Trying To Get Uk Visa For Thai Girlfriend , Help Please !

[pjbands]

Hi, I am a new user to this site, if I have posted this in the wrong section, said something stupid, offended anyone, said the obvious or anything like this I do apologise, and would appreciate anyones advice.

Here is my question...

I have been seeing a Thai girl (not bar girl) for 2 years, I been visiting her around 6 times per year ( I am lucky and can get time off from my job)

She came over and stayed with me this year in August for 3 weeks, went home and then came back for the 2nd visit which lasted 2 months and has only recently gone home, Dec 2009.

At the moment she is in Thailand, so I phoned her and asked her to go to the English embassy in Bangkok to find out how easy it would be for her to get another holiday visa, to come back again to UK in late Feb 2010, I know through experience that getting the first UK visa was extremely difficult and told her to find out what the problems were going to be so we could be prepared. I really thought that as she had proven herself by coming to the UK twice and going home without any over stay, things were going to be alot easier. Her English is good but sometimes when it comes to the technicalities of visas she cannot explain very well, so can anyone please help with these questions ?

1) She was told by the Visa application dept in Bangkok "not an agency" that she cannot apply for another UK holiday visa until she has stayed in Thailand for 3 months.

2) She asked about the next stage of visa ( fiance / joint partner ) and was told it is much harder to get, lasts 6 months and would cost 35,000 baht, after the 6 months was up she could apply again for another 6 months and again it would cost another 35,000 baht. Now in my mind I cannot imagine yearly visas costing 70,000 baht per year !

3) I cannot see any advantage of this "fiance" visa over a holiday visa, is there any ?

Is any of this true ? or is someone in the Bangkok UK embassy looking for an early retirement due to a bulging bank balance !

Please can anyone help ? If I have to pay this ridiculous fee then so be it, but I dont want to be conned, Thanks for your time, paul

Edited December 22, 2009 by pjbands

[Slaps]

Just send her the 70g, I know I would

some people

[beano2274]

Did your GF go inside the Visa place or was she directed by the hundreds of agents outside. No way does a Fiance Visa cost soooo much. Check out the Embassy website and also the Border Agency website, as well as doing a search here.

[beano2274]

Information for you to check

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/

here are the fees from Bangkok

http://www.vfs-uk-th.com/visafees.aspx

More Info

Can I get married or register a civil partnership in the UK?

If either you or your future husband, wife or civil partner are not EEA (European Economic Area) or Swiss nationals, you can visit the UK together to get married or register a civil partnership as long as you intend to leave the country within six months. If you wish to marry and live in the UK please see Guidance - Husbands, wives and partners (INF 4).

Everyone coming to the UK to get married or to register a civil partnership (except EEA and Swiss nationals) must get a visit for marriage or visit for civil partnership visa.

You will need to show evidence that you plan to enter into a marriage or civil partnership during the period for which you are granted leave (which will be for six months).

You can get married or register a civil partnership in any location licensed for the purpose of marriage or civil partnerships. Once you are both in the UK you will need to give official notice of your marriage or civil partnership at a designated register office. If you are a non-EEA or Swiss national you will have to show your entry clearance or certificate of approval to do this. You can get more information about marriage or civil partnerships and register offices from the General Register Offices:

England and Wales - www.gro.gov.uk

Scotland – www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

Northern Ireland – www.groni.gov.uk

Edited December 22, 2009 by beano2274

[Crossy]

This will likely get more responses in the visas to other countries forum where the experts live.

Moving it there.

[theoldgit]

pj bands

I will give my views of your questions, but I don't think your lady has been told the truth though I doubt very much if she she got this information from The British Embassy, they don't give this sort of advice, in fact they don't give any advice.

You say that your girlfriend has been to the UK twice and has complied with the terms of her visa, that is a plus and will help to prove that she is likely to return but it could go against her as the ECO might wonder how she can manage to have holidays of three weeks and then two months and be able to afford or even get time off work or from studies for a third holiday in February.

It is not correct that she has to be in Thailand for three months before she applies for another visa, and I don't believe the UK Embassy would have told her this, she could apply for another visa the day after her visa expires though she will still have to convince the ECO that it is a genuine visit, I think that might be difficult but it's possible, don't forget that she cannot spend more than six months out of twelve in the UK, though she is a long way off that.

The figures you have been quoted are way off the mark and beano 2274 has already provided the links for the true figures as he has with the question of a fiancee visa, and you should only do that if you really want to marry.

I think to sum up, yes she can apply for for a tourist visa though in my opinion, and it's only my opinion, back to back applications and the regular visits you describe might make it more difficult. That said if she can prove that the visits are genuine and that she is more likely than not to return to Thailand then she should be ok.

[sumrit]

As theoldgit says it does sound like she has been talking to an agency and not the Embassy (the Embassy don't normally talk/give advise to anybody, on a good day they just direct you to their/the VFS web site). There is an agency, visa world, with an office right next to the VFS centre and they give the impression they work for the Embassy and it could have been them she was talking to.

Your g/f doesn't need to stay in Thailand for three months before reapplying for a tourist visa but she can only have a maximum stay of six months in any twelve and if she's having continuous/regular visits lasting the full six month term of the visa she will have to show she's not using a tourist visa to live in the UK. If her visits to the UK are punctuated with your visits to see her in Thailand I can't see a problem with her getting other tourist visas. There are also longer multi entry visit visas available (valid for two, five, and ten years) but they are usually much harder to get and normally only available after that person has had several six month visas. Even with these visas the maximum stay at any one time is six months and there are restrictions on leaving the UK then returning immediately although I'm not sure exactly what they are.

A fiance visa costs 33930 baht. This is not a 'next stage visa', it's a settlement visa valid for six months and intended for somebody who is going to get married to their partner in the UK, within that six month visa, then settle permanently in the UK.Once married she would then have to get an initial two year extension to remain in the UK costing (I think) £720.

Edited December 23, 2009 by sumrit

[7by7]

She asked about the next stage of visa ( fiance / joint partner ) and was told it is much harder to get, lasts 6 months and would cost 35,000 baht, after the 6 months was up she could apply again for another 6 months and again it would cost another 35,000 baht. Now in my mind I cannot imagine yearly visas costing 70,000 baht per year !

As already said, a fiance visa is a settlement visa, not a visit visa. She should only apply for one if the intention is to travel to the UK, marry you and apply, in the UK, for settlement. This must be done within the 6 month life of the visa. A fiance visa can be extended, but only in exceptional circumstances and she would need to show a good reason why the wedding had not yet taken place and satisfactory evidence that it will take place within a reasonable time period. Same if she returned to Thailand and applied for another one.

To sum up:-

A visit visa is valid for 6 months and multi entry, so she can enter and leave the UK as often as she wishes during the life of the visa.

There is no minimum time between one visit visa expiring and applying for another. However, if it appeared that she would be spending more than 6 months out of 12 in the UK as a visitor than the application would probably be refused.

Only apply for a fiance visa if it is your intention to marry and live in the UK together.

[mikebell]

If she's just back after a 2 month stay there should be 2 or 3 months left on her last visa. Can it be used again - they are valid for 6 months.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

To avoid confusion as per the new on line forms what is the purpose of your visit you would choose marriage so perhaps we should refer to this as a marriage visa. The cost is around 33000 baht plus a chest x ray at 2600 baht plus your partner may wish to stay in a plush 5 star hotel over night .

Its basically a 6 month multi entry visa with permission to marry in the UK once married you apply for FLR and you receive a 2 year multi entry visa, the advantage is she may work and she may travel to and from Thailand as much as she likes. It may affect her application for citizenship if she spends more than 90 days out of the country per year however thats another matter.

Here are the various links these may help :

Fiancé

Demonstrating your knowledge of language and life in the UK

If you require professional help or a quote for my services feel free to pm me or contact me via my website we have an office in Thailand/UK.

[7by7]

If she's just back after a 2 month stay there should be 2 or 3 months left on her last visa. Can it be used again - they are valid for 6 months.

UK visit visas are usually multi entry; which means it can be used to enter the UK as many times as the holder wishes during the 6 month life of the visa.

To check, the visa will either be endorsed with 'MULT' or a number. If 'MULT' then it's multi entry, if a number then this is the number of entries allowed on that visa; '1' means it can only be used once, '2' means twice and so on.

Remember that no matter how many entries are allowed with the visa, the holder must leave the UK on or before the expiry date.

[7by7]

To avoid confusion as per the new on line forms what is the purpose of your visit you would choose marriage so perhaps we should refer to this as a marriage visa.

Se what you're saying, TVE, but I feel that doing so could cause even more confusion with a marriage visit visa than already exists.

As the ECG refers to 'Fiance(e)s' and 'Proposed Civil Partners' those are the terms I prefer to use; but that's a personal choice.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

My experience of Thailand is we have many visa companies some are merely travel shops claiming to be experts on visa applications, some are good some are very poor indeed. And it is not illegal in Thailand to open an office offering immigration advice anybody can do this you do not need to be regulated.

Its always difficult getting the correct advice such as the guy who walked in my office wanting a rolling tourist visa for his partner after she had just spent six months in the UK, we advised him its not possible and explained him the rules etc.

He walked out and handed an agency 30,000 baht and returned with his GV 51 four weeks later and then decided he would take our advice, she is now in the UK on a fiancé visa which we advised him was possible on his previous visit.

Either do the application yourself which most people are capable of or instruct a company with a good track record with all applications.