5

I'm from Ghana and a graduate with no working records; that means no earnings in my personal bank accounts. I've applied to enter the UK Army in 2017 and all is going well. If accepted, I will then apply for a UK visa.

My father is a medical doctor in London and is more than prepared to receive me and accommodate me during my stay.

If he provides me with his bank statement which proves he has enough funds to sponsor me, as well as support his family, is that one document alone enough to secure a visa to travel from Ghana to UK?

Improve this question
5
  • 5
    What's up with all the Ghanians getting UK visas in last days?
    – Kuba
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 12:54
  • Which visa are you applying for? Tier 1, Tier 2, and what category under each Tier? Here's a list: gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
    – Michael
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 13:14
  • 4
    Shouldn't your future employer, the UK army, sponsor or co-sponsor your visa? Shouldn't you have a visa or any other clearance to enter UK before you apply for job in the army? Is your father a British citizen?
    – Edmund Dantes
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 15:02
  • 1
    This all seems a bit bizarre. Surely "the Army" would have to sort this out.
    – Fattie
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 15:37
  • 2
    @JoeBlow I looked up the UK Army recruitment--they state "Until the day you enlist in the Army, you will be responsible for making sure that you enter the country on a valid visa, and that your stay in the country is legal."
    – mkennedy
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 22:08

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
11

With regards to visas, your main hurdle will be getting a visitor visa for attending the part of the recruitment process that happens in the UK. These are handled exactly as anyone else who wants a visitor visa to attend a job interview; the army does not get any special preference.

In order to get this, you need to convince the ECO of three things:

1) That you actually have a job interview to attend. (Papers from the army should do this for you; at least there will be no doubt whether your potential employer is itself legit).

2) That you can afford to eat, sleep, etc. during your trip.

3) That you will go back to Ghana after your trip.

Having your father sponsor the trip may in some circumstances make it easier for you to do the second of these, but won't help at all with the third one. On the contrary, just having a father who lives in the UK will make the third task very difficult for you.

You'll need to demonstrate a reason that makes you absolutely need to be present in Ghana after your trip. From your description it sounds like you don't have such a need, and if that is the case it will be somewhere between extremely difficult and impossible for you to qualify for a visa.

Sorry, but them's the breaks.

The Visitor Rules are in Appendix V of the Immigration Rules

Improve this answer
4
  • Thanks a lot for your help. I really do appreciate it. But please how do I convince the embassy that I will return to Ghana after the training cos its also possible I get enrolled in the UK army. I also want to know the type of visa I will need to apply for the training?
    – user56192
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 22:00
  • 3
    @Airforce here's how. Imagine this situation: while in the UK, a friend of your father offers you work. Your answer is "Sorry, I can't accept, I need to return to Ghana because ....". Now take the ... part and add it to your application. If you come up empty and it sounds you will then you can't.
    – user4188
    Commented Jan 18, 2017 at 5:43
  • Okay. So please, if I add something like marriage. Eg. I'm newly married and have to go back to look after my wife, is it credible enough? Pls
    – user56192
    Commented Jan 27, 2017 at 5:22
  • 1
    @Airforce Exactly. Things that show you have strong ties to Ghana. However it is simultaneously a bit of a paradox because implicitly those ties are not enough to keep you in Ghana if the army selects you. Basically try to prove that aside the Army job, you're NOT interested in any other job in the UK because you have other opportunity in Ghana. UK Army or back to Ghana! A tough sell.
    – Augustine of Hippo
    Commented Feb 13, 2017 at 12:38

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .