Having A Baby In Thailand And Advice On Visas

[cfrmatt]

My fiancee has just returned back to Thailand after a six-month stay in the UK on a tourist visa (Returned back 10th Jan 08). She is pregnant and is expected to have our first child around the 6thApril 08. I would like some advice please on how I would go about registering my child for British citizenship and the sort of costs incurred. Also

When I return back to Thailand in April I would be looking at obtaining a visa for my fiancee to return back to the UK with our child as we intend to get married within the next 9 months. What sort of visa should I apply for?? a fiancee visa, or tourist visa and would she have to stay in Thailand for a certain length of time before she can be issued another visa?? Also what would make the whole process easier getting married in England or getting married in Thailand.

Help and advice on these matters would be greatly appreciated as you can appreciate it's an extremely stressful and worrying time as my biggest nightmare would be having to leave my fiancee and child in Thailand come the end of April.

Many thanks

cfrmatt

[the scouser]

You won't need to have your child registered as a British citizen. Providing that you are British otehrwise than by descent and will be named on the child's birth certificate, then s/he will have an automatic entitlement to British citizenship and you will be able to simply apply for a passport at the British embassy.

A fiancée visa will be valid for six months and you would be expected to marry in the UK during that time. Alternatively, you can marry in Thailand and apply for a spouse settlement visa instead. Marrying in Thailand does mean that you have to make one less application to the Home Office, saving £395.00

Scouse.

[cfrmatt]

You won't need to have your child registered as a British citizen. Providing that you are British otehrwise than by descent and will be named on the child's birth certificate, then s/he will have an automatic entitlement to British citizenship and you will be able to simply apply for a passport at the British embassy.

A fiancée visa will be valid for six months and you would be expected to marry in the UK during that time. Alternatively, you can marry in Thailand and apply for a spouse settlement visa instead. Marrying in Thailand does mean that you have to make one less application to the Home Office, saving £395.00

Scouse.

Many thanks for your help scouse, just a few more questions for you, how much does it cost for a spouse visa and how long does it last and how much does it cost for a fiancee Visa. Also what are the timescales on obtaining such visas and how long does it usually take to obtain a passport for my child after the application has been submitted as i'm on a limited time scale in Thailand to get things sorted out (4 weeks). Also if we got married in Thailand how would it save me a further application and saving me £395 sorry for all the questions it's just that I don't understand the whole process.

Many thanks again for your help scouse

cfrmatt

[the scouser]

Both a fiancée visa and a spouse visa cost £500 (rising to £515, probably in April). The spouse visa is valid for two years, and it is for this period of two years for which you would have to make an application to the Home Office if your girlfriend were to travel to the UK on a fiancée visa. If you marry in Thailand, she'd get the two years from the word go, thereby saving the cost of the application to the Home Office for the extension to a fiancée visa.

Providing that your girlfriend is not required to attend for an interview, she might get her visa within a week of applying for it. Likewise, I believe it takes the embassy about a week to issue a British passport, too. Don't forget that you'll need to show your "long" birth certificate to support your child's passport application.

Scouse.

[cfrmatt]

Both a fiancée visa and a spouse visa cost £500 (rising to £515, probably in April). The spouse visa is valid for two years, and it is for this period of two years for which you would have to make an application to the Home Office if your girlfriend were to travel to the UK on a fiancée visa. If you marry in Thailand, she'd get the two years from the word go, thereby saving the cost of the application to the Home Office for the extension to a fiancée visa.

Providing that your girlfriend is not required to attend for an interview, she might get her visa within a week of applying for it. Likewise, I believe it takes the embassy about a week to issue a British passport, too. Don't forget that you'll need to show your "long" birth certificate to support your child's passport application.

Scouse.

Many Thanks again for your help scouse,

Now that my girlfriend has already once been issued a touriest visa and did not overstay, does this make future applications easier for my girlfriend and possibly more successful.

Thanks again

cfrmatt

[Mahout Angrit]

Now that my girlfriend has already once been issued a touriest visa and did not overstay, does this make future applications easier for my girlfriend and possibly more successful.

It may do if you were applying for another tourist visa but applying for a settlement visa you must satisfy different criteria

[the scouser]

On the basis that her visit visa was issued in order to go to the UK to see you, then, yes, it does assist.

Scouse

[vinny]

Both a fiancée visa and a spouse visa cost £500 (rising to £515, probably in April). The spouse visa is valid for two years, and it is for this period of two years for which you would have to make an application to the Home Office if your girlfriend were to travel to the UK on a fiancée visa. If you marry in Thailand, she'd get the two years from the word go, thereby saving the cost of the application to the Home Office for the extension to a fiancée visa.

If she applied for a spouse visa, then she should also initially enter the UK within 28 days (4 weeks) from her visa's effective date; else she may also have to apply for an extension FLR(M) before her settlement SET(M) application. Do read the requirements of form SET(M) as soon as possible, because it suggests what she has to do/collect over the next two years.