Uk Visa?

[gunn09]

Hi all,

just found this site and I now after some advise about Uk visa for my thai gf/fiance,We have already had a visitor visa(6 months) which she has just returned to Thailand from so I know all the paper work needed ie bank statements,phone records,wage slips.But now we wish to apply for a visa to allow her to stay in the Uk and also work,we are planning getting married so my question is what is the best way should we apply? for a marrige visa,or another visa then apply to get married whilst in the Uk? plus we will be getting married in Thailand as well would this help to do this first?

I know its a few questions and the answers are straight forward I just want to make sure we do everything properly.

Any help much appreciated

Thanks JG.

[mariner29]

If you marry in Bangkok you may apply for a settlement visa which will be issued for 2 years.

Or a fiancee visa which is basically a 6 month window to marry in the UK both cost £515 however once married in the UK you must pay apply for FLR.

Good luck.

[7by7]

If you marry in Thailand then the UK will recognise this as a legal marriage and so you cannot marry again in the UK (unless you divorce each other first!).

Remember, though, that the ceremonial marriage alone is not a legal marriage in Thailand. To make it legal you also need to register the marriage at an Ampur.

See Guidance for British nationals wishing to marry in Thailand

Having married you can then apply for a spouse visa.

Or you can not marry in Thailand so she can apply for a fiance visa, marry you in the UK within 6 months and then apply for settlement.

Marrying in Thailand is the better option as it will require one less application and save that fee.

See Guidance - Husbands, wives and partners (INF 4)

Chapter 9 - The maintenance and accommodation requirements

Chapter 13 - Settlement : Fiance(e)s, proposed civil partners, spouses, civil partners, unmarried and same-sex partners

Requirement for Tuberculosis testing for applicants visiting the UK for longer than 6 months

UK Visa Application Centre in Bangkok

[nigelandjan]

Just a thought if either of you are divorced you will need original copies of final divorce papers ,,,,,,,if you marry in Thai YOU will need to provide the affirmation of freedom to marry cert .

Another tip is IF you marry in Thai and you have time and if your lady wants to ,, change her passport to her NEW surname ,,,, then when you apply for her ILTR in the UK as you will have to in 2 years time things are a whole lot easier if the name matches .. passport ,, her UK id card etc.

We married in the UK and my wife now has old family name in passport,and my name in her UK id card which validates her passport.

If ever these stupid <deleted> ever devised a way to make everything as clear as mud they have certainly achieved it now.

Good luck to you both in the UK mate

[ShugNorris]

Another tip is IF you marry in Thai and you have time and if your lady wants to ,, change her passport to her NEW surname ,,,, then when you apply for her ILTR in the UK as you will have to in 2 years time things are a whole lot easier if the name matches .. passport ,, her UK id card etc.

We married in the UK and my wife now has old family name in passport,and my name in her UK id card which validates her passport.

Could you elaborate on that a bit more if possible please mate, my wife and I decided not to bother changing her name at the time, purely because it was time consuming, apparently it can all be done from here in the UK, passport and ID card name changes...? Would have been a lot better if we had just done it at the time, the Visa application has been in for over a month and we haven't heard a thing back which is quite annoying!!

To the OP, marrying in Thailand is a lot easier, you don't even need a ceremony, although, families have an input into that

So really, it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want and on the whole, a hel_l of a lot easier in my opinion.

There's loads of posts about the affirmation and marriage thanks to the people here ... (7by7, Scouse, Mariner, CharlieB... and so on)

I did the whole process over Christmas time and submitted the application.

Did the marriage ceremony part of things in August '08.

Anyways, good luck mate.

- Shug

[7by7]

Another tip is IF you marry in Thai and you have time and if your lady wants to ,, change her passport to her NEW surname ,,,, then when you apply for her ILTR in the UK as you will have to in 2 years time things are a whole lot easier if the name matches .. passport ,, her UK id card etc.

We married in the UK and my wife now has old family name in passport,and my name in her UK id card which validates her passport.

Could you elaborate on that a bit more if possible please mate, my wife and I decided not to bother changing her name at the time, purely because it was time consuming, apparently it can all be done from here in the UK, passport and ID card name changes...?

There is absolutely no requirement under UK law for a wife to take her husband's surname on marriage. She can also use both names if she wishes, as long as she is not doing so in order to deceive.

My wife kept her maiden name in her Thai passport until she renewed it at the RTE in London. Her spouse visa, ILR and naturalisation applications were all made in her maiden name and all granted. She used her married name for registering with our GP, NI number etc. Never had a problem.

Shug, whatever the reason for the delay in your wife's application, it certainly isn't because she made it in her maiden name.

Best of luck, hope you hear something soon.

[ShugNorris]

Shug, whatever the reason for the delay in your wife's application, it certainly isn't because she made it in her maiden name.

Oh I know that, I meant that it probably would have been wiser to sort those issues out prior to submitting the application, as I mentioned in a previous post, the Visa isn't set to authorise travel until 1st March this year, so really, we should have just waited until after changing the passport/ID card etc to submit the application. We had all the Visa documents in Thailand over Christmas and so it made more sense to submit it then.

I was just inquiring about the actual change of maiden name which you clarified for me, thanks again 7.

- Shug

[nigelandjan]

Another tip is IF you marry in Thai and you have time and if your lady wants to ,, change her passport to her NEW surname ,,,, then when you apply for her ILTR in the UK as you will have to in 2 years time things are a whole lot easier if the name matches .. passport ,, her UK id card etc.

We married in the UK and my wife now has old family name in passport,and my name in her UK id card which validates her passport.

Could you elaborate on that a bit more if possible please mate, my wife and I decided not to bother changing her name at the time, purely because it was time consuming, apparently it can all be done from here in the UK, passport and ID card name changes...?

There is absolutely no requirement under UK law for a wife to take her husband's surname on marriage. She can also use both names if she wishes, as long as she is not doing so in order to deceive.

My wife kept her maiden name in her Thai passport until she renewed it at the RTE in London. Her spouse visa, ILR and naturalisation applications were all made in her maiden name and all granted. She used her married name for registering with our GP, NI number etc. Never had a problem.

Shug, whatever the reason for the delay in your wife's application, it certainly isn't because she made it in her maiden name.

Best of luck, hope you hear something soon.

I never suggested it was a legal requirement for a wife to take her husbands married name ,,, I put IF she wanted to ,,,,,,,also it makes it all a hel_l of a lot easier if you want to travel for holidays other than to Thai later ,ie bookings ,, insurance,,,,,,,and when you book into hotels as Mr X and Miss Y ,,,,,,,,, we all know and understand about the dual names allthough we are legally married but many other people outside and unfamiliar with this type of arrangement dont understand it.

[mariner29]

Applications are taking 4 weeks at the moment i had two returned on Friday both succesful.

[gunn09]

Cheers guys for all the info,

It now gives me alot better idea about the situation,we're not in a major rush as my gf is now back in college in Thailand and whatever we decide will not be done until at least christmas time.

1 more question when getting married in Thailand you need an affirmation of freedom to marrry form which I see says you need to collect from Brittish embassy in Bangkok,does this have to be done or is there a way to download form from internet? I ask because it says you need to re-type onto 1 page so can I say just copy the sample copy?

Also I think I know the answer already but Mariner29 you mentioned about getting married in Bangkok but I assume that anywhere in Thailand is fine as long as you register the marriage at an Ampur.

Once again cheers for the help JG.

[7by7]

From the embassy guidance

Retype the affirmation on one page, in the same format as the attached sample, and bring it in person to the Embassy to sign before a British Consular official.

So you download the form from here, retype it as per the example here and then take it to the consular section at the embassy. It has to be signed by you in front of a consular official so that s/he can notarise it. You then have it translated and take the translation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok to have the translation certified.

If you have been married before you need to take proof that the marriage is ended with you; divorce certificate or spouses death certificate. Original documents or certified copies only. They'll want to see your passport as well, to prove that you are British as Thai law says the affirmation must be done at one's own embassy.

Yes, once you have all the paperwork sorted you can marry at any ampur in Thailand.

[DC1066]

Cheers guys for all the info,

It now gives me alot better idea about the situation,we're not in a major rush as my gf is now back in college in Thailand and whatever we decide will not be done until at least christmas time.

1 more question when getting married in Thailand you need an affirmation of freedom to marrry form which I see says you need to collect from Brittish embassy in Bangkok,does this have to be done or is there a way to download form from internet? I ask because it says you need to re-type onto 1 page so can I say just copy the sample copy?

Also I think I know the answer already but Mariner29 you mentioned about getting married in Bangkok but I assume that anywhere in Thailand is fine as long as you register the marriage at an Ampur.

Once again cheers for the help JG.

You are correct in that you can marry anywhere in Thailand - as long as it is registered at the Amphur. I got married in just such a place.

Regarding the change of name, if you are going to do it, it doesn't really matter when as it is not a legal requirement. My personal view though is that it is better to do it before you apply for the visa. It is just one less thing to have to explain and one less document to carry around.

We got married, then changed my wife's passport over the next two days (applied one day, picked it up the next) hardly any hassle and done quickly.

We then applied for the visa in my wife's married name.

As I say, you don't have to do it this way, but we were organised and found it the easiest way to do it.