Success From The Uk

[Marko2]

Dear all

I thought I would share my experience with you as it maybe of use to some people.

I’ve found this board to be a catalog of useful info and have received excellent advise whenever I posted questions (once again the Scouser can proudly step forward!)

Going back to earlier in the year my girlfriend applied for a VV. Thanks to reading the forum I provided all the info that a sponsor needs too and I also emphasized to her the importance of providing certain info. Anyway it all worked out and she received the visa on the day she made the application (or at least had the visa approved and told to come back in a day or so- I can’t remember)

She came to England at the begging of May, but this was only a temporary solution as of course the visa is only for 6 moths in a year. So we decided to head back to BKK and get “registered” and apply for a settlement/ Spouse visa.

However we were both in the UK, and I would only be able to be in BKK for 2 weeks in September, at the time the waiting time for an interview at the embassy was also 16 weeks! This raised alarm bells as I had a vision of going to BKK, getting registered, aping for an SV but then still having to wait 4 months for an interview!

So after asking some questions on here, I decided the best action was to fill in the SV application form and send as much info as possible from the UK. Including a cover letter explaining what I was doing and that all the missing info would be provided as soon as we had it in BKK. I figured this was a risk as they may deem the application to be incomplete and therefore automatically request an interview which would have been at least a 3 months wait (we sent the info in July)

After a couple of weeks the embassy wrote back to us in the UK saying please come to the embassy any afternoon (except Friday I think) with the marriage certificate.

So we went to BKK did the register stuff and went to the embassy, After about a 2 or 3 hour wait the she was called to the counter were she presented the documents. The lady behind the counter asked a couple of questions- almost like pleasantries, asked her when she wanted the visa to be valid from and gave it to her there and then (literally took 2 minutes!)

Now I know the embassy get a lot of stick and quite rightly sometimes, but I also think that if you try to understand want they are doing, what they look for and what you can do to make there job a bit easier then you can get results. We may have got lucky but I’m also quite sure tat thanks to the research I could do on this site it helped everything go smoothly.

The only question I have now is about the TB/ Chest x-ray that is required to enter the UK. If she get an X-ray in BKK will this elimate the need to see a doctor at Heathrow? is there anything else she should take with her?- such as a health check up report?

Thanks again for making this forum so useful and good luck to all.

[mrbojangles]

The only question I have now is about the TB/ Chest x-ray that is required to enter the UK. If she get an X-ray in BKK will this elimate the need to see a doctor at Heathrow? is there anything else she should take with her?- such as a health check up report?

Hi Marko2,

Excellent news mate and an excellent informative post for those going down the route.

As for the TB/Chest x-ray. My Mrs came over a couple of weeks ago and she had the x-ray done in LOS, it cost her 1000baht. She got to Manchester, the IO saw she had the x-ray with her, had a quick look, rolled up the Mrs sleeve to see the scar from the TB innoculation and waved her through. She didn't have any other medical records with her. All in all, it took 50 minutes, from the plane landing, to going through the IO, collecting her luggage and going through Customs. Now, i hear there is a certain Terminal at Heathrow, that the IO's are sticklers but i haven't any personal experience of that Airport. What i would suggest, is that for a 1000baht or so, it is worth getting the x-ray done before you come. Good luck any way.

Edited October 6, 2005 by mrbojangles

[the scouser]

Hi Marko,

That's excellent news, and I have also learnt something. I had made the assumption that an application for a spouse visa pre-dating the marriage would automatically be given the full works, but, evidently not.

Having a chest x-ray done in BKK doesn't remove the need to see the quack on arrival in the UK: it just means that it takes less time. As discussed on another thread, whether she is seen at all, depends upon which airport your wife arrives at.

Cheers,

Scouse.