How to help someone from Turkey obtain a 3 week tourist visa to visit the UK with a letter of invitation
I am inviting a friend from Turkey to visit me in Scotland this August/September and would like to know how to improve the chance of the visa being accepted.
The main sticking point is likely to be her own funds for the trip, which are not high (I believe around 400GBP - hopefully a bit more). However, it is a short trip (3 weeks) and I make clear in the letter that I am happy to meet any costs of the trip beyond her ability to pay.
My friend will have just graduated with a degree in industrial engineering. I hope that this might help to assuage fears that she has any other intention than tourism. Someone with a good STEM degree in Turkey has better career prospects that someone in the UK who is not allowed to be here.
Here is the invitation letter as it currently stands:
She spent a year in Spain on the Erasmus programme, and spent the Christmas period in France and Holland, which I hope might help, as it demonstrates some travel history.
Does it help or hinder the application for me to offer to pay flights & insurance? (as I will) I have read that this is looked upon unfavourably. But if I leave it out, her own finances look even weaker.
How much of a long shot is this?
Are we being naive to even try to apply when she herself doesn't have great financial means? If the application is rejected, it could prejudice future applications to visit, which might be made when she is in a better financial situation.
If it is likely to fail, I would rather advise that she leave it for now. On the other hand, I feel the request is a reasonable one - and I don't think she should be put off if it has a chance of succeeding.
She has suggested I should go to the council so that it can be sent via them to the consulate in Istanbul. But I am not sure that's how things are done here. Shouldn't I just send directly to the consulate?
What evidence do I need to supply to demonstrate my financial situation? A bank statement and, say, most recent contract of my ltd company? (I am a contractor so don't have an employment contract). Should these be sent along with the letter?
I take it from Gayot Fow's response to My girlfriend was a refused a visa to visit me in the UK. What now? that my role in her application is just to establish my ability and willingness to fully sponsor her. I think this part should be straightforward.
How much would seeking legal advice make a difference - and roughly how much might this cost?
There are several questions above but they come down to: how much can I do to help her application?
Thanks for reading.
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How do I write a sponsor letter for UK tourist visa?
While there is no specific, prescribed format for a visa invitation letter, the 'sponsor' should consider including the following information in their letter:How do I write a letter of invitation for UK visa?
If you do not know where to start writing a letter of invitation for a UK visa, write the following information in a list:What documents do I need to invite someone to the UK?
proof of your income and where you work, for example payslips or an employment contract. proof that you have enough money to pay for the visitor's stay, for example recent bank statements. proof that you're in the UK legally, for example a copy of your passport or visa.How do you help someone get a tourist visa?
To sponsor a visitor, the supporter prepares Form I-134, Affidavit of Support. He or she must submit the I-134 affidavit, a letter of invitation, and supporting documents as evidence of their financial ability to bear the expenses of the trip.UNITED Kingdom Visitor Visa or Tourist Visa after One Rejection 2022 | Documents Checklist
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