Depressed

[kingink]

My girlfriend's not actualy from Thailand. She's from Gabon, but after reading your letters, it sounds like the problem is pretty much world wide. The UK government thinks the UK is an exclusive club only open the very rich.

After buying her a ticket to come to the UK, costing £1300, my girlfriend had to travel to Cameroon (involving three flights there and back plus three nights in a hotel, plus taxis, costing approximately £700) to attend her interview for a visitors visa, only to be rejected for reasons which she still doesn't understand. Maybe the ECO had reached her quota of issuing visas for that week.

My dilemma now is: should I go for a fiance visa and risk throwing away another grand, or should I just slash my wrists now?

I met my girlfriend in the UK 3 years ago when she was visting her sister. They're no longer talking, so there's no chance of her comming over on a family visit visa. I've been in touch with her regularly by phone. I notice that one of the requirements for a fiance visa is that you must be able to prove that you have had regular contact. Since the postal service in Gabon is virtualy non-existat, she can't produce any letters, and since she has no money, all phone calls have been made by me. I thought about sending her my phone bill, but since the BT rates are so extortionate, I've been calling her using an access number costing just 5p/min instead of £1.60/min from BT, so all my bill shows is the access number.

I think the conditions imposed are made as obscure as posible, so that rejections can be made at the whim of the ECO, giving equally obscure reasons for rejection.

[caledonia]

Eric I saw a documentary on the Embassy in Bangko last year which I think was an updated one. The film crew followed about 4 couples trying to get various types of visas for their Thai wives and girlf. One guy had already had his girlf over and they wouldnt let her return, one guy had his own pub and was pretty well off - they turned down his fiance and another guy got turned down for his wife (similar ages). The only succesful applications was from some old retired guy in his 70's with a wife 40 years his junior who he had married after knowing for a week!!!!! Can you actually believe they made these decisions in the first place let alone with a camera crew following the couples around!!! it was clear evidence of the idiots that make these decisions.

It is the case in every British embassy in the word, I have been fighting for TWO years to have my Nigerian hubby return to the UK (where he lived for years before we were married then went back home). All you have to remember if you are married is the law is on your side, the Home office/ECO can refuse and refuse all they want but what they want is to make the relationship crumble and then they have one less immigrant to worry about.....don't let them win, eventually the law falls on your side....that is fact and I have seen many people just have to play the waiting game. The British and European law is on your side. If you are married you have the right to live in ANY other European country with your spouse.....it is an alternative if Thailand is not possibile.