Uk Settlement Visa

[princealbert]

My wife and i are going to the UK to see family and sort out a little business late March to stay for approx 6-8 weeks.

My wife will be applying for 1st Uk tourist visa if she decides she likes the UK enough we may want to stop for 6-12 months dependant on how long it takes me to sort my business out.

If so can we apply for a settlement visa while in the UK?

[the scouser]

If your wife enters the UK on a visit visa, she can't then switch to settlement in-country. She'd have to leave, get the settlement visa from the embassy in Bangkok and then return.

Scouse.

[paully]

Short answer - no. You used to be able to change visas in the UK until the law changed in (I believe it was) 2004. If she likes the UK she'll have to return to Thailand and apply for a settlement visa there.

Sorry - Scouse just beat me to it

Edited January 30, 2008 by paully

[princealbert]

Thanks for the speedy replies

So as we cant do that what is the longest visa we can get for her ?

[Mahout Angrit]

So as we cant do that what is the longest visa we can get for her ?

A visitors visa that you would be likely to get would give her 6 months maximum from date of issue.

A settlement visa would eventually be indefinite.

[the scouser]

Or, if you think you're likely to stay in the UK longer, get a settlement visa from the word go.

Scouse.