Calling your parents to UK

UPDATE 2- The Visa Applicaiton asks you to clarify which type of Visa is requried. For my parents I selected "Family Vistor Visa".

UPDATE 1- Good news- my parents got their Visa and are presently in UK. we are having a nice time. Read ahead how I went about it.- Calling your parents to UK.

I am in UK on Workpermit along with my wife on dependent Visa and recently arranged for my parents to come to UK on family visitor visa from India. They have little knowledge of the internet and so I had to make most of the arrangements online from London and took help from my cousin in getting the print out of the stuff. I had lot of searching to do for the getting the visa and guessing there might be more people like me who would want help, I am putting together a step by step of how to get you parents on family visitor visa done.

1. Book your flight tickets early. This ensures you get good fares and also the visa office knows that your parents are sure of coming back to India. Booking can be done from UK or India.
2. Book an appointment with VFS for the visa interview, make sure you give yourselves enough time (10-15 days) to send all the docs and help your parents with the visa completion.
3. Get all the required documentation (checklist provided below), send them to India. I sent across scanned copies and VFS were ok with the print out.
4. Discuss the form section by section and help them complete the form, I asked my parents to first fill with pencil and then finalize the form after discussion. Update 2- The form asks you to clarify which type of Visa is requried. For my parents I selected "Family Vistor Visa".
5. Once the VFS interview is done and you await the arrival of passport, prepare a checklist of things you want them to bring along and things they need to complete before coming to UK. Some examples- get Chest X Ray and if you have ailing parent make sure they get all their medicines
6. Before they take off every one should know where to meet in the airport.
7. Ask you parents to carry GBP.
8. They should keep your contact numbers handy.

Checklist
There are two sets of document-
Required from the sponsor- person in UK
Required from your parents- person in India
I have listed each in detail, please drop a comment if you need any clarification.
Required from the sponsor
1. Sponsor letter- this is a letter in which you invite them to UK and give everyone passport details. Sample which I used:
------------------------------------------Start--------------------------------------------------
Statutory Declaration

This is a declaration that I Srikant Suddekunte currently working full-time for ABCD Technologies Limited in London and having the following details:

Passport Number: Bxxxxxx
Date of Birth: xx-xxx-19xx
Residing at:
Would like to invite my parents, and , with the following details:
1) Name:
Passport Number: Fxxxxx
Date of Birth: xx-xxx-xxx
Residing at:

2) Name:
Passport Number: Fxxxxxxx
Date of Birth: xx-xxx-19xx,
Residing at:
to a holiday in the United Kingdom. I hereby solemnly declare that I undertake to provide accommodation and full assistance to my parents, and , during their visit to UK on holidays. I enclose my recent bank statements and pay slips to show that I can afford to do this. I make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the Statutory Declaration Act 1835.
Docs enclosed:
1. Bank statement copy
2. Payslips copy
3. Work permit copy
4. Passport copy
5. Tenancy Agreement
For further information, I can be contacted via phone on 0044xxxxxxxxxx or via email at <email id>
Signed by Sponsor: Date:
Place
--------------------------------------------End-------------------------------------------------

2. Tenancy agreement- Sponsors rental agreement
3. Sponsors payslips
4. Sponsors bank statement
5. Sponsors work permit
6. Sponsors passport copy containing the visa page
I scanned the above docs and sent it across via email.

Required from your parents
1. Passport
2. Photographs
3. Proof marriage ( example passport entries or ration card)
4. Proof income
5. Pension certificate
6. Bank passbook
7. Proof of property (if any)

Once you know all the steps its a simple process. As you would have noticed I have not given any hyperlink, try googling it should be easy.

Suggestions:
1. Booking early means that you have decided their duration of stay. If it is too short then they will miss out on some of the sights in UK but a long trip may also be not a good idea as they might get bored after 3-4 months.
2. Blocking tickets is another option, but we kind of wanted to do everything on our own.
3. Confirmed return tickets gives surety to Visa office that they plan to come back to India.

If you have any doubts leave a comment I will try to respond back to you.