Hi,

My Thai wife will need to apply for a new passport in August and will need her British ILR visa transferred into it. We would like to get her new passport in Khon Kean and then post this one and her old one down to the embassy in Bangkok. Does anyone know if this is possible or will we have to go down to the embassy in person?

Also if we can post the passports down to BK are there any forms that we will need to fill out in advance?

I have emailed the embassy but have had no reply.

Hope someone can advise us.

Many Thanks Nick.

moved to the visas to other countries section.

you'll get a better response there, although I beleive the answer is that while she has the ILR sticker in the old passport, the visa itself remains valid for travel to the UK, though all the stamping in/out will be done on the new passport. In essence, travel with the old and new passport and she'll be fine.

As Samaran says, your wife does not need to have the indefinite leave endoorsed in her new passport. Instead, she can simply carry both the old and new passports together. If she so wishes, she can apply for a returning resident visa from the embassy in Bangkok, but there is no absolute need, and there is a fee (can't remember how much off hand).

What is more pertinent, is how long your wife has been outside of the U.K. If she has spent more than 2 years out of the country, she will lose her indefinite leave status. Additionally, if her indefinite leave were to still be valid, but she were to travel to the UK for a purpose other than to live there, the immigration officer at the airport could, if he were to see fit, land her as a visitor, effectively invalidating the indefinite leave.

Scouse.

As Samaran says, your wife does not need to have the indefinite leave endoorsed in her new passport. Instead, she can simply carry both the old and new passports together. If she so wishes, she can apply for a returning resident visa from the embassy in Bangkok, but there is no absolute need, and there is a fee (can't remember how much off hand).

What is more pertinent, is how long your wife has been outside of the U.K. If she has spent more than 2 years out of the country, she will lose her indefinite leave status. Additionally, if her indefinite leave were to still be valid, but she were to travel to the UK for a purpose other than to live there, the immigration officer at the airport could, if he were to see fit, land her as a visitor, effectively invalidating the indefinite leave.

Scouse.

Thanks for your advice and info (Samaran and Scouse), I didn't think of the possability that immigration could land her as a visitor. We plan to live in Thailand but return as you said every two years to the UK to keep the ILR visa active. If it were to be canceled when we returned to the UK then we would have to apply for a visa before our next visit back to the UK I persume? And if so what type/cost and time length would we be looking at to sort this out?

Thanks Again Nick.

If it were to be canceled when we returned to the UK then we would have to apply for a visa before our next visit back to the UK I persume? And if so what type/cost and time length would we be looking at to sort this out?

If you were returning to UK to visit then you would apply for a 6 month multi entry visitors visa at a current cost of B4536. It should take just a few days to sort out if handed in at UK Visas in Bangkok or about 2 weeks if you applied by courier from the provinces provided your application was convincing and your wife wasn't called for interview.

You could apply for a 2 year or even 5 year multi entry visitors visa at a cost of B14,400. (although 5 year visas are not currently being issued)

A returning residents visa would also cost you B14,400.

If it were to be canceled when we returned to the UK then we would have to apply for a visa before our next visit back to the UK I persume? And if so what type/cost and time length would we be looking at to sort this out?

If you were returning to UK to visit then you would apply for a multi entry visitors visa at a current cost of B4536. It should take just a few days to sort out if handed in at UK Visas in Bangkok or about 2 weeks if you applied by courier from the provinces provided your application was convincing and your wife wasn't called for interview.

Thanks for your advice.

Nick.