eddie eagle

Visa nationals

If you will be staying in the UK for up to 48 hours before you continue your journey, you will need a 'visitor in transit' visa. If you want to stay in the UK for longer than 48 hours, you will need to apply for a visit visa.

An Immigration Officer may decide to let you pass through the UK on your way to another country without holding a visa. This is known as 'transit without visa' (TWOV). It allows you to catch a connecting flight within 24 hours or, if you are on-board a ship, to stay at a UK port for up to 24 hours.

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This looks confusing. What it actually means that the officer at the UK airport MAY give the passenger a transit visa there and then, if they d'ont have one. Thats what happened to my Mrs at LHR - she did'nt have one - officer remarked on this - said she needed one - went away then came back and stamped her passport. We had a connecting flight to Ireland within the 24 hours of course.

"An Immigration Officer may decide to let you pass through the UK"

MAY is the operative word.

If I had to do it again I would get a transit visa for her, just to make sure she was ok.

Thanks Spongeman it is very helpful to hear about a real life experience.

Just my own experience.

Good luck on your journey.

Hi Eddie,

Try the following link:- http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/doineedvisa/visadatvnationals, I hope this clears things up for you.

Thanks mickmac I had seen the website before posting but sorry to say had difficulty understanding it. Let's see what other boardies make of it, here goes:

1. Thai's are "visa nationals" who require a visa for every entry to the UK, though some may be able to Transit Without Visa”(TWOV).

2. Thai's are not "direct air side transit visa nationals" who require a visa to transit through the UK, known as Direct Air side Transit (DATV).

Transit INF20 then goes on to say "visa nationals" need a visa to transit the UK but may be able to 'transit without visa' (TWOV) if the "visa national" will:

- arrive and leave by air within 24 hours and have no intention of staying in the UK (you can travel by rail or road between two airports); and

- have a confirmed onward booking that will leave within 24 hours of your arrival in the UK.

- have the documents needed to enter the country you are traveling to; and for any other country that you may pass through on your journey.

Does this mean my TGF and our son don't need a visa to transit the UK. [trying to route through London Gatwick so they stay air side]. It is hard to believe it would be so easy also that the airline would let them on the plane without something in writing. Tried calling the Immigration Service for an answer but the bloke I spoke to said they would need a transit visa which seems to go against the website information.

Would appreciate any guidance concerning transiting via London when traveling on to a third country.

Background

My TGF and baby son will join me where I work abroad. I have a residence visa and work permit. They have visas for the county where I am working.

The direct Bangkok flight will arrive into London Heathrow and the onward flight departs from London Gatwick. This means my TGF and baby son will have to come land side to get from one airport to the other. The time in UK will be about 24 hours.

Question

Do they need a UK transit visa or as it seems from the UK Border Agency / Immigration websites can they be allowed to transit without the need for a visa.

Post Script

Just seen that Emirates do flights to Gatwick so that may be a solution.

Hello All

My daughter's turned 6 months so I need to regsiter her with the uk embassy in bangkok. I'm on the birth certificate and all is above board. We live in Jomtien and I wonder am I best using one of the visa shop things or are they a rip off.

Whats the process if I do it myslef and how much will it cost?

many thanks to anyone who can help me

I registered my daughters birth at the British High Com in Bangkok recently. Was easy. Just turned up with her and my birth certs. Follow the instructions at the web site and you'll be fine. There are no hidden complications or requirements. I got a passport for her at the same time and it cost about THB11,000 all in with the birth register and a UK birth certificate.

How long did it take?

Amazing how time flies....nearly two years has gone by since we were granted an unmarried partner settlement visa. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Uk-Settlemen...ed-t113168.html

TGF has settled in well and has passed the life in the UK Test as well as the level 2 english. 2nd March 2009 is the date we will apply for ILR. Apart from making sure we have plenty of documents showing we have been living together at the same address what else should we do / be aware of for the ILR application?

Amazing how time flies....nearly two years has gone by. 2nd March 2009 is the date we will apply for ILR.

TGF has settled in well and has passed the life in the Uk test as well as the level 2 english. Apart from making sure we have plenty of documents showing we have been living together at the same address what else should we do / be aware of for the ILR application?

Thanks Scouser and Mariner. You helpful advice is appreciated.

The worrying part is that it may take 7 to 8 months for the appeal, is this is this in every case or do some get settled quicker?

A spouse visa appliaction made by TGF's cousin' (she is married to a man fro the UK) has just been rejected on the gounds that the Embassy is not satisfied the accomodation arrangements in the UK are adequate.

They will be living with his Mum but the application did not cover this point adequately. Their accommodation arrangements are similar to when I brought the TGF over to UK on a partner two year settlement visa. But in her application I emphasised the accomodation was suitable size (3 bed kitchen batrooom etc), that we would have a room of our own and attached a letter from my mum inviting us to stay in the apartment and that we had her permission to stay.

Question 1: TGF's cousin will appeal the visa rejection and intends to inlcude in the appeal a full description of the apartment plus letter from the apartment owner saying they can stay there. Is this enough?

Question 2: How long will the appeal process take and any advice on the content of the appeal submision would be appreciated

Thanks in advance for your help. My TGF's cousin is pregnant and she and her husband want to be settled in the UK, not living apart while the visa process drags on> They also do not want to have the worry of if they will be granted a spouse visa or not.

Would apreciate information and practical advice from BM's on obtaining a tourist visa for a Thai lady to visit Egypt. I am a British national working in Egypt and would like her to come for a visit. Thanks EE

Would be interested to know the outcome. Did you manage to obtain a visa for Egypt and how difficult / easy was it?

I have just started work in Egypt and want to bring the TG out for a visit / holiday. She is presently in UK on the 2nd year of a 2 year settlement visa

Any information or guidance would be appreciated

Which airlines / route do the guys who work on a rotation basis in Kazakhstan but live in Thailand use when they are coming back to Thailand?

I have used the DHL office on 2nd Road, just along from Mike's mall a couple of times. Excellent service, good english, they even stayed open late one evening so I could get a parcel to them.

Based on my own past experience can't trust the baggage system at Heathrow. Unless there is more than a 2 hour stopover your bags probably won't make the connecting flight, even then odds are about 30% for you bags not making it. Things may have changed in the last couple of years ... I stopped flying through Heathrow because as the OP said its better to fly from UK regional airports via Amsterdam.

do a search and you will find quite a bit on the unmarried partner visa .... I posted a couple of weeks ago to say my TGF was granted a two year settlment visa (unmarried partner) without any problems.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=113168

As one of the other posters said make sure you have your paperwork in order then it only takes 4 days. Rob's pinned example is a very good guide but if you want a copy of what I submitted then pm me.

I worked in Yokohama for just short on three years and the TGF stayed with me for a good part of that time.

We are not married and used the 90 day tourist visa route ... my TGF could stay in Japan for max 90 days at a time provided she stayed out of Japan for as many days as she stayed in. All in she must have made about 6 or 7 trips, without any real problems. I took my leave in the 90 days "out" so we were toghther for most of the time.

Documents she submitted at the emabssy in Japan were

1. Application form + photgraphs

2. Letter from me explaining our relationship / her background and why she left her job in the factory (looking after mother + travelled to UAE with me)

3. Her family house registration papers

4. Proof of my employment (copy contract)

5. Copy of my apartment rental agreement in Japan

5. Copy of my bank statements

6 Guarantee letter from me

The BKK Japanese Consulate website will explain all that is needed and best you check in case they have added anything since last year.

For the first visa application I went to the Japanese Consulate in BKK with the TGF and asked to speak to the Japanese gut in charge .. waited 30 minutes and got to see him, expalined the situation and asked to make sure I had everthing needed ...worked a treat .... the first visa took a couple of weeks because the Japanese Consulate in Japan checked back with Immigration in Japan ...but each time after that only took 2 days.

If you want copies of the letters /paperwork I submitted give me a contact email and I will send them to you

Getting the TGF to Japan was the best thing I did ....

Some good news. The TGF submittedan application last Wednesday and picked up the 2 year UK settlement visa yesterday (Monday).

There are three (3) important lessons learned.

1. Search on Thai Visa.com and learn from the information / problems / mistakes / advice of previous posters

2. Make sure that you check and understand the rules that apply to your situation http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pa...d=1018721067257

3. Structure the your sponsor letter (also see Rob's pinned advice) to cover each of the criteria specific to the type of visa your TGF is applying for. Each as separate numbered section, make the affirmative statement that you comply for each item, then explain why and cross reference to the evidence submitted with your sponsor letter.

We were surprised how easy it was but thanks is due to Thai Visa and all the posters who have posted guidance on UK visas.

I want to buy some land in the TGF name + usefruct... yes I hear the groans but I don't really care ...she can have it if the relationship goes tits up. The difficulty I have is coming to terms with the asking price ... she has come up with a potential plot of 110 wah in a reasonable village just out outside of Nongbualumphu which is about an hour from Udon. The plot is next to and fronts on to a main road. Sorry no pictures ... the asking price is THB 280,000 which seems a bit on the expensive side. A plot about 2 streets back from the road and 90 sq wah sold for THB 120,000 recently. Advice on the price and or how best to structure the negotiations would be most welcome.

Hi gppower, did you manage to get a schengen visa? Any advice would be welcome. Background to this request is that I am transferring to France for 6 months for work before going on to to the middle east (oil industry) and want to bring the TGF into France for a visit. I have had a look at the French Embassy website but its all in French and I don't speak French.

Feedback --- TGF went along to the passport office thinking to get a new passport and instead they said no need can add extra pages .... about 40 extra pages 200THB there and then no waiting :-)

I need to make a sworn affidavit (Form D80 UK divorce) before a solicitor and then send it to the county court in the UK.

Problem is I am away from the UK for a couple of months and need to know if is it possible to swear the affadivt in Thailand before a UK solicitor, if yes can anyone recommend a UK solicitor in either Pattaya or Bangkok. Thanks EE

thanks george but the Thai embassy in Japan is not a workable solution, a thai lady we know recently had a bad experience of it taking too long + requests for information etc., so easier we do it Thailand, also had a good read through other posts and think its best the TGF just applies for a new passport at Bang Na. Thanks EE

The TGF's passport is getting full (only 2 pages left) but it is valid until 2009.

We live in Japan and have tried calling the passport office in Thailand to ask but keep getting the answerphone and would appreciate advice from BM's on if she will have to apply for a new passport or if can she get extra pages added.

She will need a good few pages clean becasue we will be applying for a UK visa + Schengen visa for her when we visit Thailand at the end of November.

Thanks EE

Bit of an update ... found out that we can apply for an unmarried partner visa to the UK for my TGF instead of the visit visa. Will this offer any benefits when applying for a Schengen visa? or will she still only be able to apply for the normal Schengen visa which gives 90 days in 6 month period?

See also 13.14 - Unmarried (i.e. opposite sex) and same-sex partners and how they qualify.

Thanks Scouser and Vinnie, we meet the Art 13.4 criteria for the unmarried partnership so will have a go at applying for the UK visa, will let you know how it goes.

The parties having been living together in a relationship akin to marriage/civil partnership which has subsisted for two years or more.

"Living together", should be applied fairly tightly, in that we would expect a couple to show evidence of cohabitation in the preceding 2 year period. Periods apart would be acceptable for good reasons, such as work commitments, or looking after a relative which takes one partner away for up to 6 months where it was not possible for the other partner to accompany and it can be seen that the relationship continued throughout that period by visits, letters etc. Where a couple have been living together for the preceding 2-year period but have been dividing their time between countries and may, for example, have used the "visitor" category, then this will be sufficient to meet the requirement.

"Akin to marriage or civil partnership", is a relationship that is similar in its nature to a marriage or civil partnership which would include both unmarried and same-sex relationships.

In order to demonstrate a 2-year relationship evidence of cohabitation will be needed. In order to show a relationship akin to marriage/civil partnership, ECOs should look for evidence of a committed relationship. The following types of evidence would be useful in this respect:

joint commitments, (such as joint bank accounts, investments, rent agreements, mortgage, death benefit etc);

- if there are children of the relationship, a record of their birth entry correspondence which links them to the same address;

- any official records of their address (e.g. Doctors records, DSS record, national insurance record etc);

- any other evidence that adequately demonstrates their commitment to each other

It will not be necessary to provide all of the above: ECOs are looking for satisfactory evidence of relationship.

I have to work out of Europe for the next year and was looking to see what visa we would need to get for my TGF. Had a look at the UK visa website and came across the "unmarried partner visa" which seems too good to be true so would appreciate any advice or input. Background is that we have lived together for just over 3 years (Abu Dhabi and Japan) and based on this last December she was granted a 6 month Tourist C multi entry (no problem). Thanks EE

How do I qualify to join my unmarried or same-sex partner in the UK?

You and your unmarried or same sex partner must show that:

- any previous marriage, civil partnership or similar relationship, has permanently broken down

- you have been living together in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for two years or more

- you have suitable accommodation which is owned or lived in only by you and your household, and where you and your dependants can live without any help from public funds

- you can support yourselves and any dependants without any help from public funds

- you intend to live together permanently

- your partner is not under 18, and

- you are not under 18.

The Entry Clearance Officer will need to see evidence of a two-year relationship. This may include; documents showing joint commitments, such as bank accounts, investments, rent agreements or mortgages; letters linking you to the same address, and official records of your address

At first, you (she) will be allowed to stay and work in the UK for two years. Near the end of this time, if you are still partners and intend to continue living together, you can apply to stay permanently in the UK.