Family Visa To The Uk

[beano2274]

I recently sent this email regarding my position and the possibility of getting a few answers before applying for a Family Visa for my wife.

Original Email

Good morning,

I have a question ref the above Visa

I am a contractor, who is based out of Thailand, when I am not contracting I am working part time

at a Thai University. I have read that I must also prove my willingness as well as my wife's to return

to Thailand, is a letter from this University indicating that I work part time for them, sufficient?

My wife will have the relevant documentation from her place of work.

I have all the correct visas for Thailand so they are not a problem.

Kind regards

I then received an email from the Embassy

Thank you for your email of 17 May 2009.

Each visa application for the UK is dealt with on its own merits and at the discretion of an Entry Clearance Officer; therefore we cannot guarantee or confirm that providing these documents are sufficient or not.

For information on how to submit an application including the documents required and visa fees or for tracking your application or any visa related enquiries please visits our website, www.vfs-uk-th.com

You can also find further information regarding information for sponsors and visit entry requirements on the website www.ukvisas.gov.uk

Status tracking through SMS for 15 Baht

Please log on to http://vfs-uk-th.com/ for further details

Please note: With effect of May 08, 2009, the visa fees will be increased.

Best Regards,

Helpdesk – UK Visa Application Centre

To me this seems like an automated answer, and still does in no way give me any clear advice.

I read that they require proof that I, as the husband of a Thai woman, need to show that I will return to Thailand, seems odd to me, as this is a Visa for her, and she has to prove her ability and willingness to return to Thailand at the time of the application.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Sounds about right a standard answer.

[lekatai]

Sounds about right a standard answer.

Well,another extremely helpful answer from "Thai Visa Express" Just about as helpful as you were in the last thread I posted in.The OP has asked a question,why do you feel the need to post this.What is the point?If you can't say anything useful,why do you say anything?If you have anything to say to help him then say it,otherwise don't bother.OK the OP doesn't make everything clear,but at least help him instead of posting some smartass reply.OK :to the OP,the visa is not for you,but your wife.You do not have to prove anything,except that your sponsorship letter is important to assist in your wifes application.I am sure that this is just a meaningless automatically generated letter,which I have have had to deal with before as well,when dealing with the British Embassy in Bangkok.I would suggest that you look at some more helpful threads on this forum,and don't listen to "Thai visa express" who clearly has no interest in actually giving positive help to people.

[CharlieB]

I recently sent this email regarding my position and the possibility of getting a few answers before applying for a Family Visa for my wife.

Original Email

Good morning,

I have a question ref the above Visa

I am a contractor, who is based out of Thailand, when I am not contracting I am working part time

at a Thai University. I have read that I must also prove my willingness as well as my wife's to return

to Thailand, is a letter from this University indicating that I work part time for them, sufficient?

My wife will have the relevant documentation from her place of work.

I have all the correct visas for Thailand so they are not a problem.

Kind regards

I then received an email from the Embassy

Thank you for your email of 17 May 2009.

Each visa application for the UK is dealt with on its own merits and at the discretion of an Entry Clearance Officer; therefore we cannot guarantee or confirm that providing these documents are sufficient or not.

For information on how to submit an application including the documents required and visa fees or for tracking your application or any visa related enquiries please visits our website, www.vfs-uk-th.com

You can also find further information regarding information for sponsors and visit entry requirements on the website www.ukvisas.gov.uk [/size]

Status tracking through SMS for 15 Baht

Please log on to http://vfs-uk-th.com/ for further details

Please note: With effect of May 08, 2009, the visa fees will be increased.

Best Regards,

Helpdesk – UK Visa Application Centre

To me this seems like an automated answer, and still does in no way give me any clear advice.

I read that they require proof that I, as the husband of a Thai woman, need to show that I will return to Thailand, seems odd to me, as this is a Visa for her, and she has to prove her ability and willingness to return to Thailand at the time of the application.

[/color]

I think this is one of those cases where you have to just make the application and provide all the supporting documentation you can. The embassy are not going to explicitly promise you that if you submit an application with the evidence you briefly outlined in a single paragraph that they will give you a visa with no problem. You also have to consider that if they sat down and wrote tailored emails to everyone with a tentative question about whether they would get a visa, then they'd probably never be able to process any actual visa applications.

Each case as stated by them is considered on all of its merits given ALL of the supporting evidence. If you only provided the evidence you outline in your email, then you may get a refusal, but back it up with details of your relationship, both your financial records, reason for travel, wife's job details + other info, then in all likelihood you may get a visa. If you don't, then you will get a letter explaining where your application was found wanting and you can then address them in another application.

If you read one of the other threads in here, there are people who have been waiting for 3 months for settlement visa applications. Do you think they would be happy if all the ECOs sat down all day writing detailed answers to brief questions from someone considering applying? You sound like a punter who wants to bet on a race, but only if you are guaranteed a positive result before you bet. Sometimes you have to make the decision and apply. A visit visa is 3500 baht, less than £20. You have nothing to lose by getting the info together and applying. If you don't pay the fee, they are never going sit down and give you the individual answer you require.

Search through this forum for information on the visa you are applying for and post again asking specific questions if you have any.

[theoldgit]

A visit visa is 3500 baht, less than £20.

Just for clarity the visa fee is the equivalent of £67, they recently increased the exchange rate to take advantage of the slight increase in the value of the GBP.

CharlieB is absolutely correct in suggesting that you search through the thread and look at other peoples experiences and advice given, he is also correct in saying that it's your wife's application and it is she who must provide the proof. That said, if you are married and living and working in Thailand, and can provide proof, you should be able to convince the ECO that you have a subsisting relationship and that on the balance of probabilities she is likely to return, so evidence of your employment should help. I suspect however that the bog standard replies are churned out by a clerk and not by the ECO, but I don't think they are in a position to guarantee a visa until they have seen all the evidence.

I have to agree with lekathai about the brief answer from Thai Visa Express, I have often thought that his replies are brief, not relevant and sometimes inaccurate, but he is the expert not me, he is running a business so really shouldn't be expected to give free advice on this forum.

[7by7]

It is her application, but the main reason for her to return to Thailand is that her British husband is living and working in Thailand, so she obviously needs to provide evidence of this.

Enquiries to the embassy, or UKvisas, will only recieve general replies, they cannot give a specific response without seeing all the evidence first.

See the relevant checklist from the VAC for what documents are required.

I am not here to defend TVE. He does have a business to run, and his replies are sometimes short and to the point. However, I can't help but wonder why Lekatai is so intent on attempting to prove TVE incompetent! I wonder how long it will be before Lekatai starts offering his services for a fee! Maybe he has already done so by PM? I am only speculating, but anyone who is considering using an agent should remember that a person offering immigration advice for a fee in the UK must be properly qualified and regulated, e.g. registered with the OISC. Always check an agent's credentials before parting with any money, there are a lot of con men calling themselves 'visa agents' in Thailand and unfortunately many of them are British.

Edited May 20, 2009 by 7by7

[lekatai]

If you had read some of my other posts,it would be clear to you that I run a hotel/bar/restaurant here in Pattaya.I have nothing to do with any sort of visa business,nor do I want to,and wouldn't dream of offering services or asking for any sort of fee.If I post something here it is to either ask a question,or to reply if I feel I might have something to contribute to a question someone else has asked.I don't post "brief,not relevant,or sometimes inaccurate" replies (Quote from another poster) I have no idea who TVE is,but if he runs some sort of visa advisory service,then he should be posting accurate and relevant information. There are plenty of other posters here who provide sensible,useful advice to people who ask clearly genuine questions,including people who run visa agencies.That's what this board is for,surely?

[7by7]

I did say I was speculating!

So, like me, you are an amateur. As such my advice is based upon my own experiences, my reading of the immigration rules and other official publications and the advice received from professionals. If I post something I believe it to be accurate, but if a professional corrects me then I accept that correction; after all they are qualified and regulated and I am not.

TVE's posts may sometimes be brief, but I have no reason to question their accuracy.

Forums such as this are a useful tool for those looking for visa advice, but it comes with the caveat that said advice is from amateurs and if one wants to be sure than one should seek advice from a professional. By professional I mean a properly qualified and regulated one, not a glorified form filler whose sole aim is to extract as much money as possible from their victims and so make promises they know they cant keep and even tell lies to their victims; such as one infamous Brit running an 'agency' in Pattaya. (Not TVE!)

Edited May 20, 2009 by 7by7

[CharlieB]

A visit visa is 3500 baht, less than £20.

Just for clarity the visa fee is the equivalent of £67, they recently increased the exchange rate to take advantage of the slight increase in the value of the GBP.

CharlieB is absolutely correct in suggesting that you search through the thread and look at other peoples experiences and advice given, he is also correct in saying that it's your wife's application and it is she who must provide the proof. That said, if you are married and living and working in Thailand, and can provide proof, you should be able to convince the ECO that you have a subsisting relationship and that on the balance of probabilities she is likely to return, so evidence of your employment should help. I suspect however that the bog standard replies are churned out by a clerk and not by the ECO, but I don't think they are in a position to guarantee a visa until they have seen all the evidence.

I have to agree with lekathai about the brief answer from Thai Visa Express, I have often thought that his replies are brief, not relevant and sometimes inaccurate, but he is the expert not me, he is running a business so really shouldn't be expected to give free advice on this forum.

Sorry, you're correct, it's about £60. I plead the fact I was replying at 1:20am! My point was that it's not 5 or 6 hundred like a settlement visa, so best read the forum, get the info together and apply. If a refusal is given, at least he will have direction on what to provide in a second application.

I'm sure it isn't an ECO doing the replying, but they are the ones who finalise decisions and the fact is, they would be wasting their time replying to tentative pre-application emails, which don't contain enough information to make a educated guess at anyway. They are much better used trying to get through the backlog and I'm sure members who have 2 or 3 month old settlement visas would appreciate that.

The OP needs to stress the length of their relationship, the fact she has a job, any savings/land she owns etc. Her application will be helped by the fact they are together in Thailand and he has to return for his job, but it's not the only evidence they need to supply.