Uk Visa-travel Restrictions

[johnsurin]

Hi all,

My wife has a marriage/spouse visa and is living in the UK now. Her and the baby arrived with me last April so have been in the UK for nearly a year now. We have just spent a month in December to January in Thailand.

Does anybody know if there is any limit on how long my wife is allowed to visit Thailand, as her mother has to go into hospital for an operation next month. My wife would like to travel there and stay for 3 months until I get there from work and return back to the UK together, is there any problems in doing this or is she allowed to visit Thailand for extended periods.

Thanks in advance for any help regarding this matter.

John.....

[paully]

is she allowed to visit Thailand for extended periods.

That's the $64,000 question, John, how much of an 'extended period' abroad would break the chain of residence in the UK for the purposes of the visa. It is largely an issue for the discretion of the UK Border Agency officer at Heathrow on her arrival. A continuous 3-month period abroad may do so in the mind of one officer but not of another, particularly if your wife had some diffculty in explaining it to the suspicious first officer's satisfaction and in view of the fact that you have both spend a month in Thailand already this year.

Edited March 31, 2009 by paully

[7by7]

Nothing to do with an immigration officer at a port of entry; she has a valid visa so will be allowed back in, unless the IO has reason to believe the visa was obtained by deception.

There is no maximum time allowed out of the UK whilst on a settlement visa, as long as one returns before it expires.

However, when applying for ILR one needs to show that the UK is one's prime residence, so any excessive periods outside the UK should be explained in the ILR application.