Uk 'O' Visa - Civil Partnership

[Nevo]

YES - They all will. If you have a Civil Partnership certificate registered by or in the UK ( so issued in any country that have this agreement)- All consulates in the UK will issue a multi- entry non imm O.

They, however, will be v.v.v. reluctant to (if at all) confirm this by e.mail (I suppose for obvious reasons). They have confirmed it by telephone because I've called them all.

Sometimes some very stupid European rules, causing fear among officials, work for US!!

I am quite proud of myself because the conversation started 'Hello, if I'm married to a Thai national with a certificate registered in the UK do I qualify for a Multi Entry Non 'O'? YES was the reply. 'So if I have a registered Civil Partnership for the U.K then I can do the visa to?.......Let me just check.........'YES, you can, No problem..' Responses from e.mail's = nil

[Nevo]

I didn't mean this was a stupid rule......... Which it isn't.........I meant the fear of doing something non P.C is daunting for them.......Sorry

[RabC]

Just 2 questions in I may.

1. Did you mention same sex partnership?

2. Have you actually had a multi non O issued?

Thanks

Rab C

Added. Maybe I have the wrong end of the stick here, do you mean a Type O to enter Thailand or some form of visa to enter UK?

Edited June 10, 2011 by RabC

[Nevo]

RabC

Yes same sex civil partnerships. No I haven't had one issued yet.I'm going to get one later in the year, hopefully, so I'll let you know. The type 'O' is for permission to stay in Thailand, multiple entry so good for 12 months + 3 (having to border run every 90 days. It is exactly the same visa that would be issued to a male/female non-thai/ thai with marriage certificate.

[RabC]

RabC

Yes same sex civil partnerships. No I haven't had one issued yet.I'm going to get one later in the year, hopefully, so I'll let you know. The type 'O' is for permission to stay in Thailand, multiple entry so good for 12 months + 3 (having to border run every 90 days. It is exactly the same visa that would be issued to a male/female non-thai/ thai with marriage certificate.

Nevo

I would really appreciate if you could update me once you have applied. I have been using multi 'O' for the last 7 years from Hull to stay with my partner here in Thailand. I am under 50 so can not get a retirement visa hence very interested in your result.

Cheers

RabC

[Nevo]

RabC

I will

Also a quote from the Registrar Office that is very interesting:-

'On 9th May 2011, there was a remedial order made to the Asylum &

Immigration Act 2004 , which removed the need for foreign nationals to

present a visa for marriage or civil partnership at the time of giving

notice to the register office.'

[Nevo]

And here are the rules from the government website confirmed:-

Changes to marriage/civil partnership requirements

From 9 May, any migrant subject to immigration control wishing to give notice to marry or register a civil partnership in the UK will no longer need:

a certificate of approval or,

an entry clearance for the purpose of marriage or registering a civil partnership or,

settled status in the UK.

Requirements which are unchanged

Migrants who are subject to immigration control will still need to:

give notice to marry or register a civil partnership in a designated register office. Migrants who wish to give notice at a non-designated register office will need to provide evidence that they are not subject to immigration control.

meet other existing requirements for giving notice e.g. evidence of nationality, name and surname and date of birth and that they are free to marry. Contact the registration service for more details about these requirements.

[LeCharivari]

RabC

Yes same sex civil partnerships. No I haven't had one issued yet.I'm going to get one later in the year, hopefully, so I'll let you know. The type 'O' is for permission to stay in Thailand, multiple entry so good for 12 months + 3 (having to border run every 90 days. It is exactly the same visa that would be issued to a male/female non-thai/ thai with marriage certificate.

Nevo

I would really appreciate if you could update me once you have applied. I have been using multi 'O' for the last 7 years from Hull to stay with my partner here in Thailand. I am under 50 so can not get a retirement visa hence very interested in your result.

Cheers

RabC

RabC,

its a bit confusing as Nevo seems to be talking about changes to both the Thai Non 'O' visa and the British visa requirements before a foreign national can register a Civil Partnership with a British national in the UK.

There have been no changes to Thai visa policy or to the Thai Non 'O' visa requirements you already meet to get your visa from Hull or to the visa they will give you. European rules "stupid" or otherwise, obviously apply only to Europe (not Thailand or Thai visas).

British visa policy has changed with effect from last month in that you apparently no longer need to have a Certificate of Approval or to apply for a visa intending to marry or register a Civil Partnership (commonly called a "Marriage Visa"). Instead a foreign national can now go to the UK on any visa and then register a Civil Partnership with a British Citizen, with the same documentation and length of stay prior to applying to register requirement as before - the same that they would require in an appropriate British Consulate or Embassy (for example those in Vietnam).

[Royale]

The rules DID change on the 8th of April.

You now need the following :

Category “O”

Married to a Thai national

Evidence required: Copy of marriage certificate (in English).

or

Visiting family working/living in Thailand

Evidence required: Birth/Marriage Certificate to show relationship plus letter from relative confirming

they are in Thailand together with copy of valid entry visa in their passport or copy of valid work

permit.

It would have been clearer for everyone if they'd written Birth/Marriage/Civil Partnership Certificate. But as Nevo has said they did confirm that they are accepted when he called them.

Just visiting family and friends is no longer an option without a Certificate of some kind.

[LeCharivari]

Sorry, but they didn't change as far as visiting a Civil Partner was concerned, nor did the Immigration rules change - Thai immigration simply made their British-staffed Consulates follow the same regulations as the Thai-staffed Embassies.

Visiting a Civil Partner currently entitles you to a Non 'O' visa on the grounds of "visiting family", not "marriage" - Thailand does not recognise Civil Partnerships or same sex marriage, so Thai Immigration could hardly have put this on the Visa application form.

It doesn't worry me any more as I am now over 50 and here on an annual extension of stay, but I would strongly advise anyone not to push the "marriage" side just to get the same visa from the Consulates that is already available as "family", for what I would have thought were obvious reasons.

[LindsayBKK]

Well looks like I'm going to Walen next year.

I am under 50, not working and live with Thai partner.

I was hoping to go to Hull end of the year for a non 'O' but reading this thread....

I don't think my other half would do a civil partnership.

I will have to read some Australian links.

How many Thai/farang gay couples are there in Thailand? especially under 50.

I miss Perth Thai Consulate.

Edited August 8, 2011 by LindsayBKK

[vistana]

I got an multi O visa based on our civil partnership certificate from Hull last November 2010.

My Thai partner had lived with me for 6 years in the UK and we decided to move to Thailand to live so I contacted the consulate in Hull and as has been stated already was told just send your original civil partnership certificate with your application form..... and sure enough a few days later it came back with a 12 month multi entry o visa.

My question is since April 2011 if I did the same again this year would they still issue a new 12 month multi o visa?

Any one got experience of this since April 2011?

Regards

Vistana

[MacWalen]

Well looks like I'm going to Walen next year.

I am under 50, not working and live with Thai partner.

I was hoping to go to Hull end of the year for a non 'O' but reading this thread....

I don't think my other half would do a civil partnership.

I will have to read some Australian links.

How many Thai/farang gay couples are there in Thailand? especially under 50.

I miss Perth Thai Consulate.

We will be happy to see you.

Walen School

[LeCharivari]

Well looks like I'm going to Walen next year.

Hopefully you want the "ed" as much as the "visa".

Thai immigration have now realised that as other long term visa options have been reduced so the number of farangs under 50 wanting to study Thai has increased dramatically. Just in case some students or schools are abusing the system (heaven forbid!) some immigration offices (Pattaya, Chonburi, Rayong and apparently Bangkok) are now informally checking students' progress by talking to them in Thai when they go for their 90 day registration; those who have done only 3 months full time study are expected to at least be able to answer basic questions in Thai such as where do you live and what do you do here, while those who have been studying longer should obviously know considerably more.

Those who haven't been paying attention in school have their Ed visas cancelled on the spot.

[MacWalen]

So far there is not even one case of a Walen student who had a problem with extending or obtaining their ED visas in any of our 5 branches. I cannot speak for other competing schools but should you choose Walen we will take good care of you. This much I can guarantee.

Walen School - taking good care of our students.