tribalfusion001

For anyone who has submitted a settlement visa lately, my wife showed her documents today and a member of staff checking them stopped her from submitting her application because she didn't have an english certificate. She has passed the life in the uk test, you dont need both?

What visa were you applying for? My wife submitted an English A1 level certificate and copy back in March.

Edit:

Kadafi has started a new topic on this here. If you wish to respond to this post, please do so in that topic.

You will need to earn £18,600 from 09/07/2012 with no children to bring a spouse into the uk, no 3rd party support allowed, she cannot upgrade to a spouse from a visit visa in the uk, if you leave your employment details blank, then you will be refused. If you secure a job in the uk, you will need to working in this job for 3 months before applying, but you can provide a job offer letter with your application if you remain in Thailand, but it has to be £18,600 per annum.

No, same rules for everyone.

Thank's Tribal will do.

Try contacting the British Embassy UKBA department in Bangkok,

Tried as you suggest but all contact to UKBA directs, or email link goes to VFS Global, in Thailand.

Do you have a link Tribal.

Try this, [email protected]

UKBA don't have a phone number, I've looked before, but they did email me back after 2 working days.

Are you sticking with your appointment for the 7th Ralph? Just seen your reply, answered. Try contacting the Bitish Embassy UKBA department in Bangkok, email address is on the Embassy website, they got to me within 2 days in April when we had a query. VFS are only the monkeys, Embassy in Bangkok are the organ grinders!

Answered.

Maybe you help with this question Tony, if Ralph submits on Friday 6th or Saturday 7th, will the application be under the old or new rules, seeing that application will not reach the Embassy until Monday 9th July?

No Ralph, if you book a morning appointment on Friday 6th July, VFS courier the applications to the Embassy in the afternoon and she will get a email from VFS to state that the application has been received, also you can check the VFS application tracker with the APET number, this will say that application has been forwarded to the British Embassy.

Better to be safe than sorry and book the Friday, plus it will save you 1500 baht

Maybe you should check again today Ralph for next weeks availabilty? One point I should mention about Saturday 7th July, the Embassy are closed at the weekend, so the applications will not be forwarded to them until Monday 9th July, you better check with UKBA if they will be accepted under the old rules.

What's wrong with a girl who works in Robinsons or 7/11 or an office or restaurant etc.?

But would you marry a BG Mr MB1?

I did the same, but after 3 visits I got bored of the bar scene and looked for something else on my 4th visit, which lasted for 9 months, I was working in telesales and teaching.

I not having a dig, but I had to use a Thai-English language book for the first 6 moths to get by with my wife, her English was ok to start with, but I found it more rewarding to start with a clean slate.

Anyway you are right pointless thread, i'm drunk!

Naive, no, boring yes! Got to entertain myself with something after another penalty shoot loss...

Bar girls or go go girls?

I don't know why, is it laziness on the farang's part, that a bar girl know's more English to have a conversation or is it just easier than actually making an effort to integrate and converse with a non bar girl?

To be fair 7by7, I've screwed up 2 visit visas and 1 settlement application so far, but I've secured 1 visit visa and 1 settlement visa, 2 ot of 5. Mr Simon999 needs to learn by his mistakes and with some help he will!

You need to book online.

That's right they will issue a 6 month visa and you can stay 5 months if you wish, but asking for 6 months is big no no. When my wife was issued her visit visa last year and we got to immigration at Gatwick, the border agency lady wanted to see her return ticket, this was August 25th 2011 and the return date on the ticket was 8th February 2011, 5 1/2 months in the future, the border agency lady wanted to know why so far in advance, I said we may want to stay more than 3 weeks, she agreed that putting the latest date before the visa expires was a good idea. Ask for less and use more!

(I presume you meant return Feb 2012)

Has she applied for a visa since then?

If so, did she offer an acceptable explanation as to why she stayed for 5 1/2 months when she asked for 3 weeks?

Yes February 2012. No, hasn't applied for a visit visa, applied for a settlement visa, that was granted 25th May, in the UK now. The explanation was I found employment and we stayed for 5 1/2 months instead of 3 weeks. I was living in Thailand and we travelled back together in August 2011.

That's right they will issue a 6 month visa and you can stay 5 months if you wish, but asking for 6 months is big no no. When my wife was issued her visit visa last year and we got to immigration at Gatwick, the border agency lady wanted to see her return ticket, this was August 25th 2011 and the return date on the ticket was 8th February 2011, 5 1/2 months in the future, the border agency lady wanted to know why so far in advance, I said we may want to stay more than 3 weeks, she agreed that putting the latest date before the visa expires was a good idea. Ask for less and use more!

I wasn't having a pop at you, but there does seem a lot of guys in the same position as you. Without a strong reason to return you stuggle for a visit visa, I had two visit visas refused last year, but my girlfriend at the time (now wife) had a job, but no land, no money. You should ask for a shorter time for the visit, we asked for 3 weeks, 3 or 6 months is way too long, if want 6 months you will also need have a very healthy bank balance to show UKBA. Maybe you do another trip to Thailand as a stop gap, take some photos, maybe find her a job and apply for a visit visa later on in the year.

Can't she find a job and get the boss to write a letter for her, how long she has worked there, how much she is paid, ok for her to have a 3 or 4 week holiday in the UK, at least it gives a reason to return.

I keep on reading about guys having a Thai girlfriend who is unmeployed and has a kid, doesn't anyone think of meeting a girl who has a job and no kids, just a idea, makes the visa process a lot easier!

Maybe it's up to 14 days, not quite sure, but it won't show any dates for July, maybe check on Friday to see if July comes up. I've used the system 5 times, nothing sinister going on, but it will get busier with the deadline coming up.

You can only book appointments at VFS one week in advance.

I know it's competitive and too many places that take advantage or are full of BS. I've always thought about why immigrants want to come here and always come to the same conclusion, they are mad!

Easy solution to the new guidelines is, don't bother applying for a settlement visa to the UK. My wife got her settlement visa on 25th May, we arrived in the UK on 31st May and have spent the last 2 weeks job hunting for me and her, so far she has baked 1 cake and received £30 for payment and done 6 hours work as a kitchen assistant, they haven't contacted her since Tuesday when she did 2 hours work, she did 4 hours work for them last Friday as trial/test and now I got to chase her monies owed as it's looks like they won't be needing her again.

Unless you wife has English skills as good as an native speaker, there will not be many jobs for her. We have applied for about 20+ cooking jobs so far, just one which was interested and they have cooled their interest. Even the cleaning jobs are hard too find and once you factor in travel costs, two hours cleaning a day with bus and train tickets makes the job not worth while. Her job in Bangkok was a cook, bakery, Thai, English, Italian, so has enough experience, Thai restaurants generally don't pay the minimum wage and we have contacted all of the local one's already.

If money is not object and you just want you wife to be with in the UK you will be fine, if you want her work and contribute the household you will find it hard, once you factor in the costs of the visa and further extensions, life in the UK and B1 English tests, it maybe better to relocate to Thailand!

I live in south east Essex and there are not many jobs paying £18,600. I've spent 13 months out of the last 24 months in Thailand, so I'm looking at entry level jobs which pay £14,000 to £15,000 and there are lots of people also going for the same jobs. We got a settlement visa last month and she starts work today, a job that I found her, a kitchen assistant, 30 hours per week at minimum wage. Two years a go I would have met the £18,600 criteria, but I was made redundant with 600 others!