My Story

[mills25]

hi all

i want to take time to tell my story to you guys to see if you think i stand a good chance or any chance to bring my so to be thai wife to the uk.

first of all i met my thai girl in march earily this year on hoilday in pattaya after the first day i met her we stayed with each other for 7 weeks, she 24 years old and im 26. after the great 7 weeks together we decided to kept contact. once back in the uk we spoke to each other everyday and sent 4 or 5 text msg everyday. our relationship grew into a good one. i went back to see her again for her birthday 3 months later for 3 weeks in this time together will decided will want to stay together and get married. will didnt want to do it that time, we both throught it might be to soon so we decided to do when i come back in feb. so like before once home we stay in contact every day. so how it stands now is i collecting all the documents which we need for a spouse visa, we got a agent working for us who is charging 50,000bt

to sort everthing out for us, marriage visa fee's inclued, she a friend of my girlfriend best friend who is highly recommended " is this a good idea" anyway she's told me to gather alot of information bank statements, 2 years tax returns phone records etc which i have to bring back in feb. after we get married she will start the process. do i stand a chance? im new to all of this so can you guy give any good points to add to this.

a few questions i like to ask you guys before i go

first of all my last two year business have not been great in money terms, althrough this year it picked up.

how much money does the embassy expect

me to be earning every month?

is a agent a good idea?

i have no real savings is this a problem?

i live at home with parent's but they are more than happy to let my wife stay and will write a letter to comfirm this.

your help and advice will be much appreciated. thank you! .

[lopburi3]

is a agent a good idea?

No. But it may be hard to convince a Thai as most are used to using an expeditor for any official dealings.

Please check the UK Embassy web site in Bangkok as I am sure you will find just about everything you need on it.

Am sure the scouser will provide you a very good outline after he reads your post and it will not cost you 50k (which may not be that much if it includes everything as I don't know UK visa costs).

[the scouser]

Hi Mills,

First off, save yourself 400 quid and don't use the agent even if she's a friend of a friend (just give the money to me ). Your wife-to-be is going to qualify for the visa or not upon her own merits and an agent isn't going to be able to influence the outcome unless they are trained in UK immigration law which I doubt this one is.

In terms of financial support for your wife there is no hard and fast rule. The visa officer will want to see that you have sufficient funds to take care of your wife without resorting to public funds. As I pointed out to you in another thread, in your circumstances Working Families' Tax Credit is not considered to be a public fund. Furthermore, a lack of savings won't, in itself, adversely have a bearing upon your wife's application.

You are right to get a letter from your parents stating that they are content to accommodate your wife. They should also say how many bedrooms the property has and that one will be for the exclusive use of you and your wife.

Here is a list of documents you should provide to support the application:-

A covering letter;

6 months' bank statements;

Your last 2 years' tax returns;

A copy of your passport;

Evidence of contact between you and your wife (letters, e-mails, phone bills, phone cards, photos, greetings cards etc.;

The letter from your parents,

Your marriage certificate (translated in to English)

In case you're not aware of the criteria by which the visa officer will judge your wife's application, there follow the relevant paragraphs of the immigration rules:-

"281. The requirements to be met by a person seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom with a view to settlement as the spouse of a person present and settled in the United Kingdom or who is on the same occasion being admitted for settlement are that:

(i) (a) the applicant is married to a person present and settled in the United Kingdom or who is on the same occasion being admitted for settlement; or

( the applicant is married to a person who has a right of abode in the United Kingdom or indefinite leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom and is on the same occasion seeking admission to the United Kingdom for the purposes of settlement and the parties were married at least 4 years ago, since which time they have been living together outside the United Kingdom; and

(ii) the parties to the marriage have met; and

(iii) each of the parties intends to live permanently with the other as his or her spouse and the marriage is subsisting; and

(iv) there will be adequate accommodation for the parties and any dependants without recourse to public funds in accommodation which they own or occupy exclusively; and

(v) the parties will be able to maintain themselves and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds."

I've just noticed that Lop has beaten me to it. Just to add to his comment, the visa fee is £260.00 in local currency at a current exchange rate of 80 baht to the pound, so that makes it 20800.

Hope that helps,

Scouse.

[mills25]

thank you guys !

that has really help, later ill speak to my girl and see whats she thinks!

just want to add does the recipts from the money ive sent her from day one prove or help to prove i can manage to take care of her. its amounted up to quite a bit. i think it will be a lot less if she was with me.

also scouse what do you mean when you say write a covering letter?

[lopburi3]

thank you guys !

that has really help, later ill speak to my girl and see whats she thinks!

just want to add does the recipts from the money ive sent her from day one prove or help to prove i can manage to take care of her. its amounted up to quite a bit. i think it will be a lot less if she was with me.

also scouse what do you mean when you say write a covering letter?

You are aware that the odds of the marriage working out are not that high in the best of conditions. If you expect the money situation to improve when she is with you I hope that you have done your homework and realize that there are likely to be ongoing needs. I would not rush into anything thinking it is going to be cheaper. Take your time to be very, very sure.

[mills25]

sorry just want to talk about this agent if you don't mind she a lady who works by herself. my girlfriend reckons lots of her friends has gone to her and been sucessfull. even though some of the girls have had problems ie been married a few times before. gone to other countrys also been turn down before. she absoultly grantee's us we get visa. i spoke to her a few times and she always answers most of my question with don't worry she take care of us. my girlfriend has a good feeling about her but i aint so sure 50,000.

scouse, the charge aslo includes marriage lience and her fees to sort marriage out

taxis to and from bkk and pattaya.

[mills25]

hi lop

when i said its amounted up to quite a bit. i think it will be a lot less if she was with me.

what i mean is on a day to day runnings. in the long run i now it will be ten fold. right now im working hard as ever to save money for our future working 7 days a week i know it not going to be easy but i willing to give my bests ive been in a few long term relationships one with a chid and money has never been a issue

[lopburi3]

sorry just want to talk about this agent if you don't mind she a lady who works by herself. my girlfriend reckons lots of her friends has gone to her and been sucessfull. even though some of the girls have had problems ie been married a few times before. gone to other countrys also been turn down before. she absoultly grantee's us we get visa. i spoke to her a few times and she always answers most of my question with don't worry she take care of us. my girlfriend has a good feeling about her but i aint so sure 50,000.

scouse, the charge aslo includes marriage lience and her fees to sort marriage out

taxis to and from bkk and pattaya.

There is no marriage license but there is a paper from the UK Embassy required and they probably list that fee. You then have to have it translated and registered at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so maybe 2 or 3k baht for that. Taxi Bkk-Pty about 1,200 baht and about 1,000 in reverse direction. Marriage cost itself is only a few hundred baht. There will be fees for police records check and medical - perhaps someone who have recently done the drill can provide complete breakdown.

The thing is that it is nothing that you can not do yourself with the information here and from Embassy. If it were a fiance type visa perhaps her couching could help a girl make a better impression but if you are married do not believe that is going to be the deciding factor.

So how much is the hand holding worth?

[the scouser]

Hi Mills,

By a covering letter I mean a note to go with the application which briefly outlines your relationship with your wife-to-be and your circumstances in the UK. In the letter I would mention that you receive WFTC but also state that according to Home Office rules its not considered to be a public fund.

No agent can guarantee a visa will be issued. I would suggest that if your wife gets her visa it will be despite the agent's involvement and not because of it. As Lopburi3 said, there is nothing that you can't do yourself. It's not a complicated procedure. Here's my estimation of the costs:-

1. Swearing your affirmation of freedom to marry at the British embassy = 2400

2. Translation = 500

3. Authentication of the consul's signature at the Min. of Foreign Affairs = 200 (800 for same-day service)

4. Settlement visa application = 20800

5. Estimate of taxi fares = 3500

Total = approx. 28000 baht. You can save yourself 22000 (c.300 quid)

[mills25]

cheers! guys

you been i great help.

its very much appreciate.