darren1971

6 hours ago, rasg said:

The first visa application failed as it included lots of emotion and information that the ECO didn't need to know and also repetition. The second application contained coherent reasons why Ket should get the visa without the waffle.

now you know what ECO's were thinking... ?

In the field of psychology, the Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people of low ability have illusory superiority and mistakenly assess their cognitive ability as greater than it is. The cognitive bias of illusory superiority comes from the inability of low-ability people to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self-awareness of metacognition, low-ability people cannot objectively evaluate their competence or incompetence

On 1/22/2019 at 8:54 AM, crazyfalangphil said:

Thank you for your reply rasg. i thought as much.

 

Is there anyone out there who has been in a similar situation to me and has had a successful application?

 

My train of thought was that i have such strong evidence of being in a genuine relationship that we would not want to jeopardise our future and any subsequent visa applications by her not returning.

Sat on the sofa with my Thai gf (soon to be wife) reading your post, she is on her second visit visa both were for 6 months. She had no job, income, assets or children in Thailand to return too but has had 2 applications accepted and 1 refused (her first application). So it is possible to get a visa under most circumstances but never guaranteed, the reason to return elements is often a case of working with what you have and delivering a convincing argument in your supporting documents, avoid telling any lies and just be prepared to apply again if you receive a refusal. Often in cases such as yours a refusal opens the door for an application to be accepted, they have to give you their reason for a refusal which you can then address in your second application.

My gf's first application was refused as her only income was money I was sending and she had no strong financial ties to Thailand. In her second application her situation was identical but a rewording of the supporting letter was enough to get her through.... was it the supporting letter that got her through? was it because our perseverance gave the application more credibility, was it just luck of the draw with the ECO processing the application?.... you never know. 

Good luck with it!

20 hours ago, LucysDad said:

I would also be interested in current processing times.

 

A friend is hoping that he will fall into the "95% in 12 weeks" category.

I heard that the performance figures are based on a random sample of applications rather than ALL applications....My Thai wife has heard a lot of horror stories from the facebook group she is a member of, who knows what to believe

2 hours ago, easyridercc said:

I'm been having this problem too. Trying to book appointment for affirmation of marriage. Online appointment system has earliest as 18th March (for affirmations). I called up as was hoping to get married in Feb and needed to get paperwork together. They said its not an error, Bangkok embassy is very busy. No walkin appointments possible. Only advice was to book March and keep checking incase cancellation.

What a joke, 8 weeks away was earliest appointment when I enquired and pay 2600bht for this service. Its messed up my plans for trip to ampher next month to register marriage.

Sent from my E5803 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

pretty poor show, im sure they realise people are often on tight timeframes when trying to marry abroad, makes you think they just dont really care about their citizens

23 hours ago, Andycoops said:

I think they have gremlins in their system.

I went to book 2 weeks ago and the 1st appt was shown as 7th March.

I think so too... I don't remember the appointments being so restricted last June when I went

On 1/25/2019 at 11:12 AM, worrab said:

When are you looking for?

arrive on the 29th (which is a Friday and early closing)... Ideally want to get in there Monday 1st April, get the documents to an agent an off to CFA, get her TB scan done and married the following week

7 minutes ago, worrab said:

I have just had a look and there are appointments available for 31 Jan, 7, 11, 12, 14 Feb. Have not looked further.

yep, seems they release small blocks at a time.... I only have a small window of time in Bangkok to get everything done and it went pearshaped last year when we attempted to get married... leaving our passports on Koh Kood didn't help

1 hour ago, globalThailand said:

Aha!  Found the PDF I was looking for.  2 year validity on the tests

 

LINK

 

Follow up question... Should we go for the IELTS for UKVI?  I understand the Trinity college GESE is valid but since the IELTS is geared specifically towards visa application does this make the process smoother?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Trinity GESE tests are much easier than IELTS... based on my partners experience of both

I used an agent on sukhumvit who dealt with going to Chaeng Wattana, translations, everything. Cost me B5000 but saved a lot of trouble. There is also a rumour that if you turn up yourself there is a bit of a racket going on with the translation agents in the building and MFA officials, dont know if this is true or not but heard similar stories about Amphurs where farangs are involved.

Tried to book an affirmation at the British embassy in Bangkok, but their online booking form is showing no available appointments for the whole of 2019. I have been through the process before in 2018 but the wedding had to be postponed. I have emailed the Embassy but no response as yet. Anybody else having issues?

the marriage must take place at the amphur on the affirmation, so you have to know before the affirmation..

that's what I was told at the Embassy last year.

all started by immigrants: (im aware not UK)

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5 hours ago, kannot said:

These  must be part  time as  minimum wage is  about 7.70 pounds an  hour,  no tax  until after almost 12000 pounds too

salaried

anybody trying to get affirmation from Bangkok embassy this year?

No replies from the Embassy to my email as yet

On 1/15/2019 at 1:34 PM, 7by7 said:

Why are some people bringing the EU into this? The UK's immigration rules for non EEA nationals are nothing to do with the EU. This case is nothing to do with the EU; Brexit will have absolutely zero effect on the Family Migration rules and the financial requirement for same.

 

I have a feeling that Mr. Duffy is not telling the whole story. Which is a pity, as it means the government can easily ignore this petition; which they will anyway. 

 

In his petition, Mr Duffy says that 

But from what he says later, she was in the UK as a student. Which means she could have applied to remain in the UK as his spouse, i.e. convert her student visa to a spouse visa, without returning to the US to do so.

 

Which, as others have already said, is not true. Self employed income can be used to meet the requirement; see 9. Self-employment or Director or employee of a specified limited company in the UK of the financial appendix.

 

Plus, as she was in the UK as a student, Mrs. Duffy could work and so any income she received, employed or self employed, could have been added to his self employed income to reach the minimum.

 

Having said that, regular readers of this forum will know my opinion of the current financial requirement and the steps groups such as the All Party Parliamentary Group on Migration have taken to try and persuade the government to revert back to the previous, far more sensible and above all else fairer system.

 

For those who don't know what that was, a brief summery.

 

A couple had to show that after tax, NICs and deducting all fixed outgoings, rent/mortgage, loans etc., they had a net income equal to or more than the income support level for a British family of the same size; currently £114.85 per week, £5972.20 p.a, for a couple; plus extra if either partner is financially responsible for a child or children.

 

Unfortunately, in this situation, as in many others, governments, no matter their political persuasion, don't do what's right; they do what's popular. The vast majority of British people want all immigration made harder, not easier!

 

Petitions on the for profit site Change.org have zero effect. The 110364 people who have signed Mr. Duffy's should sign this one on the official government petitions site instead; at least then with over 100,000 signatures the government will have to respond and consider debating it in Parliament.

 

Unfortunately, Change.org wont allow me to make that comment and so direct people to somewhere which may have a chance, albeit a very small chance, of actually changing anything!

 

I am also concerned that Change.org asked me for money when I signed (I didn't pay, which may be why I couldn't leave a comment?)! Where does that money go?

I would love a reversion to the previous fairer system too. I would dispute that it is a 'vast majority' that want to reduce immigration, maybe slim majority is closer to the truth.

On 1/16/2019 at 11:16 PM, rasg said:

It's called living life where I live and experience. Something you don't have a lot of yet.

unfortunately time does not guarantee wisdom. I was interested in seeing your data to back your assumptions but I am not surprised to see none.

Im guessing there is a website issue as there are only 3 appointments available for the whole of 2019

Anybody know why there are no affirmation appointments available at the British Embassy. I need to get an appointment in April and there are no available dates at all. Do we have any other options?

10 hours ago, rasg said:

I know of many Poles who live fairly close to me who live six to ten to a house. Many of them earn mimimum wage or less but as they are in the EU they claim help for rent, money for their kids. They used to get it and send it back to Poland. A lot work in the building trade paying no tax at all. My neighbour had an extension built a couple of years ago. A team of eight. One Brit, one Pole who could speak English and the rest, Poles with no English.

 

I know of at last half a dozen Thais whose visas have run out a long time ago and they work with family in the black economy. A local shop to me that sold many, many asian ingredients, prawns, fish and meat was raided a few months ago and three quarters of the staff were found to not have visas to work or be here. I think it's a £10K fine for each of them.

You need to look at data... try to be more scientific to make better decisions.

11 hours ago, rasg said:

There are many facts to back that up. You just choose to believe the bilge that they spout. Many who do come here end up on minimum wage or in the black economy and take far more out of the system than they put in. They have more kids and put a lot of strain on systems that are fit to burst. The police, education, the NHS, the roads. Pretty much everything and I'm not specifically referring to your wife or mine.

'bilge they spout' - you mean H.M.R.C ?

Please let us know what data you are basing your assumptions on?

2 minutes ago, rasg said:

For the simple reason that people will end up claiming from the government fraudulently if they don't have enough money to live on and who loses out? The tax payer, as always ends up footing the bill one way or another. I'm not saying the system is perfect. It's not.

Well there is very little fact to back that up, the home office figures show that immigrants on average earn more, start more businesses and claim less benefits. 

As long as someone can support themselves without relying on state benefits and can supply a home then their spouse should be allowed to live with them, my wife will work when she gets here (harder than most of my staff do) and I imagine your wife does too... 

6 minutes ago, rasg said:

Self employed do count but you need £18,600 before tax is deducted. The self employed have all sorts of allowances that are all taken into account before your income is taxed and I would think that the guy in the story has a turnover above £18,600 but he will be able to claim for a van (100% tax deductable), fuel if he uses it for his business and many other allowances.

 

There has to be a threshold and I think £18,600 is probably on the low side for a couple who will need to spend £8000 plus on visa fees, travel etc etc over five years. I think it's around £2400 extra if they have a child. Really? Somebody needs to tell me if they have a baby that it costs less than £50 a week to look after.

'there has to be a threshold' why?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/10/immigration-rules-separating-thousands-families