norrona

Forgive them Lord, for they not know what they do

not possible no, you may get an extension under very special circumstances.... but this is not special to the UKBA

I know of a similar thing that happened and she had to return to apply for the visa.

Next month i am planning on getting married to my GF who i have been dating now for well over 3 years and she is here on a Visitors Visa.

We are planning on a Spouce visa, But maybe better to sell up and move to LOS.

Marry in Thailand, not western world. Less easy for her to get 'entitlements' in west

More easy for you in Thailand, less paperwork for VISA, easier divorce, etc.

Life in Thailand one big holiday if plenty of money, not so fun if no money.

DO NOT sell up in UK, no UK address lose entitlement to everything in UK, rent house in UK, rent house in Thailand.

Rent from house in UK count towards VISA, buy house in Thailand in name wife get you nothing.

LIve near big town fun (CM or BKK), live in prison in village near her family not fun.

This morning school learn Thai, this afternoon swimming in lake, then read book by lake.

Wise words Olaf

She was here for Xmas back in 2009 and for the Snow and freezing conditions.

nothing is easy regarding Spouse visa's , I believe you now have to apply on line and arrange an appointment for spouse Visa's.

Also need to arrange a TB test for my GF and i guess that needs done in Thailand!!!

Thank you for your help

Malc

yes details are on here about TB tests and the best place to get them done....

Yes i think its the best Plan.

I did get a Email from the visa people in Thailand saying.

Thanks for enquiry, regarding A 1 English we can recommend you to go to Vantage Siam Co.,Ltd in BKK the fee is 5,600-6,000 baht. The test is on every Friday and it will take 7-10 days for the result.

I was hoping to have much of the Leg work done before going to Thailand and with the test been on Friday and we are arriving on the Sunday evening, it means waiting till Friday to do the test plus the waiting time for the results which will mean applying for the spouse Visa in September when i go back for my 50th birthday ;-(

I was hoping that my GF will be back in the UK for Xmas and applying end of august would be better than mid september.

Malc

whatever you decide I can say from someone who done the fiancee visa route (though it did suit me at the time not to commit to marriage) it appears much easier if you do everything from Thailand, that way you have a clear 2 years or whatever when she arrives to live here

of just getting on with your lives.

Christmas time is a good time here as most will agree....it's the JAN-FEB freeze overs that are a bit hard to deal with, even for the natives.

Good luck and use this forum as your guide to any questions you need answered :jap:

Drugging tourists. Happens all the time.

I got dosed at a nice English Pub at lunch last year on Soi 13, while having a coffee and omelet..

I suspect the waitress had a boyfriend waiting nearby for me to pass out and rob me of my computer and money.

Lucky for me, I went directly to my hotel room.

Woke up 18 hours later and could barley walk.

you mean 'THE' English pub down soi 13 in pattaya???

if so I am amazed

Yes she is on a Visitors Visa.

I have been phoning around the test Centers and i still cant find a A1 test center.

I got a reply from a Collage from the List that the UKBA have given out on their web site stating

The test we provide is actually PTE Academic, which can be used for an A1 Spousal Visa, but may be more challenging than the standard General A1 test. It is a computer based test, with sections on speaking, listening, reading and writing. However, to obtain an A1 level, a score of 30 is required in the speaking and listening tests only. The test costs £130, and we do have a variety of test centres in the North of the UK. The following link will help you to locate the centre most convenient to you.

I have been in contact with UKBA and i just got a Bog standard Email listing common questions

Malc

I feel your pain and stand by my reply I posted before, things are a lot more geared up back in Thailand for this kind of thing.....

the UKBA are over run with the immigrants playing the system over here and all their case workers that are assigned to them...

the likes of us who try to do everything by the book etc just get mugged off.

get it booked back in LOS is still my advice

Define stagnation, I have been all over the world in my travels but for the last 3 years in the same place in thailand except for border runs and honestly dont care if i ever go anywhere else, been there done that and I aint missing shit. Its sad that so many people have fallen into the trap of thinking that your life has no meaning unless you are constantly on the move or experiencing something new (chasing the illusion), I hope someday you find your happiness and quit following what others define happiness to be. Life is what you make it no matter where you are.

your first line makes you exempt from stagnation...gulliver

norrona - ah the 'I can't go back' line, heard that many a time and funny enough it's always from the same type of individual I'm talking about....I think it makes them feel they are a bit of a rebel, bless 'em.

Yep, totally agree

The ones I find suspicious are those still clinging to the hope that wigan will get docked 12 points because their kit is so awful.

very good, I am one who is looking forward to a season or 2 in the championship thus clearing out all of our overpaid crap etc....

aside from the stagnaters the people I find very suspicious/strange are the ones who say they could never live back where they originally come from?

Don't most decent shorts cost between 199 and 399 baht or so? T-shirts are cheaper, no?

That is "list price", mate. Looks like you've been had.

seems like you got it all figured out....do they refer to you as 'the oracle'

I thought this was going to be one of them piss take reviews of a place you can't bad mouth on here in case of libel

if you are getting married in Thailand and obvioulsy your girlfriend has to return there to apply for the visa my advice is get it done over there....

I got married in U.K on a fiancee visa and the only reason I went for a fiancee visa was our relationship was still forming and I wanted to see how we got on before making that commitment.

however had I known my now wife longer at the time and she had visited here I would have done everything that was needed in Thailand.

marriage-application and all paperwork.....

good luck

<br />very interesting this one....would they these days be looking at if your last missus you sponsored is now claiming benefits in some kind of way and it's all down to you that she is now in U.K having a gratis life?<br /><br />they wouldn't come out and say something like that of course but does it?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Sorry but she is not claiming benefits, as she works, we both take care of our son and I pay for my son for everything not the government giving the reason I cannot leave the UK full time as love my son too much giving the reason I am asking this question

there was no offence meant by my reply, I was simply adding to the question and the relevant points the home office/ukba would be looking at when an application went through...

I only added it as I know of several relationships that have failed that involve children and overseas partners who are benefitting from the hand outs, one where theres is a handicapped child and the mother has it all, assistance to look after the kid, a car to drive the kid about and carers that come round to look after the kid as she herself is not fit enough to do so (doesn't stop her on the golf course 3 times a week)

like I say, no offence meant...

very interesting this one....would they these days be looking at if your last missus you sponsored is now claiming benefits in some kind of way and it's all down to you that she is now in U.K having a gratis life?

they wouldn't come out and say something like that of course but does it?

congrats mate :jap:

no cupholders on a motorbike.

how about an ash tray

theres no way i'd be flying to new york just for the day....we would definetely be doing the sites.

do they really last for 10 years?

Yes the standard visa is for ten years, though they sometimes issue visas for a shorter period.

An applicant who is settled with her husband in a western country than the UK is going to have a far higher chance of obtaining a visa than an applicant living with an American Citizen in Thailand, they will assume she wants to settle in the US, wishing to bypass the settlement process.

thanks very much mate, will let you know how we get on.

Here is how I got there...she needs a purpose for visiting. The more purpose, the more valid your reason is for giving out a TEN YEAR visa. The US is taking a big risk letting a Thai national into the US - essentially for a day. Ask yourself, what is there for the US to gain by giving a Thai national who wants to visit for a day a ten year visa? Nothing.

I am not stating at all lie on the app at all, what I am stating is that if a person is going to to the US for the purpose of seeing it. That is going to be a far stronger case imo. You are applying for a tourist visa after all.

Modest background because most Thais simply are and I think that would be the embassies assumption as well. Hardly immaterial. One of the questions is who is paying for your trip? If she is not then the husband must have all sorts of supporting information for her.

They make all sorts of assumptions (are you a hooker, do you do drugs, do you launder money....?) and it is up to you to dissuade them of that. Its their game.

I'm sure she is a lovely woman. I'm just trying to give you another perspective.

My girlfriends visa went splendidly, but she had all sorts of things going for her. Every case is different, but at the core - all the same.

theres no way i'd be flying to new york just for the day....we would definetely be doing the sites.

do they really last for 10 years?

thanks for the replies, I was hoping for someone who had actually been through the process from London recently to respond but will give it a go, looks like she just needs to fill in the form and pay from their site

this looks like the link to me http://london.usemba...60_tourism.html for anyone who is interested

just got to fill in and follow from there?

Still would be good to see if anyone actually done it lately?

just to clarify when I said about visiting canada to see her sister I meant go to canada, leave the wife there whilst I fly in for the wedding then return to canada so I will be flying in and out of canada with her at both times

have heard canada is pretty relaxed who they let in within reason?

norrona - I'm a big hammer and want to start going to the games again when I come back, I really miss it.

Do you go over there?

gonna start going back over there, used to go all the time, pick and choose my games now...unfortunately the missus likes man utd

good luck with your plans, PM me once sorted and i'll see you for a bit of pie n mash when you're back

nobody likes it here in the winter, esp jan-feb times when its at its worst...

my missus arrived in october had about 3 weeks of ok weather then it all went dark and gloomy....loved the snow when it first came then when it turned to ice and then slush couldn't stand it.

we started out with the thia tv but i have insisted whilst I am at home its sky only, she can watch loads of thai stuff for free online, youtube etc.

just lastnight we was walking home from a local restaurant about 10pm and it was still light, she commented that summer in England is so nice and how comfortable it can be over here, the light nights is a novelty to anyone living close to the equator.

as with the above posts food and friends are not a problem, in fact she got more mates than me also I would agree to pay as you go mobile and no credit card sprees, but thats the same for a lot of people from anywhere, no self control when they aren't the bread winner

the local English language course is worth every penny, you'll be charge full rate to start till she been here for 1 year or more but because we registered before she has just started a free summer course at an adult college for 2 hours every week lasting for 8 weeks.

Good luck

so we can go to my brothers wedding out there in September?

Just to be clear he isn't residing in the U.S, they just chose Central Park-New York as the place to go and do the deed.

Her current visa status, Further Leave to Remain.

Anyone done it or attempted?

p.s she has a sister living in Canada so failing her being able to go U.S whats the chances of visiting next door and I jump on a plane into N.Y for the wedding, which will mean I am with her going in and out of the country

Glad you're getting it sorted

I went to Croydon UKBA with the Mrs on the 20th May. After a couple of hours wait (the "sophisticated biometrics system" was down - a £200 canon digi compact!) there was an extremely cursory 5 minute inspection of all our paperwork, FLR granted.

Nearly the quickest £850 I've ever spent!

RAZZ

cheers Razz for your kind wishes....

biometrics eh....when they sent the letter saying go get them done they supplied the list of all post offices in the country that have the machines, according to them the closest to us in Essex was to travel into London which of course means make a day of it....you know what? the local Tesco to me has a main post office in there which has the biometrics machine and is only 1 mile down the road...never paid it any attention before as never knew what they looked like(bit like a passport photo booth) when I asked how long it had been there at the counter was told best part of 6 months.....oh well my extra expense has at least put some money into the economy I suppose