Convert UK Visit visa to Spouse visa

[BanMuangFarang]

Hi

 

Looking for some advice...

 

My wife is currently over in the UK on a Visit Visa [6 months] and I want to apply for a Spouse Visa [FLR] whilst she is in the UK. Looking at GOV.UK, the rules seem a bit unclear whether I can apply for a Spouse Visa whilst my wife is over in the UK on a Visit Visa.

 

The reason I didn't apply earlier for a Spouse Visa last year was due to time and the Marriage Visa was due to end shortly after we got married in the UK.

 

So before I go through the visa application process and paying the £1k, is it still possible apply in the UK or do I have to apply whilst my wife is back in Thailand?

[brewsterbudgen]

I believe she has to apply in her home country.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[theoldgit]

BB is correct, she needs to apply for a Settlement Visa in Thailand, as your wife she cannot convert a visit visa whilst in the UK.

If she’d applied for a Fiancé Visa last year and then married in the UK, she could have then applied for FLR, but she cannot do it retrospectively.

 

 

 

 

[rasg]

8 hours ago, BanMuangFarang said:

My wife is currently over in the UK on a Visit Visa [6 months] and I want to apply for a Spouse Visa [FLR] whilst she is in the UK. Looking at GOV.UK, the rules seem a bit unclear whether I can apply for a Spouse Visa whilst my wife is over in the UK on a Visit Visa.

 

The reason I didn't apply earlier for a Spouse Visa last year was due to time and the Marriage Visa was due to end shortly after we got married in the UK.

 

So before I go through the visa application process and paying the £1k, is it still possible apply in the UK or do I have to apply whilst my wife is back in Thailand?

We got married in the same way, about two thirds the way through my wife's settlement visa but I started putting her FLR together in the week that she arrived in the UK. All the work was done close to when we got married and all I had to do was add the marriage certificate to the document pack and send it off.

 

As the oldgit has said, she will need to return to Thailand to apply for a settlement visa.

[BanMuangFarang]

Thanks for the clarification; lesson learned to read the rules more carefully next time.

 

At least I have an excuse to go back to Thailand in August / September to accompany and assist my wife with the visa application. I just hope the decision doesn’t take the full 12 weeks as stated on the website. Would like to get my wife back to the UK before Xmas.

 

Anyone got any experience on how long the decision takes if applying from Thailand?

[rasg]

If you have deep pockets you can pay for a super fast decision. £600-700 extra I think.

[theoldgit]

5 hours ago, BanMuangFarang said:

At least I have an excuse to go back to Thailand in August / September to accompany and assist my wife with the visa application.

There's really no point in travelling to Thailand just to accompany and assist your wife with her application.

 

She needs to apply online and she can upload the supporting evidence herself, or you can do from the UK.

 

She will need to visit the Visa Application Centre to have her biometric details captured, you can't be part of that, you may get yourself in the office, but she's on her own in there. Clearly you can't be involved in the English Language and TB tests, other than escort her to the appropriate centre.

 

That said, don't let me stop you travelling to Thailand to see your good lady.

[BanMuangFarang]

On 6/22/2019 at 1:50 PM, theoldgit said:

There's really no point in travelling to Thailand just to accompany and assist your wife with her application.

 

She needs to apply online and she can upload the supporting evidence herself, or you can do from the UK.

 

She will need to visit the Visa Application Centre to have her biometric details captured, you can't be part of that, you may get yourself in the office, but she's on her own in there. Clearly you can't be involved in the English Language and TB tests, other than escort her to the appropriate centre.

 

That said, don't let me stop you travelling to Thailand to see your good lady.

Thanks; only reason I'll be travelling back with her is for a two week holiday. Plus I also need to get our UK marriage legalized in Thailand, so already have a few jobs to sort out in Bangkok before heading home to Udon Thani. Wife already has a TB certificate, I assume a valid A1 / A2 English Language certificate taken over here in the UK will still be valid over in Thailand?

[theoldgit]

27 minutes ago, BanMuangFarang said:

Thanks; only reason I'll be travelling back with her is for a two week holiday. Plus I also need to get our UK marriage legalized in Thailand, What do you mean get your marriage legalized?

I assume a valid A1 / A2 English Language certificate taken over here in the UK will still be valid over in Thailand? Yes it will

 

[BanMuangFarang]

Need to get my UK marriage legalized in Thailand to allow my wife to change her surname.

[rasg]

If her TB test is more than 6 months old at the time of the application, she will need another one.

[theoldgit]

13 hours ago, BanMuangFarang said:

Need to get my UK marriage legalized in Thailand to allow my wife to change her surname.

That cannot be done by the British Embassy in Thailand, it has to be done in the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised

[BanMuangFarang]

7 hours ago, theoldgit said:

That cannot be done by the British Embassy in Thailand, it has to be done in the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised

Already done the first part of sending it to the FCO to be legalized, next step is to visit the Thai Embassy in London then a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. 

[BanMuangFarang]

18 hours ago, rasg said:

If her TB test is more than 6 months old at the time of the application, she will need another one.

TB certificate is due to expire in October, do you think there would be an issue if the visa application was submitted mid-September with only a month left?

[rasg]

I doubt it. It expires after six months.