Rolanddrums

hi, thanks for that. Ok if birth cert translated/certified is compulsory then we will get just that. Where is best place/ cheapest place to get that done, and what can she expect to py for it?

Thanks.

Hi Guys, my thai gf will be coming to the UK soon on a 6 month settlement (fiancee) visa. Her passport /visa and thai ID card are already all in English language as well as in Thai. Does she need any 'other' papers to show to registry office here to get married ? And if so do they need to be translated into English first? ...she tells me she thinks she needs to provide translated copys of :- (1) Birth Certificate (2) Papers confirming her current 'single' status.

Any help much appreciated

Thanks.... Roland

ps I am born in Britain with British passport

thanks guys, ok we will put 5 months on the letter and stay 5 months (thats what we want anyway) . Is there any harm in saying on my sponser letter that 'we will be planning on getting married within the next year'? ...afterall we are genuine bf/gf and spending 5months in the uk again is still a holiday for her. Im glad to hear that planning to stay 5 months instead of 3 doesnt make likelihood of a refusal any higher.

Hi guys, my thai gf came over to be with me in uk last year for 5months on her first tourist visa. I am her bf and sponsered her . We were advised to 'put' 3 months on the form as her length as stay . We got the visa no problem, and we were initially happy for her to stay 3 months in uk, return to thai for couple of weeks together then come back to uk for another 2 months. Our plan changed when we came to buy the air ticket (TG916/ TG917), instead of the £500 we pay in UK for 'London -Bkk -London', a 'Bkk-London-Bkk' ticket cost us £1150. Anyway because of this she/we decided to stay in UK just over 5 months. She did return before the visa expired though, so we have already demonstated she didnt do a runner/ work/ do anything bad.

Anyway we will be applying for another tourist visa next month (same criteria as with first visa), and I want her to stay 5 months. I am concerned that if we 'put' 5 months on the form (instead of say 3 months) it may effect the likelihood of her getting the visa? I dont know why though , it is a 6 month visa afterall....interested to know your thoughts.

ps we did apply for a second tourist visa 4 months ago but was turned down as she had only been back in thai 3 weeks....It broke the 'any 6 month in any 12 rule'. ( I didnt know about this....and still cant find anything about this rule on theiw website forms/notes).

Ultimately we want to get married and next year (2011) we will apply fiancee settlement visa but I am still waiting my decree absolute from previous marriage (complications with joint pensions and transfer of my company etc) ..This tourist visa route is the only immedite route we have of being together in UK in the immedite future. Are we likely to get the visa ? (ps It will not break the 6 month in any 12 rule this time...but only just haha).

Best Regards Roland

hi, yes i intend to get a couple of prof lessons for her anyway + sitting in with me regularly. I have teached 3 people to drive in the past..all passed first time. To avoid arguements with 'student' I always say at this point you are not learning to 'drive' , you are learning to 'pass the test'.....seems to work. Still got the ocassional tantrum though. haha

Her english is very good, as long as people dont mumble/ talk crazy fast/ have very strong accent , she understands everything. I suppose as I cant guarantee examiner wont do any of those , I may well just decide to be that interpreter. Thanks again for the advice.

Thanks guys. I just looked on www.direct.gov.uk 'driving in GB on a foreign licence' ... Under the section for 'Visitors' it states the licence must be FULL to allow for 1 year 'unaccompanied', but under the next paragraph headed 'Residents' (which on a settlement visa here in uk I assume/hope she comes under), it says you only need an 'Ordinary' driving licence to allow one year unaccompanied/ no L Plates. Now I dont know exactly what the word 'ordinary' actually means in driving licences terminology , but they presumably do not mean 'Full license ' by this, or they would simply use the word 'Full' as they have in the above paragraph relating to visitors. ?

.....If anyone gets a chance have a read and see what you make of it.

ps yes i agree with getting her uk licence and test passed asap. Shes a natural tbh ..very fast on the 2 stroke karts...crazy about it ..mullers all but the best farangs.! (only 40kg helps haha)

Hi guys, my thai fiancee has now ( following on from useful info by 7by7 ), just passed her 'first part' driving test in Thailand. This is a 1 year licence that has the word 'Temporary' on it. She can drive unaccompanied in Thailand now for 1 year, but my questions are related to what she can/cannot do in UK with this licence as she ( hopefully) will be coming to UK next month on a Fiancee Settlement Visa to live with me.

Q1 Can she drive in UK 'unaccompanied' for upto 1 year before she has to take a UK driving test? ie the same as she is now able to do in Thailand.

Q2 Does she need to apply for a UK ( provisional) licence before she can apply for/take her UK driving test?

Q3 Can she pay the 500 baht to get International license before we go to UK, or is that of no benefit for just driving in UK?

Thankyou in advance Roland

She hasnt got a DL in thailand, but as its going to be a month or so before she comes over, I think i will get her to pass learn drive and get licence in thailand . She wants a mercedes SLK, new in white.......haha that will have to wait..a 15 year old Nissan Micra in red I told her . ....probably compromise on a white yaris 3 year old.

Thanks again guys.

One other slightly unrelated question, does anyone know if she can learn to drive over here during her fiancee settlement visa , or has she got got to wait until sfter were married ?...thanks

Crikey thats realy quick. I was expecting upto 3 months so maybe average 6-8 weeks. Did you just take everything down to Regent house ? Did you need interveiw?

Q1. She can either submit an online application and at the same time make an appointment to submit her supporting documents and have her biometrics taken; or she can complete a paper application and simply turn up at the VAC and wait. See How do I apply?

Don't forget that as a fiance visa is a settlement visa she will need a TB certificate.

Q2. You cannot make a marriage booking until she is in the UK as both partners have to attend the registry office to do so. However, I would include brief details of your plans (date, location etc.) in your sponsor's letter.

Q3. The ECOs at the embassy try to make as many decisions as possible without an interview. In fact they will only interview if there is some doubt about the application but not enough doubt to refuse. So prepare properly (feel free to ask here for any advice you need).

Applications are usually processed in the order they are received, and if an interview is required the applicant will be given the next available slot on a 'first come, first served' basis. So how long the application process takes depends mainly upon demand. It could be a few days, it might be up to three months.

You may find SET01- Fiancé(e)s useful.

Thanks for that. TBH we would prefer to use paper application form (weve filled one in already in pencil) but the lady at regent we spoke to told us all settlement visas have to be filled in using the online application now, so im not sure now.

-Yes shes getting the TB medical.

-That Set 1 is very useful ,I hadnt seen that before.

Best Regards Roland

hi guys, i am British and live in UK. My thai GF is applying for(fiancee) settlement visa to come to UK .I will be sponsoring her as I have good job and my own home and she has no job or money. We intend marrying in UK around August next year. She has already stayed with me in UK earlier this year for a few months on a tourist Visa. As I understand it the application has? to be made on line (only) from her in Thailand. We are keen for her to come to UK asap and have a couple of questions regarding timing everything to best advantage. I will be coming to see her again in Thailand early next year, and it would be nice to get the application 'in the system' soon as possible, rather than her wait for me to visit her again and start the the process then.

Q1 How long after submitting the online form does she have to get the supporting docs to Regent House? (My decree absolute will be with me around the end of this month ).

Q2 Do I need to make/proove a marriage booking for the period she will be in uk with my supporting docs ?

Q3 How long after the form is submitted and docs sent in is the interveiw made? Is there a 'window' we can choose a date from?

Thanks in advance... Roland

hi, is that a 'yes' she can get a schegen visa to go to france with me even though shes only here on a tourist visa? if so thats great news.

Thanks for that..very helpful.

One other question , my gf is here(UK) on a 6month tourist visa, is it possible for her to come to France with me for a 2 week holiday, or are Visas to France not possible on while she is only on a 6month tourist visa to uk?

Ok, well I think that rules out work permit. if we 'were' to get registered (married) at amphur in Thailand at my next visit to Thailand (nov) , which visa would we then need to get to UK, and what time limits/rules are attached? thanks.

thanks 7by7. I have my own buisness in UK (small but have employees and premises....established 1993). We could certainly use her work and could put her on the payroll no problem, is this viable, and how would we go about it?

Failing that, looking at other threads perhaps we should get married in Thailand on our next visit ....a bit premature but we were planning this for the future anyway. My gf talks of 'register' for marriage .....Im guessing this is 'actual marriage' but without ceremony?

Best Regards Roland

thanks guys. I will try Eva. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to be able to get her back in the UK as soon as possible? We are genuine and will want to marry say 2 years. If we 'have' to wait say 3 months....could we then get a 1 year/2 year visators Visa?

hi Guys, this is my first post here. I have had a quick search but couldnt find the answers (im sure they are there somewhere though) to 2 questions i have, so I thought I would post them up:-

Q1.....My thai gf is currently here in the UK with me. We applied for a 6month UK tourist visa in May and she is due to go back in October. I am her sponsor ,I have own buisness own home etc, and getting the Visa was no problem, as I supplied all papers (bank statements...mortgage papers...letter of sponsorship.,,proof of genuine existing relationship etc)

My question is , after she goes back in Oct ,I want her to come back again 4 weeks later for another 6 months . Is there any rules that prevents her coming back again so soon. This would be her 2nd Tourist visa ? Of course I can provide sponsorship documents and letter again outlining that I will be paying for everything . We are looking to marry in the future , which will bring another set of Visa questions, but for now another 6 month bf/gf living together in UK is what we want.

Q2 When she came here before I was horrified at the price diffence between my TG917/TG916 ticket (ie Heathrow to Bkk and back to Heathrow) ticket at about £500, compared to her TG916/TG917 ticket (ie Bkk to Heathrow and back to Bkk) which even after searching around the best we could get this for was nearly £1200!!!!!!! I feel we are tied to buying a return ticket for her, but ecause the outbound flight for her is Bkk to London the prices are just crazy,

We dont 'have' to use Thai Airways ,but we do want no stops, and want to fly together .I will go out to Thailand in Nov for a couple of weeks holiday and hopefully be bringing her back on my return flight to Uk if she gets this 2nd Visa ok....Is there a cheaper option?

Best Regards Roland