₦airaland Forum

Yommieyomi:
Please can someone educate me on how to get the reference number for tracking on below site.

It is the GWF**** number generated when you made your online application. However that ref no can only be recognised when a decision has been made on your application.

senn:
someone pls help me and reply , thanks

There have been applicants who got emails from both UKVI and TLS that a decision had been made with a follow up email about passport being for collection. There are also others whose applications were decided but they did not get any emails and they went to pick up their passports without getting emails. Your case is not exclusive.

sandraa:
please again aside from paga , how do one pay for the visa fee.

i need other options please.

Don't you have a dollar account, or find someone that has and you transfer funds into their dollar account for them to pay for you?

daddysgal2015:
we got the visa , I have been so busy to update.

Congratulations...

giftwalter:
Hello guys, I will be collecting my savings from a cooperative before I apply for visa. How do I explain that the money that was sent is mine and not a means of deceit trying to convince the embassy there's enough money in my account?

Help needed

For visa applications, it is always advisable to get funds built in your account over the 6 months period of bank statement required as it would be easier for the Entry Clearance Officer to reconcile your salary with your bank account.

Even if some of your funds are sent to your corporatise account, do you not have payslips that stipulate how much you are paid monthly?

fpeter:
I was contemplating that as proof to show that i intend returning back.

No, do not do that. Paying for a return ticket is no proof you have genuine intentions to return back to Nigeria and that would not count in your favour at all. Your travel history and socio economic ties to Nigeria are what you should consider.

Take a scenario where an applicant intends to seek employment in the Uk on a visit visa, letting go 3X a ticket price is not a loss as they would gain in the long run. So judge carefully.

fpeter:
House please, is it advisable to buy a return ticket before applying for a UK visa? And can i apply for 6months even though i am due for 5yrs renewal?

Thanks.

It is not advisable. Have u considered what if the visa is not out by your proposed departure date?

sandraa:
please is this excluding visa fee?

@Sandra,

@Daddysgal said she didn't pay for priority service. She did standard.

Jedidiah77:
Please I made a mistake. My graduation in the UK is on 19th July. I submitted my visa application on 30th June but did not pay for priority service. I included all documentation showing that i am going for my graduation. My intended travel date was 13th July.
Please do you think I will get the visa before that date and is there a way I can hasten it?
Do they look at the purpose of a trip before it gets to my turn on the queue or they don't look at it until it gets to my turn? Since it's for a graduation with specified date, will they hasten it?
Please don't criticize me. Thank you in advance.

Priority service is only paid for prior to documents submission.

No one can answer whether you would get your visa on time or not. People have had expedited decision times while others have waited for longer than two months. These are not priority based. Every application is unique and no two circumstances are exactly the same.

They can't look at the purpose of your visit before your turn. They consider your application when it's your turn. The truth is they are not really concerned whether the time for the reason of your intended visit has passed or not. People have still got visas after the date of their intended travel.

justwise:
I don't understand your question.

I would assume @Daojay wanted to find out what average household salary/income would be considered sufficient and adequate enough if he/she were to apply for a UK visa alongside two other members of his/her family.

Bobbieydeey:
Plus how legit is this site cheap flights.com.ng.... Lowest flight there is 145,Qatar airline and royal Air maroc... Been hearing bad reviews about these two airlines

Air Maroq transits in Casablanca. They are cheap and you get what u pay for. Why not try Medview. It's direct and could be cheap although it goes to London Gatwick. However expect bad customer service as its a Nigerian flight and by that I mean their customers are not valued.

Bobbieydeey:
Hey guys, what's the best transit flight to take from Lagos to Heathrow?

Check skyscanner.net. You will see genuine flights and you can choose your best option. Basically I would imagine the less transit time the better your journey. Air France, Lufthansa, KLM are good transit flights. Egypt Air has an average of about 15 - 20 hours transit time; time u wait to connect to connecting train.

Basically Ekpotek has answered it all.

nicebaba:
@Aatiikoo which reference number did you use on this website? cause it is not accepting my GWF********* application number. It comes back with The reference number GWF******** has not been recognised.

The ref will not work until your application is decided. In other words your GWF only reflects on the tracking once a decision has been made .

teeewai:
@justwise
@ekpotek
@Brightingsus
@All

Thanks for the replies guys, really appreciate!!! Just the final bit.

I have 3 months left on my current work visa and ready to renew

- Is it advisable to invite mum while I have 3 months left on my visa or renew my visa first before inviting
- I haven't updated my bank with my new address, so the statement I intend to send to her has my old address while rental agreement has new address. Could this be an issue?

Regards

I do not have a defined answer to the question if you could invite your mum for a two month visit whilst your own visa expires in 3 months neither do I know the implications. I do not know how desperate you want your mum to visit.

As for the statement address. I suppose you could explain the varying addresses. However the less you have to explain yourself out the better. Some of the risks we take are totally unnecessary. My candid advise is avoid the irregularity as much as you can. It does not cost to fix this. Call your bank and change the address. If you do online banking, log in and change your correspondence address to the current address yourself. Then call your bank and request a duplicate statement (for whichever months though) which takes not more than 7 working days to arrive. The ordered statements will come to the new address with the new address on. I have done this so I can tell you. My bank is HSBC. However some banks may charge you £1 per page of any new statement if they had already sent you same previously.

You might not need to change the address on all months for which you want bank statements. You could change the most recent and explain when you moved house.

teeewai:
Hi Guys,

Good job on the work here guys!!! I currently reside in the UK and intend to invite my mum over as i just had a baby. Mum is retired with a monthly pension of around 80k, that means she can't sponsor herself. I intend to send my savings bank statement with £4k+ for her application. She has previously visited UK during my graduation a couple of years back

1.) Do we still need to include her bank statement - to show her monthly income (Does this prove ties to home country?)
2.) Any idea how much the ECO will be looking for as maintenance for 2 months stay?
3.) Are the below list of docs good to go? any other docs to add?
- Mum's monthly statement
- Pension letter/docs to show she's retired
- My bank statement
- Invitation letter from myself
- Rental agreement here in UK
- My payslips
- wifey's payslips

Regards

1. Yes, you would still need to include her bank statements. This is part of home ties though it may not be exhaustive enough. Consider including evidence of other family ties she has in Nigeria, e.g. If u have other siblings in Nigeria.
2. I do not know this as you are acting as the sponsor. People that usually quote maintenance costs are applicants sponsoring themselves. I think the ECO may decide your capacity to maintain your mum throughout the duration of her stay from your bank statements. Also consider the sponsorship maintenance form.
3. Those documents are good but not enough...

There is nothing listed as evidence of your relationship with your mum. Let me ask, are you male or female though. You said you had a baby, I was thinking you female. But you included your wife's payslips so I think you are male. Lol.

You also need:
I. Your passport biodata and visa page (or British passport if you are British)
II. Utility bills which is stronger than bank statement for proof of address
III. Perhaps your birth certificate which can link to your mum's passport suggesting she's your mother
IV. Evidence of communication with your mother like emails, chats and calls
V. You could include pictures of you and mum albeit there is a clause that this might not be considered in deciding your application.

**Others can also contribute to your question**

McGibson:
Can someone review mine? ekpotek

Your question somehow seems somewhat vague. No one here is an Entry Clearance Officer. However u can certainly get advice here. Nevertheless you have not included the list of documents you have. You just mentioned a few. Your chance of getting a visa would depend on your travel history, reason for requesting a UK visa, documents you would submit at your appointment and your ties to Nigeria.

Moreover if you are going to stay with your aunt you might need a copy of her recent utility bills to show proof of address.

nairacountry:
Yes

So, like Justwise suggested, state a reasonable period of stay and stick to it for the purpose of renewal.

Is this your first child? If yes give traditional reasons for mama to stay long enough for the period you are requesting for. Your mortgaged apartment with ample space for mama will be helpful.
Cheers

Yes, first baby. I would talk about the traditional/emotional attachment where my wife needs her mother during and after the birth.

Astonestone:
For a first time application for six months, I don't think saying you want to stay four months is really okay. Even if the ECO knows parents help their children, they also still consider this a job I.e childcare. The visa may be granted depending on how you present your case but best you avoid risks. Like I said, you may have two years visa and reach POE, the immigration officer there can cancel and send you back because he feels you are abusing the visa. Just do very thing with caution

Many thanks

nairacountry:
@Brightingsus, be sure you have adequate arrangements as per your accommodation enough to accommodate her, good credit rating etc. She is a plus for UK govt getting more tax from your income. Look at it from that angle.

You however need to state some info about the purpose of visiting and be in d middle as per duration of stay.
All the best and regards to your wiffy

Hello dear.

Yeah I have a mortgaged house occupied by wife and i only. So accommodation is not a biggie. About the credit rating, what do I need it for though? Am not borrowing for my mother inlaw's trip. Lol. We have all the necessary pregnancy and antenatal appointments documentation including the expected delivery date. It's called a MAT B form.

By middle of duration of stay, you mean 3 months on a 6months visit visa?

ekpotek:
Old system
https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome

New system
https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/uk-visit-visa

Many thanks.

I want to believe no method/link is more beneficial than the other

DobraDobra:
Guy put all ur documents ur wife's and urs include all her medical stories they know all this that grandparents come in and help to take care of newborns. Fill in ur form hopefully ur mother inlaw does not need leave from work I can tell u all this done well she can stay 5 months to be on safe side she goes back renew and come bk to help u with d new born . But make sure u fill d family application and not d general visa application forms

Am quite lost here and need to be found pls...

ekpotek:
All visitor visa is now called standard visitor under the new online application system. The applicant may wish to use the old system that still offers subgroups of visitor visas.

Really

bigbus:
Just to add that my experience is that the 180 days is cumulative in one calendar year, not per visit. Exceed it, and risk a refusal when you want to renew. The ECO will not only question how you survived in UK on a visit visa (no work, no income), but also how you managed to keep your job/source of income/ties in Naija. Even after making 3/4 weeks visits for many, many years, if you ever exceed the 180 days in one calendar year, there will be issues o. For medicals, there are other visa categories (so was the ECO's position).

Many thanks,

I live in London with my wife who is pregnant. We are permanently based in London. I want to invite my mother inlaw for Omugwo. So my questions are on her behalf.

Astonestone:
Please don't stay more than one month or the length of your official leave from work you submitted. If not your next application you have to explain why you stayed for long and how you supported yourself in the UK. Just stay a reasonable amount. People with 2-5 years have stayed four - five months and have had their visas cancelled at POE.

Many thanks.

I live in London with my wife who is pregnant. We are permanently based in London. I want to invite my mother inlaw for Omugwo. So my questions are on her behalf.

ekpotek:
The UK visit visa is for 6 months with multiple entries that allows one to stay for the entire 6 months assuming you entered the UK on the day the visa was issued . Same thing for either its a 2 years, 5 years or 10 years visit visa. You are only permitted by law to stay for up to 180 days per visit. However, depending on your intention and purpose of visit to the UK, exhausting the number of days allowable (ie 180 per visit), can actually lead to refusal of subsequent visit visa in the future. The question is why do you want remain in the UK for up to 180 days, when your visit is not medically related, where you can neither work or earn an income? Certainly, the ECO will question you motive when you want to renew such a visa.

Thanks Ekpotek...

You remember I buzzed you earlier for tips on how to successfully invite my mother inlaw over as my wife is pregnant. To be honest the more of my mother inlaw being with us the better. I would want her to stay with my wife and new baby and save us the money for nannies that can cost a fortune in London. So when I apply and we get the visa for 6 months for her, I would want my mother inlaw to stay for like 5 months or 4 at the earliest.

Since I would be indicating that my mother inlaw would be coming to stay with my wife to give birth I hope the ECO should understand that we may need my mother inlaw for a bit more.

nairacountry:
Lol @ debate
Visit visas (either 6months, 2 or 5 or 10years) allow stays of no longer than 6 months (or 180 days) per visit.

So if you have a valid 6months visit/tourist visa (single entry), you can stay up to the end (which will automatically be less than 6months coz its not possible you enter UK same day your visa was approved) of the visa validity at a go.

If you have more than 6months visit visa, you can stay up to 180days at a stretch from the day you are stamped in. If USA, you will be stamped in with days you can stay at a go, most times, 180days.

Many 10x

Hello all,

I have been on a debate with a fellow on the maximum allowed number of days a 6 months visit visa holder can stay in the Uk. He says with a 6 months visit visa one can only stay in the UK for up to 90 days (3 months) on a single trip. I know that with a 2 year visa one can stay for up to 6 months on a single trip to avoid being seen as making the UK one's home. However for 6 months visa, I cannot find anywhere to confirm the claim that one can stay a maximum of 3 months on a 6 months visit visa.

Hello all,

I wanted to know if visa is granted, is it granted with a start date (validity start date) from the decision time or a date closer to when an applicant stipulates they want to travel by?

For eg, if one applies for a visit visa by July 20 and indicates they want to travel by Oct 15; if the visa is granted by Aug 20, will the 6 months start by Aug 20 or a date just before Oct 15?

Many thanks.

iwalewa92:
[color=#990000][/color]
good day everyone. I Retrieved my passport today and I was refused. I feel like the Eco didn't go tru my application at all cos he/she misinterpretated my application. I stated clearly that I was the one solely funding my application and that my aunt is only my host. But in the refusal letter, the eco said I stated that my aunt was d one sponsoring the trip.
in my travel budget, I even included feeding expenses. I had about 1.150m in d acc statement I submitted. Plus all relevant document from my aunt. I even stated I spent about 120 pounds monthly, but the refusal letter says 80pounds.
Here is the list of the docs I submitted
passport
bank statement (6months)
6 months payslip
leave approval letter from work
appointment letter from work
reference letter from work
personal income tax card
employment letter
my aunt's bio data page
invitation letter from my aunt
her utility bill and mortgage.

I don't understand, I have a job, not been married or a prior travel experience shouldn't be a criteria for refusal. Even I have been ghana early this year.

From my understanding, your application was not comprehensive enough. 9 out of 10, there is a very high probability that 'host' is understood as sponsor. You went ahead to include the biodata, invitation letter, utility bill and mortgage docs of your aunt. This only suggests she is your sponsor. Only you know your intentions and it remains in you until there is a satisfactory evidence backing any claims you have.

From your finances, it seems you are giving away 4 months of your salary for a holiday. The ECO would question your intent to visit. If it's not very concrete and substantial, then the intent could be questionable. Again, from your DOB, you should be full of energy and nothing stops you from seeking employment in th UK which is not allowed. This obviously is not your desire but you failed to convince the ECO otherwise. Including bank statement and payslips et al does not suggest you would return to same job. You might as well desire to seek employment elsewhere and nothing ties you to your current job. So the ECO did not see any ties to Nigeria.

You might not have any properties to your name, or even rent; hence it becomes more difficult to secure a visa BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. I believe you did not include your economic ties or your family background to establish you have family in Nigeria. Even if you did, you did not include proof.

You could have benefitted from being explicit to establish what 'host' meant. If you meant your aunt would house you, why then did you include feeding expenses? It might be assumed that the person that houses you might feed you. On the other hand, if your aunt were to house you, did you include any proof of your aunt's capability to do so. This could come in form of her bank statements too. So the ECO is not certain you would be adequately maintained without recourse to public funds.

I am not quite clear which bank statements you included, whether yours or your aunty's.

tmoneyluvsu:
[color=#990000][/color] I wonder why nobody is responding to my question
Good morning my people
I heard UK center in Victoria island now charge extra fees, how much exactly is it?
And I plan to visit the UK for Xmas and New Year, when is the best time to apply, as I've seen a requirement that says not more than three months from the day you're planning to travel, thank for your helpful responses.
PLS RESPOND!

I do not quite know how much the fees are for VI, however the Ikeja does not charge now.

You should apply not more than 3 months before your proposed travel date. The Gov.uk site says 15 working days to reach decision on your visa application. This is only advisory as some people have experienced delays. So how straightforward your application and supporting documents are would determine how quickly a decision would be made. However aim to give yourself like two months; so even if it delays you should get passport back in time.

Read this thread back and observe delays experienced by applicants.

Ihejuruobic:
Plz and plz I need a quick response to my questions..... I want to apply for a visitor visa in the UK, my elder brother is inviting me over and I want to apply for it this week, he is the one sponsoring everything so my question is.....is my statement of account really important? As he is the one sponsoring my stay. I have close to nothing in my account....am single with a menial teaching job, plz I need a quick and sincere response

Your statement of account is a MUST. It does not matter he is the one sponsoring you. The documents which he would provide to buttress he is the one to sponsor you does not help your status in Nigeria.

Your brother cannot convince the ECO that you would return to Nigeria after the visit. The onus is on you which would bother on your bank statements with good balance and other documents to establish your ties in Nigeria.