Uk- Girlfriends Pregnant.

[coldcrush]

Hiya All,

I am a UK Citizen and my girlfriend whom I have been dating for a year is now pregnant. I have just returned to the UK and am starting employment soon.

I want to know should I fly back and marry her before the baby is born, as I have been told that my child to gain a UK passport/nationality needs my girlfriend and I to be married before the birth. Also can I apply for a visa while she is pregnant and which one would be the best fiance, spouse etc.

Its got me in a spin and I need the roundabout to stop!

However I am over the moon happy about it so please no doubter replys as we are much a couple than the next!

Thanks Visa posters for all the help.

Edited May 16, 2005 by lopburiguy

[Crossy]

Hiya All,

I am a UK Citizen and my girlfriend whom I have been dating for a year is now pregnant.  I have just returned to the UK and am starting employment soon.

I want to know should I fly back and marry her before the baby is born, as I have been told that my child to gain a UK passport/nationality needs my girlfriend and I to be married before the birth.  Also can I apply for a visa while she is pregnant and which one would be the best fiance, spouse etc.

Its got me in a spin and I need the roundabout to stop!   

However I am over the moon happy about it so please no doubter replys as we are much a couple than the next!

Thanks Visa posters for all the help.   

You seem mega-happy that you will be a dad, so many congrats

IMHO (others may differ).

Marry your lady here before the youngster arrives, makes getting a UK PP for the little blighter easier (possible). Make sure you do the amphur registration bit (that is what makes it acceptable in the UK). Ensure that your name is on the Thai birth cert.

Apply for a UK settlement visa, the requirements and process is so similar to the fiance visa that it hardly seems worth doing otherwise (and you are limited as to timing).

Please make sure you can handle the financial requirements of the visa, if not DON'T apply, if you get rejected (and you will) there will always be that nagging black mark on your GF/wife's file. Wait until all the finances are in order (supporting you wife here of course). You should probably have at least 6 months of regular pay slips to produce.

WAIT!!!

Wait some more, then hopefully get a visa and live happily ever after.

One point, it may be advantagous to your wife to have the child here, where she can scream all she likes in Thai and the doc's etc. will understand, a bit (lot) of pain soon kills off second language capabilities. Not personal experience here, a freind of ours (with a Korean wife) soon discovered that the staff at Bournemouth General do not understand Korean. Luckily no complications, but the baby was 10lbs plus (he's a BIG chap).

I'm 99% sure my info is correct, someone will surely correct me if I'm wrong (please) and fill in the gaps.

[the scouser]

Yes, Crossy is right that for the child to automatically be a British citizen you have to be married to the mother. There is nothing stopping you from applying for a visa now although airlines will refuse to carry pregnant women after about 30 weeks. Perhaps ask the visa officer to bring forward the interview? Your g/f's condition should ease the visa process as pregnancy is possibly the best proof that you are in a genuine relationship.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[coldcrush]

Hiya,

thanks for your help, I am sure I will need it again!

[bkk_mike]

For the child to get a UK PP, you just need to be the person named on the birth certificate, and you need to marry the mother.

However, I don't believe the order is important. - i.e. Child born before marriage is fine, so long as it's your name on the birth certificate.

[coldcrush]

Hiya chaps

a little more on the visa thingy again! Just for a change...

Are 3 months wage slips and bank details sufficient as I have lived out of the UK so long and have just returned to work. I would love my "soon tobe wife" to be here with me, which is understandable, sooner rather than later. I have all the contact info, letters, calls etc. Will I stand a chance?

Also are there any reputable agencies or solicitors I could use to gold plate the application or are they a waste of time? I understand the visa application quite indepth and have built up a good file. However will an agency benefit my girlfriend, as in interview techniques etc?

Any comments welcomed. Thanks

Edited June 5, 2005 by lopburiguy

[the scouser]

Hi Lopburiguy,

If you have 6 months' worth of bank statements then supply them all, even if some don't show a salary going in. If you do only have 3, then provide these and in your covering letter explain why. Also provide a letter from your employer detailing your job and salary.

With regard to an immigration adviser, if you feel confident enough about the application then there's little to be achieved in instructing one. Also, I've yet to come across an agency in Thailand which knows UK immigration law and the way it's implemented; a case of caveat emptor.

Scouse.

[JoJo]

Congrats about the baby Lop! I am sure you are estatic.

I know you are keen that to get your gf over asap. However, have you thought about the cost of delivery, maternity and monthly checkups in UK? Quite costly.......compared to Thailand.

Perhaps it would be better for her to have it here rather than there.....and you can apply for them to come over right after.

I sincerely doubt the British Embassy will grant or expedite a visa just because she is pregnant. One of my friends was in a similar situation as you and he was told, they would only expedite a visa if there was a valid reason. I am not sure how far off your gf is but my friend's gf was 3 months pregnant at that time so she managed to get the visa only after delivery. I guess it would be a case to case basis.

Good luck!

[Khutan]

Congrats about the baby Lop! I am sure you are estatic. ....Good luck!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly, alot of work and even more reward.

OK, here is a short version of the "Fast way to get married".

1. Get a Stat-Declaration from the Embassy, saying you are single and free to marry. Have it stamped by the embassy.

2. Take that form with your Girlfriend and about 6,000 Baht to one of the better Translation services. If you want to know the one I used PM me, I am not giving free advertising.

3. They will give you all these forms to sign, and they will then go and do all the hard work. The main thing is to get the certificate from the Thai Govt saying you can both marry.

4. At this point the translation service will gove you an option, they for about an extra 2,000 can actually go and get the marraige registered as well at the Ampour. So you never have to deal with the Government directly.

I chose not to have the last option as we wanted to register it in our "home" ampour.

If you do that, you need 2 witnesses and 200 baht.

A nice place to register the marraige is of course Ban Ruk, which means "The place of Love"

Good luck and PM me if you need any help with it.

[the scouser]

have you thought about the cost of delivery, maternity and monthly checkups in UK?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If Lopburiguy's g/f enters the UK on either a fiancée or spouse visa she will be entitled to free NHS treatment.

Scouse.

[coldcrush]

have you thought about the cost of delivery, maternity and monthly checkups in UK?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If Lopburiguy's g/f enters the UK on either a fiancée or spouse visa she will be entitled to free NHS treatment.

Scouse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Scouse, thats one thing the UK does do for free! I think its about the only thing and it isnt doing it very well! I hope they dont have a waiting listy at the door when the baby is due...

So are my chances quite low? Maybe a question that cannot be answered, howver it soon will.

The place of "Love" sounds all luvvvy Mattnich! Come on then I will have a look!

Thanks All

[bkk_mike]

have you thought about the cost of delivery, maternity and monthly checkups in UK?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If Lopburiguy's g/f enters the UK on either a fiancée or spouse visa she will be entitled to free NHS treatment.

Scouse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My wife had one baby born on the NHS.

She vowed never to have another born in a UK hospital. (The one thing that she finds truly disgusting about the UK is the state of the hospital treatment there...)

It's possibly more that, where in Thailand, if you don't like one hospital, you simply take your money to the next one. In the UK, you don't have a choice, and if you don't like your local hospital you're stuffed. (unless your company provides Bupa or equivalent, but private treatment is seriously more expensive in the UK than it is in Thailand).