Need Guidanc: Visitor's Visa for a Family Member

[from_india]

Hello All,

Thanks for choosing to read my request and hope I am not too descriptive than needed.

I am an India passport holder. I have come to UK on HSMP along with my family (wife and a 3 year old son). For my work purpose, I have to travel and be out of home for almost every week. This means that whenever I am on road my wife and son are alone at home for entire week. This often makes my wife tense. In order to deal with this issue, we have decided that we will bring my wife’s aunt (my wife’s father’s sister) to give her company and help her at home.

Considering the recent developments in the immigration rules, I have decided that I will apply for a visitor’s visa for the aunt and not for a family member’s visa. I need guidance from this forum on the best way to present our case (visa application) to the UK consulate. Especially I have the following queries:

1. Is the decision to apply for visitor’s visa and not for family member’s visa a right decision?
2. Our aunt can’t speak English (although she has a degree in arts – BA). Will that have any effect on the approval or at the point of entry in UK?
3. One thing worries me about her application for visitor visa versus family member’s visa is that our aunt IS a family member and she IS coming here for a family reason. Will that have any bearing on the decision or am I unnecessarily paranoid? Is there any best responses she should give at the time of interview.
4. A good thing is this aunt has quite some land in her name (and has evidence); I am hoping to make use of this fact in our favour. Although she does not have any money in any bank account.
5. Although, our aunt can stay maximum for six months at a time, we will like if she gets the visa for as long period as possible (say 2 years, so that she can return to us again after her first visit).
6. I have read the guidance for the sponsor and visitor, but please let me know if you have anything to add to that out of your personal experiences.

Any comments/suggestions/guidance on this will be highly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

[Wanderer]

Just some random thoughts before I brave the M62, looks horrendous on TrafficWatch.....

1. The rule is six months out of every twelve, so she can't enter and re-enter immediately.

2. This is likely to change to three months in twelve very soon.

3. 'Help here at home' sounds like she's actually gonna be working, be very careful here. No matter if it's 'family' - HO views work as work, unpaid or not.

4. There is no Family Member visa open to you - those are for EEA Citizens to sponsor non-EEA family members.

[from_india]

You mean, mentioning that she will HELP in for example cooking is going to be adverse? That’s such a tip; we could have easily got trapped into that.

Any other tips please!

Thanks Wanderer and good luck with your M65 endeavour.

"2. This is likely to change to three months in twelve very soon."

I knew this applies for the family members; does this apply visitor's as well? Or am I completely off-base?

[sakura]

What is a family member's visa? I've never heard of that before. Does the UK even have a family member's visa, or is that just coded for visitor's visa for a family member?!?

[Wanderer]

What is a family member's visa? I've never heard of that before. Does the UK even have a family member's visa, or is that just coded for visitor's visa for a family member?!?

Think the OP meant the EEA Family Member permit, which obviously doesn't apply here.

M62 was indeed horrendous, three hours to get here!