Hiya,

I've just posted a topic on this board about our successful visa - read it, it might help you!!

If you need any further infor/advice, PM me.

Laura

Hi Guys,

We submitted an application for a UK tourist visa for my boyfriend on 30th October.

With the application we included his bank statements, copies of the deeds to his mothers houses, copy bank statement of his mum, his military service paperwork (he finished on 10th Nov), proof of ownership of his car, a sponsor letter from me, 6 months of my salary slips, copy of my house rental agreement, various photographs to evidence our relationship, copy telephone bills to evidence regular contact throughout the year & a copy of my passport.

Within a few days they had called him to invite him for an interview in Istanbul which worried me because it meant they were not 100% happy with the paperwork submitted.

Anyways, he had his interview today and took with him a letter from his employer stating he will commence work on 15th January in Antalya and more up-to-date bank statements for him & his mum. His interview lasted no more than 10 minutes during which time they asked him:

1. Why he wanted to go to UK;
2. How long will he stay in the UK; and
3. Which date will he return to Turkey.

He answered all the questions in English, they were happy with the answers and told him to come back at 4pm to collect his passport and visa!

It has been very hard and stressful work getting everything together for this visa but the effort has paid off and now he is free to come and visit me, meet my friends and family and share Christmas with us.

My advice for anyone applying for a visa is to go the extra mile with the paperwork so that minimum questions are asked. We applied through Setur in Antalya who told us we didn't need the photographs and various other things but we ignored them and sent it all anyway which I think was the best choice!

Please feel free to contact me if you're applying for visas and would like some encouragement/advice and I'll do my best.

Laura

My boyfriend and I have recently applied for a visitor visa for him to spend Christmas with my family. However, someone has just advised that he wont be able to leave turkey until 3 months AFTER his service has finished (this week).

Does anyone have and literature on this that they could send me - I can't find anything on the net...

Thanks

I've always been given a 3 months visa - this is strange...!

I am from the UK and am, on the whole, impressed with our police force.

My property has been subject to 4 crimes over the last year (Scooter was vandalised, scooter was stolen, garage broken into, flatmates car was broken into) and each one was dealt with in a timely and courtious manner.

The introduction of the Community Wardens has also been of great benefit because it means there is an additional force you can call upon for slighter matters that officers can't attend to if they are busy (example youth antisocial behaviour).

I think the downfall of our police force is greatly due to the obsessive compulsive so-called "political correctness" of this coutry. In the area where I used to live, white people were a minority with the majority being black people (I would estimate a ratio of 75:25). Figures show that xx% of crime was committed by black 15-25 year old boys. However, the police stop and search policy was not allowed to reflect these statistics so despite there being statistical data to evidence a certain crime pattern, the police had to spend time stopping and searching 50 year old middle class Chinese men just to show that they are NOT racially discriminating. I don't believe this has anything to do with being politically correct but is just plain blooming stupid.

The searching at tube stations is more of a touchy subject. The terrorists attacking this coutry in the past year called themselves Muslims (although their behaviour said otherwise). However, your religion doesn't dictate your skin colour and by searching only those who wear headscarfs/have beards leaves a door wide open to the non-steriotypical terrorists. This might sound somewhat contradictory to my last paragraph but we are talking about completely differnt levels of crime. Ironically and contradictory to what someone else has said - I have been searched twice at different tube stations, I am a 23 year old white female who was in a suit going to work. Being searched gave me a feeling of reassurance and the same also for friends, white, asian, catholic, muslim or otherwise. I wonder sometimes whether people kick up a stink about these things for attention - would it not make a safer place if everyone just abided???

Hi Guys.

We applied for my boyfriends 6 month tourist visa this week and he has been called for an interview at the end of the month.

Does anyone have any recent experience with this?

We submitted ALL we could and as he comes from a fairly wealthy family I'm hoping it wont be terribe news. Having ready numerous stories I'm aware they pretty much don't want to give the visa from the start and he must convince them otherwise.

Can anyone help?

Thanks

Can anyone advise the best way from Sabiha Gökçen airport to Ataturk airport in Istanbul? How long does it take, cost etc?

Thanks all,
L

Hi Guys,

I've tried to translate this message myself but would someone check and let me know if its pretty much correct - thanks!!

"Uzakta olmam birseyi degistirmez. Güneste benden uzakta, ayda, ama hicbir günüm günessiz, hicbir gecem AYSIZ gecmiyor. TIPKI yüregimin sensiz OLMADIGI gibi ASKIM"

"Distance does not change things. The sun is far from me, from the moon, but my day is nothing without the sun, my night is nothing without the moon passing. Just as my heart does not work without you"

Can anyone advise??

Thanks,
L

Would someone kindly translate the following message for a wedding card:-

"Dear name ve name,

My biggest congratulations to the both of you on this very special day. May your new life together be filled with happiness and joy for many moons to come.

A million thanks for inviting me to share this occaision with you.

With my love,

Laura"

Thanks guys