Marriage visa for Thai girlfriend to bring her to England

[thatland 2018 paul]

I want to have my Thai girlfriend live with me in England as she loves being here

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[7by7]

More details would help; such as are you British and if not, what is your nationality and immigration status in the UK?

 

I am, though, going to assume that you are British.

 

She has three options:

 

1) Apply as your spouse in Bangkok; but as you call her your girlfriend I assume you are not married. In which case you will need to marry her in Thailand first.

 

Initial visa valid 33 months; fee £1523, (payable in USD at a rate favourable to UKV!!);

Further Leave to Remain after living in the UK for 30 months, fee £1033;

Indefinite Leave to Remain 30 months after FLR, fee £2389.

 

2) Apply as your fiance in Bangkok. She'd travel to the UK and have to marry you within 6 months and then pay for an expensive extension to her visa.

 

Initial visa valid 6 months, fee £1523, (payable in USD at a rate favourable to UKV!!)

FLR valid 30 months, fee £1033;

second FLR valid 30 months, fee £1033;

ILR 30 months after that, fee £2389.

 

3) Apply as your unmarried partner in Bangkok. The applications, and fees, are the same as for a spouse; but to qualify for this the two of you need to prove that you have been living together outside the UK in a relationship akin to marriage for at least the previous two years.

 

Note that the initial visa application has to be made in Bangkok; she cannot, for example, enter the UK as a visitor and then apply in the UK for settlement. Obviously, FLR and ILR are applied for in the UK.

 

She will need to provide a TB certificate with her initial visa application, and at this and the FLR stage prove her knowledge of English. For ILR she will need to prove this again at a higher standard as well as pass the LitUK test.

 

You will have to meet the financial requirement at each stage.

 

For more details, see Family visas: apply, extend or switch for the initial visa and FLR; for ILR see here (N.B., she will be on the 5 year route).

[Tuvoc]

And don't forget the English Language requirements for ILR. Very tough these days.

[TomThailand]

Also don't forget the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) in addition to the visa fees for initial entry on the 5 year settlement route and the subsequent FLR(M).  The IHS fee is charged at £400 per year or part of any year exceeding six months and is paid in full as part of the visa application process.  The IHS is refunded if the visa application fails, unlike the visa application fee.

 

A Secure English Language Test (SELT) at a minimum of CEFR level A1 is required for initial entry clearance.  A SELT at a minimum of CEFR level A2 is required for FLR(M).   A SELT at a minimum of CEFR level B1 is needed for ILR as well as a pass in the Life in the UK test.

 

Your Thai wife can apply for ILR once she has lived in the UK for 60 months under the 5 year settlement route and has the B1 SELT and LITUK pass. 

[brewsterbudgen]

And don't forget the English Language requirements for ILR. Very tough these days.

For the initial visa only A1 level English is required - which is very basic. After that the level of difficulty rises but as the applicant will have lived in the UK for quite a long time, A2 and then B1 level should be easy.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[theoldgit]

A number of off topic or nonsense posts removed.

 

The guy is looking for advice.

[Caine]

And don’t forget you have to be earning or have a pension of at least £28000 a year. Good luck.

[baansgr]

13 minutes ago, Caine said:

And don’t forget you have to be earning or have a pension of at least £28000 a year. Good luck.

I thought it was 21,500....have they increased it

[rasg]

What has a pension got to do with it? You need to show an income of £18,600 pa for a settlement visa or for FLR.

[Orton Rd]

If you don't have that income a large amount in the bank will do, think it's about 60k, not cheap these days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kenegg]

Also must have a TB screening test done in Bangkok at one of the designated hospitals.

[NightSky]

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

For the initial visa only A1 level English is required - which is very basic. After that the level of difficulty rises but as the applicant will have lived in the UK for quite a long time, A2 and then B1 level should be easy.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

 

Does anyone have any recommendations to help a Thai wife to pass the IELTS life skills A1, A2 and B1.

 

For example are there any practice at home resources/books that are useful for these specific exams or is the only option to pay a school/teacher to teach it?

 

Is Youtube a good resource to help home practice and are there other more specific resources maybe? 

[Suradit69]

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

but as the applicant will have lived in the UK for quite a long time, A2 and then B1 level should be easy.

Does that apply the other way 'round? If someone lived in Thailand "for quite a long time," should s/he be assumed to be moderately proficient in the Thai language ?

[brewsterbudgen]

Does that apply the other way 'round? If someone lived in Thailand "for quite a long time," should s/he be assumed to be moderately proficient in the Thai language ?

In my case, no. 14 years here, and only very basic Thai language skills (definitely not A1 level). But Thais in the UK have little option but to speak and understand English when they live in the UK, whereas I can live in Bangkok easily without having to speak or understand Thai.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[brewsterbudgen]

 
Does anyone have any recommendations to help a Thai wife to pass the IELTS life skills A1, A2 and B1.
 
For example are there any practice at home resources/books that are useful for these specific exams or is the only option to pay a school/teacher to teach it?
 
Is Youtube a good resource to help home practice and are there other more specific resources maybe? 

Be careful of YouTube videos as they are not always accurate. Stick to the official IELTS practice tests on their website.

A1 Life Skills is pretty easy. Just simple questions about things like home, family, friends, free time; asking simple questions about a topic; listening to a short conversation and answering one gist question and two specific questions; discussing a simple topic with the other candidate and the examiner. As well as basic language skills, interaction skills with the other candidate and the examiner are assessed.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[rasg]

The A1 test is easier in the UK than in Thailand imho. In the UK it's a six minute conversation with a single examiner. In Thailand the candidate has to interact with another candidate taking the test. My wife took hers at Trinity college in Hammersmith when she was here on a visit visa. She flew back to Thailand with her Settlement visa application in her bag a few days late, had her TB test, went to VFS and applied for the visa. She then waited in Bangkok for a couple of weeks until the visa was granted. Back in 2015 it only took two weeks. Now it takes around three months.

[brewsterbudgen]

The A1 test is easier in the UK than in Thailand imho. In the UK it's a six minute conversation with a single examiner. In Thailand the candidate has to interact with another candidate taking the test. My wife took hers at Trinity college in Hammersmith when she was here on a visit visa. She flew back to Thailand with her Settlement visa application in her bag a few days late, had her TB test, went to VFS and applied for the visa. She then waited in Bangkok for a couple of weeks until the visa was granted. Back in 2015 it only took two weeks. Now it takes around three months.

There is no doubt that the Trinity test, for A1 and B1, is easier than IELTS Life Skills. Unfortunately it's only available in the UK, whereas IELTS is worldwide.

That said, the IELTS Life Skills is not difficult if the candidate is well prepared and is able to interact with the other candidate and the examiner.

Sent from my SM-A500F using Tapatalk

[Chongalulu]

On 3/17/2019 at 11:17 PM, 7by7 said:

More details would help; such as are you British and if not, what is your nationality and immigration status in the UK?

 

I am, though, going to assume that you are British.

 

She has three options:

 

1) Apply as your spouse in Bangkok; but as you call her your girlfriend I assume you are not married. In which case you will need to marry her in Thailand first.

 

Initial visa valid 33 months; fee £1523, (payable in USD at a rate favourable to UKV!!);

Further Leave to Remain after living in the UK for 30 months, fee £1033;

Indefinite Leave to Remain 30 months after FLR, fee £2389.

 

2) Apply as your fiance in Bangkok. She'd travel to the UK and have to marry you within 6 months and then pay for an expensive extension to her visa.

 

Initial visa valid 6 months, fee £1523, (payable in USD at a rate favourable to UKV!!)

FLR valid 30 months, fee £1033;

second FLR valid 30 months, fee £1033;

ILR 30 months after that, fee £2389.

 

3) Apply as your unmarried partner in Bangkok. The applications, and fees, are the same as for a spouse; but to qualify for this the two of you need to prove that you have been living together outside the UK in a relationship akin to marriage for at least the previous two years.

 

Note that the initial visa application has to be made in Bangkok; she cannot, for example, enter the UK as a visitor and then apply in the UK for settlement. Obviously, FLR and ILR are applied for in the UK.

 

She will need to provide a TB certificate with her initial visa application, and at this and the FLR stage prove her knowledge of English. For ILR she will need to prove this again at a higher standard as well as pass the LitUK test.

 

You will have to meet the financial requirement at each stage.

 

For more details, see Family visas: apply, extend or switch for the initial visa and FLR; for ILR see here (N.B., she will be on the 5 year route).

Wow! That hasn’t half changed since I brought my wife and her 9 year old daughter to uk in 2003. Eligible for NHS as son as they arrived Biggest expense (and best investment) was about £1000 total for both their British citizenship. Now living back here - except our daughter now working in uk after getting first class honours economics degree. 

[superal]

On 3/17/2019 at 11:17 PM, 7by7 said:

More details would help; such as are you British and if not, what is your nationality and immigration status in the UK?

 

I am, though, going to assume that you are British.

 

She has three options:

 

1) Apply as your spouse in Bangkok; but as you call her your girlfriend I assume you are not married. In which case you will need to marry her in Thailand first.

 

Initial visa valid 33 months; fee £1523, (payable in USD at a rate favourable to UKV!!);

Further Leave to Remain after living in the UK for 30 months, fee £1033;

Indefinite Leave to Remain 30 months after FLR, fee £2389.

 

2) Apply as your fiance in Bangkok. She'd travel to the UK and have to marry you within 6 months and then pay for an expensive extension to her visa.

 

Initial visa valid 6 months, fee £1523, (payable in USD at a rate favourable to UKV!!)

FLR valid 30 months, fee £1033;

second FLR valid 30 months, fee £1033;

ILR 30 months after that, fee £2389.

 

3) Apply as your unmarried partner in Bangkok. The applications, and fees, are the same as for a spouse; but to qualify for this the two of you need to prove that you have been living together outside the UK in a relationship akin to marriage for at least the previous two years.

 

Note that the initial visa application has to be made in Bangkok; she cannot, for example, enter the UK as a visitor and then apply in the UK for settlement. Obviously, FLR and ILR are applied for in the UK.

 

She will need to provide a TB certificate with her initial visa application, and at this and the FLR stage prove her knowledge of English. For ILR she will need to prove this again at a higher standard as well as pass the LitUK test.

 

You will have to meet the financial requirement at each stage.

 

For more details, see Family visas: apply, extend or switch for the initial visa and FLR; for ILR see here (N.B., she will be on the 5 year route).

At what stage within the 3 options would she become free to seek employment ?  Also would you know the stats on successful applications ( cos you seem well informed ) . Thanks for good info .

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, superal said:

At what stage within the 3 options would she become free to seek employment ?  Also would you know the stats on successful applications ( cos you seem well informed ) . Thanks for good info .

If you marry in Thailand and meet the requirements for a Settlement Visa, financial, housing etc, then she could work from day one.
If you marry in the UK whilst she's on a fiance visa then she can't work until she's been granted FLR.
If she applies as your unmarried partner, assuming you can prove you've been living as a couple in Thailand for in excess of two years, then she can work as soon as she arrives. The requirements for this are the same as a settlement visa, plus of course evidence that you've been living in a relationship akin to marriage.
I don't know the stats off the top of my head, but if she qualifies she'll get a visa, there's no balance of probablitities element.

[thatland 2018 paul]

Hi yes I’m British by birth. 54 years old. and seem to be on a long Journey. Shame my partner is not from Europe


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[NightSky]

4 hours ago, thatland 2018 paul said:

Hi yes I’m British by birth. 54 years old. and seem to be on a long Journey. Shame my partner is not from Europe


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

Quite.

 

Please write to your MP and raise this as a concern, they wont listen to me living in Thailand with my wife for 15 years.

 

In fact expats are not a priority or listened to at all.

 

For example, If I want to return to the UK to live and bring my wife who is Thai to live with me I need about 65,000 Pounds in declared savings and to pay about 10,000 Pounds for the 5 years application process and my wife needs to learn to speak and listen to English and pass an exam about UK history and culture that most British citizens wouldn't pass, even though shes never been there before and she never wanted to be 'a traveler or a city goer' - shes terrified of failing the tests since the consequences would be we cant live in the UK together!

 

Can you help us? Please tell them to relax the immigration laws... lol 

 

????

 

 

 

[virgomjh]

On ‎3‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 7:48 AM, Tuvoc said:

And don't forget the English Language requirements for ILR. Very tough these days.

Yes especially Life in the UK test. A1 English Language relatively easy to get you onto first 'temporary' visa step, but to get indefinite leave to live here long term, you will need B1 English Language and LitUK Test pass. Agree with other posters that Trinity College is best way to go on the English Language tests. Only available in UK but my wife passed it during holiday visa visit - sounds like OP's partner may still be here, so may still be time, or maybe next visit?

 

Biggest hurdle in whole settlement process is LitUK test and often overlooked - over 50% failure rate for non native speakers. Would strongly recommend anyone planning to bring non EU partner to UK that you check first whether you feel that they will be capable of passing this otherwise you could be stuck in eternal loop of short term visa applications. There is a good free resource at https://lifeintheuktestweb.co.uk/ Suggest you read through whole of Chapter 3  History, then try some of the sample tests on that chapter to give you a good feel for the difficulty. And if you are brave enough, let your partner read through it.

 

My Thai wife has been here six years now and only recently managed to pass it with a truly massive effort - six hours per day for two months and a lot of time input from me in support. Difficult enough if you are an English speaker but for a non English speaker it is a massive challenge.

 

Some suggestion from Sajid Javid that he will review it but it would take a very brave politician to do anything to make immigration easier, so it may be modified but I wouldn't count on the difficulty been lowered. Would be wise to take a good look at this test before you commit on this route.

[UKresonant]

2 hours ago, virgomjh said:

Some suggestion from Sajid Javid that he will review it but it would take a very brave politician to do anything to make immigration easier, so it may be modified but I wouldn't count on the difficulty been lowered.

Some of the questions on the example test I've just went through would be difficult for someone outside the UK but are equally pointless, who wrote "the daffodils" and who was the English team captain (decades ago), that knowledge will be really useful, NOT????. Lets hope he will do a review, and concentrate on knowledge that would be of a more practicable nature, that may be useful to the individual to learn in any case, rather than partial preparation for a pub quiz????. 

[GinBoy2]

On 3/17/2019 at 10:17 AM, 7by7 said:

More details would help; such as are you British and if not, what is your nationality and immigration status in the UK?

 

I am, though, going to assume that you are British.

 

She has three options:

 

1) Apply as your spouse in Bangkok; but as you call her your girlfriend I assume you are not married. In which case you will need to marry her in Thailand first.

 

Initial visa valid 33 months; fee £1523, (payable in USD at a rate favourable to UKV!!);

Further Leave to Remain after living in the UK for 30 months, fee £1033;

Indefinite Leave to Remain 30 months after FLR, fee £2389.

 

2) Apply as your fiance in Bangkok. She'd travel to the UK and have to marry you within 6 months and then pay for an expensive extension to her visa.

 

Initial visa valid 6 months, fee £1523, (payable in USD at a rate favourable to UKV!!)

FLR valid 30 months, fee £1033;

second FLR valid 30 months, fee £1033;

ILR 30 months after that, fee £2389.

 

3) Apply as your unmarried partner in Bangkok. The applications, and fees, are the same as for a spouse; but to qualify for this the two of you need to prove that you have been living together outside the UK in a relationship akin to marriage for at least the previous two years.

 

Note that the initial visa application has to be made in Bangkok; she cannot, for example, enter the UK as a visitor and then apply in the UK for settlement. Obviously, FLR and ILR are applied for in the UK.

 

She will need to provide a TB certificate with her initial visa application, and at this and the FLR stage prove her knowledge of English. For ILR she will need to prove this again at a higher standard as well as pass the LitUK test.

 

You will have to meet the financial requirement at each stage.

 

For more details, see Family visas: apply, extend or switch for the initial visa and FLR; for ILR see here (N.B., she will be on the 5 year route).

Holy sh**it

 

I thought it was expensive when I got my wife a green card for permanent residence in the United States, cost me a tad under a $1000, but reading this, guess we get off light!

[superal]

On 3/21/2019 at 12:22 AM, NightSky said:

 

Quite.

 

Please write to your MP and raise this as a concern, they wont listen to me living in Thailand with my wife for 15 years.

 

In fact expats are not a priority or listened to at all.

 

For example, If I want to return to the UK to live and bring my wife who is Thai to live with me I need about 65,000 Pounds in declared savings and to pay about 10,000 Pounds for the 5 years application process and my wife needs to learn to speak and listen to English and pass an exam about UK history and culture that most British citizens wouldn't pass, even though shes never been there before and she never wanted to be 'a traveler or a city goer' - shes terrified of failing the tests since the consequences would be we cant live in the UK together!

 

Can you help us? Please tell them to relax the immigration laws... lol 

 

????

 

 

 

You have my sympathy because  as are a UK citizen you should have the right to marry who you like . The fact that you are means tested for an over the top monetary need  and your wife to be examined on her UK history , ways of life and English language speaking for entry to a country she has never set foot in , really stinks and is clearly unfair without just reason . Discrimination could be used as there are many immigrants without money or family connections , no passports in some cases , unable to speak any English and will depend on the state for support . What reasoning is from the UK government and how can they justify / qualify their ridiculous requirements . Needs to be challenged big time .

[7by7]

12 hours ago, superal said:

Discrimination could be used as there are many immigrants without money or family connections , no passports in some cases , unable to speak any English and will depend on the state for support . What reasoning is from the UK government and how can they justify / qualify their ridiculous requirements . Needs to be challenged big time .

If this were true, then it would need to be challenged; but it isn't.

[7by7]

On ‎3‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 12:14 PM, thatland 2018 paul said:

Hi yes I’m British by birth. 54 years old. and seem to be on a long Journey. Shame my partner is not from Europe

Wont make any difference after Brexit as EEA nationals will then be subject to the same requirements as everyone else.

[superal]

13 hours ago, 7by7 said:

If this were true, then it would need to be challenged; but it isn't.

On 3/23/2019 at 7:11 AM, superal said:

Discrimination could be used as there are many immigrants without money or family connections , no passports in some cases , unable to speak any English and will depend on the state for support . What reasoning is from the UK government and how can they justify / qualify their ridiculous requirements . Needs to be challenged big time . 

If this were true, then it would need to be challenged; but it isn't.

 

 I am not ranting about racialism but only demonstrating that the justice scales are out of balance and that the UK nationalist is not treated fairly or equally compared to immigrants . That is a form of discrimination . Indeed the UK resident is not asking for handouts , only for his partner to be allowed entry to the UK and without access to government funds .  Even applying for a tourist visa for a Thai person is not without its problems .  Applying for a Thai visa whilst in the UK is straight forward and without complications and that is how it should work for the UK visa .

[7by7]

9 hours ago, superal said:

If this were true, then it would need to be challenged; but it isn't.

 

 I am not ranting about racialism but only demonstrating that the justice scales are out of balance and that the UK nationalist is not treated fairly or equally compared to immigrants . That is a form of discrimination . Indeed the UK resident is not asking for handouts , only for his partner to be allowed entry to the UK and without access to government funds .  Even applying for a tourist visa for a Thai person is not without its problems .  Applying for a Thai visa whilst in the UK is straight forward and without complications and that is how it should work for the UK visa .

Still not true.

 

All non Brits who wish to enter the UK for any purpose other than a visit require the same visa relevant to their reason for coming here; family settlement, student, work etc., and are subject to the same rules and regulations; except for the moment EEA nationals, but that will change after Brexit.

 

Some nationalities, Americans for example, do not require a visa in advance to enter the UK as a visitor; most do. Just as some nationalities, British for example, can enter Thailand for up to 30 days as a visitor without a visa, but most can't.

 

If you are going to compare Thailand and the UK, remember that after the Thai spouse of a British citizen has been living here for 5 years they can apply to remain indefinitely and once that is granted apply for British citizenship.

 

Can the same, or anything remotely similar, be said of a British spouse of a Thai living in Thailand? No.