Married Couple Want To Bring Thai Inlaws To Uk For Extended Visit

[qpgwmh]

Hi there,

My Thai wife (now a UK citizen) and I would like to bring her mother to the UK for a period of time to help with childcare. As her mother is from a rural community she has little financial clout and no official employment and therefore I wonder how we may go about the application process or indeed whether it is worth entertaining the idea at all? I may be mistaken but proof of significant funds and reason to return were key factors when I looked into a tourist visa some years back. Perhaps there are other visas for our situation though, perhaps things have changed...

Many Thanks for your advice.

Edited June 8, 2010 by qpgwmh

[doctormann]

Hi there,

My Thai wife (now a UK citizen) and I would like to bring her mother to the UK for a period of time to help with childcare. As her mother is from a rural community she has little financial clout and no official employment and therefore I wonder how we may go about the application process or indeed whether it is worth entertaining the idea at all? I may be mistaken but proof of significant funds and reason to return were key factors when I looked into a tourist visa some years back. Perhaps there are other visas for our situation though, perhaps things have changed...

Many Thanks for your advice.

Hi

This might well work OK, with the usual provisos. Your MIL will have to go through the process of applying for a 'Family Visit' visa (VAF 1B application form) and, if successful would be able to stay in the UK for up to six months. Firstly though, she needs a passport - easy to get if she doesn't already have one.

Someone, probably you or your wife, will have to sponsor her visit, meaning that you will cover all her expenses while in the UK and that you will provide accommodation for her. She does not necessarily need any money of her own.

The only real problem is likely to be the 'Reason to Return.' She will have to convince the ECO at the Embassy that she will leave the UK at the end of her permitted stay and this can be tricky. Does she own any property? Are there any compelling reasons for her to return? You need to think carefully about this. Also, is there any possibility that she could make a short trip to a neighbouring country before applying? ECOs seem to like evidence of previous international travel. Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia would be fine and there would be no visa problems - generally not required or just issued on arrival.

As a point of information, you need to be very careful about specifying the purpose of the visit. An 'extended holiday' should be OK but 'helping with childcare' could be construed as working as would lead to an immediate rejection of the application. I'm sure that you just mean 'helping the wife with the kids' but the ECO might not see it like this.

Download the VAF1B form from the VFS (Thailand) website, www.vfs-uk-th.com/, and take a look at it. Most of the info that you need to provide is fairly straightforward. If there is any information that you can't provide - date and place of birth for rural people is sometimes a problem, for instance - you can try to explain this in the sponsorship letter that you or your wife will have to provide anyway. Some guidance notes are on the VAF1B from.

Applications have to be made in person, which means that your MIL will need to go to Regent House in Bangkok to submit the paperwork. Things cannot be done by post as VFS will need to take biometric information - just fingerprints and facial recognition parameters. An appointment is not necessary - just get her to turn up early. The passport should be returned within a few working days, depending on how busy they are.

As a further point of information, there would almost certainly be no mileage in applying for anything other than a six-month visa, as this would be her first application.

I hope that this will be of some help. I've never tried to import my Thai MIL into the UK but I have had 100% success with visas for my Thai wife. Just follow the rules, tell the truth, give them what they want info-wise and, if your MIL meets the requirements she will get the visa. Most genuine applications do succeed - those that fail are either badly prepared or inappropriate. Good luck.

DM

[ThaiVisaExpress]

I would not advise you insert helping with child care its a simple family visit visa.

[qpgwmh]

I can't thank you enough for taking the time to write such a comprehensive and helpful reply. I fell so much more informed now. THANK YOU.

[GingerLing]

We were in exactly the same position, wanting to bring my MIL over to help with the first 6 months of childcare, whilst my wife was on maternity leave. The w a n k er at the British Embassy conducting the interview tricked my MIL into saying she was going to be a nanny, by mis-representing the term to her. She agreed she was going to a nanny, not understanding that the term infers employment, which is an automatic rejection of VISA application as you cannot get a WP for this as a non-EU resident. It also counts against subsequent applications.

The problem was made worst by the British Embassy not allowing my FIL, wife or myself attend the interview, even though we were all there to help in the process. The w a n k e r at the Embassy even made snide remarks about our ability to pay for a nanny on reviewing the pay slips from my wife and my tax return as evidence of ability to support my MIL during her stay in the UK.

For MIL it is a daunting task, as they would offer deference to the British Government official, which is completely unnecessary as they are just glorified administrators.

We appealed in the UK, at which I personally made the representation to the court. The Magistrate shook his head in agreement with me at the monumental waste of everyone's time that some jobs worth retard with a quota to satisfy and a axe to grind had subsequently cost the UK tax payer thousands in legal costs. Needless to say the ruling was over turned without condition at appeal.

If I can find the arguments I made to the court I'll PM them to you as background to key issues your MIL should avoid. I think I still have the name of the individual at the embassy to avoid. The key phrase is 'Family Visit' do not deviate from this in any way, shape or form, even when other translations are offered.