Uk Visa Advice

[Asmoseus_uk]

 

I'm an Irish guy living in the UK. Looking to bring my Thai GF to live in the UK. Not legally married but have had a ceremony in Bangkok.

 

Already had several visitor visas without any issues

 

Any advice re best option for fiancee or spouse visa to live in the UK? 

 

Thanks!

[Raindancer]

27 minutes ago, Asmoseus_uk said:

 

I'm an Irish guy living in the UK. Looking to bring my Thai GF to live in the UK. Not legally married but have had a ceremony in Bangkok.

 

Already had several visitor visas without any issues

 

Any advice re best option for fiancee or spouse visa to live in the UK? 

 

Thanks!

Here's a link that you might wish to read through.   Particularly as you are not officially married.

 

https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse

 

[Tony M]

7 hours ago, Asmoseus_uk said:

 

I'm an Irish guy living in the UK. Looking to bring my Thai GF to live in the UK. Not legally married but have had a ceremony in Bangkok.

 

Already had several visitor visas without any issues

 

Any advice re best option for fiancee or spouse visa to live in the UK? 

 

Thanks!

 

What do you mean by "best option" ?   If you mean the difference between  a "fiancee" visa or a spouse visa, then the only difference really is whether you marry in Thailand or in the UK.

 

[Asmoseus_uk]

On 1/31/2025 at 6:55 AM, Tony M said:

 

What do you mean by "best option" ?   If you mean the difference between  a "fiancee" visa or a spouse visa, then the only difference really is whether you marry in Thailand or in the UK.

 

The most efficient with less cost & hassle... Hoping someone with experience of going through either route can advise...

 

Thanks

[Tony M]

22 minutes ago, Asmoseus_uk said:

The most efficient with less cost & hassle... Hoping someone with experience of going through either route can advise...

 

Thanks

 

They are almost identical. As I said earlier, one is marriage in Thailand and the other is marriage in UK.  And the cost is almost the same.  The cost of a "fiancee" visa is slightly higher as you have an extension of stay to apply for in the UK after marriage. 

[Toby1947]

Need £30,000 a year coming in nowadays. If you have it's no problem. If you haven't forget it. 

[brewsterbudgen]

19 minutes ago, Toby1947 said:

Need £30,000 a year coming in nowadays. If you have it's no problem. If you haven't forget it. 

 

Is that official?  I know the Tories planned to raise the salary requirement, but I was hoping Labour might not push it through and keep it at £19,800.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

 

Is that official?  I know the Tories planned to raise the salary requirement, but I was hoping Labour might not push it through and keep it at £19,800.

The Tories proposed initially £38K but following the backlash pushed it through at £29K with a view to raising it again about a year later. As far as I am aware Labour have said nothing about pushing though the second rise.

 

If you apply for a family visa as a partner, you and your partner usually need to prove that your combined income is at least £29,000 a year. https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/proof-income-partner

[superal]

22 hours ago, sandyf said:

The Tories proposed initially £38K but following the backlash pushed it through at £29K with a view to raising it again about a year later. As far as I am aware Labour have said nothing about pushing though the second rise.

 

If you apply for a family visa as a partner, you and your partner usually need to prove that your combined income is at least £29,000 a year. https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/proof-income-partner

Sad emoji because UK pensioners are supposed to exist on less than half of that . Sorry to gatecrash the topic but who comes up with these required income levels ? Love to see their workings . Best bet is to go to France and board a rubber dingy . Zero monetary requirements , passport / visa not needed and free accommodation , food   etc .

Another case of the government not taking care of their own first , assuming you are from N.I.

[theoldgit]

6 hours ago, superal said:

Sad emoji because UK pensioners are supposed to exist on less than half of that . Sorry to gatecrash the topic but who comes up with these required income levels ? Love to see their workings . Best bet is to go to France and board a rubber dingy . Zero monetary requirements , passport / visa not needed and free accommodation , food   etc .

Another case of the government not taking care of their own first , assuming you are from N.I.

The required income level is roughly linked to the average earnings, the latest Median gross average earnings as published by the ONS is in the region of £39K.

 

The basic state pension levels is another issue, as is illegal migration, and nothing to do with this topic.

[sandyf]

On 2/4/2025 at 2:35 PM, superal said:

Another case of the government not taking care of their own first , assuming you are from N.I.

Appears you have mistaken me for the OP.

I am very fortunate that my wife of 16 years has no desire to reside in the UK, no chance whatsoever on my pension.

[sandyf]

20 hours ago, theoldgit said:

 

The basic state pension levels is another issue, as is illegal migration, and nothing to do with this topic.

Quite right, the topic is about fiancee or spouse visa, anyone on state pension would be excluded by the income requirements.

[theoldgit]

11 hours ago, sandyf said:

anyone on state pension would be excluded by the income requirements.

Sadly not, whilst the state pension is regarded as a benefit and those receiving some benefits are excluded from the income requirements, l understand it’s only certain benefits and the state pension is not one of them.

 

I would love to be proved wrong.

 

If your partner is getting disability or carer’s benefits

You do not need to meet a minimum income requirement if your partner gets one of the following benefits:

Disability Living Allowance

Severe Disablement Allowance

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

Attendance Allowance

Carer’s Allowance

Personal Independence Payment

Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme

Police Injury Pension

Child Disability Payment

Adult Disability Payment

[superal]

37 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Appears you have mistaken me for the OP.

I am very fortunate that my wife of 16 years has no desire to reside in the UK, no chance whatsoever on my pension.

My apologies for my error . 

[Tony M]

Here's a useless "fact" (from ChatGPT) for you. Maybe up to 50% of Home Office employees would not be able to meet the 29,000 GBP a year financial requirement:

Based on the Home Office's annual report for the 2022-2023 financial year, the median salary was £35,372. This suggests that approximately half of the employees earned below this amount. Additionally, the 25th percentile salary was £27,014, indicating that about 25% of employees earned £27,014 or less. While exact figures aren't provided, it's reasonable to infer that a significant portion of Home Office employees—likely between 25% and 50%—had a maximum annual salary of £29,000 or less during that period.

[sandyf]

15 hours ago, theoldgit said:

Sadly not, whilst the state pension is regarded as a benefit and those receiving some benefits are excluded from the income requirements, l understand it’s only certain benefits and the state pension is not one of them.

When I started work there were NI benefits in place and the state pension was described as

"30  Retirement pension by virtue of own insurance." under the NI act of 1965.

The government arbitrarily rebranding NI benefits as SS benefits has never been challenged in court.

The benefits you quote for exclusion are welfare benefits as opposed to rebranded NI benefits.

At the end of the day it is just another discriminatory policy perpretrated by government against those abroad. 

[theoldgit]

5 hours ago, sandyf said:

The benefits you quote for exclusion are welfare benefits as opposed to rebranded NI benefits.

 

I don't disagree with your point, however my quote is a direct lift from the guidance that details what benefits spouses can be in receipt of not to need to comply with the financial requirements, which was the point I was making.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

 

I don't disagree with your point, however my quote is a direct lift from the guidance that details what benefits spouses can be in receipt of not to need to comply with the financial requirements, which was the point I was making.

And nothing to do with what I said.

By truncating my post it would appear you misunderstood what was said. This is what was meant

"anyone on state pension would be excluded(from getting a visa) by the income requirements.

"visa" was inferred, the word immediately preceded your truncation.

 

I would have thought you would be well aware of context distortion from truncating posts.