Applying for a visit visa for my unemployed Thai wife - to learn Nepali culture in England.

[Ash Ghale]

Dear friend,

 

My Thai Wife and I have known each other for 6months. We got married a month ago not ceremony but official court married. In past 4 months, we travelled together back and forth from Thailand to Singapore, Bali, Surabaya, South-Korea, Hong kong and Taiwan. 

 

I am now back in England applying for jobs. My wife is also unemployed. Before I met her she used to work through agency and cash-in-hand work. She has three sons, who are aged two and fives. Her parent's passed away when she was 6. She has grandmother who is 74. Those are her family ties she will return back to home. She has one motorbike under her assets. She has two saving accounts with total amount of 20,000 baht. 

 

My parents are originally from Nepal, they want to meet my wife and they want her to learn Nepali Culture and English Culture. They want my wife to come for this occasions in England:

 

From August 2019 till January 2020s:

 

1) (Nepali Festival) Rakhi on 15th / August / 2019

2) Nepali Mela in London on 25th / August / 2019

3) (Nepali festival especially for women) Ladies night teej party in London on 31st / August / 2019

4) Dashain national Nepali festival on 8th / October / 2019

5) Laxmi Puja (Nepali festival) - 27th / October / 2019

6) November 13th 2019 My Wife birthday celebration.

7) December 24th 2019 My Birthday celebration.

8) Christmas celebration 25th December 2019.

9) New year eve celebration 31st December 2019.

10) Lochhar Nepali festival January 4th 2020.

 

I have lived with my parents all my life. Now my parents and my sisters want to sponsor my wife to meet, but IMPORTANTLY, that she learns the Nepali culture, before we get ritual marriage in Nepal. My parent's and sisters are all British passport holders and work-full time. They all own a house here in England. They will take full responsibility for finance, food, and accommodation, for her to stay in England till January 2020. My parent's also paid for our flights and resorts after we got married as a small gift, I have card payment proof.

 

Our future plan is:

 

I look for job and start earning more then £18,600.

While she is here in England, she will learn Nepali and English culture and gets to know my family.

After she returns back to Thailand in January, End of February 2020 we will get marred in Nepal, ritual marriage, with all family members.

April 2020, I bring my wife in Settlement visa.

 

 

I also think, ECO will ask how she will support her Children, when she is England. But her Thai ex-husband has paid for whole school term. Her grandmother has land, which she gives out to rent and gets money in return to provide for food and other stuffs. Her three sons, grandmother all live in Uncle house.

 

Do you guys believe the ECO, will grant her visit visa. Any help, ideas I will appreciate so much.

 

Thank you for your time. 

 

 

[theoldgit]

There's no such thing as a visa to study a culture, she can only apply for a Standard Visit Visa in the circumstances you describe.

 

To apply for this visa she must satisfy the Entry Clearance that she's a genuine visitor, the trip is affordable and that, on the balance of probabilities, she will return home at the conclusion of her visit.

 

It seems that you want your girlfriend to stay in the UK for six months, this is the maximum validity of the first category of a visit visa, and whilst it would be perfectly legal to remain for that length of time, she would need to satisfy the ECO, and more than likely the Border Force Officer at the UK Border, that she's a genuine visitor and not somebody who is attempting to live in the UK for an extended period.

 

You haven't detailed how she might fund her proposed trip, you are both unemployed and given her circumstances she has little reason to retuen to her home country.

 

Forget the motorbike and, I'm afraid her children, neither of those would be regarded as strong ties to Thailand.

 

The ECO could be forgiven for asking why she needs to spend six months in the UK learning Nepalise and British cultures, when she hopes to settle in UK shorty afterward, when you are able to meet the requirements for doing so.

 

I personally think that your wife would face an uphill struggle to get a visa in the circumstances you describe, sorry to sound so negative, this is only my opinion and others may take a different position.   

[petermik]

Sorry you have little or no chance......

[Ash Ghale]

6 hours ago, theoldgit said:

Yes she will apply for a Standard Visit Visa. At same time we have many Nepali festivals coming soon in near end of 2019, my parents thinks it is good idea for her to come and learn Nepali culture and experience. 

6 hours ago, theoldgit said:

There's no such thing as a visa to study a culture, she can only apply for a Standard Visit Visa in the circumstances you describe.

 

To apply for this visa she must satisfy the Entry Clearance that she's a genuine visitor, the trip is affordable and that, on the balance of probabilities, she will return home at the conclusion of her visit.

 

It seems that you want your girlfriend to stay in the UK for six months, this is the maximum validity of the first category of a visit visa, and whilst it would be perfectly legal to remain for that length of time, she would need to satisfy the ECO, and more than likely the Border Force Officer at the UK Border, that she's a genuine visitor and not somebody who is attempting to live in the UK for an extended period.

Hey, Thank you for your reply. My dad and mum will sponsor her and provide her with accommodation and food. Whereas my sister will also sponsor her and support her with expenses, private medical treatment, and transportation. 

6 hours ago, theoldgit said:

You haven't detailed how she might fund her proposed trip, you are both unemployed and given her circumstances she has little reason to retuen to her home country.

 

Forget the motorbike and, I'm afraid her children, neither of those would be regarded as strong ties to Thailand.

She will only spend 4months and 15 days here in UK, My parents wants her to learn Nepali culture through festivals listed above, because we plan to get married in Nepal sometime in 2020. Therefore when she visits Nepal she can understand the Nepali people views, what they expect (elderly relatives in Nepal) of my wife, she can collaborate etc. I don't know if it makes sense or not. I know she is Thai she has her own cultural background, but my parents thinks its not enough to understand and fully experience.  

6 hours ago, theoldgit said:

The ECO could be forgiven for asking why she needs to spend six months in the UK learning Nepalise and British cultures, when she hopes to settle in UK shorty afterward, when you are able to meet the requirements for doing so.

Yes you are right, she hopes to settle in UK in near future. She needs to spend 4months 15 days in England learning about Nepali culture, so when we get married in Nepal, she can understand, what is expected from her when she comes to Nepal to marry. For example Thai people respects by saying Sawadee khrup and do Namaste. In Nepali culture people that you don't know we do Namaste, older family members you get your head down in front of them and elderly family member you get all the way down and touch their feet with your head or hand. I know it sounds confusing, but this is just one example of Nepali Tradition. When we get married in Nepal on 2020, she will meet many relatives in Nepal, my parents don't want relatives in Nepal to think Negative about her - "Thai girl that doesn't know any thing" for example. 

 

If it does not make sense I am really sorry. 

 

Thank you for your reply.

6 hours ago, theoldgit said:

 

I personally think that your wife would face an uphill struggle to get a visa in the circumstances you describe, sorry to sound so negative, this is only my opinion and others may take a different position.   

 

[rasg]

In the end, all you can do is apply and hope. I wouldn’t mention anything abut learning of the Nepali culture. Just request one months holiday or she is unlikely to get the visa. You need to show sufficient funds to pay for the trip, prove that you are in a relationship, show her reasons to return to Thailand and show that she will have accommodation while she is in the UK. A well written sponsor letter might just sway the ECO and it night not. All you can do it try. 

[treetops]

If you got "official court married" in Thailand, will you be permitted to get "ritual marriage in Nepal"?

Edited July 7, 2019 by treetops