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I am scheduled to apply for a UK visitor visa on 13 July and have stated that I plan to stay for the whole six months. I've decided to include a cover letter to explain the circumstances of my request. I'd appreciate it if you could provide feedback on the below text:

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Traveller
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Eliza
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  • FWIW, I think you’re expecting UKVI to do far too much follow up. If you don’t provide bank statements WITH the application, you can expect a refusal. https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/66104/should-i-submit-bank-statements-when-applying-for-a-uk-visa-what-do-they-say-ab – Traveller Jul 04 '20 at 10:43
  • Thanks! I guess I should provide the screenshots then. – Eliza Jul 04 '20 at 10:45
  • @Eliza Screenshots are very unlikely to suffice. UKVI will want to see your bank statements plus those of anyone providing financial support (not necessary if providing accommodation only). – Traveller Jul 04 '20 at 10:46
  • @Traveller, the financial support is the equivalent of the rent that I thought would be the amount for a room in her house. I don't expect her to provide me with other funding. But I will ask her to send me those.

    Unfortunately, I could only get my bank statement if I travel to the Philippines, which I couldn't at the moment as I've noted in the letter.

     – Eliza Jul 04 '20 at 10:52
  • Are you sure you are allowed to study for a PhD on a visitor visa? Would a short-term study visa, or even a Tier 4 visa be more appropriate? –  Jul 04 '20 at 10:55
  • @Arthur'sPass, I won't be studying for a Ph.D. in the UK. I'm already enrolled as a Ph.D. student in Denmark. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, I couldn't fly to Colombia and will have to do my data collection virtually. I could stay here in Denmark, but it's so expensive to do so, and the budget allotted to my studies was only enough for a three-month stay in Denmark and the rest would be for my living expenses in Colombia and the Philippines. It's also been mentally stressful because I'm alone here, so it's nice to be with family especially with the upcoming holidays. – Eliza Jul 04 '20 at 10:59
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    My mistake. It's a long letter and with some details redacted it wasn't immediately clear to me where you were enrolled. I'd suggest you edit the letter for conciseness and clarity. Drop details that don't relate to your application. For example, you might say that you haven't been able to go to Manila because of flight cancellations, but details of flights and airlines that were cancelled don't contribute much. –  Jul 04 '20 at 11:15
  • @TomasBy, yes, they will. I have a commitment as noted in my PhD plan for payment through the end of my studies, including while I'm in Denmark. Given the COVID-19 outbreak, especially in Colombia at the moment, I don't know when I will be back there so everyone's been working remotely or wherever they are. I'm staying in the UK so I could be around loved ones as this uncertainty around when I could fly home to the Philippines has caused a lot of distress and of course more financial burden so I'm looking to save up until I could go back to Denmark, which is the priciest EU country to live in. – Eliza Jul 04 '20 at 11:55
  • I'm aware my letter is long, but I want to let UKVI know why I plan to stay for that long and be transparent about it. I have downloaded a printout of the transactions on my saving account for the last three months because that's all I could give short of flying to the Philippines, where restrictions will likely not allow me to get to my branch as soon as I arrive. I've also asked my aunt to provide a bank statement to support my application. – Eliza Jul 04 '20 at 11:59
  • I went ahead with submitting a two-page cover letter because I felt I needed to provide a solid explanation for wanting to stay for 6 months in the U.K. Got my passport back with the visa in 8 working days. – Eliza Aug 13 '20 at 20:08

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