salsera:


Send it by post or simply scan it to her by email which is cheaper.

You know chat logs emails etc can be printed as evidence as well

So scanning is a viable option.

Thanks!!!!

salsera:


Its light on details because they won't coach you. Besides for instance its expected if you are inviting someone then who you are, what you are to the invite and what you are providing as a sponsor to the invited guest should reflect in the letter.
Is it accommodation is it feeding is ticket fare is it transport costs.
Your answers to these would then determine what documents you add to prove your support e.g tenancy, account statement, proof of your status in the UK.
So it's not cast in stone the exact details of what an invitation letter would be it depends on the extent of your 'sponsorship'.

And about the school its pretty straight forward. Its presumed her school has a timetable so you would not expect a student to intend to travel when school is in session. And if she is a student she needs to back that up with proof or evidence.

Then proof of your relationship that's simple. Prove that you know each other. How do you communicate, how did you meet,how long have you known each other.

About originals you can send originals or scan them. Whichever they will return any originals back to you.

Remember she has to be able to prove she has no intention to migrate permanently.

Thanks, you've been a great help.

One more thing- I assume these documents have to be sent physically to her so she can include them in her application (Sorry if I'm wrong- there doesn't seem to be any provision for sending the documents directly)

salsera:


Follow steps here
https://www.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa

There are directions there for documents needed by sponsor .

The onus is on her to show that she will return . So she needs to add letter from school to show what class she is in and her status as a student ..
Proof of your relationship is needed.

Thanks, Salsera!!!

I've gone through that section of the website and unfortunately it is very light on details. For instance:

* No mention is made of the contents of a cover letter/letter of invitation. What are the most important details to include in this letter? Should it be signed? Is a scanned copy sent over email admissible?
* The only section which appears to apply to sponsorship (for a standard visitor visa) reads as follows:

"where a third party (who is either in the UK or who will be legally in the UK at
the time of your visit) is providing financial support to you e.g. a business, a friend or a relative, documents to show they have sufficient resources to support you in addition to themselves and any dependant family should be provided"

This simply says "documents that show..." but doesn't specify:
> What documents are the most useful/best
> How they are to be presented. Originals? Photocopies? Scanned? Sent independently by the sponsor?

* On the letter from the school- the document mentions a "leave of absence". is it mandatory that the school grant a leave of absence for the period in question, in your experience? On letters you have seen from successful applicants, does the school explicitly list the dates in question

* What do you think works best as proof of relationship? In what manner is this proof best conveyed? Will she be asked to bring a smartphone along for example to show online conversations or telephone logs, etc?

Thanks for your help!

Hi,

I'd like to apply for a standard visitor visa for my Nigerian girlfriend.

She's a student so doesn't have an employer or independent income at the moment, so I intend to support her and pay for her travel

What documents do I need to provide, and how do I provide them (hard copy, etc?)

Also, what documents does she need to provide?

Thanks in advance!