It does seem from previous years that the embassy receives fewer applications at this time of year and subsequently the processing time reduces.

hi malc maybe its good news , dont worry about it being quick , wife got txt today to say hers ready to pick up, she already been and they gave it to her straight away and its a YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS yahoooooooooo, 13 days we waited , but this was second app as first was refused cos wrong english test, i told the wife to put all the new evidence on top with the refusal letter and said maybe they will just look at the new papers save looking at all and maybe we get quick answer,, dont know if that was the case but happy that we can get on now yim,, good luck malc and hope your wife will be coming back with you,, fingers crossed for u mate,,

Congrats on the Visa phil sorry it's taken so long for me to notice been wrapped up with work and the new baby :-)

It makes you feel like writing a thank you letter to the Embassy.

Malc

I did write a thank you letter when we got ours. We are back in Thailand for a while now :-) We'll miss the worst of the winter.

And a Congrats to all the new guys who's wives have their Visa's too. The freedom to come and go as you please is a great feeling.

The freedom to come and go as you please is a great feeling.

Unless your wife has been naturalised as British, she's not got there yet, I'm afraid.

If she has a settlement visa or Further Leave to Remain then there is no actual limit on how long she can be outside the UK. However, when she applies for Indefinite Leave to Remain she will need to show she is a UK resident; which may be difficult to do if most of the last two years have been spent in Thailand!

If she has ILR, she can leave and enter the UK as often as she wishes. However, if she is out of the UK for a continuous period of two years or more then her ILR will lapse and the next time she wants to enter the UK she will need to obtain the appropriate visa. Even if her ILR has not lapsed, if it appeared to an Immigration Officer at her port of entry to the UK that she is not actually resident in the UK but using her ILR for visits then the IO could, and probably would, cancel her ILR; although she would be allowed in as a visitor on that occasion.

It is only once she has been naturalised as British and has a British passport that she can come and go as she pleases; the same as any other British citizen.

However, there is a residential qualification for citizenship. Spouses or partners of British citizens must have been physically present in the UK on the exact date three years prior to submitting their application and during the intervening three years they must have spent no more than 270 days out of the UK with no more than 90 days in the final year. For others, it is 5 years with a max of 450 days out of the UK.

Furthermore, applicants for naturalisation must have no time limit on their stay in the UK; i.e. ILR or the equivalent.

Waiting on applications submitted on 15 September 2011.

Waiting on applications submitted on 15 September 2011.

So that would be three weeks as of today. Would you expect to wait much longer at the present time?

Unless your wife has been naturalised as British, she's not got there yet, I'm afraid.

If she has a settlement visa or Further Leave to Remain then there is no actual limit on how long she can be outside the UK. However, when she applies for Indefinite Leave to Remain she will need to show she is a UK resident; which may be difficult to do if most of the last two years have been spent in Thailand!

If she has ILR, she can leave and enter the UK as often as she wishes. However, if she is out of the UK for a continuous period of two years or more then her ILR will lapse and the next time she wants to enter the UK she will need to obtain the appropriate visa. Even if her ILR has not lapsed, if it appeared to an Immigration Officer at her port of entry to the UK that she is not actually resident in the UK but using her ILR for visits then the IO could, and probably would, cancel her ILR; although she would be allowed in as a visitor on that occasion.

It is only once she has been naturalised as British and has a British passport that she can come and go as she pleases; the same as any other British citizen.

However, there is a residential qualification for citizenship. Spouses or partners of British citizens must have been physically present in the UK on the exact date three years prior to submitting their application and during the intervening three years they must have spent no more than 270 days out of the UK with no more than 90 days in the final year. For others, it is 5 years with a max of 450 days out of the UK.

Furthermore, applicants for naturalisation must have no time limit on their stay in the UK; i.e. ILR or the equivalent.

I know that wont last and we have to make some decisions in the future.

But for the moment we are enjoying the freedom :-)

Settlement visa received today & approved application date 15 September 2011.

Hi all,

Settlement visa success!!! . Wife received the sms yesterday to say application had been processed and returned to the courier. Passport arrived in Phuket today (didn't expect it until at least Friday)

Anyway, submitted 19th September and processed 11th October. Three weeks and one day or 16 working days turnaround

Cheers

Steve

As per the other messages at the other site............. Wahhhhhhhhhhooooo for you buddy!!!!

one back tomorrow submitted 21-09............

Current Information for those waiting / interested....

Processing Times for Settlement Visas in Thailand August 2011

Total Decisions made = 300

2 Days = 0%

3 Days = 0%

5 Days = 7%

10 Days = 19%

15 Days = 29%

40 Days = 75%

60 Days = 97%

90 Days = 99%

120 Days = 100%

Regards Frogster

Great news for everyone whose partner has received a Visa and its been even better over the last 2 months with applications been done within 3 weeks, I remember the panic i had when i thought that it was to quick to get a reply and expected a refusal.

Their cant be many members on TV left to apply for a visa for their partners who have been posting during the year.

when you look back, Maybe the application form was not all that difficult, I know that i spent 5 weeks on mine, But their has been a high success rate with very few refusals (3 TV members refusals since April this Year)

Now its getting everything sorted in the UK with NI Numbers, doctors and that.

Malc

I know what you mean Malc. Now that we've got the visa all that running around and stress seems irrelevant. I've booked our flights and heading back to LOS next month for a week before bringing the wife home. Starting to get stuff sorted here too. I rang my doctors yesterday and they said no problems getting her registered. Just a case of calling in when she's here and filling out a form

September's processing times for settlement visas:

2 days 0%

3 days 1%

5 days 7%

10 days 76%

15 days 89%

40 days 92%

60 days 100%

90 days 100%

120 days 100%

Total decisions made 67

The missus put hers in last week, just have to sit & wait now....reckon the floods and run up to Christmas could slow things down for Oct & Nov applications...

My misses but are application in 12 th oct still waiting

Just had the SMS/ email saying your application has been processed at the embassy we can go pick it up has anyone had the same SMS / email and it was successful ?

One on its way back submitted 25 September 2011.

Just had the SMS/ email saying your application has been processed at the embassy we can go pick it up has anyone had the same SMS / email and it was successful ?

This is the standard SMS, and has no bearing on the result.

The only way to find out is to collect the passport.

One on its way back submitted 25 September 2011.

Hmmmm....... How did you manage to submit an application on a Sunday (25th September) ???

It is 1:30 on a Sunday morning, I have just had a phone call from a very happy wife…. "the man from the Visa office say yes"….

Our application went in on the 26^th September, (so that makes 6 weeks and two days for processing, 4 days for returning to her address). Sunday delivery!!!

It is 1:30 on a Sunday morning, I have just had a phone call from a very happy wife…. "the man from the Visa office say yes"….

Our application went in on the 26^th September, (so that makes 6 weeks and two days for processing, 4 days for returning to her address). Sunday delivery!!!

Good news

Good news

Thank You..... It is indeed !!!

Good luck with your applications too.

submitted on the 12/10 received are sms on the 10/11 and it was a YES thanks for all your advice

Another TV member with a successful settlement visa application. I applied with my wife on October 21, passport available for collection on November 14. Three weeks, when I was expecting up to three months given that my wife is not Thai. Bit of a shock since we are not in any great hurry to relocate due to employment here.

Can anybody advise if their wife/partner is asked to show their TB certificate at the UK immigration. By the time we do depart my wife's TB certificate will have expired, will we need to get a new one does anbody know?

Thanks for all the good input from everybody here.

Another success...Mrs Phomthai had the email yesterday and has collected her shiny new visa...YES YES YES!

10 working days, fantastic!

Thanks to everyone on this site for all the suggestions, help & advice. Thaivisa.com rocks!

Fiancée visa returned & issued 8 working days.

Submitted 10th November, turned around in 4 working days, returned to us on the 18th - Yes!!!

Another TV member with a successful settlement visa application. I applied with my wife on October 21, passport available for collection on November 14. Three weeks, when I was expecting up to three months given that my wife is not Thai. Bit of a shock since we are not in any great hurry to relocate due to employment here.

Can anybody advise if their wife/partner is asked to show their TB certificate at the UK immigration. By the time we do depart my wife's TB certificate will have expired, will we need to get a new one does anbody know?

Thanks for all the good input from everybody here.

My wife had to show hers at Heathrow, they originally asked her to do an x-ray there but she was pregnant so the Certificate was accepted.

We'll see if she has to do one next August as her Cert will have definately expired by then.

Congrats on the quick acceptances at the moment.

Looks like if we need another for my wife we apply about now.

Submitted today 12/12/2011

Anyone have experience of whether its any quicker/slower if both the applicant/UK spouse have been Thailand based and are relocating to settle together?