How can a non-EU citizen living in the UK invite their friend to visit them?

Question

We both hold Indian passports, my friend started studying a funded doctoral program in France recently, and I have applied for my Tier 4 visa to study my self-funded MSc course in the UK.

He wants to visit me in the UK to help me settle down once I go there in a few weeks. I plan to live in an Airbnb apartment for the first few days, find an apartment that I would like to live in for a year, and then have him over for a couple of days to help move my stuff and set everything up.

I understand that his application would need an invitation from me, along with a copy of my visa, proof of my student status from my university, and proof of accommodation and finance. As for accommodation, we plan to book the Airbnb apartment together. But since he has recently moved there, his bank account is new and doesn't have any balance yet, and I will still be in India while he applies for his visa.

• Can I use the same (Indian) bank statements that I used for my Tier 4 visa with his application?
• Should I have him enclose the contract for his funded PhD and rental contract for his current apartment (managed by his university) as evidence that he will return after he's done helping me? What else could he enclose as evidence?
• Will he be able to use the same visa to return to the UK later, maybe in the same period while I'm still setting up and he has to return to France for some appointment, maybe afterwards, provided it's before his visa expiry date in six months?

This is not the same as this question as the person asking that is a UK citizen, while his guest is being funded by the guest's family, while our case, none of us are UK citizens and are not being funded by anyone else.

Answer 1

In this specific case, he can’t.

I understand that his application would need an invitation from me, along with a copy of my visa, proof of my student status from my university, and proof of accommodation and finance

This understanding is incorrect. An ordinary invitation for a visitor visa is not so much of a legality as it is a demonstration of the ability of the person inviting the applicant to be in a position to assist with the trip. Since in this specific example you as a sponsor are unable to provide anything of that sort to add credibility to his application, there is no need for him to invoke a sponsorship/invitation.

He should apply for a visit and clearly state reasons for the trip, explain his current circumstances in France and explain why does he intend to go to the UK for a short trip. He should Build up his case as if there was nobody else to help him with his visit and that he has compelling reasons to go to France after the trip is over.

He wishes to go to help a friend who is not in a position to be able to invite someone over so to the UK (in fact has not even reached the UK) so if he tries to suggest that your are inviting him, he will be making his case weaker. I would simply explain that the reason for my trip to the UK is to be able to help a friend who will be moving to the UK with the house hunt / move and provide everything i can in order to demonstrate that i have compelling reasons to go back to France.