What Is Best Visa For M Gf

[creamontop]

Hello counselers of thai girl visa

I'm living in Belgium (Sshengen country) and I am for the moment divorcing from my wife. At the worst situation I will be divorced completely around april/may 2005.

I have a good understanding with my "ex"wife and, there should be no problem regarding this.

Last summer (august 2004) I came to Thailand and met a new "flame" for my future life.

Has a regular job in Thailand, is single, and wants to come over to Belgium to live with me.

I told her she will have to wait untill I get fully and legally divorced from my wife, to make sure there is no obstruction in these matters.

Off course I realize this will implicate difficulties towards collecting the proper documents to get her a visa for Belgium in time. As the intention is to let her come to Belgium in May - June 2005.

However, it is not really my intention to marry again. (I wont make the same mistakes tree times in my life). I have two children from my first (deceased wife) and this also was the cause my second marriage fell down the drain. (but this is another topic of non concern to my questions).

What is the best visa I can get for my GF to get to Belgium on a very long time base ? (she already has her international Thai passport)

Do I have to advice her to get a tourist visa or a fiancee visa ? (regarding the longest term she can stay (the longer the merrier).

This is what my intentions are :

I want her to get a job in Belgium.

I want her to stay Thai nationality.

To live permanently with me for about 20 years, then we will return to Thailand, as by then my children will be settled in their own life. (so no furthermore family obligations in Belgium).

What is the best way to realize these intentions ?

Thanks in advance for all your positive reactions.

John.

aka

Creamontop

[SK1972]

I doubt she can get a fiancee visa if you do not intend to marry her. I was told by my Swedish friend that a fiancee visa requires you to get married between 6mths to a year........and since you dont.....it is out of the question.

Tourist visa will not allow her to stay that long and she would also not be able to work. She will require a work permit to work in Belgium and depending on her qualifications and her language literacy she may not be able to find a job there.

May I suggest you contact the Belgium Embassy in Bangkok or your Belgium immigration office in Belgium. I do not know where you are at the moment.

Good luck!

[creamontop]

yes I expected such a reply (about not getting a fiancee visa).

I believe (but not sure) to get a workpermit in a schengencountry you need a valid long term visa ? Or is it the opposite way, first find job then apply for a long term visa ?

I am already making preparations to have her subscribed to language courses here in a Belgium school. Also a package based on distance learning is on his way to her in Thailand.

So she can learn the language and the European culture.

I dont think it will be hard for her to find a job in Belgium. Many Thai restaurant available in my region. Owned and managed by Asians, so they have an advantage to engage Asians as waitresses.

SK1972, now I'm back in Belgium and home.

[SK1972]

Cream.....................maybe the student visa would be better.......I dont know. Contact your immigration for more details. She may also have to pass an exam or some sort for the college/university.

Usually the employer will sort out the work visa for her but I am not sure they will do it for a waitress or would prefer someone who already has a work visa. Less hassle and cost.

Try all avenues, you may never know........

Good luck!

[Darth Bangkok]

any restaurant employer would either hire her illegally or if they follow the law, would only hire those who already had permission to work - ex. a thai spouse of a citizen. the first option would not allow her to stay with you long term and the second seems to be a no go. probably a student visa is the best option. but then she also has to go to school. if she stops going, the school would not sponsor her any longer and she wold have to leave at the end of the current visa - presumably issued each year or the end of each course. studying, is also not really a good idea for a 20-yr time frame though!

[creamontop]

I took my informations at the Belgian Embassy at Bangkok by email :

There is a possiblity for a visa based on a co-habitation. (we not marry but will live together in Belgium).

It is quiet simmilar in terms of paperwork as a visa for marriage.

Just to let everybody know what is possible, here you find the link to the website for such a visa :

visa for long stay

scroll down to section VI. VISA FOR COHABITATION IN BELGIUM

[simon43]

The UK also has a 'co-habitation' visa, althugh it seems to get little mention on this forum. It is always assumed that you have to marry your thai gf etc, but this is not the case. Of course, you will still have to prove (perhaps more so), that you are together as 'husband and wife'.

[SK1972]

Simon43, cream is not from the UK but Belgium. He is still legally married to another woman at the moment so he may have to wait till its all settled until he can try the 'co-habitation' visa (if there is one in Belgium).

I still think cream is better off consulting his Belgium immigration/authorities about this for more precise information

Good luck cream

[creamontop]

Simon43, cream is not from the UK but Belgium. He is still legally married to another woman at the moment so he may have to  wait till its all settled until he can try the 'co-habitation' visa (if there is one in Belgium).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes indeed, I probably will have to wait untill my divorce is completely through the courtmill. This means in my case normally march 2005.

why ? very simple. I need to handover a certificate of civil status to the embassy. This certificate will show if you are single/married/ a widower or divorced. It looks quiet stupid to ask a thai girl to come over to you on base of a cohabitationvisa when you are legally still married to someone else. Eventhough my ex wife is already living seperately from me today.

So we only will be able to hand over all papers to the embassy after I can get a "divorced" civil status -certificate.

There is although something very kinky inside those rules you have to fullfill.

in a certain paragraph under section VI is stated :

Proof of firm relationship (photographs, letters, telephone bills, money transfers, copies of previous visa, signed declarations of friends and relatives, etc). It is important to demonstrate that you know each other for some time and that you have spent a ‘reasonable’ amount of time together

Reasonable : this is the ultimate "killer". Define "reasonable"? This is something very personal and so widely interpretable. "Reasonable" for one person could be "unreasonable" for another. This is a rule that really S U C K S !!!

Also the fact you must show previous visa entries. Who will believe all 25 visa entries for Thailand where only to meet your future Thai girlfriend ? Sure it makes it more reasonable, but de facto we all know it does not firmly proof you came to visit her. I believe rules where you should demonstrate you have a firm relationship with a girlfriend are not very competitive with reality. Although I understand they are invented to withstand fake marriages, which are widely present now in the Schengencountries and the officials want to stop these malafide practises.

Does anybody had to prove something like a "reasonable" relationship towards his embassy, how did you prove it, and how was this interpreted ?