like the Tier1 application. Or is it enough to just show that amount as available on the last day of the account statement?

2) Can my cousin sponsor both of them then? (He is not their blood relative though.)

3) Mum : Marriage certificate(to show she will go back to the husband) , property documents , bank account (around 5L Rs = 7000£). Should these docments be good enough ?

4) Sister : Marriage certificate, letter from employer that she will be joing back in 2 months, bank account (save 7000£ by then). Should these be OK?


Sorry if these questions are silly. But I found UKBA site to be disappointing in terms of visitor visa information. Just want to make sure they get the visa and we spend some great family time. Many thanks again.

[batleykhan]

batleykhan ,thank you very much for your reply. Sorry, but a few morw doubts.

1) Do I need to maintain £3500 for 3 months like the Tier1 application. Or is it enough to just show that amount as available on the last day of the account statement?

No you dont need to maintain the above amount for any set amount

2) Can my cousin sponsor both of them then? (He is not their blood relative though.)

Yes he can do so but that is likely to raise some doubts in the mind of the ECO as to why the applicants son and brother is not sponsoring them. If he has any doubts about the application he has the power to refuse.If you are worried about accommodation, you can book them a room at a nearby hotel or guest house taht they can stay during the duration. I know this is not ideal but it is an option that you have which maybe better than above option

3) Mum : Marriage certificate(to show she will go back to the husband) , property documents , bank account (around 5L Rs = 7000£). Should these docments be good enough ?

Add a family tree to it ( showing her side of family like parents,siblings, nephew and nieces etc) ,provide all teh documents for above with applications and it might stand a better chance

4) Sister : Marriage certificate, letter from employer that she will be joing back in 2 months, bank account (save 7000£ by then). Should these be OK?

Do the same as for her as you did for your mother

Sorry if these questions are silly. But I found UKBA site to be disappointing in terms of visitor visa information. Just want to make sure they get the visa and we spend some great family time. Many thanks again.

[iceCold]

batleykhan, thank you very much for your answers and help. Many thanks.