private visa to UK for Ukrainian

[Irene1972]

Thank you very much, guys. I'm sure this fiancИe visa information will be helpful one day. However, now he's separated but not officially divorced so the only option left is visitor's visa. I'm a bit afraid that his "separated" status may affect granting me visitor's visa as well. Or not? Collecting information I go from hope to desperation and back. By the way, JG, do you remember how was it for your fiancИe to receive visitor's visa? Was it really tough? And do you think it will help if we go to the embassy together?

[JG]

I'm not sure if his separated status will have much impact. After all, you are not applying for a Spouse/Fiancee Visa. I didn't see anything about this in the rules on the UK Visas.

I think they are more worried that he has somewhere for you to stay and funds to support you, without using any welfare or other government funds.

The other issue is why you are visiting and that you intend to leave again. This is where it helps to have evidence of your employment in the Ukraine. The fact that you visited before should help as it shows that you didn't overstay.

It follows that, if you have a job in the Ukraine, the officials would not expect that you would be able to leave for long periods. They would be not believe that you could take long holidays (months) from a job and then return. This means it is probably easier to get a visa for a shorter visit than a longer one.

In my girlfriend's case, things were more complicated. She has Latvian citizenship but was born in the Ukraine. With a Latvian passport, she did not need a visa to visit the UK. She went to meet someone in the UK (a couple of years before meeting me). She was refused entry on arrival because they they she was not truthful aboout her reasons for the visit. She was sent back to Latvia and they put a stamp in her passport to indicate this.

Because she had been refused entry, she then needed a visa to visit me. When she applied for a Visitor's Visa, she was refused. This was because she did not have a job and they believed that she would work illegally.

I later went to work in Germany. I arranged to meet her in Prague and took her to Germany with me. This was no problem and she later returned to Latvia.

When I returned to the UK, we took the decision to get married because we knew she could not visit the UK following her earlier refusal.

This was also not easy - the Latvian staff at the British Embassy in Riga made things very difficult for her when applying for a Spouse Visa. I wrote to my MP (Member of Parliament) and everything was then fixed very quickly.

Sadly, everything went wrong and she returned to Latvia after 3 months. Ironically, she later wanted to come back....

Anyway, good luck to you.
Ciao
JG

[JG]

Irene - sorry, I forgot your question about going to the embassy together. To be honest, I don't know. I did go to the embassy with my fiancee when she went for her Spouse Visa. I'm not sure that it made any difference - I was not allowed to be present during the interview. She was asked 97 questions and then came out. They did some paperwork and gave her passport back with the visa.

At the British Consulate here in Germany, they won't allow anyone else in. This is apparently because of their previous experience with large families of some visa applicants filling their offices :-)

I don't know what the custom is at the embassy in Kiev as regards friends/family members.

Ciao
JG

[Emma43]

I would like to ask some question regarding the marriage to Ukrainians. But I really don't want to discuss it here, if you don't mind.

Will you email me, please?
catcatcat_miaooo@hotmail.com

Thank you very much

[SteveA]

JG I am in a very similar situation to yourself. My girlfriend came here to the UK on a fiance visa this summer but was very home sick and went back to her mother. She now wants to come back for good but her visa has just run out. We don't know what is best to do? Do we just apply again for a fiance visa or won't they accept that? We both would like to get married but want to spend some time together first to be sure.

I'd be very interested if you or anyone else has any advice.

[SteveA]

By the way, out of interest my girlfriend wasn't even interviewed for her visa although we did have very comprehensive paperwork and I had couple of emails with the consulate. - They sent me an email to let her know the interview/passport stamping date!

[JG]

Hi Steve,

That is a bit tricky. Probably the best solution is to be completely honest with the embassy about the situation. I am sure this will have happened before. When it comes down to it, if you are both committed to a relationship and you have the resources to house and care for her (and pay for another visa), the embassy may be understanding about it.

On the other hand, the embassy may be more difficult this time around as they will probably perceive it as their duty to protect you from being "messed about". They may make her wait for some period before allowing another visit - on the basis that if you are serious, waiting would not change your resolve. They would most likely want to interview her to find out what is going on and why she didn't stay.

There is no point making up some story as the fact that the fiance visa is about expire will be obvious to the embassy (the reson is more or less irrelevant) and if they detect a lack of candour from either you or your girlfriend, they will deny her any visa outright.

A record of ongoing correspondence will help. It may be uncomfortable having some officials going through your love letters but it is a minor inconvenience compared to getting the visa.

Good luck,
Ciao!
JG