The Next Step- Multi-entry Tourist To Work Permit In England

[leah79]

Im a a 28 year old girl, who has been married for 2 years to a Thai national We have a 2 year old daughter. We have considered moving permanently to Thailand where my husband has a watersports business, and owns land in Koh Tao. We have been together for 4 and a half years and lived in Thailand up until 1 and a half years ago when I made the decision to move back to England as i was really struggling to care for the baby on a Tiny island away from my family, as the only farang mother around.

For the last year and a half my husband has travelled between England and Thailand as he has established his business. I work full time as a Physio earning 25 000 english pounds per year and I own my own house. We wish to now get my husband a work permit so he can settle with us as a family in England, and so that he may find permanent work- obviously a child needs the stability of having both parents around all the time, and we wish to have another baby at a later point.

My husband is currently in Thailand and will come to England for 2 months in October. As I said he currently has a 2 year multiple entrance non-settlement visa on which he cannot work. Prior to us marrying (in England) he had a fiancee visa, but as, at the time, we thought we would settle in Thailand, we did not bother to get him a work permit settlement visa.

Can anyone please give us any advice about how we make the transition from 'holiday' to 'permanent and working' visa? Are we better to apply for it in Bangkok British embassy? Or are we better to head down to London british embassy when he is back in England? Does anyone know what paperwork we need or which forms need to be filled out?

Many many many thanks in anticipation and also to anyone who responded to my previous topic title.

[Mahout Angrit]

You seem to know a lot about visas so quite simply he should apply for a settlement visa. You act as his sponsor. With a settlement visa he can work, no work permit needed.

See Settlement visa guidance (INF4) you need to complete form VAF2. From what you say I think you will have no problem, simply provide what is required and more if you can. He can do this now, he doesn't have to wait until his tourist visa expires. He has to apply in Bangkok at the UK VAC , his visitors visa cannot be changed in the UK.

In your covering letter you should address the reasons why you didn't settle after receiving the Fiancee visa and why you now are applying for one (as a Fiancee visa was already a settlement visa once you had married)

Edited July 6, 2007 by Mahout Angrit