Fiance Visa

[BIG SPUDS]

This is my next question, should my gf not get her visitors visa.

I will then apply for a fiance visa. what is the correct form for this? is it the settlement form VAF2?

What happens if we dont really have any intentions of marrying yet? in the uk or thailand?

If we apply for this visa and get it and dont get married, will this affect any chance she has of getting another fiance visa in the future?

Basically i want to spend more time with GF and let her see th UK before we get any more serious or talk about marriage. So if my Visitors visa is refused then what?

Please i am open to suggestions and ideas as i cant think past the visitors visa at the moment!!!

[simon43]

Actually you don't have to marry to get her a settlement visa. Buried deep in the rules on the Foreign Office website is some interesting stuff about getting a Settlement Visa if you are not married but are in a serious relationship. Since most UK laws now apply to couples whether they are married or just co-habiting, the same thing applies to Settlement visas.

Of further interest maybe to some on this forum is that settlement visas can also be granted if you are still married to another woman in the UK! If you are still married but separated, then your Thai GF can apply for a Settlement visa because your relationship with your existing wife can be considered to have irrevocably broken down....

The website states that, in these circumstances, your interview etc must be treated with due sensitivity etc.

Now, I can't really imagine the guys & girls at the British Embassy conducting an interview with sensitivity

[Richard W]

Actually you don't have to marry to get her a settlement visa. Buried deep in the rules on the Foreign Office website is some interesting stuff about getting a Settlement Visa if you are not married but are in a serious relationship. Since most UK laws now apply to couples whether they are married or just co-habiting, the same thing applies to Settlement visas.

There are three applicable ways of getting a settlement visa:

1) Marry.

2) Say you will marry - fiancée visa

3) Cohabit for 2 years. (I may be wrong on the number of years, but it's something like that.)

I believe Route 3 is only open to Big Spuds if he goes and lives in Thailand. I doubt he could claim to be living in Thailand but having to work overseas in England to support his family. Has anyone tried this approach?

Way 3 seems to be the only way for homosexual couples.

I'm not sure if the cohabiting has to be done this way. There's probably a loophole for the Prince of Darkness's catamite.

[john b good]

Way 3 seems to be the only way for homosexual couples.

Well there won't be a shortage of people going down this track.

[ghengis]

You can download VAF2 plus guidance notes from ... Application Forms and Guidance Notes (11/05/04)

If you don't get married in the UK you may need a good excuse in order to apply for a second Settlement Visa. You may even have to get married in Thailand and then re-apply for a Visa to bet successful.

[BIG SPUDS]

Thats what i thought, so maybe if i get her over on a fiance visa (VAF2) saying i will marry, but do not. Then return to thailand and then marry there. Then apply again and return to UK until we decide where we live. I want to live in thailand but not being rich and having a long way till retirement (i am 29) dont know what i would do to support myself there!!!

why is everything so difficult????

[Pink Mist]

If you go down that path spuds any future applications may not be viewed in a favourable light.