Curious about SS benefits and Retirement visa

[Just Weird]

On ‎7‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 8:07 AM, mikebell said:

50$!  If you were British it would be more than double that for a standard letter where the officials merely change the date/name and do no investigating.

"50$!  If you were British it would be more than double that for a standard letter..."

£52 is more than double $50?  Since when?

 

The Embassy's job is not to investigate, it's to issue a confirmation that you've shown them evidence that you have a certain income.

[Just Weird]

On ‎7‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 10:53 AM, ginjag said:

Try UK 52 pound,    way over 2200 baht

Way over? What?  B76 over, that's all.

[mikebell]

8 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"50$!  If you were British it would be more than double that for a standard letter..."

£52 is more than double $50?  Since when?

 

The Embassy's job is not to investigate, it's to issue a confirmation that you've shown them evidence that you have a certain income.

Sorry, I didn't include the cost of getting to BKK + overnight hotel or hiring a Visa company to do the footwork.  The US does local outreach days; UK doesn't.

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Sorry, I didn't include the cost of getting to BKK + overnight hotel or hiring a Visa company to do the footwork.  The US does local outreach days; UK doesn't.

You have to apply for and obtain the income letter from the UK embassy by mail. So no need for a trip to Bangkok.

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You have to apply for and obtain the income letter from the UK embassy by mail. So no need for a trip to Bangkok.

Or email.

[mikebell]

On 7/28/2018 at 8:33 AM, ubonjoe said:

You have to apply for and obtain the income letter from the UK embassy by mail. So no need for a trip to Bangkok.

Joe, I was referring to the UK letter.  As far as I know you can pay an agent to go to the UK Embassy or travel there yourself.  This makes a UK letter more than double a US letter.

[ubonjoe]

18 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Joe, I was referring to the UK letter.  As far as I know you can pay an agent to go to the UK Embassy or travel there yourself.  This makes a UK letter more than double a US letter.

The UK income letter can only be done by mail.

"Consular Letter Confirming Pension/Income for Retirement Visa – Fee No 2 (i) This service is only available by post"

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/671934/Pension_04_01_2018.pdf

I would guess that agents doing them are also doing it by mail or perhaps by email for the application. I don't think the embassy makes an exception for agents. Why pay an agent when it is not hard to do by mail.

[mikebell]

Wow - another triumph for Joe.  I did not know this & as yet haven't checked how complicated it is for a 75 yr old computer illiterate, but you may just have saved me a lot of baht.  Thank you.