Child Visa Application

Hi All,

Has anyone applied for a child (u18) visa recently?

We have completed the online form and Annex 2 and have gathered all the documentation.

My wife flies out to Manila next week to file the application but before she goes I was wondering if there are any pitfalls that we should be aware of.

I'm hearing about sending documents to Sheffield now and the need for a letter from the father??????

Apologies for starting a new thread but search hasn't been that helpful TBH - if anyone can point me to an active thread with experienced people I'll close this down and join it.

Yes..we had a refusal a few weeks ago. The vaf4 application form does NOT ask enough questions. It's a lot more difficult than a spouse visa application. Is the child's father still on the scene ?

My friend was refused with the application for her two children last February she appealed for the decision and won the case after flooding the court with tears.

She was refused because the father still sees the children so that raised a red flag coz they argued my friend don't have sole responsibility with her children.

Yep..exactly the same with us..part of the reason.

I have seen the specific guidelines for the ECO...to refuse if the father is in contact with his child and the child is being looked after by a relative of the father.

Read this

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-set07/children-set07

Which actually seems pretty reasonable to me.

Yes. But in our case it was an assumtion by the eco..and not correct at all
The childs father has no role in his life..he is a sick man and is looked after by relatives. He cant work or support the child. I've now read further down that list and it states that if the parent is mentally incapacitated then entry clearance should usually be granted.

Yes. Any more information might you to offer?

ask specific questions and hopefully som,eone will know the answer

Did he make an assumption because evidence was lacking?

You have to cover all bases

Do we take the documents in the he Philippines or just keep and post here to Sheffield?

just passports and signed printed copy of the application form with confirmation of appointment goes to vfs--everything else to sheffield

what evidence ? how could we provide evidence of of something non-existant ?

the ECO assumed the father had sole resposibility for the child--in his mothers absence.

we provided a hand written letter from the father--with a typed copy as it was difficult to read--stating he didnt live with the child--had only limited contact---and couldnt work through long term illness so couldnt support his child. so how could he have sole responsibility ?

in refusing the application--we got a lecture about what constitutes sole resposibility.

i would have thought for the £1500 fee we could have got a phone call--email or even a letter asking for clarification.

as we were given leave to appeal i believe the ECO was simply passing the buck to a judge to make a decision should we have decided to appeal.

There is more to being a parent than money. If his family are bringing up the child then it is perfectly understandable that they need to be sure.

I know what I would do if I had a child and the mother disappeared overseas for a few years then suddenly decided to try and get custody.

in this case the father is of limited mental capacity--following a life threatening physical illness. he cant look after himself let alone a child. he is looked after by relatives. he wants the best for his son--and knows it is with his mother.

the childs mother ( now my wife ) did indeed " disappear overseas " for 4 years---by getting a student visa in the UK to hopefully better herself...and also earn a living to support her son--her daughter ( now in university ) AND the father... during that time the father was capable of looking after the kids--with the help of other family members. this was indeed the point made by the ECO--pity they didnt ask for clarification.

Oh no too bad
Yes the father is still on the scene but we believe he will be amenable as the daughter doesn't live with him but with my wife's mother

Are you in a position to share those guidelines bigmac?
I'd like to see what constitutes 'sole responsibility' in the eyes of the faceless and heartless beuracrats

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-set07/children-set07

pm sent