Moving Back To The Uk With My Thai Wife

[ChangMaiSausage]

Hi I'm looking for some advice regarding moving back to the UK with my Thai wife and family. I married a Thai lady three years and she has been living with me in Qatar for this period. I also took responsibility of her seven year old daughter who has spent the last three years with us in Qatar we have also had a two year old son.

It now looks as if my job will finish in June of this year and need to start planning to see what I can arrange prior to demoobilizing from Qatar back to the UK.

What are the visa options available to my wife and her daughter (our) when we arrive back in the UK? They currently have a five year visitor visa in their passports. Does it mean anything that we have been living to gether for the last three years in Qatar?

If in the UK can my wife apply fro a UK drivers license?

What about schooling for my daughter would she be able to attend a non private school?

So many things I keep thinking about hope someone can give some advice.

Admin if this is posted in the worng section please feel free to move.

Thanks

Dave

[thaiphoon]

Moving to Visas and migration to other countries forum

[torrenova]

What do you mean by "took responsibility" ? Adopted ?

Your son is fine, has UK passport I presume, or can get one.

If your wife is a resident, she will be able to drive on her full licence for 12 months but then she will have to do the UK tests http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/Motoring...%A0+Next%C2%A0+

I think you may have insurance issues and would advise her to get some lessons and pass the test, theory as well now.

I'm not sure about the settlement fees for your daughter, or the exact process if she is not "yours" but I guess fairly straightforward.

Kids, school, doctors etc. all from day one. Show passports to register.

As for your wife's and daughter's visas. I am assuming that as a visitor they are only allowed to remain for 6 months in 12 but as their visa is issued for longer than 6 months (5 years), is the dispensation allowing visas issued for over 6 months to be changed to ILR available or does it fail at this 6 month hurdle again ? http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/partners...ying-inside-uk/

If this is not available, I suspect you are back down the settlement visa route, then having to take the Life in UK test http://www.lifeintheuktest.gov.uk/ and then applying (and paying through the nose) for ILR.

The child visa for your daughter is covered here I think http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/partners...ildren/#header2

If they cannot convert their 5 year visitors visas, I understand that settlement applications can only be made from the country of their residence, namely Thailand. I think that is illogical, especially as you don't live in Thailand but I hope someone else can help with specifics there.

What are you doing about housing ? You'll need to know that one before applying other than on their visitors visas.

[ChangMaiSausage]

Thanks torrenova, I've just started to look into the in's and out's, hopefully I will be able to speak to someone at the British embassy (Doha) for advice.

Daughter - she came to Qatar with her mother once we where married I taken care of her english education etc. I have not started the adoption process yet as I'm told it takes time and last year it was not possible to take time off due to work commitments, she still has her Thai fathers name.

I own a propoerty in the UK and we can move straight into that (no morgage) so accommodation should not be an issue.

Again thanks for the links and advice

Dave

[ChangMaiSausage]

We would also be very close to completing the following:

We may be able to give you permission to live permanently in the UK as soon as you arrive, if:

you and your partner married or formed a civil partnership at least four years ago;

you have spent those four years living together outside the UK;

you are both coming to the UK to settle here together; and

you have sufficient knowledge of the English language and life in the UK. - Not sure of thi section life in the UK.

[7by7]

Their visit visas do not confer any settlement rights in the UK. To live in the UK your wife and step-daughter will need to apply for settlement visas. There is no need to adopt your step-daughter for this as she can apply to accompany her mother.

Your son presumably has a British passport, so will not need a visa.

For how and where to apply see HOW TO APPLY FOR A UK VISA in QATAR.

Normally settlement applicants are granted a 27 month visa and after spending two years in the UK they apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, one of the requirements for which is demonstrating adequate knowledge of language and life in the UK (KOL).

If you have been married and living together outside the UK for 4 years or more, then when your wife applies for settlement she will not be given a 27 month settlement visa, she will be give Indefinite Leave to Enter instead. If she has not satisfied the KOL requirement then this will be subject to KOL and she will have 27 months to do so and then apply for ILR. If she has satisfied the KOL then her ILE will be indefinite. See this topic for more on this.

Whatever visa your wife is given, her daughter will be given the same, although she needs to make a separate application.

You may also find the following helpful:-

Maintenance and accommodation

Settlement; Spouse

Settlement; children

When you do move to the UK the local authority where you live will have a legal obligation to provide schooling for both your children. You should contact them to arrange this.

Your wife can apply for a UK driving licence the moment she arrives as a resident. If she has a foreign licence she can use this for up to 12 months after her arrival. See here.