GarryUK

Garry, you will see from the link I provided earlier that you will need certain documents to apply for your child's British passport; including your long form birth certificate.

I've been reading other threads about applying for a British passport for the child. It all seems so complicated, but I've got 5 months to prepare. I'm confused somewhat but I'll start a new post to seek answers to my questions on the passport issue after I've done a lot more reading. I'm a British citizen. I was born in England, as were my parents, their parents, and theirs before. Beyond that I've never looked at my family history.

As for the spouse visa, we've accepted that there's very little chance of it being approved in time so she'll have to have the baby in Thailand (her English is very good, she wanted to have it in the UK as did I). Somehow I'm going to have to find some money to go over again in March for the birth, then leave her and the baby behind after we've applied for a British passport while they wait for it to be issued. At some stage whether it's while I'm there or after the passport has been issued she'll go for the TB scan and apply for the spouse visa, then it'll be even more waiting and hoping that they'll finally get to come to the UK, so at this stage it's looking like a combination of options 2 and 3 - apply nearer the birth (3) asking for the start to be postponed (2) to allow time for the childs passport to be issued.

i think you will do it in plenty of time

good luck

I wish I could be as optimistic. From what everyone has said about working days and not being able to use the priority service I think we're going to be too late. We need a decision in 35 working days (assuming no holidays between now and Christmas), and that gives her a week to get a flight.

So very sad

Thanks 7by7, always thorough and helpful, you should be paid for your contributions

Ok, so from what I've read it's okay to fly when pregnant up to 22 weeks, and then up to 32 weeks in the UK with a Doctors note (in Thailand the cut-off appears to be 28 weeks). With her being due at the end of March, 28 weeks puts us somewhere around January 2nd, so we're working on the basis that the visa needs to be approved by Christmas so she can fly by New Year.

Now there's no arguing that the visa processing times for Bangkok show that no visa is approved in just 40 days which is pretty much our deadline (and that's assuming 40 normal days from application not 40 working days as Seekingasylum just pointed out) - this is taken from the UKBA website:

Settlement Visas 2 days 3 days 5 days 10 days 15 days 40 days 60 days 90 days 120 days Total decisions made Settlement 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 93% 98% 98% 72

However, is the "Priority Visa Service" available to us as it says applications are processed in 3-5 days which in our situation is worth the extra 5100 baht? Number 3 says "A general or family visitor who has travelled in the previous 5 years to the UK". Well, isn't a spouse visa a family visitor, or is visitor the issue as she's applying basically for settlement visa? She was approved a general visit visa and spent June 15th to October 5th in the UK before we went back to Thailand together and got married. It really seems to come down to how you interpret "family visitor"...

Garry

My biggest concern is having to pay again as it's not a cheap application...

My GF came to the UK in June and it seems I was so happy to see her I got her pregnant within a week (don't even bother with all the it's not yours shit, she had her period for the first 3 days). Anyway, we went back to Thailand in October and got married, and now she has her new passport, the English translations (of the marriage certificate etc) and my supporting docs, she's off to Bangkok for her TB scan Monday and, all being well, to get an appointment at Regent House on Tuesday to submit a spouse visa application.

Thing is, the cut-off for her not being allowed to fly is the end of the year, so if the visa isn't approved by Christmas we'll miss the window when she can fly to the UK which means we're looking (hoping) for approval within 6 weeks, so what happens? Do we have a chance of getting a visa approved in time, and do we mention in the any other information section about her being pregnant and the cut-off date for travel? If it's approved too late and she has to stay in Thailand to have the baby, how long does the visa last before it expires and she has to apply again? And of course would it still be valid when she then has a newborn baby? In case someone is gonna ask, my earnings are fine for both situations but the application won't mention a child so would the visa if not by then expired still be valid for an accompanying child (which of course will be able to apply for a British passport).

Oh please can we have a bit of good luck...

Garry

What must you be told?

The customs officer must tell you what you are suspected of: for example, I have reasonable grounds to suspect that you are carrying illegal drugs. Although you should ask why you are suspected of a particular offence, the customs officer does not, in fact, have to tell you.

Huh? "The customs officer must tell you" but then "the customs officer does not, in fact, have to tell you". So they have to or not?

For a UK application all documents should be originals or certified copies.

Bank statements and similar must be original documents or if scanned copies, photocopies, computer print outs etc. must be certified as correct by the bank.

I bank online with HSBC and they cause me an issue every time as my branch says "we no longer certify Internet printouts as being genuine copies", so I have to get them to print it out as their logo is printed on the paper they use (which is visibly and obviously different from my inkjet printing it). If you're in the UK and can wait a month, you can change the date that the next statement will be generated and request paper copies of it and previous statements, but mine took 2-3 weeks to come when I wanted them for my GF's tourist visa application.

I wish it was easy to ask the visa processing centre for a definitive answer on whether or not uncertified Internet statements are acceptable or not as I'm in the same position again now we're doing the spouse visa application.

Whether you wait for originals, get the bank to print them or simply print your own and hope, good luck...

The eco will be aware of your case background i would include a copy of the covering letter for your previous tourist visa application. Have you included evidence you own/rent the property ?

In the previous applications I included my last mortgage statement (December 2012) which I see I missed from the list above, but otherwise nothing relating to the accommodation other than a brief mention in the covering letter. I'll send the wife copies of the (successful) tourist visa covering letter and mortgage statement.

In that application I sent copies of phone records, Facebook chat and Skype video calls to prove regular communication, and proof of financial support. I take it the marriage negates the need to resend proof of a relationship (although I am including the photos and visas from my visits to Thailand again)? And proof of income negates the need to send evidence of financial support in Thailand as she'll be moving to the UK?

Thanks.

Wow, how time has flown. We're heading back to Bangkok tomorrow for the last few days before I fly back (alone) to the UK and she heads back home to her parents. The plan is to get the marriage certificate and name change documents translated into English and certified at the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs in case any of them are ever needed in the UK in the future (for anything, not just the visa process). The wife wasn't able to get her TB scan done while I was here as apparently she needs her new passport, and that won't arrive until next Tuesday so once she has that and my missing financial information (which I'll have to post to her when I get home), she'll have to come back to Bangkok for the scan and to submit her visa application.

So, aside from the information she'll provide on the visa application form we'll be including the following supporting documentation, anyone see anything missing?

Her new passport in her married name for the visa

Her old passport (to show she was granted a visitor visa and spent 4 months with me in the UK*)

Our marriage certificate and related translations

A copy of my passport (including visas for my 4 trips to Thailand)

Photos from all 4 trips to Thailand and her time in the UK

Her English test certificate

Her TB scan results (assuming they're clear of course)

A letter from my employer indicating I'm currently employed and showing my earnings

My last P60 if I can find it (or a copy if I can get one in time)

6+ months wage slips

My last council tax bill

A covering letter from me briefly detailing the relationship and supporting documentation provided, and describing my property.

*NOTE: for whatever reason there's no exit stamp when she left the UK so I'll include the boarding passes for our flight to Thailand on October 5th which, coupled with the fact that she'll attend Regent House to submit her visa application, must be enough proof she complied with the visit visa and left the UK.

Fingers crossed....

We got married last week. Train to the British Embassy, we got there about 8:45am and were in and out in under 30 minutes. Contrary to what I'd read on the net they copied my passport and I don't believe they wanted copies of anything else, just a fee of 3350B. Got approached by a tout on the way out, forget it, 12,000B for WHAT! Got a taxi to the Ministry Of foreign Affairs (a long way, taxi meter 177B) and was approached by one of the many touts there offering translation services, said 300B and 30 minutes but it took him a good hour. He showed us upstairs where I got a number from reception and waited to be called (about 10 minutes). They offer express (same day) service for 800B to the first 30 people requesting it before 12:00pm but when we got there at just after 11:00am they'd all been taken so paid 400B and had to go back 9:00am next day. Think I might have needed 2 copies each of my passport info and visa pages, and a copy of the affirmation and translation (and of course all the originals).

Took another taxi to Bang Rak District Office and I think within an hour we were officially married. Didn't have our own witnesses so we witnessed for another Thai couple getting married and they witnessed for us. Don't recall if we paid anything here, that's what old age does to you memory goes. We needed some copies here but the GF (at this point) popped round the corner and was back within a minute or two.

NOTE 1: If you don't marry in her home town you will be married as Mr English Name and Miss Thai name, then you'll have to go "back home" to her local Ampur and register her name change and get a new ID card, so might be worth considering where you marry. That part cost us 20B according to the wife (where in England would you get anything official registered or changed for 40p), though I'm sure I gave her more. Even more copies of stuff needed here.

Last stop was to get her passport changed. We were in Pattaya for a couple of days so did it there. Just needed her new ID card, 1000B fee and a further 40B to get it posted home. Apparently the postal fee is 100B in Bangkok. She should have her new passport in 7 days.

NOTE 2: If you're going to apply for a spouse visa as we are doing you cannot get the TB scan done until she has her new passport, at least that's what the IOM told us today.

Good luck, hope if you've not done it yet that this is some help.

We went to the British Embassy today to do the affirmation of freedom to marry. I'd read you cannot get same day service but we got there around 8:45am and were in and out with completed paperwork within 20 minutes. On the way out at just after 9:00 there was a queue forming, so it was worth going early. Barely out of the door a tout appeared from nowhere and tried to sell us something for 12000B but the security guard told us to go to the MFA as we'd find somebody that would likely do a better translation there.

Got to the MFA about 10:15am, was pounced on as we got out of the taxi, guy said 300B for translation and it would be ready in 30 minutes. He took us into the restaurant, worked out my name in Thai, gave us the paperwork we'd need when we went upstairs to fill in while we waited and off he went. While we sat there I saw many other people being bought in by similar people who went off and returned with something for them. It actually took our guy 45 minutes but he then took us upstairs and told us what to do (check in at reception, take a number and wait).

The reason I'm posting is that I was asked if "standard" service was okay but I said I'd like the "express" service. She talked to a colleague and said there was no express service available which surprised me so I had to accept standard. We waited to be called, handed over the paperwork and 400B and was told to go back Wednesday at 9:00am. So what I've read above makes sense as the tout tried to explain something to my girlfriend involving the number 30. She thought everything would have to be posted home as only 30 people a day can collect, but putting 2 and 2 together I'm sure he meant only 30 people a day can use the express same day service, and by 11:00am all of those had already been taken.

I didn't think that you could get copies of a P60.

We'll see when I get back to the UK, though with a letter from my employer and 6 months of wage slips I don't think it will be a big problem as the wage slips will corroborate what the letter says with regard to how much I earn, and it appears this is the most important part of the application.

You have to prove that the relationship is subsisting ie chat records, skype facebook however you communicate, photos of you both together dated and locations

That was the case for the tourist visa but I'm not so sure by the time we're married in the next few days that this is so relevant, although we will be reusing the photos after updating them to include 2 more pages from her time in the UK and another covering the wedding and this latest visit. For the tourist visa we had to work out how to show we chatted in FB every day (in the end I did 21 print screens and pasted them into Word), and how to show we talked via video every day (viewed the logs in Skype, select all, pasted into Excel then edited out what I didn't want to include).

I imagine the UKBA will be aware of the previous tourist visa application, but then I assumed some things were obvious in our first (tourist visa) application which was refused, so I'm at least going to mention the previous visa applications and UK visit in a covering/supporting letter to include with the documentation this time.

PS: Will be in Thailand by the time I read any replies, woohoo

So I've read the UK Settlement Visa Basics and over the last year asked various questions and read many posts and replies, but I'd like if you'll indulge me to make a final check that I have (or know) everything we need for the wife-to-be to get a spouse visa.

In less than 1 hour we'll be leaving for the airport as she's been here on a tourist visa since June - don't worry, I'm not setting an unrealistic deadline for answers, I'll read the forum while I'm in Thailand. If we get the affirmation, translations and everything done in time the plan is to marry on Thursday 10th October being the 1 year anniversary of the day we met. I did just suggest to her not to change her passport, but it expires January 2015 and we won't have gone back to Thailand in that time so she's set on changing it. No problem.

So once she has it back we can't start the visa application process. We'll have the marriage certificate, she passed her English exam while in the UK with distinction and has the certificate for that, and once we get to Bangkok we'll contact the IOM to sort out a TB scan. I forgot to get a letter from my employer stating I'm currently employed and earning xx which I'll post on to her when I get back, but should I get a copy of my last P60 (which I seem to have lost) and will I need to include 6 months wage slips as well for proof of meeting the financial requirements? We have the photos used for the tourist visa and I've added 2 pages of us together in the UK so that proves we've met, but will I need any further proof of relationship? What about the Facebook chat screenshots and Skype video logs (which of course stopped when she came to the UK)? And the visa stamps from my passport to show 4 trips to Thailand (including this one)? And what do I need for accommodation, will last years mortgage statement and a description of the property in the visa application suffice?

What else will I need?

This is an expensive one, I'd hate to miss something that's obvious after someone points it out, so help me pleeeeeeeeease

Garry

It's not been that long since we did this for the first time, though you refer to her as a friend whereas in our case she was/is my girlfriend so maybe different circumstances, but perhaps my input will help (someone) a little.

Preparation is everything, check it, and check it again. I made some really basic mistakes and made some assumptions... you shouldn't. It resulted in our first application being refused, but after addressing where we went wrong her visa was granted second time around. We'd only been together for 6 months by that time, she came over in June and we go back together in October (to get married, one of her reasons to return), so no reason as many people suggest to keep the visit to a month, if they're happy she'll go back I think we've proved a longer visit should be okay.

As for the mistakes we made, my girlfriend stopped work and moved back home so I was supporting her, but I didn't highlight any payments to her in my proof of income paperwork, nor did we include her bank statement showing receipt of any monies. If you support your girlfriend, show clear evidence of that. And I stated that there was no export facility for Facebook chat and free Internet Skype video conversations so hoped they'd accept that on face value. Nope, you've got to be kidding, if it's not tangible evidence they won't consider it. In the end I was able to take and print dozens of screenshots of Facebook chat from many different days (make sure a different date is visible on each grab), and show Skype calls (conversation -> view old messages, ctrl-a to select all then ctrl-c to copy, paste into a Word document and edit - I removed personal chat and just left all the "call to" and "call ended" entries which in our case was 11 pages of size 8 font with narrow margins, so hundreds of calls every day we were apart). I also included copies of my mobile phone bills highlighting all calls to Thailand on my standard bill, and explaining I had a second WorldSIM phone specifically for talking to her (again first time round they picked up that the phone number given for me wasn't the WorldSIM number so make sure you explain if you use more than one number).

For her ID we used passport, ID card and house book, We included my passport to prove I'm a British citizen, and included the visa stamp pages to show I'd been to Thailand 3 times. As proof we'd met I included 3 pages (of 8 photos) in a timeline giving date taken and a very short description against each photo.

Not sure what stage you're at or any specifics of your relationship, but good luck...

Okay thanks, it was just how I was reading it. If I assume that the first section contains the list of all approved clinics, then the second bit simply means pick one and phone them directly to make an appointment, except that in the case of Thailand there is only one option. I was confused because the clinic will send us to one of two hospitals for the x-ray, but now it all makes sense.

The gf was telling me the fee is 2600THB from some Thai page she was reading, but I read (on the UKBA I think) that it's 3300THB and sadly I bet it's me that's right, we'll see when they ask for the money. So it's IOM I pay then?

Thanks guys, with all the stress on trying to plan our itinerary (for getting married) and deciding what things we need to spend and what will have to wait, even the most simple stuff can seem confusing sometimes.

Garry

Please forgive that this must have been answered many times, but I'm confused. Here it says:

Approved test clinics

You must be tested at the accredited clinic listed below. We will not accept a TB test certificate from a clinic we have not approved.

You can make a booking by contacting the International Organisation for Migration (IOM):

Tel: +66 2 234 7950-5

But immediately after it goes on to say:

Attending the clinic

You should contact the approved clinic to book an appointment. You should make it clear that you need the test for a UK visa application. You can expect to get an appointment within a few days of your request.

So do we call the IOM or the clinic or both?

We fly back to Thailand on the 5th October to get married, and we would like to get the scan done during the first week while we're in Bangkok rather than have to go back again, so I want to call now and get it booked for sometime during the week 7th-11th October.

Thanks, Garry.

That's good advice as the main concern is to convince the decision maker that she will return to Thailand.

Unlikely to be granted a visa for the full 6 months though.

She was thinking of applying for 3 months as I doubted they would give her a visa if she asked for 6 months. The visa would of course be for 6 months though she is well advised to stay for no more than the stated 3 months. That's as I understand it.

pasak

I did our applications without an agent, but made some basic (and obvious when you look back) errors on the first application so it was refused. We had applied for the full 6 months, but it was lack of financial support evidence and lack of regular contact evidence that were the main points raised in the refusal.

By the time we re-applied we kept the return date virtually the same so the overall stay was reduced to what will have been 16 weeks when we fly back together on 5th October. For the re-application (which by the way you have to pay again for), we filled in all the gaps in our proof of relationship and her visa was approved.

Her reason to return was limited to us marrying in Thailand in October, unlike your girlfriend she had no job (as she'd given it up and moved home after we met), no savings and owned no land, but that didn't stop us getting her visa.

What's the deal with the transfer of 4,000 pounds to your gf's Bank Account?

Money to pay for the holiday, the marriage and the visa application.

Apologies, I want to cover a couple of topics in one post, but as ultimately it's about her moving to the UK I've gone for the visa forum. I guess I just want reassurance I'm not missing anything, as I can't afford to pay for this one twice if the visa is refused.

We met on the 10th October 2012 and I've been to Thailand twice since in December and again in March. We applied for a tourist visa for March but were turned down, so addressed the concerns raised and applied again for June which this time was approved. She arrived in the UK around the 15th June and her period came a few days later, but after it didn't come in July we did a pregnancy test and it looks like she got pregnant straight after . We're due to fly back to Thailand on 5th October and hope to get the necessary paperwork sorted in time to marry on the 10th, our 1 year anniversary - I'm a romantic bugger really aren't I By this point we estimate she'll be about 14 weeks pregnant.

Marriage: Do affirmation of freedom to marry at British Embassy on Monday 7th (do I need an appointment or just turn up early?). Collect back on the 8th (I believe same day isn't possible - much chance of it being ready first thing?). Get it translated into Thai (anyone recommend somewhere acceptable, I suppose everyone wants same day service but what are the chances?). Lets assume translation isn't available until the 9th so then off to the Thai Embassy to get the translation certified (again do I need an appointment or can I just turn up?). Hopefully we can get that back either same day or next day, in which case finding an Ampur to marry on the 10th seems possible (Anyone know the fees for a marriage certificate? And someone mentioned in another post getting a few copies, is that possible?).

Passport: She looked up on the Internet and thinks she can get a new passport in her new name by producing the marriage certificate and paying a 1000B fee, and she believes she can have her new passport sent to her home within 3 (presumably working) days, anyone confirm this? Assuming we did marry on the 10th I'd hope to take her passport on Friday 11th with the hope of her new one arriving Wednesday or Thursday of the following week at which point I'll be with her visiting her parents. If not she'll have to do the visa application alone, but she's done 2 tourist visa applications now so it shouldn't be as daunting for her this time around.

Visa: At this stage we'll already be married and she'll have received her new passport, so it's time to do the visa application. I find it funny that the "Guide to Supporting Documents - Settlement" lists "evidence of your current employment" and a letter "confirming that you have been given time off work". If she's applying to settle in the UK what relevance would an old job be?

It looks like she'll need to complete application form VAF4A plus appendix 2 (it's a shame they have to be done online as it's much easier to print it here in the UK). Her English test is booked for 6th September while she's here in the UK, and having watched the sample test videos we're more than confident she could pass level 4 if she was to take it (she's expected to pass level 2 so she's taking the level 1-3 exam so there was no point watching anything higher). I've found the page referring to the TB test and it seems the hospitals you're expected to use are miles from where we'll stay, bloody typical! And what is it with the fees, I'm sure I worked out before the application would cost about £650 all in, but now it's £851 for the visa application, just over £100 for the English test, just under £100 for the TB test, plus all the translations and stuff to get married.

How long does a Spouse visa normally take to process (assuming we've got all the documentation correct first time around)? I've read on the UKBA web site that they aim to process "95 per cent of settlement applications within 12 weeks and 100 per cent within 24 weeks of the application date" - data for June suggests 100% processed within 60 days (8-9 weeks). I ask based on her being pregnant as after 24 weeks she'll need a letter from a doctor allowing her to fly. Is pregnancy likely to have any negative effect on the application?

6 weeks til we fly during which time I need to recycle a lot of the supporting documentation used for the tourist visa and get the finances in order - if I'm carrying say £4000 cash do I have to declare it to anybody? I'd prefer to take cash and convert it (or pay it into her Bank over there) as using Western Union or doing a bank transfer from HSBC is gonna sting me for a hell of a fee.

Thinks that's everything.... anyone see any gaps?

Apologies if this looks like another post where someone hasn't looked at the available information first - I have, and like everyone else I'm confused by the complexity of the information on the UKBA website, and even the UK Settlement Visa Basics only touches on what I want to ask.

On the second application my GF's general visitor visa was granted and she came to the UK in June. We go back to Thailand together early October when we will marry over there, then I'll return to the UK while she gets her documents changed to her married name and then applies for the spouse visa. Part of that visa I believe requires her to pass an English test, and from what I read if she does it in Thailand she has to take a full listening/speaking/reading/writing test and pay accordingly. So I want her to do it while she's in the UK as I also read that this is possible.

I understand ESOL means English for Speakers of Other Languages. I understand from many sources that she just needs listening/speaking at level A1 (basic) for her spouse visa. And I understand from the UKBA website that KET (Key English Test) is a suitable exam. I don't, however, understand many references to KET with citizenship materials - is this necessary for a spouse visa or is this something relevant only to the later FLR and ILR? I'd hate to get her to take an exam only to find it wasn't acceptable.

I also understand on a tourist visa she can't study so she'll just have to do the exam and see how things go, but again more confusion. I found a college in Leicester on the list but when I emailed them and explained what we want (English test suitable for spouse visa application), she said they don't do it any more.

So to summarize, exactly what test does she need to take, and has anyone done it in the UK this year and if so where did you take it? Please tell me anything about the test that you think will help us (what she needs to take with her, how long the test takes, does she get a certificate or letter to use in the application etc). I'd like to take her to visit different places around the UK while she's here, so it would be easy to go somewhere for a couple of days and squeeze in a test while we're there.

Garry (and Dear)

Sorry if it looks like I'm hijacking the thread, but a further question. The GF read on Google that she needs something to say she's single along the same lines as the affirmation I need, I disagree and think she only needs to show she is divorced if she was ever married. Anyone clarify for me, does she need anything more than her house book and ID card? Sometimes I hate Google, all it takes is one misleading post and for her to take it as true and all my preparation goes out the window as she argues I'm wrong.

The marital status of a Thai person is in a central database, that is why a Thai person only shows the ID-card (if an adult). That she is single does not have to be confirmed.

When you divorce in Thailand, you hand in the colorful marriage certificate and in return get a divorce certificate. This divorce certificate must be handed in if the person marries again.

Nice clear answer. Thanks.

Sorry if it looks like I'm hijacking the thread, but a further question. The GF read on Google that she needs something to say she's single along the same lines as the affirmation I need, I disagree and think she only needs to show she is divorced if she was ever married. Anyone clarify for me, does she need anything more than her house book and ID card? Sometimes I hate Google, all it takes is one misleading post and for her to take it as true and all my preparation goes out the window as she argues I'm wrong.