farangmal

I have a worrying question which i hope someone can help clarify for me-

I have a long outstanding debt to a UK Bank, not big, but enough. The debt collecting agency got my number here and has now said that if i don't pay it will be passed to the courts in UK to get a court order to approach immigration here and request the cancellation of any visas i have to stay in Thailand. I work here on a non B. Is this really possible ? Needless to say, I am very worried about this!

Yes it is. They arrested then deported a German bar owner from Pattaya recently because He owed 4 Million baht to credit cards.

They are getting tough in the Uk now and they also can change unsecured debt into secured debt and take your house...even though it was initially called an unsecured loan. It's called a change order.

Yes they can get you and the Thais will co operate.

It's interesting that noone had brought up the fact that families are regularly split up in places like the UK, US, Australia etc due to one member being deported for not meeting that country's visa requirements.

But I don't suppose that's important, because those people being deported from the west are black, brown or yellow, whereas we are white and should naturally get special treatment.

Absolute <deleted>.

There is no way they would deport a Thai Woman who had kids to a British man in the Uk. If the couple were still living together.

Thais give little regard to Foreigners. That's one of the downsides about the Country.

IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY GET OUT. SIMPLE AS.

On another thread on this forum I asked for info on car air conditioner repairers. Today I went to Buriram to a workshop kindly recommended by a contributor.

The air con system was checked over and declared to be 100%. It was not, and I said so. After half hour it was no longer cold, and not particularly cold anytime. But NO I was wrong. It was 100% OK.

I had previously taken it to Toyota, and they had given me an expensive estimate of replacement parts necessary. But today - NO it was 100% OK, and no work was required. Now how can you argue with a so called air con expert?

Then arrived home and decided to tackle the TOT IPSTAR people in Buriram who supply my Broadband connection. From 8am to 6pm every weekday it is virtually impossible to get any website to open. Other times it is perfect. Perhaps the system is overloaded, or maybe the dish is out of alignment. So my daughter rang them, and explained fully the problem. Response. That is not a problem. We can only check when you have a problem! And besides we don't have any engineers!

So today I have 2 problems. And both are not problems, or so the so called experts say!

Just hope the wife doesn't decide to make it 3. But then they never make problems - it is always us farangs that make them!

What crazy people.

Give it up and come Home me old mucker.

There are indeed human rights issues here. And I believe that some practises of Thai immigration law go against human rights. In particular the convention on civil an political rights and the convention on the rights of the child give some openings to persons married to a Thai national or who have a Thai child.

However Thailand is just in a beginning proces regarding it's human rights. There is a human rights commision, but it lacks teeth as it can't go to court but only makes reports and send them to parliament.

The Thai administrative court is reletively new, but becoming popular under Thais and looks promising.

One should consider that the present human rights protection one recieves in the US and Europe didn't just come in one day. It took quite some time en started very slowly to in the 1960's. Thailand will need it's time as well.

Good perspective. And true in a wider context (Thai driving habits, employer/employee relations, hiring practices, sanitary standards in restaurants, etc.). I just try to remember that I took a step back in time when I moved here, and that reminder covers a multitude of sins. Stepping into the "past" does have it's good trade-offs too!

Not anymore. Soi 6 is shut until 6pm these days

This is just a thought. If you are married to Thai and have a kid or two or three but can't come up with the required amount of money to show for your visa would they really refuse you so you have to leave the country?

The attitude behind this seems to be that if you don't have what they consider sufficient monies then you can't support your family. How would refusing to let you stay be better for your family?

You are obviously taking care of your family but just can't show what THEY consider an adequate amount of cash. If you are forced to leave then you have to try and support two homes, yours and the wifes, which would not be possible.

Would they really make you abandon your wife and kids?

Apart from the emotional tragedy for your wife and more so for the kids, are there not some human rights issue here?

Give up the Ghost and take your Family to your Home.

Thailand's not Europe or a Democrised modern Country. Thailand's Thailand. The same rules don't apply.

Take them Home and keep the LOS for a holiday

HELLO

I HAVE JUST HAD A WEE BOY AND AM WORKING IN THE U.K PAYING U.K TAX AND NATIONAL INSURANCE ....DOES THE GOVERMENT PAY OUT CHILD BENIFITS????????? AS I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THAILAND FOR 4 YEARS COMUTING BACK AND FORTH ... MY PERCEPTION OF THE SITUATION IS THEY SHOULD PAY FOR MY CHILD AS I,M PAYING THERE TAX ...UNTIL HE IS 16 YEARS OLD....ANY INFO MUCH APPRECIATED ...MARTIN CAMPBELL...((email-phone removed)) .............HELP ME AS IF YOU ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION OR WILL BE SOON WE NEED AN ANSWER...!!!!

Nope. The child has to be in the UK or Europe. Asia doesn't count. Not fair is it...You work in the Uk and pay your taxes but Poles, Bulgarians etc can make the claim in the Uk and send the money to Eastern Europe.

Are you just putting it in your sons names or is it set up where you can still sell it if you want.? Another guy i know put his house in his sons name and when it came time he wanted to sell he could not. He had to get permission from a judge and the judge refused.

We looked at that idea too. We phoned round a few Thai Lawyers and yes...Our Son could own in His name but only HE could sell it when He became 21.

Of course when in Thailand trying to sell it He could be picked up for not doing His National Service...Right!

I love reading this website, there's a lot of EXTREMELY well informed posters on here but the one thing that I picked up a long time ago and realised completely is that Foreigners have no chance of ever been treated fairly in Thailand.

Not in my LIFETIME.

And why people are prepared to sign documents stating that the money is their Wifes and not theirs, is BEYOND me.

They are LYING to keep a RACIST anti FOREIGNER policy ticking over.

Give the money away to the Family for Christ sake and stop making a fool of yourselves. If you really want them to own land.

We are pulling together every letter, e-mail, chat, photos, though SMS could be tricky as her's was a topup phone. Many thanks for the advice.

Look...Nothing's impossible. There's a way to modify and edit your e-mails.

You could also do what me and my then girlfriend did and that is to register at Sirirat hospital in Bangkok and join the I.V.F. program trying to have a baby. Even if you only register and go for a checkup the Doctors at the Hospital will write a letter stating you are trying to have a baby together. Worked for us

There's many ways to skin a cat if you REALLY WANT to take Her to England.

Sometimes you need to think out of the box because they make it too bloody hard.

The U.K. visa process stinks. I wanted to get a visa for my wife and stupidly misunderstood the "6months" to mean "multiple entry, longest stay six months" which it in fact is BUT it's only valid for six months, for nearly 5000 baht. If you want one for longer it costs some 15k baht! On top of that they want a one inch thick wad of paperwork with all the ins and outs of my personal business. Cheeky bastards. I am a bloody Brit too, that's the aggravating part. I walked out when I found out. I remembered why I left over 20 years ago and how much of a big brother place it has become so what is there to show her there? Spy cameras everywhere, speed cameras everywhere, a bloody immigrant checking my passport on entry, Eastern block tea leaves everywhere, a tax on farts and three and a half quid for a pint. Everything gasp inducingly expensive and bloody cold too.

Contrast that with the US Embassy. 4500 baht, a two minute chat followed by a 10 year B1/B2 visa for her (I have a Green Card). No problem. All those folks complaining about Thai immigration want to try dealing with the U.K. Perhaps you'll not complain quite so much then.

This whole UK visa experience is making me feel disenchanted with my own country. It makes you think "How does it make someone not from the UK feel?"

But if you think about it, yes it's harder to get in than say Thailand but once they are in and on the 2 year FLR they can work. No work permit required. Not the same as Thailand.

After 2 years and once they get ILR residence they if needed can claim benefits the same as a British person can. Not the same as Thailand.

After three years they can be naturalised and get a British passport. Not the same as Thailand.

I'm Married to a Thai but can NEVER be accepted and treated fairly in Thailand. My Wife gets treated equally and fairly here. No double pricing. No Land owning restrictions and NO VISA RUNS EVERY 90 DAYS.

You tell me...what's better?

A very good point and I do not claim to know the tip of the iceberg of the inequalities of a foreigner living in Thailand. I think what I'm trying to say is, that to even start on the path of just visiting the UK is vague and to say the least, subjective. Of course, the UK visa regulations are there for a reason but the measures and criteria by which successful tourist visas are granted seem inconsistent for a country we think of as being fair

Yes. Nobody was more p****d off than me. I had to give up a good paid job for my Wife to attend College full time to learn to write and read English and pass ESOL exams.

We were struggling while every other student in Her class were Asylum seekers. They get a 4 year visa, money and a house. My Wife was entitled to nothing for two years.

The immigration system is really stacked against anybody not in the E.U. but the people who give the Visas are working to the requirements of the Government. If you fulfill them you will get a Visa.

They need to know you are in a GENUINE relationship. If in doubt they might be letting somebody into the Country that could cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds a year in benefits and housing.

We kept every scrap of proof. E-mail, letters, photos etc. We never had a problem. We did have a child together and sombody known to the Embassy told me that in that case Visas are nearly always given if the Father's name is on the Birth cert.

But once you fight through the brick wall you are let into a Country that supports and helps the poor and treats Foreigners with respect and equality.

No chance of any of the above in Thailand.

Hi there,

Please forgive the long message but any constructive advice would be very gratefully received :-)

Last week my Thai girlfriend's UK tourist visa application was refused. This is now the 2nd refusal and we are frustrated, upset, distressed and not to mention confused.

The history is this:

I met my girlfriend whilst I was travelling around the world in April 2007, we got on fantastically and I returned to see her in July 2007. I saw her later in December/January 2007 for New Year's, February 2008 and recently in June 2008 (always in Thailand). So in total I've known her for nearly a year and a half. We decided it would be good if she could visit the UK to meet my friends, parents, etc... and see what life is like in London.

In hindsight, it was not entirely surprising our 1st application was refused - I never imagined this was such a minefield. We provided good evidence that I could support her financially (very healthy bank accounts) and no mortgage, her bank statements, letters from me, around 200 pages of MSN chat printouts but not enough evidence to support the fact that she would return after this visit. Also we stated she would visit for 1 month but did enclose an itinerary. The application was refused on the infamous sections - [iv] of paragraph 41 of HC395.

Armed with an immigration lawyer we made our second application. This time, the application seemed much more slick. Again, bank statements from me to show money is not a problem at all, no mortgage, proof my house has 3 bedrooms, her bank statements, a letter from her employer (she is a tour guide for a famous guesthouse) saying she is approved for holiday and her job is still there when she gets back, verification of her salary, certified copies of my passport showing my entry/exit to Thailand on all the dates I was there, a letter from me describing our relationship, as well as short and long term goals and our complete understanding that marriage is not legal under a tourist visa and we have no intention of marriage now. We also supplied a letter from our lawyer attempting to address each of the 4 points of 1st refusal. There were also letters from me since we first met, credit card bills highlighting I was staying/paying in hotels in the locations we met (plus some hotel bills), around 20 photos of us together in these places and the last 4 months of itemised phone bills showing me texting her at least once/day. In total a near 100 page application. We also said that if needed we can supply over 300 pages of MSN chat and letters between her and I since we first met. Again, we applied for a 6 month visa but for only a 3 week visit.

The refusal came in last week and she was not even asked to come in for an interview. It goes like this "I note that you recently made an unsuccessful application for an entry clearance and one of the reasons for the refusal was the lack of documentation demonstrating that you and your sponsor are in a subsisting relationship. I note you have provided holiday photos and itemised phone records from your boyfriend with your current application. However, based on the evidence before, I am not satisfied that any correspondence or contact inititiated by your sponsor is reciprocated. In short, evidence of contact provided with your application is seemingly only from your sponsor..... Given this, I am not satisfied that you are genuinely seeking entry as a visitor for a limited period and that you intend to leave the UK at the end of the visit."

Our dilemna is this, do we re-apply, is it a case of 3rd time lucky (do we just need to additionally give the letters and emails she sent me or is there something written between the lines of the ECO's refusal) or, are we now seriously black-marked and any application will be scrutinised for the most slightest excuse for refusal? Do we write to the ECM asking for re-consideration, given the fact we did say we could provide the letters they questioned. I am also seeing my local MP to raise the issue with her and hopefully get a letter of support.

I have posted back to her the 50 or so letters/cards she sent to me in the UK. I have 30 or so emails she sent me and maybe now 500-600 pages of MSN chat.

If you have got to the end, then thank you for reading and I hope you can sympathise with us - I have read there are many of you out there like us and all we need is just 1 chance to prove ourselves. If you have any advice I would really like to hear it.

Thanks, Dave

Why not apply for a settlement visa for Her, rather than a tourist? I have heard it's sometimes easier as YOU ARE THE SPONSOR.

And if She does go back then it's no problem. She will probably get another.

It's all about the proof of a real relationship. Get as much documents together as you can.

The U.K. visa process stinks. I wanted to get a visa for my wife and stupidly misunderstood the "6months" to mean "multiple entry, longest stay six months" which it in fact is BUT it's only valid for six months, for nearly 5000 baht. If you want one for longer it costs some 15k baht! On top of that they want a one inch thick wad of paperwork with all the ins and outs of my personal business. Cheeky bastards. I am a bloody Brit too, that's the aggravating part. I walked out when I found out. I remembered why I left over 20 years ago and how much of a big brother place it has become so what is there to show her there? Spy cameras everywhere, speed cameras everywhere, a bloody immigrant checking my passport on entry, Eastern block tea leaves everywhere, a tax on farts and three and a half quid for a pint. Everything gasp inducingly expensive and bloody cold too.

Contrast that with the US Embassy. 4500 baht, a two minute chat followed by a 10 year B1/B2 visa for her (I have a Green Card). No problem. All those folks complaining about Thai immigration want to try dealing with the U.K. Perhaps you'll not complain quite so much then.

This whole UK visa experience is making me feel disenchanted with my own country. It makes you think "How does it make someone not from the UK feel?"

But if you think about it, yes it's harder to get in than say Thailand but once they are in and on the 2 year FLR they can work. No work permit required. Not the same as Thailand.

After 2 years and once they get ILR residence they if needed can claim benefits the same as a British person can. Not the same as Thailand.

After three years they can be naturalised and get a British passport. Not the same as Thailand.

I'm Married to a Thai but can NEVER be accepted and treated fairly in Thailand. My Wife gets treated equally and fairly here. No double pricing. No Land owning restrictions and NO VISA RUNS EVERY 90 DAYS.

You tell me...what's better?

The U.K. visa process stinks. I wanted to get a visa for my wife and stupidly misunderstood the "6months" to mean "multiple entry, longest stay six months" which it in fact is BUT it's only valid for six months, for nearly 5000 baht. If you want one for longer it costs some 15k baht! On top of that they want a one inch thick wad of paperwork with all the ins and outs of my personal business. Cheeky bastards. I am a bloody Brit too, that's the aggravating part. I walked out when I found out. I remembered why I left over 20 years ago and how much of a big brother place it has become so what is there to show her there? Spy cameras everywhere, speed cameras everywhere, a bloody immigrant checking my passport on entry, Eastern block tea leaves everywhere, a tax on farts and three and a half quid for a pint. Everything gasp inducingly expensive and bloody cold too.

Contrast that with the US Embassy. 4500 baht, a two minute chat followed by a 10 year B1/B2 visa for her (I have a Green Card). No problem. All those folks complaining about Thai immigration want to try dealing with the U.K. Perhaps you'll not complain quite so much then.

My/our experience with UK immigration has been positive.

My then Thai Girlfriend got a Marriage visa from the Bangkok Embassy without even an interview. She just went for a TB check then picked up Her passport with visa.

Three Months on in the UK She got Her 2 year FLR. Monday She got Her permanent residence very easily indeed.

But we seemed to be the only ones having success in the Public Enquiery Office. There was a Chinese Woman in tears because they refused Her a settlement visa even though She had been on a business visa for 14 years. Apparently She had gone Home for two long periods due to Family illness and this broke the rules.

It is very Big Brotherish as you say. They just say no then pull the blinds down. Nothing anybody can do.

Hi all! !

This is the first time I am writing on this forum as obvious I am a new member. I read some of the discussions on this forum and I was quite impressed. So I thought this forum might have the solution to my query.

Thw situation is that I am living in the United Kingdom for some years now. Very recently I married to my girlfriend who is a British citizen. I have now got a 2 years Marriage Visa issued by the Home Office. In the letter, the Home Office guided that if 'any public funds are claimed on my behalf by my sponsor, this will affect my indefinite leave to remain'. I assume what the Home Office is saying that if my wife claims any public funds during this two-year period, then my indefinite leave to remain will be affected.

Now the situation is, because my wife wife has a daughter from her previous marriage and the fact that both us do not have a stable job, she has started to claim the public funds.

My question is, because of the above situation, will the HomeOffice be able to practically refuse my indefinite leave to remain application after two years?

Can someone kindly reply to my query.that will be a great help and will be much appreciated.

And probably a solution, if any.

Thanks a many

Ziaka

Ziaka,

Your Wife will be able to claim Child Benefit in HER NAME and BOTH of you will be able to claim Child tax credits. Because the Law demands that if you are living as a couple it has to be a joint claim.

Anything else could break the conditions of your visa. BECAUSE you have to be truthful to them and admit you are living as a couple.

I claimed Child Benefit and we both claimed Child Tax Credit and today no questions were asked at the Public Enquiery Office and my Wife got Indefinite Leave to Remain.

You or your Wife have to show you have means to support yourself in the UK without claiming benefits.

Have you passed the life in the Uk. You need that also.

I would re-itterate what has been stated here - your situation is slightly different in that your wife has a child from a previous relationship. Every child in the UK who is a resident or citizen is entitled to Family benefit as it is non means tested and your wife would be entitled to this regardless of your being here or not. In many respects working tax credits can be similar and it will depend on what elements of tax credits you are receiving - childcare for instance, low income premium etc.

I also don't recall the indefinite leave application asking how myself and hubby had sustained ourself for the last two years but rather it asked about our incomes at the time of appication, call me naive but given the DWP can't manage to communicate within themselves or to the Prison Service to ensure prisoners are not getting benefits I would be mighty susprised if they could communicate with the Home office to say which settlement visa apps had been party to a joint working tax credits claim.

On page 10 of the SET (M) form you have to declare if you or your Partner are receiving Public funds and tick the boxes, indicating what you are receiving.

You have to provide bank statements, income for the last three Months before the application...

It's Child benefit and she will be entitled to that.

Hi all! !

This is the first time I am writing on this forum as obvious I am a new member. I read some of the discussions on this forum and I was quite impressed. So I thought this forum might have the solution to my query.

Thw situation is that I am living in the United Kingdom for some years now. Very recently I married to my girlfriend who is a British citizen. I have now got a 2 years Marriage Visa issued by the Home Office. In the letter, the Home Office guided that if 'any public funds are claimed on my behalf by my sponsor, this will affect my indefinite leave to remain'. I assume what the Home Office is saying that if my wife claims any public funds during this two-year period, then my indefinite leave to remain will be affected.

Now the situation is, because my wife wife has a daughter from her previous marriage and the fact that both us do not have a stable job, she has started to claim the public funds.

My question is, because of the above situation, will the HomeOffice be able to practically refuse my indefinite leave to remain application after two years?

Can someone kindly reply to my query.that will be a great help and will be much appreciated.

And probably a solution, if any.

Thanks a many

Ziaka

Ziaka,

Your Wife will be able to claim Child Benefit in HER NAME and BOTH of you will be able to claim Child tax credits. Because the Law demands that if you are living as a couple it has to be a joint claim.

Anything else could break the conditions of your visa. BECAUSE you have to be truthful to them and admit you are living as a couple.

I claimed Child Benefit and we both claimed Child Tax Credit and today no questions were asked at the Public Enquiery Office and my Wife got Indefinite Leave to Remain.

You or your Wife have to show you have means to support yourself in the UK without claiming benefits.

Have you passed the life in the Uk. You need that also.

The day finally came...We went to the Public Enquiry Office at 09:00 and came out by 10:00 am.

Quite an easy process. The person at the desk said we had a lot of evidence and had put it all together really well.

I checked my Wifes ESOL and it was a pass at Level 2.

£950 lighter in pocket but very happy.

Jai yen yen. You do not have to pay council tax.

Very true. But Foreigners living in Thailand have to pay for visa runs/Visas health insurance, medical costs and over inflated prices for heavily taxed foreign foods. I think that adds up to more than Council tax.

My sister has asked me if it is safefor a farang woman to go places alone in Bangkok or should she have a male companion. I dont know how to answer that.

I would guess it would not be a good idea at nighttime.

Any helpful advice?

Depends if you like your Sister or not!

I wouldn't let her on Her own in Thailand.

At the moment I live in Gran Canaria and want to live in Thailand for a long time. I know if I catch a plane I get a 30 day visa, obviously tourist. Can I go to an immigration office near Jomtien Beach and get an extended visa or is it non immigration visa or long term visa. The list seems to be endless. Hopefully somebody knowledgeable will be able to tell me the ins and out of this maze.

I do not want to stop in England and go to a Thai Embassy there because that will cost a fortune.

If I move money to a Thai bank which gives the best rates?

Should I wait until I get a longer visa before moving money, I do not want to leave it too long because Spanish banks charge what they like.

Depends on your age. I believe if you're 50+ you can turn a non immigrant O into a retirement visa if you put 800,00 baht into a Thai bank for 3 Months.

If you're under 50 you can buy a triple entry tourist visa that would get you 6 Months and maybe 3 30 day extensions.

If you can get a multi entry non immigrant O you could stay for 90 days, do a visa run then have another 90 days up until the 1 year visa expires. Then I believe you can extend it for a further 3 Months. Therefore a one year Non O could get you 15 Months but you leave Thailand every 90 days.

Thai banks don't normally pay interest to Foreigners but I think there might be some that do. But it wont be much.

You can get 7%+ in a UK bank now and the money's safe.

Unless you're 50+ or Married or WP/Business visa, nobody can stay longer than 90 days in Thailand without leaving the Country. As far as I know but the experts on here might have better ideas.

Dont let it get to you, if you bail out now they will be grateful fo rthe space I guess.

If you have to jump another minor hoop or two in order to get theILR so what?

You know its the stress getting to you, just think of the peace of mind you will have when all of the family are able to come and go without worrying what crap legislation some politician might introduce in the future?

Once the passport arives back with that little paper attached all of stress the past few years will have been worth it.

Dont forget to let us know how she gets on with the test and also the ILR please.

There's no test. She's passed her ESOL with Citizenship at College and has the letter from the College too.

We're doing the fast track application in person at the P.E.O.

She gets the visa that day if everything's ok.

I just took my wife to enrole for the ESOL course on monday. We were told that because we have not lived together in the UK for 1 year that my wife was not eligible for government assistance (subsidised), on the basis, I am working and do not claim any benefits from the state, and neither does she, being subject to immigration control.

I stated that we lived here together for 6 months last year (the wife) on a tourist visa, then returned to Thailand for my/our (at that time, while applying for a spouse visa), winter holiday (3 months). We have now been back in England for approx 3 & 1/2 months.

No joy. I was told I would have to pay over £4000 to get my wife on this course. Yet, 2 black guys, with no passports, were gleefully enroled.

How can they state that you have to take the ESOL course if they deny you access to it (unless you pay the £4G+).

Does anybody have any info on who to contact about this, I have looked and asked about, but no-one really seems to know.

Any help would be gratefully received.

John.....

It depends on the College. My Wife went to Langside (Glasgow) and the course was free because She was Married to a British Citizen. Other Colleges wanted her to pay. It depends on their funding.

£4K seems an awful lot of cash. How long does that course run for?

Truth is they (immigration) don't know. They never informed us that my Wife would need LIfe in the UK or ESOL to get Her ILR. When I called Immigration they said...'So how long is the ESOL course, I know nothing about it'

They made this Law as a knee jerk reaction to the London tube bombings but in usual British style they didn't make any extra College spaces available.

The sad thing was that in Her Class She was the only 'legal' immigrant. The others were all Asylum seekers who by the way get a FOUR YEAR visa and benefits. Every benefit.

My Wife's Visa appointment is in 12 days time and if there's a problem with them granting Her the ILR they can stick it where the sun don't shine and we're booking one way flights to Thailand. Me, Her and our two British kids.

The Home Office announced today that they will not require spouses to prove an English language ability before coming to the UK.

Instead they will be required to take English language courses when they get here.

The BIB will check they do and failure may be grounds for removal from the UK (hard to imagine with the right to family life in the EU Human Rights legislation.

Sounds uk, but it falls down when you consider the influx of eastern european's in the uk, there is no way that legisaltion

can reqire them to learn english, as a consequence I think that the government could face claims under the equality/race legislation.

Roy gsd

The Eastern Europeans as the other poster said, don't require any English skills to come here. The BIG problem we found was getting my Wife a College space because ALL the ESOL with Citizenship classes were fully booked by EASTERN EUROPEANS.

We got one space but I had to drive Her 100 miles round trip.

Unless they have passed the ESOL with Citizenship the Home Office wont accept the ILR application. My Wife has Her fast track application on the 4th August and when I booked it over the phone they wanted assurance She had passed ESOL with Citizenship.

I believe if persons further leave to remain has expired they might (at their discretion) give another FLR in order for the person to have more time to pass the ESOL course or the Life In The UK exam.

But it is at their discretion. I believe this was being reviewed very soon.

Same here, my wife came over on a fiance visa on Oct 2006 and we got married January 2007, she had our son in September 2007 and I filled in the forms for child benefit and family tax credit and was told that only I could claim for the CB but we had to claim as a couple for the FTC even though my wife was entitled to any public funds.

It was then the problems started, I was told that my wife needed a National Insurance number for me to claim CB & FTC and it took 8 months to get my wifes NI number and we only got 2 months backdated, so I had to claim the extra 6 months backdated by writing a letter, that was 2 weeks ago so still waiting.

Agree about the FTC form being confusing in that it states you have to claim together even though my wife and many other Thai ladies are not entitled to public funds.

If you look really closely...the answer lays in the Inland Revenues website.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/residence-rules.htm#16

What are the specified circumstances when a person subject to immigration control can access Tax Credits and Child Benefit?

Tax credits:

• People who have been given leave to enter or remain in the UK subject to a maintenance undertaking and have been resident in the UK for at least five years, starting on the date of entry or the date on which the maintenance undertaking was given by their sponsor (Case 1, regulation 3 (1) of the Tax Credits (Immigration) Regulations);
  
• People subject to a maintenance undertaking who have been resident in the UK for less than five years whose sponsor has died (Case 2, regulation 3 (1));
  
• People whose funds from abroad have been disrupted can claim tax credits for a period of up to 42 days during any single period of limited leave (Case 3, regulation 3 (1));
  
• For WTC only in most cases, nationals of states covered by the 1953 European Convention of Social and Medical Assistance (ECSMA) or the 1961 Council of Europe Social Charter (Case 4, regulation 3 (1)) - in addition to all EEA Member States, these countries are Croatia and Turkey;
  
• For CTC only, workers who are nationals of states with which the EC has an agreement providing for equal treatment for social security (Case 5, regulation 3 (1)) - these countries are Algeria, Morocco, San Marino, Tunisia and Turkey;
  
• Members of a couple in which one partner is subject to immigration control while the other is not may still make a joint tax credit claim (regulation 3 (2));
  
• People who have been recorded by the Home Secretary as refugees (regulations 3 (5) to (9) and 4) - see below; and
  
• There are also transitional rules for people who were receiving family support through Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance immediately before the introduction of tax credits (regulation 5).
  

Hello everyone been reading here as a guest for a while and now i have something to share.

Iwas wondering if anyone has encounted the same probs as me recently?

O.k my thai wife arrived in may 06 n shortly after gave birth to our son so i filled the relavent tax credit forms in. I read what im supposed to do with the handy guide and in it,it states the if your spouse or partner is of no recourse to public funds exclude them for these tax purposes,so i did

Nearly 2 years later i get another renewal form askin if im a couple has my status changed etc.. But not the bit about exclusion of no recourse to public funds. I put this down to the fact it was a renewal pack and not the startin out pack with the large handy booklet to guide you ,as i did the year before.

When giving the details over the phone i asked the Q am i classed as a couple or not? stating it says not to include her.

Apparently cos im british n she lives with me i have to include her and be classed as a couple which contradicts the dont include her bit! So i've been claiming wrong for nearly 2 years.

Oh and the best bit i owe them £2500

Im not a happy bunny.

Anyone with a similar experience or advise?

My Thai Wife arrived in the Uk in may 2006 as well. She came in on a 6 Months Marriage visa and after Marrying we went to the P.E.O. to get her 2 year FLR. The Man in the Public Enquiery Office said ...You can claim child benefit in your name and tax credits in joint names. If you are living together you have to claim in joint names. I double checked this again and with the Inland revanue and they said immigration were aware of this and it was no problem.

We got £2500 backdated.

Apart from that I believe nothing can be claimed. The TC money is paid to me and goes in my account.

though thinkng about it is child benfit the same as the tax credits ?

You fill out a Tax credits pack, within that you will get child tax, which is the old child benefit.

Within that form, with the info you provide, it will decide if you are entitled to working tax credit, I really know nothing about the working tax credit or other forms of claiming, only the child benefit side of things.

Clear as mud?

Moss

Child tax credit and child benefit are not the same thing.

Child benefit is not means tested. Everybody gets the same amount.

Child tax credit is means tested and what you receive in tax year April 08 - April 09 is dependant on your total income from tax year April 07 - April 08.

You can go abroad for one Month without informing them. If you are going because of Family illness you can leave the UK for a period of three Months and still get the benefits.

After that if you keep claiming it would be fraud.

Unless you are going to live in Eastern Europe.

US citizen, hopefully there are some other amcits on this board that can answer these questions.

I am about to buy a condo in thailand. I will move about 260k to my thai bank account. I need a tor tor sam from the bank to show at the land office, correct ? how do I go about getting one ? just ask the bank ? is this different from the advice of transferral they give me ?

What about in the US ? Do I need to submit some form to the IRS when moving such a large amount overseas ? what if I someday want to repatriate these funds, how do I do that without having to pay tax on them again ?

Hopefully someone out there has done this before and can advise me on how to avoid the pitfalls

thanks

That's a lot of money to be moving to a 3rd World Country. Not my business...but are you not better renting?

Thailand will go through monumental changes in the next few years. There's big instability around. Problems with Cambodia. Problems trying to keep in place an elected Government and there's been so much tampering with visas and such like.

It wont get 'Farang friendly' It will probably go the other way.

I would rent. But good luck.