globalThailand

I see there's a petition to parliament about this - doesn't look like it's gained much traction looking at the numbers but for those that might be interested in signing up it's here.  (Deadline is 12 Aug 2018)

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/212023

The NHS needs, among other things, more money but IMHO this is not the way to do it, and frankly the money they hope to raise by doing so is a drop in the ocean.  Raise my taxes and fix the NHS - I'll gladly pay!  But for the migrants working and already paying in to the system this is entirely unfair.  A good number of my work colleagues are non EU nationals - one chap was stunned after working out the next round of visas will cost him near 8 grand for him, his wife and child.

Just a heads up on using your parents place as an address - there's quite a bit of supporting evidence needed even for that and, seeing as it'll be yourself wife and child you must also make sure it's not overcrowded

(see section 12 here)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maintenance-and-accommodation-maa/maintenance-and-accommodation-maa--2

Good luck on the application.  It's a long and complex process but it can be done - the folks here are very helpful!

Wow... I've been out of the loop for a while, just found out about this increase.  I can understand 'an' increase, nature of things, prices go up yadda yadda but double?!  So initial spouse visa would now be touching 3 grand!  (O.o)

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Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said:
It is only right that people who come to the UK should contribute to the running of the NHS. The surcharge offers access to health care services that are far more comprehensive and at a much lower cost than many other countries.

...and yeah, I understand this but the majority of immigrants are working and paying taxes and contributing to the NHS!  Sheesh!

So... I called the HO.  Once I got through the nightmare telephone menu maze that leads to dead ends and many redials the woman I spoke to was very helpful.  She seems to think it's a clerical error - some part of a from letter that was not deleted.  Though she did recommend we got to the local police station just in case... So I'll either get blank looks and told to go home or have to pay 34 quid unnecessarily.   

There are a lot of regulations to be sure and I had a few surprises along the way but a great first step is to read 7by7 sticky on the steps towards settlement http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/524561-uk-settlement-visa-basics/

As far as I know there are no rules about having to pay tax (I haven't paid into the UK for the last 12 years) but there is the financial minimum requirement of 18600pa and a confirmed job offer if you are coming back to the UK.  

One thing to look into now is the language requirement and TB certificate (if applicable to your wife).  The language thing caught us out.  There are limited locations and times where this can be done outside of the UK... when I found out about the rule we had just missed a test date and had to wait 2 weeks for the next one - it meant we couldn't get the visa in time for me to start my job in the UK. 

Nothing out of the norm... Unless the HO know something I don't! hehe

Thanks for the advice, will give that a try.

Might be a good idea to get some context here.  Is the question directly after asking if the applicant will travel with you (presumably the sponsor)?  It's been a while since I did a visit visa but I'm pretty sure I had to put in my wife's passport info in both sections (Applicant's details and travel details)

Thanks Rasg,

I'm reading the link you've posted and I'm certainly leaning towards me jumping to the wrong conclusion.  What has me scratching my head though is >>

On 1/20/2017 at 1:17 AM, rasg said:

-  you’ve been told to register on your entry visa vignette or Home Office letter that approved your application for leave

As you can see from the letter I posted, under the heading "What you must do after arrival to the UK" it states 'police registration within 7 days'.  It seems odd, unclear and really out of place, but it does seem that she has been instructed to register in the HO letter.  I emailed the local police station last week to see if we can do it there - no response yet.  

Thanks for the link 7by7... and looking the info it would seem that anyone now entering for more than 6 months requires police registration!  Really this whole process is endless hoop jumping!  And another 34 quid!   Not only that, I thought moving to the UK I'd left behind the Orwellian practices of having to register with police... thankfully she doesn't have to do it every 90 days.... yet! 

Attached is an excerpt of the letter... as you can see, no details at all, not even a 'check this link if you are not sure what to do'.

What you don't really see in the attached is that the instructions to register are right after a page break, so it's quite misleading really, seems out of place and not really an 'instruction' under the heading of 'What you must do after you arrive in the UK'...And it would seem the consequences of missing this step could be pretty dire!     

Great news all!  My wife got her visa approved!  A big thanks to all for the great help you've been.  We really could not have done it without the initial 7by7 sticky on the forum (great place to start!) and the really great advice for you chaps.

I do have a follow up question though...  In the letter it explains about the BRP (Biometric Residence Card), what it is, where to collect it and when. After this section it just says

Police Registration within 7 days of arrival

Police Registration within 7 days of arrival to the UK

...so... after the very clear instructions of the BRP I'm now confused by the above.  1) They are the same... we can't arrive, then arrive in the UK  and 2) No clear (or any) instructions.  We just go to a police station, any police station, and say hi?  Do this after we get the BRP, or can we do it before?

Thanks again all

That is interesting, thanks for the update.   I had some hassle a year or so back on our first UK visit with my son.  We booked the tickets way in advance but when I started looking into getting him a passport, 3 months before travel date, I realised immediately that I'd left it too late to get his UK passport sorted.  It was at least an 8 week wait when applying overseas, a lot of my important docs (my long form birth certificate) were all in the UK, and I knew no other UK citizen in Thailand that could countersign the photos.  We ended up traveling on his Thai passport with a visa and sorting the UK passport out while in the UK.  I certainly wouldn't recommend doing it that way.  I did have some advice from the online UKVI 'help center' that said he could travel on his Thai passport - pretty sure that advice was not right though given the above.

The thing I'd like to know though is how could this be 'policed'?  At border control if presented with a valid visa and passport (from a foreign country), how can they then know the person entering the UK actually technically has right of abode / citizenship?

1. Certificate is valid for 6 months

https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa/overview

Can't help with 2 I'm afraid

3. I believe in this case as they are 'electronic statements' they will need an accompanying letter from the bank (see 1 v. (2))

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

4. You will need a letter from your brother and some supporting evidence that there will be sufficient rooms available

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maintenance-and-accommodation-maa/maintenance-and-accommodation-maa--2#maa6-accommodation-general-requirements

So... the documents were submitted today.  A heads up that they don't seem to want any plastic at all... I had 3 clear plastic press stud folders clearly labeled with the application name / number and contents of each file.  I even had a backup single folder with labeled contents in case they wanted to put it all together - my wife came out with all the folders and the separated sleeves (originals / photocopies).  I spent a lot of time trying to make it convenient and clear for the ECO but VFS just dump it all in single envelope!

Should have taken rasgs advice and had a 'contents' page of my sponsor letter...

Congrats!  I'm going through the process now... always good to hear successful outcomes!

It's been a while since I was last there but haven't heard anything about it moving.

Looking at the website it's still Chaeng Wattana road for legalisation / marriage documentation etc.

12 hours ago, Rc2702 said:

So if my son is born in 2 months I cannot apply for a British passport for him unless I marry his mother who is thai?

Congrats on the imminent birth.  A word of advice, start the passport process as soon as you can.  I had my tickets booked way in advance, about 3 months before the travel date I sat down to have a look at all that was needed (my full birth certificate, MFA approved translation of my son's birth certificate etc etc) plus the approx 8 weeks processing time for applications overseas... a real headache!

Quote

 

Alternative currency measures may involve high-cost local arrangements with the banks and online payment providers in each country, which when added to the visa application fee would make the process substantially more expensive for all applicants. This would far outweigh the currency conversion fees suffered by applicants who do not own a payment

card intended primarily for use in the required currency.

 

Wow... that is meaningless fluff indeed.  In fact, after reading it a number of times it still doesn't make any sense.  If I did have a payment card intended primarily for the use of dollars it would still not matter a jot - the cost in dollars to me is way more than the stated cost in pounds.   Actually around 7% more... total cost of Visa and IHS is £1795, I paid just over £1900 according to the currency converter UKVI uses to means determine your earnings in a foreign currency.

Well... It is done.  Submitted and paid for the application today!  A big thanks to all for your help, in particular 7by7, rasg, and theoldgit.

Seems like the exchange rate they used was rather favourable for UKVI... Unless there were some visa card charges I'm not aware of the visa itself was 1554 USD and the IHS was 780 (Making it 1.3 USD to the £).... But looking a today's rates (1.22) the actual cost was £1270!

One other question I have. The IHS is paid for the length of the visa but only in yearly increments, so we have to pay for 3 full years. When it comes to the next visa, do you have to pay for an additional 3 years or just 2?... (I think I can guess the answer but seriously, if they charge you for 3 years that's pretty much state sponsored extortion)

Anyway, thanks again. Documents submitted next week so I may have a few more questions. Will keep you posted.

Thanks again 7by7 - I'm over thinking it again it seems.  Will add a note in the additional information and leave it at that. 

The very first time we ever applied for a visit visa it was refused for lack of supporting evidence and ever since I've tried to make sure every claim  made in the application has some way of being verified.  I'm having to remind myself that not everything is necessary - for example in Appendix 2 it asks when we lived together, and I've put details of our first place back in 2008 then did a mental check of what I could provide to support this claim.  I finally gave up though, some things are just lost to the past...

Apologies I realise I wasn't clear with that post - the UK address is fine but she's put her Kan address when filling in her full residential address for Thailand.  She was told that it had to be the same address as that on her ID card.  I could copy her house book ID, but afaik it's in Thai... which would mean a notarised translation... which would be a nightmare to sort right now (seeing as the house book is in Kan)

Do you think a note in the 'additional info' would be advised?

...actually now that I think about it - there's not really any solid evidence that we both live at this BKK address.  I don't recall seeing any requirements or advice on the guidance sheets.  For previous tourist visas that was always clear as we'd include property my wife owns (house in Kan, house here) as proof of ongoing 'concerns' in Thailand.. Any recommendations?

Uh oh...

Just putting all the documents together and I see my wife has put her family home address (Kanchanaburi) on the TB form...  She's registered there on the house book for voting purposes but in every other part of the application I've put our Bangkok address.  Problem? O.o

...arr... Someone has been at home all day but apparently the English certificate came, wasn't signed for... and they didn't even leave a slip!  

We only found out via the online EMS tracking service!

Thanks all,

A bank book is commonly used here, it's like a building society pass book.  It has the bank's name, logo, account name and number on it - along with all the transactions I've had over the last 6 months or so (which match up with the payslips I'll be providing). As far as I can see this meets the required evidence as per A1.1.(aa) The Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE

7by7, the flight details are my own, not my wife.  Again it's to support some details I've made in the application / letter.  specifically the dates that I can be contacted and on what number etc.  I'm sure it's not essential, and I don't want to overdo things / swamp the ECO with unnecessary stuff - but this felt important to my particular circumstances.

Agree that her payslips and the additional utility bills are an overkill... Will remove those.

Re photo's of ourselves I'm looking at the 'guide to supporting documents > settlement' VER 09 09/12 (Which I think is the latest) and it suggests photos as part of the submission.  Maybe just 1 A4 montage to be safe...

Thanks all

8 hours ago, rasg said:

You don't even need the certificate as you will have to put your Unique Electronic Reference Number that they have already sent you on your application. It still takes about the same time for them to upgrade their records though.

For the English results?  I'll ask the missus to check her email, was expecting EMS delivery yesterday but nothing yet.

As for the list - anything looks out of place? 

OK.  Very close to submitting the application now - just waiting on the English certificate (which should arrive tomorrow or Friday) so I'll run through what I have for you fine forum members to see if I've missed anything.  I got some press stud folders (Thanks rasg) and broken it into 3

Quote

Applicant's Details

 

Application Form (VAF4A)

Appendix 2

Passport

Passport photograph

Thai ID Card

Expired Passports

Payslips *Not essential, I know, but I put a couple of payslips just to show supporting evidence of where my wife is working

Tuberculosis Certificate

English Language Certificate (IELTS for UKVI - A1) *Waiting

Health Surcharge *Presumably I will get a PDF once I submit the online form?

Quote

Sponsor's Details

 

Letter of introduction

Copy of passport

Payslips (6 months)

Bankbook

Copy of work permit

Letter from Current Thai Employer

Offer Letter from UK Employer

Contract from UK Employer

Flight details (to UK then Glasgow) *Probably not necessary but I wanted supporting evidence of (a) the fact I'm still in Thailand and (b) that I plan to go to Glasgow for work etc

 

>>> This next part is about accommodation (for those that haven't been following we will live with my mother temporarily)  <<<< 

Letter of invitation (Mother)

Photo ID of mother (Driver's license)

Tenancy Agreement

Letter from Housing Association *Clearly stating no objection, that there are rooms available etc etc.

Utility Bill *I found many suggestions recommending this... seems unnecessary as the housing letter and tenancy agreement is proof enough?

Photos of property

Quote

Supporting Evidence - Relationship

 

Son's UK passport

Son's birth certificate (Thai)

Son's birth certificate (MFA approved translation)

Photos of us (2 x A4 montages the very first day we met, wedding, birth of son, trips to UK)

Marriage certificate (Thai Original)

Marriage certificate (MFA approved translation)

One question I have is... should I provide a 4th folder with photocopies, or lump the relevant photocopies in each section OR original, photocopy, original, photocopy etc etc

If there's anything you think I should add... or really doesn't need to be in there - please let me know

Thanks again to all for your your sage advice and for putting up with my constant questions over the last few weeks