Child's Visa To Uk

[twentythreemc]

Hi to everybody on the site

Here is our current situation myself and my thai wife have been living in the UK for 15 months now and feel it is time now to bring my wife's 12 year old daughter to the UK to join us.

I have read as many threads as I could relating to this matter and the advice given, has really been invaluable and I thank the posters for this.

There are a couple of points regarding the settlement visa application for spouses daughter that I need clarifying.

1. Can we jointly sponsor the child ?

2. What would be the best evidence to produce to the embassy to prove the child has lived with my wife's parents and my wife has retained parental control ?

3. Will the child's visa run concurrently with my spouses remaining visa if so will I have to pay £1500 for both of them to be renewed in November 2007 when my wife applies for ILR ?

Just to add my wife would like the child accompanied from thailand to the UK by a relative who would apply for a holiday visa to come here for a few weeks has anybody else on the site had a similar experience did it work out or is it a risky strategy ?

Since coming to the site I have realised I have so many more questions but your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated

[the scouser]

You do need to demonstrate that either you, or your wife, or both, has sufficent income to support the child and that there is sufficient accommodation for all three of you, so, to answer your question, yes, joint sponsorship is fine.

As you are evidently aware, you need to show that your wife has had primary responsibility for the child's upbringing. This can be demonstrated in many different ways, but your evidence could include, for example, bank receipts showing money transfers to your wife's daughter/mother, a letter from her school, a copy of the house registration book showing the daughter registered at the family address, and any evidence your wife has demonstrating that she has lawful custody of her daughter.

Your step-daughter's visa will run concurrent to your wife's, so, yes, you would need to stump up £1500.00 at the ILR stage. Also, as she is over 11, she will need to have the TB test done before applying for her visa.

Whether a relative will get a visit visa for the purposes of accompanying your step-daughter will depend upon their own circumstances.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[Mahout Angrit]

Have you read this thread and this thread

in previous threads in this forum?

[twentythreemc]

A Big Thankyou to you both for the posts Scouse and Mahmout.

To develop the thread a little, due to the increase in the costs of acquiring a visa these days we need to consider our options in the respect of bringing the child here.

If my wifes visa is to run in tandem with her child's, is it not feasible to wait until the wife acquires her ILR so her daughter will then be on the same visa ?

And if you can further pardon my naivety in these matters how long does the ILR run ?

In respect of the family member accompanying the child to the UK, she has a decent job in bangkok I think she works for a government dept, she just wants to see a bit more of the world which is fine by us.

And to round it up at this point has anybody got through getting the child settlement visa without having an interview for the child ? The missus thinks she will have to attend as a matter of course.

As anybody on here who has a thai wife knows a thai lady parted from child is not a happy thai lady and my priority is to bring the child here for better or worse.

Cheers Again

PS Noted Re the TB Screening the wife got pulled at Heathrow the really nice lady told us we should have had it done before she got here but said it was ok that the local health authority would be in touch 15 months still waiting.

[the scouser]

There is nothing to prevent you waiting until your wife has her ILR. The only cost then in respect of your step-daughter will be the £500.00 visa application fee. Your step-daughter would then be granted indefinite leave to enter the UK which, as it sounds, is valid indefinitely unless the holder spends in excess of 2 years outside the UK.

The embassy now undertakes to consider as many visa applications as possible without interview. If they do decide to conduct an interview in your step-daughter's case, your wife would not be expected to fly over to Thailand especially for it.

With regard to the relative who wishes to accompany your step-daughter, they will have to demonstrate that they can pay for the trip to the the UK either from their own funds or 3rd party sponsorship, that they have somewhere to stay, and that they intend to leave the UK at the end of their stay. In respect of the last criterion, a letter from the relevant government dept. which confirms the relative's employment, their salary, and the date they are expected to resume work should suffice.

Scouse.

[oxymoron]

Hi to everybody on the site

Here is our current situation myself and my thai wife have been living in the UK for 15 months now and feel it is time now to bring my wife's 12 year old daughter to the UK to join us.

I have read as many threads as I could relating to this matter and the advice given, has really been invaluable and I thank the posters for this.

There are a couple of points regarding the settlement visa application for spouses daughter that I need clarifying.

1. Can we jointly sponsor the child ?

2. What would be the best evidence to produce to the embassy to prove the child has lived with my wife's parents and my wife has retained parental control ?

3. Will the child's visa run concurrently with my spouses remaining visa if so will I have to pay £1500 for both of them to be renewed in November 2007 when my wife applies for ILR ?

Just to add my wife would like the child accompanied from thailand to the UK by a relative who would apply for a holiday visa to come here for a few weeks has anybody else on the site had a similar experience did it work out or is it a risky strategy ?

Since coming to the site I have realised I have so many more questions but your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated

Do not want to rain on your parade and I have read all the following invaluable comments from our TV friends, BUT all your questions relate to getting your stepdaughter INTO the UK.

From personal experience your real problem will be getting the girl OUT of Thailand if she does not already have a Thai Passport and letters of consent from her biological father and grand parents particularly on the fathers side.

[mrbojangles]

From personal experience your real problem will be getting the girl OUT of Thailand if she does not already have a Thai Passport and letters of consent from her biological father and grand parents particularly on the fathers side.

Oxy, could you expand a little on your personal experience please, especially the bit i have highlighted in bold above. What documents or letters need to be provided. Fairly soon we are looking at bringing the SD over, so any experiences you can share would be much appreciated.

[Mossfinn]

From personal experience your real problem will be getting the girl OUT of Thailand if she does not already have a Thai Passport and letters of consent from her biological father and grand parents particularly on the fathers side.

Oxy, could you expand a little on your personal experience please, especially the bit i have highlighted in bold above. What documents or letters need to be provided. Fairly soon we are looking at bringing the SD over, so any experiences you can share would be much appreciated.

Not entirely sure about the grand parents, what the mother will need is a sole custody paper for the daughter, not sure where the grand parents rights are here.

If the mother is divorced, she will need the father to sign over sole custody, if she is separated likewise, if the father is absent she will have to prove there is no contact, as best as she can, I believe there may be a time period here, I will check later.

If the father is objectional, it could get messy.

I will also check about the Grand Parents later, but the sole custody paper is the important factor.

Good Luck

Moss

[Mossfinn]

Related Thread

This is a previous thread from July last year.

It has links to various sites, visa advice from Scouse and other miscellany.

It might help

Good Luck

Moss

[twentythreemc]

Oxymoron thanks for your post all angles are considered and are appreciated.

I am led to believe that the wife took care of the paperwork at the Amphur before we got wed for sole custody issues.

My step daughter has remained with my wife's parents for the duration and if truth be known I think it's them that maybe the problem not wanting their grandchild to go.

Any advice on that one ?

I don't think the biological father will present to many problems but you never know how things are viewed in Thai culture.

Just really need to get on with it, we are in the process of applying for my step daughters passport at the moment.

Any advice on the grandparents letter to cover the child's upbringing ?

Cheers 23

[Mahout Angrit]

As anybody on here who has a thai wife knows a thai lady parted from child is not a happy thai lady and my priority is to bring the child here for better or worse.

Maybe but I hope you have also talked about it with the child. Has she any idea what settling in UK will be like? If you wait until your wife has ILR before you bring her to UK and her daughter has the ability in English language that an average 13 year old has in Thailand it certainly wont be easy for an adolescent girl to fit in with her peers at school and to keep up with the lessons.

She will have friends in Thailand now, is she happy to leave them?

It's a difficult decision to make. There was a long thread in this forum on this subject a month or so back but I cannot find it at the moment

EDIT//... Just found the thread, it was a 15 year old but you might like to read it anyway. its here

[Mahout Angrit]

we are in the process of applying for my step daughters passport at the moment.

Are you aware that the requirements to apply for a Thai passport for a minor is that both parents (or one parent with permission from the other or a sole custody agreement)or legal guardian must attend the passport office with the minor.

If her grandparents dont have legal custody it could be difficult to get the passport and if they do then getting the UK visa could be difficult.

[twentythreemc]

Cheers for that mahout read the thread.

I realise that our future path may not be a bed of roses but the alternatives are worse, living with her grandparents in the sticks, she is running them ragged

All the anxiety from the wife not having her daughter around. Got to say will take my chances on this one

[Mossfinn]

And to round it up at this point has anybody got through getting the child settlement visa without having an interview for the child ? The missus thinks she will have to attend as a matter of course.

As anybody on here who has a thai wife knows a thai lady parted from child is not a happy thai lady and my priority is to bring the child here for better or worse.

As Mahout has provided a link, you will know that we actually brought the daughter over, she was actually 14 at the time, the problems and pitfalls have been well documented on this forum, if you would like a more detailed synopsis, PM me and I will go thru some of the details of what will happen and what might happen.

I see the link I posted hasn't connected but it goes back to July last year and was a thread started by Mr Bojangles, I will find it tomorrow evening again.

We didn't have to attend an interview for the daughter, just a couple of questions at the booth at the Embassy, they then said they would review it and come back on Friday, a couple of days later. Again no questions on the Friday just called up to collect the passport with visa attached.

AFAIK, the grand parents have no right over the child if the mother has sole custody.

Let me know if you require any further info.

Moss

[twentythreemc]

Mahout no I wasn't aware of the fact that the wife or both would have to attend.

You have perhaps saved me a good deal of hassle and time mate because the wife's parents were going to do this for us.

So now I have to change our plans again but so be it.

Cheers Again 23

[mrbojangles]

I see the link I posted hasn't connected but it goes back to July last year and was a thread started by Mr Bojangles, I will find it tomorrow evening again.

Hi Moss, sorry i didn't know the link you where trying to post was the topic i started. Anyways, here it is

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=77425&hl=

[twentythreemc]

I'm buoyed at this moment by the fact that I may be able to go the Irish route.

But scouse as you mentioned in a previous post my wife will have to change her visa status will should I become an EEA citizen will this be done on a VAF1 ?

If I want to apply for a family permit for wife and step daughter should I just start again get them both done on the same VAF 1 collect it together from Bangkok and bring em both back together and have a well deserved holiday.

Mossfinn will PM you later about your personal experiences

[the scouser]

Once you have your Irish passport, your wife can apply to the Home Office for a change of status free of charge.

Scouse.

[twentythreemc]

Scouse cheers for the continued info

If I appear to be somewhat naive on this one please forgive me, but could you enlighten me I can't get my head around this family permit.

Who do I apply to for the family permit ?

Do I apply for this in the UK ?

Which form do I use ?

What happens with the step daughter in Thailand ?

How do I change the wife's status ?

cheers in advance

23

Ps will you take payment in Beer

[the scouser]

Once you have your Irish passport your wife can apply to the Home Office for a change of status using form EEA2.

Your step-daughter's family permit application is made to the British embassy through the VFS application centre on form VAF1. Once she is in the UK, she, too, applies to the Home Office for a residence card on form EEA2.

Funny you should mention payment in beer, as peterjackson very kindly sent me a crate of Belgium's finest brew through the post last week, and the unseasonably warm Easter weather has allowed me to put a sizable hole in its contents.

Scouse.