Fiance - Thailand Or Uk?

[ShugNorris]

On the 8th of August I had a ceremony in Thailand with my girlfriend, muggins here didn't read up properly and did not have an affirmation certificate and hence the ceremony, that was supposed to be a marriage was just a ceremony!

Basically, I screwed up by not reading up properly.

As far as her family, friends, neighbours etc are concerned we are married. We're not legally obviously so I need to get this sorted so I can stop applying for visitors visas all the time. (wears a bit thin and it's a hassle)

I have two options:

Go to Thailand for a week or so, pop into the embassy and get the affirmation certificate, get it translated into Thai, go to the registry office place and register the marriage before taking that certificate and getting it translated back into English then just crack on and apply for a Settlement Visa for her.

Option 2,

Apply for a fiance visa so she can come here and get married over here. £500 seems quite steep and it may be difficult to sort it out with work etc.

So come a few questions:

1) When applying for a spouse settlement visa will it really matter if the marriage certificate is thai or english? (not in language but registered in the said country)

2) If the Visa gets rejected is it still going to cost £500?

3) Is five days a realistic timescale to get the first process done? (affirmation certificate etc)

4) Declaring intention to the Home Office to Marry, how quickly can this be done?

5) Finally, I've trolled round ukvisas.gov.uk and ukborders site to find information on fiance/civil partnership visa and am not entirely sure which visa application form I'm supposed to fill in? It doesn't seem clearly laid down.. Or I missed it on a six month fiance visa you dont need the Home Office Clearance to Marry Certificate as far as I can understand?

I know it's quite a lot but I have looked around for this information, Some advice and answers would be greatly appreciated.

- Shug Norris

[CharlieB]

On the 8th of August I had a ceremony in Thailand with my girlfriend, muggins here didn't read up properly and did not have an affirmation certificate and hence the ceremony, that was supposed to be a marriage was just a ceremony!

Basically, I screwed up by not reading up properly.

As far as her family, friends, neighbours etc are concerned we are married. We're not legally obviously so I need to get this sorted so I can stop applying for visitors visas all the time. (wears a bit thin and it's a hassle)

I have two options:

Go to Thailand for a week or so, pop into the embassy and get the affirmation certificate, get it translated into Thai, go to the registry office place and register the marriage before taking that certificate and getting it translated back into English then just crack on and apply for a Settlement Visa for her.

Option 2,

Apply for a fiance visa so she can come here and get married over here. £500 seems quite steep and it may be difficult to sort it out with work etc.

So come a few questions:

1) When applying for a spouse settlement visa will it really matter if the marriage certificate is thai or english? (not in language but registered in the said country)

2) If the Visa gets rejected is it still going to cost £500?

3) Is five days a realistic timescale to get the first process done? (affirmation certificate etc)

4) Declaring intention to the Home Office to Marry, how quickly can this be done?

5) Finally, I've trolled round ukvisas.gov.uk and ukborders site to find information on fiance/civil partnership visa and am not entirely sure which visa application form I'm supposed to fill in? It doesn't seem clearly laid down.. Or I missed it on a six month fiance visa you dont need the Home Office Clearance to Marry Certificate as far as I can understand?

I know it's quite a lot but I have looked around for this information, Some advice and answers would be greatly appreciated.

- Shug Norris

If you get the marriage registered legally in Thailand, you need to apply for a settlement visa on the basis of her being your wife, spouse visa. If you don't, you need to apply for a fiance visa and get a ceremony done in the UK. It depends on you what you prefer, but if you can get the marriage done legally in Thailand then you may as well go down the spouse visa route.

Whether you get the visa or your application is rejected, you pay the money and they keep it.

If you get a Thai marriage certificate you need to get it translated when you put the application in.

5 days would probably be enough to get the documentation done and application made, but not to get a decision back on the visa as well. It could take a couple of weeks to get the visa decision back and that would be on a straightforward decision. If they need to interview your other half then it could be a lot longer if they want her to go for a full interview at the embassy.

[ShugNorris]

Hi Charlie,

Thanks for your reply.

I'm beginning to get it now, heads a bit of a mash staring at websites all day.

I only need to apply for a visitors visa with intention to marry so she can come here but must marry within three months of her arrival and that doesn't cost £500. The Settlement Visa costs £500 right?

So it would actually be cheaper to go down the fiance visitors visa route. Form VAF1 ... £65 ? That's more like it.

In my application is it worth mentioning we had a marriage ceremony to satisfy her family etc but understand we're not legally married? to legitimise the relationship etc.

Another thing, I transferred £10 000 to Thailand in August, I was looking at buying a small house there but eventually decided against it because and am going to take it back here (worked out well with the falling exchange rate). It's in my misses bank account? Is it worth declaring that as funds she has if I explain I sent it to purchase a house, decided against it and plan to use the said money to buy a house for us both in the UK? Or should I just not mention it in case they think i just plonked a load of money into the account to satisfy a visa.

We never had any snags with her visitors visa last time and didn't use an agency and it all went smoothly, hoping for the same again if I do it this way.

Advice appreciated and thanks again.

[CharlieB]

Hi Charlie,

Thanks for your reply.

I'm beginning to get it now, heads a bit of a mash staring at websites all day.

I only need to apply for a visitors visa with intention to marry so she can come here but must marry within three months of her arrival and that doesn't cost £500. The Settlement Visa costs £500 right?

So it would actually be cheaper to go down the fiance visitors visa route. Form VAF1 ... £65 ? That's more like it.

In my application is it worth mentioning we had a marriage ceremony to satisfy her family etc but understand we're not legally married? to legitimise the relationship etc.

Another thing, I transferred £10 000 to Thailand in August, I was looking at buying a small house there but eventually decided against it because and am going to take it back here (worked out well with the falling exchange rate). It's in my misses bank account? Is it worth declaring that as funds she has if I explain I sent it to purchase a house, decided against it and plan to use the said money to buy a house for us both in the UK? Or should I just not mention it in case they think i just plonked a load of money into the account to satisfy a visa.

We never had any snags with her visitors visa last time and didn't use an agency and it all went smoothly, hoping for the same again if I do it this way.

Advice appreciated and thanks again.

No, if you want to bring her here with the intention of getting legally married in the UK, you need to apply for a Marriage/Civil Partnership settlement visa, which is £515, or 28,325baht. If you want to bring her here as your wife (ie ceremony done legally in Thailand), it's the same price. Link here (scroll down to the settlement category). The ability to come here on any other visa for the purposes of marriage is no longer available.

[ShugNorris]

It says there that a visitors visa to marry or civil partnership is £65 or 3575 THB ?

It says the same on ukvisas.gov.uk and the Home Office Site.

You're saying this option is no longer available?!

[ShugNorris]

Sorry to double post but there seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there, I really am confused.

Is it fair to say this:

If I applied for a Permanent Residency Fiance Visa I would;

1) Have Six Months in which to Marry.

2) Submit the documents proving we are married.

2) Have a further TWO years in which to live together in which she could get a job etc here

3) If there is sufficient evidence suggesting we were having a succesful marriage and still together after this period we would then be eligable to apply for Indefinate Leave to Remain.

So she could come here once and remain here and does not need to return after six months?

and this costs £515 and is a SET(M) VISA ??

Thanks

- Shug

Edited November 23, 2008 by ShugNorris

[CharlieB]

Sorry to double post but there seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there, I really am confused.

Is it fair to say this:

If I applied for a Permanent Residency Fiance Visa I would;

1) Have Six Months in which to Marry.

2) Submit the documents proving we are married.

2) Have a further TWO years in which to live together in which she could get a job etc here

3) If there is sufficient evidence suggesting we were having a succesful marriage and still together after this period we would then be eligable to apply for Indefinate Leave to Remain.

So she could come here once and remain here and does not need to return after six months?

and this costs £515 and is a SET(M) VISA ??

Thanks

- Shug

Yes. Except it's initially a VAF4 form. The SET(M) is done once you are in the UK for indefinite leave to remain and after the FLR(M) form for further leave to remain.

The £65 visa for marriage/civil ceremony you were talking about was to attend a marriage/civil ceremony of someone else.

Edited November 23, 2008 by CharlieB

[ShugNorris]

Well Charlie, Thanks a lot!

I noticed the SET(M) thing when I actually read the form... Roger the VAF4, you've been a great help.

Thanks again.

- Shug

[mariner29]

You can get it all done including submitting the application within 2/3 days for a 2 year settlement visa to the UK.

[7by7]

The £65 visa for marriage/civil ceremony you were talking about was to attend a marriage/civil ceremony of someone else.

Sorry, that's not correct.

A marriage visit visa is for someone who wishes to travel to the UK in order to marry but does not wish to settle in the UK after the marriage. It is valid for 6 months and cannot be converted to settlement in the UK.

Shug, you have two options: apply for a fiance visa and marry in the UK or marry in Thailand (legally at an Ampur) and apply for a spouse visa. Both are a form of settlement visa and you would use the same form whichever you decided on.

If possible I would advise marrying in Thailand; it's cheaper!

A spouse visa costs £500 (payable in THB at whatever exchange rate the embassy is using.) This is valid two years after which she applies for Indefinite Leave to Remain, current cost £750 by post (£950 in person).

Total cost:- £1250 (£1450 if applying for ILR in person.)

A fiance visa also costs £500 (payable in THB as above). After the marriage, which must take place within 6 months, she will need to apply for Further Leave to Remain, at a current cost of £395 by post (£595 in person). This lasts two years at the end of which she applies for ILR as above.

Total cost:- £1645 (£2045 if you apply for both FLR and ILR in person.)

Another point to remember is that in order to qualify for ILR she will need to demonstrate her Knowledge of language and life in the United Kingdom (that page talks about applying for citizenship, but the same requirement applies to those applying for ILR.)

[ShugNorris]

7by7

Thanks a lot for that reply mate.

Very informative and appreciated.

I've opted for the Thailand option,

I've just booked my flight to Thailand for this coming Saturday, hopefully I'll get it done within the week Monday 1st - 5th (although it's closed on the 5th for Father Day?!) then I've got the Monday there and back home.

Thanks again.

- Shug

[Jingjok]

Another thing, I transferred £10 000 to Thailand in August, I was looking at buying a small house there but eventually decided against it because and am going to take it back here (worked out well with the falling exchange rate) ...

Hi

Watch it with this plan! When you sent the money over (presumably by interbank transfer) did you get a ‘Foreign Form’ (formerly TT3) from the receiving bank? Assuming you did, and the money has not been moved in and out of other accounts, you can apply to the Bank of Thailand for permission to send the money back overseas. Although I am told this process always takes weeks, and sometimes months.

Sending hard currency out of Thailand is not encouraged, so you may find that every possible bureaucratic hassle is put in your way. If you don’t speak Thai, your first lesson will be to learn to understand the words ‘mai dai’!

I won’t bore the forum with my personal story, but even with all the correct TT3’s in place I was prevented from removing even 10% of the money I bought here over the past five years. The sheer number of affidavits, explanations and proofs of where every Baht went through various companys’ and individuals’ accounts, complete proof of buying and selling a house, proof of who bought it, his accounts, where the buyers’s money came from and so on made it impossible.

I became highly irritated with the condescending, unhelpful and downright rude attitude of my local bank manager. Changing banks helped.

Driven by rage, I investigated other ways of moving money out. I discovered a totally legal way which works, is not too expensive, and even had the blessing of a civil bank manager. If you or others need advice, PM me for my phone number.

BTW, you’re right about the Fx rate benefit. But I suggest you move fast!

And good luck, especially with your current travel plans.