Uk Settlement Visa For Wife

[ldma]

My family is looking to move back to the UK (Thai wife and Dual Nat daughter) next April (2008). We'll have been married for 6 years by then and I understood she can apply for indefinite right to remain immediately. Is this still true? I heard there is now a UK general knowlege test to pass. This isn't a problem as my wife is perfectly capable in English.

The other thing is what documents do we need to produce exactly?

With me as her sponsor I have adequate funds in the bank (5 figures), and I have a contact in the UK with a medium-sized and well-established import export warehousing business willing to provide a letter offering me employment. Would this be enough to satisfy sponsor the embassy of my ability to get employment?

Can anyone elaborate on the kind of documentation need for this other than previously mentioned?

Also what kind of documentation is required to prove the accommodation requirement? My parents are no longer in the UK, but my cousin has said she'd be able to arrange rented accommodation. How can I prove such accommodation is/will be available?

I'm not willing to come back first as it's a heavy burden on my wife to bring our daughter on her own, and I'm equally unwilling to keep hopping backwards and forwards to Thailand.

My wife believes she has good job prospects in the uk...she has an MA(Dist) from a top British Uni and has been a Uni department head here in Thailand. Would this kind of information make her application any more favourable?

Finally, how much is it going to cost during the application process?

Thanks for all and any info...

[the scouser]

Quite a lot has changed.

Your wife would still qualify for indefinite leave to enter, but only if she has either sat an ESOL with Citizenship course, or passed the Life in the UK test, neither of which, to my knowledge, is available in Thailand. Not having this "qualification" would mean that she has to serve the probabtionary two years in the U.K. during which time she should take either of the above-mentioned tests before getting her indefinite leave. She may wish to apply for a student visit visa in the interim and go to the UK specifically to take one of the tests.

If your cousin is to arrange accommodation for you, he/she should pass on the rental contract to you for presentation to the embassy. If at all possible, the tenancy agreement should be in at least your name as, otherwise, it will not be apparent to the visa officer that the accommodation is yours to inhabit.

Employment-wise, a letter from your prospective employer will suffice, and the visa officer is obliged to also consider the ease with which either you or your wife can find a job in the UK, so her qualifications will evidently be a factor in such cionsideration.

The cost is now £500.00 for a settlement visa and, if your wife doesn't automatically get her indefinite leave, £750.00 for the ILR application after 2 years.

All the best,

Scouse.

[ldma]

Cheers Scouser, can I also ask, whether the sponsor's bank account has any bearing on decisions, or whether their more interest in job prospects.

Any idea where I can obtain a moody copy of the Life in The UK test handbook on pdf?

[the scouser]

Cheers Scouser, can I also ask, whether the sponsor's bank account has any bearing on decisions, or whether their more interest in job prospects.

It's a mixture of both. The requirement of the rules is to satisfy the visa officer that your wife can either maintain herself, or be maintained, without recourse to public funds. If the bank statements alone satisfy the criterion, then all well and good, but it will assist matters if you can also demonstrate that your job prospects are bright, too.

Any idea where I can obtain a moody copy of the Life in The UK test handbook on pdf?

My missus has just passed her test (first time, says the proud husband) so you could have had her copy but she's already given it to a pal. It wouldn't have served much use anyway, as the course material is being changed. It costs about a tenner and you can order it through Amazon over the 'net. If your bank account runs to five figures, I think you can afford a tenner, noh?

Scouse.

[Mahout Angrit]

Cheers Scouser, can I also ask, whether the sponsor's bank account has any bearing on decisions, or whether their more interest in job prospects.

Any idea where I can obtain a moody copy of the Life in The UK test handbook on pdf?

An income that supports your family is more important than a healthy bank balance.

You can buy a copy of the Life in UK handbook here for £9.99 or £8.99 new and £5.99 s/h from here

Edited April 25, 2007 by Mahout Angrit

[ldma]

If your bank account runs to five figures, I think you can afford a tenner, noh?

Yeah, but I'm a cheapskate!

Seriously thanks for the advice.