Visa advice on application

I have a friend who has residency in Zimbabwe, she is a bristish citizen. She want to bring her foster daughter back to the uk , for a holiday soon, she has permission from the socail services in Zimbabwe , but now needs a visa for the uk! Now we have been on the goverment web sites but cannot find what we require . so here goes

1, does the foster child need a sponser living in the uk or can my friend as a british citizen sponser her?

2 is the child classes as a family visitor or a general visitor?

My friend has been to a visa agency in Harare but they told her she only has one chance at an application !! they didn't offer her much help, I have spent 4 hours trolling through goverment pages , if she were adopted it would be so much easier but her adoption will take a while so she will be a foster child for a while. My friend wants to bring her foster daughter with her as she would miss her so much and my friend want to see her family here to.

Is your friend the legal guardian of the child?

If yes (and I imagine she is), it ought to be straightforward to get a holiday-only visa, depending on how long she intends to stay. However, what should be, and what actually is these days, may not be the same.

Sorry I can't be much more helpful; all I could do is to go and peer at Government websites for information, which it sounds like you've already done.

you need to talk to a solicitor who deals with immigration

From the ukvisas.gov.uk website:

" * If a child visitor is travelling with an adult (someone over the age of 18), the adult must be identified when the child’s visa is applied for. The adult’s name will appear on the visa and if the child arrives in the UK without that adult, they will be refused entry. Up to two adults can be identified, as long as the parent or guardian has given their consent (permission).

The child’s visa is only valid if the child travels with at least one of the adults identified on their visa."

One possible snag could be that, as your friend is herself a British citizen, they might believe she's intending to bring the child into Britain and keep her here permanently.

From the ukvisas.gov.uk website:

 

" * If a child visitor is travelling with an adult (someone over the age of 18), the adult must be identified when the child’s visa is applied for. The adult’s name will appear on the visa and if the child arrives in the UK without that adult, they will be refused entry. Up to two adults can be identified, as long as the parent or guardian has given their consent (permission).

 

The child’s visa is only valid if the child travels with at least one of the adults identified on their visa."

 

 

One possible snag could be that, as your friend is herself a British citizen, they might believe she's intending to bring the child into Britain and keep her here permanently.

My friend will have a return ticket and its only for a holiday for 1 month , she has 2 other foster children in Zimbabwe that as they have no birth certificates they cannot travel at this point in time.

I am at a loss lol gov sites arn't simple

My friend will have a return ticket and its only for a holiday for 1 month , she has 2 other foster children in Zimbabwe that as they have no birth certificates they cannot travel at this point in time.

I am at a loss lol gov sites arn't simple

It would seem, to me, that all she has to do is call in at the British Embassy in Harare, inform them of her wish to take the child to Britain for a holiday, and ask for help filling in the application form. Perhaps it is not that simple, but from here it appears to be so.

Good luck to her in sorting it out, anyway.

It is that simple. She needs to fill in an applicaion form for Entry Clearance into the UK as a visitor, which is for 6 months. She'll be interviewed by an Entry Clearance officer who will either grant or refuse the visa

If it is refused for whatever reason she can appeal the decision but by no means do you only have one chance to apply.

Have a look at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visitingtheuk/childvisitors/ as well which details the full process

we have the answer the little girl comes in as a general visitor and my friend can be her sponser as she isn't using any benifits while she is here etc I am so gla we sorted it! In the end my friends son who is a solicitor gained the answers , its not actually on the goverment web site and its not clear as foster children , are neither adopted or not adopted next time( next year) she comes she will be adopted so it will be different again !

Glad you got it sorted out.