Visas From Inside The Uk For Thais

[sjohn]

Hi, My wife has a 5 year multiple entry visa for the Uk and we are going to relocate to the uk with two kids both who are UK nationals. If all works out will apply then for settlement etc, My question is whilst there can we apply for visas for say to France and Canada for my Thai wife?? For Holiday purposes. Also having the UK visa I assume that we still need a visa for European countries - so effectivly a border run is out of the question, is that right??, Many Thanks

[Mahout Angrit]

You do understand that with a multiple entry visitors visa to UK that the maximum she can stay on any one visit is 6 months don't you? and the guidelines are that she should not be looking at staying more than 6 months in any 12 months in UK on a visitors visa.

So going to the UK on a visitors visa to 'see if it all works out' is OK but should it 'work out ' she will have to return to Thailand to apply for a Settlement visa in order to seek permanent residence in UK.

The UK visa gives her permission to enter UK only, she must satisfy the immigration conditions for each country she enters pertaining to a Thai citizen and that usually means she will require a visa.

The rules to apply for a Schengen visa to visit most countries in Europe state that applicants should apply for the visa at the respective embassy in their country of residence (which for her is currently Thailand). That doesn't mean that she couldn't get a visa whilst on holiday in UK but it wouldn't be wise to rely on it.

[Maizefarmer]

Hi, My wife has a 5 year multiple entry visa for the Uk and we are going to relocate to the uk with two kids both who are UK nationals. If all works out will apply then for settlement etc, My question is whilst there can we apply for visas for say to France and Canada for my Thai wife?? For Holiday purposes. Also having the UK visa I assume that we still need a visa for European countries - so effectivly a border run is out of the question, is that right??, Many Thanks

Thats an interesting question:

I know for a fact that Thai's applying in Thailand to a Schegen country embassy for a Schegen visa, that if they have a valid/in date UK visa, will be asked by whichever European country embassy they are applying through, to go back to the UK embassy to get a cancellation stamp put in their passport in respect of the existing UK visa. Its all about not issuing multiple Schengen visas at the same time.

Secondly, Schegen visas to visit Europe (other than the UK), are normally only issued to Thai's from/in Thailand (or their country of permanent residance).

With all that in mind, how is it going to effect your wife? Well I don't know the rules, but I can quote one case within the last year pertaining to a friend of mine in much the same situation, whose wife applied for a visa to go to Spain from the UK, and she got it very quickly. Indeed if I recall correctly it took a matter of days - issued by the Spanish embassy in London. So the precendent exists - at least with respect to the Spainish authorities.

I would like to think that as your wife qualified for a UK 5yr ME visa, France would see that as being a good enough qualification for them as well - and as in the example I quoted above (because you guys are married and it's clear youre working towards settling in the UK long term) go ahead and oblige her with a visa. But I add - I don't know what the rules are, and its best you phone the French embassy and ask them.

Perhaps Davis Khan or one of the other immigration specialists on the forum can offer a defineative answer to the question.

[the scouser]

The general party line that they take is that visas have to be sought from your country of normal residence. Whilst your wife is present in the UK on a visit visa, she would not be normally resident there, with the consequence that the success of a, for example, Schengen visa application to the French embassy in London may be subject to the whim of the French visa officer.

Once your wife is on a settlement visa in the UK, she would be construed as being normally resident and without question could apply for a visa to another country at the appropriate embassy.

[sjohn]

Many Thanks Guys for your time and replies, much help - cheers

[pete_r]

Thai students in the UK (i.e. with an education visa or whatever it is called) also get tourist visas to European countries without problems, by applying at the relevant embassies in London.