Uk Settlement Visa For Wife

[KEZMAC]

I suppose this path has been tread many times but here goes again.

My thai wife and myself applied a month ago for a settlement visa and, i read in another thread about a guy who had been asked for additional information regarding his bank account and employment status, by the British Embassy in Bangkok just before the interview.

This is causing me some worry as i provided the Embassy with all the documentation required which included 6 months bank statements 6 months payslips and proof of accomodation up to the end of July 2005.

Can anybody give me some guidance on this matter as i intend to return to Thailand for a stay with my wife which will take me up to and include her interview date which is the 30/11/05. If i require more bank statements and more payslips i will have to make provision for this before i leave for thailand next month.

I would appreciate any advice

Cheers

[the scouser]

Hi Kezmac,

The need to supply extra bank statements etc. is enforced on a case by case basis and I would provide them rather than have the visa refused on a minor technicality. If you are in Thailand at the time, perhaps you can print off copies from the internet, or have someone in the UK post your statements on to you.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[mrbojangles]

Hi Kezmac,

My Mrs goes for her interview next month but i am in the UK. Last week i sent out copies of all my latest phone bills, e-mails, bank statements and wage slips etc. As Scouse says, you don't want the Visa refused on a minor technicality and so the more up to date documentation you can provide, the better. If you look at it from the Embassy's point of view, if her interview isn't until the end of Nov, that makes all of the information that you have provided thus far, almost 5 months old. Not really up to date, eh?

[KEZMAC]

Hi Guys

Firstly, thanks for the prompt reply.

Its common sense really but an underlying sense of dread has possessed me and i am full of unanswered questions rolling around my head.

This has not been helped by the fact that a pal of mine had a pretty hard time getting his wifes visa, and fills my head with his horror stories.

Will the embassy give my wife notice of further documentation required prior to the interview ? or as my pal says drop it on your toes on the actual day of interview.

Does the fact that my wife does not work since she left her job in Bangkok have any bearing on her ability to get a visa ? If the onus is on me to prove i can support her

i would assume its not an issue, and is the size of her bank balance going to be something that the embassy are going to be concerned about ?

Enough for now I am sure there may be more.

Thanks again

KEZMAC

[rio666uk]

Hi Kezmac

Firstly try not to do too much thinking about what could, may or can go wrong. If you've fullfilled the requirements for the UK Visa you should have very little to worry about.

2 of my mates went through the mill when they went to get their wives visa's - one of em had theirs refused purely because he had not been thinking clearly when he was compiling the application.

Sounds as though you've got everything up together regarding your paperwork - I would definately see if you can get someone to post your bank statements to you in BKK. I use internet banking and dont bother with statements - but i did query this with someone at the Embassy... lucky I bothered to do this as the Embassy advised that they would not accept photocopies or printouts - originals only. I had statements and bills etc as recent to my arrival in Thailand as was possible.

Secondly I wouldnt expect the Embassy to go out of their way too much to contact your wife for further documentation. If you have a feeling that they may want to see something more - take it... It wont weigh you down much more and will save you the worry when youre queing up outside.

I would say that your wife not working should not bear any impact on your application. As you say, you're providing somewhere for her to stay, and you are accepting financial responsability for her - her bank balance would only be questioned if she were coming as a student or on a work visa.

hope this helps

[mrbojangles]

I use internet banking and dont bother with statements - but i did query this with someone at the Embassy... lucky I bothered to do this as the Embassy advised that they would not accept photocopies or printouts - originals only. 

Is this right? Can somebody confirm. I have internet savings and internet banking and all i have provided is print outs off the internet. In fact i sent out my latest ones last week. If this is true i'm not going to have time to do anything about it before the wifes interview. This process is doing my fcucking head in

[rio666uk]

I use internet banking and dont bother with statements - but i did query this with someone at the Embassy... lucky I bothered to do this as the Embassy advised that they would not accept photocopies or printouts - originals only. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is this right? Can somebody confirm. I have internet savings and internet banking and all i have provided is print outs off the internet. In fact i sent out my latest ones last week. If this is true i'm not going to have time to do anything about it before the wifes interview. This process is doing my fcucking head in

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

'[email protected]'

MrBo this is the email of the guy that answered plenty of my visa enquiries.... he was very helpfull - that was last year - I guess hes still there.

Im only relaying information that I was told by people at the Embassy - Im not saying that its written in stone - but thats what this guy advised.

Pain in the ass - I had to contact my bank to request original statements for the past 6 months - I had to pay for the pleasure too - couple of quid each from memory.

[the scouser]

Got your Irish passport application in yet, Mr BoJ?

Scouse.

[the scouser]

This policy must be a local one rather than FCO-wide and, to be honest, I don't see how it can be sustained. Take phone calls, for example. The embassy used to insist on itemised phone bills in order to show that the applicant and sponsor maintained regular contact, but with the advent of phone cards which don't itemise calls, the embassy is now compelled to accept the cards without proof that they were, in fact, used for the purposes of calling the loved one. Likewise, as more and more people switch to internet banking and opt not to receive statements through the post, so the policy will have to change.

Ultimately, any application is judged on the balance of probabilities and for the visa officer not to accept internet-generated statements he must show that it is not probable that they relate to the recipient. If Mr BoJ's wife's application is refused on this sole ground, I couldn't see it being upheld at appeal.

Scouse.

[rio666uk]

Could not agree more Scouse - things will have to change but i dont know if they have or will do in the immediate future... as I said to MrBoJ - I am only relaying my experience - on another day another embassy clerk may well have said "yeah no problem at all with photocopy or printout bank statements"

The phonecard thing is something else I'd given question to - in the end I thought Id cover every angle and sent my vodafone bills and highlighted the calls made to the "phonecard" numbers, then painstakingly photocopied my Phonecards - - about a grands worth over the year... to be honest i dont know if the embassy even bothered looking but i had sent them anyway.

OP & MrBoJ - its well worth emailing them if youre unsure about something - keep a print off of their replies too...

[mrbojangles]

Got your Irish passport application in yet, Mr BoJ?

Scouse.

No, not yet Scouse. Apparently it may take more than 12 months to register my citizenship and then apply for the passport. Unless anyone knows of a quicker way.

Ultimately, any application is judged on the balance of probabilities and  for the visa officer not to accept internet-generated statements he must show that it is not probable that they relate to the recipient. If Mr BoJ's wife's application is refused on this sole ground, I couldn't see it being upheld at appeal.

Scouse.

I hope this is right Scouse. I use a Halifax Websaver account for higher % interest rates, however, the whole point of it is to reduce operating costs. Thus, they don't give you an option and don't provide statements, it is all managed over the internet. If i want to withdraw money i have to transfer it to my normal Halifax Card Cash account, which i do get statements for. My understanding of the point of providing 6 months of statements is to see a "trend" and not that i have just banked a big wedge for the purpose of the statement and then withdrawn it afterwards. It would look dodgy if i transferred all my savings into my deposit account, got a statement and then put it back into my higher interest account.

Now i'm panicking again

On another note, do i need to get our marriage certificates translated? Or does the Thai person at the interview confirm they are OK?

[rio666uk]

On another note, do i need to get our marriage certificates translated? Or does the Thai person at the interview confirm they are OK?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As far as I know its not required that the marriage certificate is translated for the Visa - although it wouldnt be a bad idea to get it done whilst youre there - I didnt bother when we got married but will have it translated when we go back next year.

[mrbojangles]

On another note, do i need to get our marriage certificates translated? Or does the Thai person at the interview confirm they are OK?

As far as I know its not required that the marriage certificate is translated for the Visa - although it wouldnt be a bad idea to get it done whilst youre there - I didnt bother when we got married but will have it translated when we go back next year.

Just phoned the wife, and asked her about the Marriage Cert. She's already thought about that and she's already had it translated. She say "why you think me stupid".

[tweedy85]

My wife and I had no trouble getting visa had bank statements and all the other things I did open a bank account in GB and had all my house details it all helps the best of l luck on that date

[the scouser]

Apparently it may take more than 12 months to register my citizenship and then apply for the passport. Unless anyone knows of a quicker way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I may be wrong here, but if I recall correctly from the website to which I posted a link, I got the impression that those who are directly descended from an Irish citizen, i.e. son or daughter, only need to apply for a passport, and it is those who have a more distant link to the Emerald Isle who have to register their citizenship prior to getting a passport.

Scouse.

[mrbojangles]

Apparently it may take more than 12 months to register my citizenship and then apply for the passport. Unless anyone knows of a quicker way.

I may be wrong here, but if I recall correctly from the website to which I posted a link, I got the impression that those who are directly descended from an Irish citizen, i.e. son or daughter, only need to apply for a passport, and it is those who have a more distant link to the Emerald Isle who have to register their citizenship prior to getting a passport.

Scouse.

Cheers Scouse. I'll double check that

[the scouser]

On the site it clearly says:-

If you were born outside Ireland to an Irish citizen who was himself or herself born in Ireland, then you are an Irish citizen.

It then goes on to say that those claiming citizenship through their grandparents have to register first.

My reading of it is that you can apply to the embassy in London for a passport with no other formalities. Of course, you'll have to supply both your birth certifcate and your mother's with the application.

Scouse.

[mrbojangles]

On the site it clearly says:-

If you were born outside Ireland to an Irish citizen who was himself or herself born in Ireland, then you are an Irish citizen.

It then goes on to say that those claiming citizenship through their grandparents have to register first.

My reading of it is that you can apply to the embassy in London for a passport with no other formalities. Of course, you'll have to supply both your birth certifcate and your mother's with the application.

Scouse.

Yep, your right Scouse. That Table was a bit confusing. My application to be a Paddy is now on the way. I'll have to go to elocution lessons now, be jessis

[KEZMAC]

Just to point out something i use internet banking and when printing out a statement i find that it puts the account number on it but not my name.

I m sure i can get somebody from england to send my statements over should they be required.

But i have taken on board the fact that its possible they may not contact my wife prior to the interview.

Has anybody had any experience of them contacting employers as i recently changed jobs and all the documents they hold are for my former employer.

Its all become a bit bloody complicated.

regards

kezmac

[the scouser]

It is unlikely that the visa officer will contact your employer. However, I would still inform them of your change of employment.

Scouse.

[KEZMAC]

It is unlikely that the visa officer will contact your employer. However, I would still inform them of your change of employment.

Scouse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah mate might be a good idea.

What would you suggest in the line of maintaining contact throughout, we rarely use the phone or e mail and rely instead on msn messenger which i dont really want to show the embassy the contents of our conversation.

If i make calls it tends to be on one of those cards that does not register on any bill

I have informed the wife that we need to start e mailing more as with a lot of folks we have not known each other that long.

Again much gratitude to all that have responded to my posts

Regards

KEZMAC

[the scouser]

Show the embassy whatever evidence you have concerning contact between the 2 of you. The only potential problem is that if you have little evidence of contact from the initial part of your relationship and then bundles of it from the few months approaching the visa interview, the visa officer may, rightly or wrongly, smell a rat.

Scouse.

[rio666uk]

It is unlikely that the visa officer will contact your employer. However, I would still inform them of your change of employment.

Scouse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah mate might be a good idea.

What would you suggest in the line of maintaining contact throughout, we rarely use the phone or e mail and rely instead on msn messenger which i dont really want to show the embassy the contents of our conversation.

If i make calls it tends to be on one of those cards that does not register on any bill

I have informed the wife that we need to start e mailing more as with a lot of folks we have not known each other that long.

Again much gratitude to all that have responded to my posts

Regards

KEZMAC

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

email - if youre on the computer using messenger anyway, it wouldnt be too much bother to send out token emails to eachother a few times per week.

highlight on your bill the Phonecard No and take photocopies of the cards - most have individual id numbers on the back of the card...

I sent photos from when I met my mrs - the photos were those with the date printed on the photo... I used this as extra evidence of when we first met - not that this method wouldnt be open for abuse

How long will your relationship have been at date of interview?

[KEZMAC]

Rio

Yeah mate I have known my wife the best part of 7 months at date of interview 3 months of which i will have spent in Thailand with her.

I would hope that this might count in my favour when she attends the embassy in November.

This will be my fourth time in Thailand this year, and i would consider spending 14 days in Bangkok, in a hotel room all day on my own because she as working as proof enough to Her Majestys Government of my undying love.

Dont get me started on the thai wedding 150 thais one white man in a white suit with a sash 149 spoke thai one did not, do you think the embassy would take this into account.

Bowing and smiling for 5 hours not for the feint hearted.

I know many of the guys out there might be nodding along in recognition although that said the wife looked stunning and i didnt have to make small talk with the guests

so not a bad result.

All the best

KEZMAC

[Clive sorts]

Hi Kezmac

I had a Thai wedding also earlier this year, lucky you 5 hours , mine was all day !! But as you rightly said, my now wife also looked beautiful and we are both very happy.

Regarding your evidence of communication with your wife, phonecards are ok, we submitted them with our application and there were no adverse problems. However to have a little documentry evidence I used countrycall.co.uk to contact wife in T/land so that my BT bill had that number listed on it for a few months. Country call offer different numbers allocated to different parts of the world and I also printed out from their website the page corresponding to the T/land number. This number then matched the number on my BT bill.

Best of luck

Regards

Clive sorts