Sponsors: How much money will they give you?

[stmellon]

I am sponsoring family visit visas for my parents in law (applying for five year visas) and my 12 year old niece (6 months - will be her first trip; previously applied for a visa in 2003 to attend our wedding but refused, no written explanation given), all from China.

I'm particularly thrown by question 5.18:
If someone other than yourself is paying for all or any part of this visit, how much money will they give you?

Do I have to specify a figure in answer to this question? I'm not expecting to hand over any cash to anyone - they will pay their airfares, but they will live in our house and obviously I will be paying all bills, groceries, travel etc. I'm planning to simply write "will cover all expenses" - any thoughts on this?

[Rozen]

I am sponsoring family visit visas for my parents in law (applying for five year visas) and my 12 year old niece (6 months - will be her first trip; previously applied for a visa in 2003 to attend our wedding but refused, no written explanation given), all from China.

I'm particularly thrown by question 5.18:
If someone other than yourself is paying for all or any part of this visit, how much money will they give you?

Do I have to specify a figure in answer to this question? I'm not expecting to hand over any cash to anyone - they will pay their airfares, but they will live in our house and obviously I will be paying all bills, groceries, travel etc. I'm planning to simply write "will cover all expenses" - any thoughts on this?

When we sponsored my aunt (who had no money of her own to talk of), she wrote "ALL EXPENSES PAID BY SPONSOR, AS PER ATTACHED BANK STATEMENTS"!
It went through, without question! (Wasn't in China, though! )
I think they'll be alright. As long as your finances, as the sponsor, are good to go, then they are too!
Good Luck!

[stmellon]

Thanks, Rozen.

One other point - Q4.16 Do you have any children?

Does this refer to children under the age of 18, or any offspring? As my wife, who has seen many a 21st birthday, is her parents child, but the subsequent questions appear to be referring to young children...

[Rozen]

Tick 'YES' if they do (which I suppose your wife is one of them).
But somewhere they will ask applicant to list 'dependant' children. If they are over 21, I would leave this bit blank!