Uk Visa Question

[Spee]

Apologies if this has been covered in the past.

I'm being transferred to the UK for a 3-6 month assignment, that could turn into a few years. I'm not so concerned about my visa issues.

However, my Thai fiance' wants to come to the UK with her daughter to live with me. I would like very much to have them there.

We have been seeing each other for almost 7 months and engaged for just over three.

I've read that UK visa's are difficult for unmarried Thai women, regardless of whether or not they bring children with them.

Our plan is to marry sometime early next year, late winter or early spring.

Anyone been down this road before? Or has experience dealing with a case like mine?

Thanks,

Spee

[bkk_mike]

What to do depends on what you're applying for.

i.e. Americans can work in the UK for up to 6 months with just a work permit - no visa.

If this is what you're doing - the only option is for them to go to the embassy and apply for tourist visas to accompany you for the 6 month trip to the UK.

You can't stay more than 6 months without a visa of your own, and without a settlement visa of your own, they're not eligible to apply to accompany you on a fiance visa. The advantage is, they're sure you're leaving the country after 6 months, so will probably be more willing to issue tourist visas for them to accompany you. (After all - an American girlfriend could accompany you for 6 months without a visa).

If you've applied for a work visa for 2 years.

This is not settlement for visa purposes, so your girlfriend would still not qualify for a fiance visa, but may qualify to accompany you as your "partner". Although this is usually restricted to married couples and dependent children, or people who've been living together for a long time. (7 months together would probably be a no-go for this, meaning you're back to applying for tourist visas)

It's only if you've applied for some sort of settlement in the UK for yourself (i.e. British ancestry), that she'd even be eligible for a fiance visa.

Applying for the tourist visas:

You should definitely go with them to the embassy.

Basically - talk nicely to them, explaining the situation where you're going to the UK for 6 months, and that you have a work permit, and you want your girlfriend and her daughter to accompany you on the trip. If you haven't got the work permit yet, show whatever documentation you have for the job offer. (They will want to know that you will be earning enough money to cover the cost of their "holiday" in the UK).

Explain that you are engaged, but since you're not settled in the UK, even if you were to get married there, you understand that you're not eligible to apply for a fiance visa.

You don't say how old her daughter is. If she's of school age, you'll need to think of some sort of school in the UK. - and going to the UK without a settlement visa may prevent her attending state (i.e. free) schools in the UK. (Not sure on this - because she'd be on a tourist visa, rather than accompanying your travel there on the work permit).

Only mention the possibility of the job being extended beyond 6 months if asked. If it is for more than 6 months, you need a visa yourself...

Once you are married, then they should be able to accompany you on subsequent trips to the UK after the initial 6 months. They would still need visas each time, but once you're married, they can be classed as accompanying you on your work visa, and no longer require separate tourist visas.

(After 6 months in the UK in any one year - you will need a visa of your own).

Your big issue is really what's happening after the 6 months is up.

Where do you plan on getting married?

Do you intend to settle permanently in the UK / US / Thailand?

If it's in the US, you may need to apply for visas for the US, and a fiance visa for the US is supposed to be, if anything, more time consuming than getting one for the UK.

UKs visa/immigration websites are at

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

[Richard W]

UKs visa/immigration websites are at

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

and the Thailand-UK Website is worth looking at. You will need to sign up to view their forum.

Several people post both there and here.

[Spee]

UKs visa/immigration websites are at

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

and the Thailand-UK Website is worth looking at. You will need to sign up to view their forum.

Thanks for the info. This is just the sort of thing that I was looking for.