If We Move To Uk How Long Before Thai Wife Can Work?

[silentnine]

hi all

recent developments in our lives (mentioned on another thread) mean we have more mouths to feed here in thailand,

myself (british), my son (half thai with uk passport), my daughter(british) and my g/f (together for 6 years)

we did the budha wedding a few years ago but just have never got round to going to the amphur to register marriage. out of the lasy 6 years i have been in thailand for all but a few months.

we have a buisness here in thailand that we plan to keep running via family here.

we are thinkign about applying for a 6 month marriage visa to start with to see if the mrs likes the uk as thats only 3900bt ( i personaly would prefer to stay in thailand but finances and school needs for my brithish daughter are going to dicate otherwise i think), then see what we need to do about settlement.

what i really want to know at what stage of can my wife work in the UK legally .. she is not the type of person who would want to sit at home staring at 4 walls while i works alone to top the pot back up.

ideally we would want to both work for 1 year to earn as much as we can then come back to thailand.

one of the sites i have read say enter the uk on fiance visa, get marrird then apply for 2 year extension, and she can worl legally straight away ?

Edited January 30, 2012 by silentnine

[kennkate]

If she comes to the UK on a Marriage visa She cannot work until she gets FLR

[silentnine]

If she comes to the UK on a Marriage visa She cannot work until she gets FLR

so would that be .. get a 6 month spouse visa.. then the 2 year extension ?

do we wait for the 6 months to expire b4 applying or do we aplly to extend asap

[kennkate]

If you intend to marry why not in Thailand It would save you the Marraige Visa Fee.

If you do indeed wish to marry in the UK then You can apply for FLR as soon as you are married.

[steve187]

The visa choices are visit, no work 3,800 baht,

Fiance at 40,000 baht, but would require FLR at £550 postal, £850 in person. which would give you 2 years+

Settlement for 27 months at 40,000baht but can work from day one, and then if required ILR after 2 years at £972 postal, £1350 in person. and then if required £835 for citizenship, all at todays prices, no doubt they will increase.

[silentnine]

The visa choices are visit, no work 3,800 baht,

Fiance at 40,000 baht, but would require FLR at £550 postal, £850 in person. which would give you 2 years+

Settlement for 27 months at 40,000baht but can work from day one, and then if required ILR after 2 years at £972 postal, £1350 in person. and then if required £835 for citizenship, all at todays prices, no doubt they will increase.

so if i am reading correct .. i would be better going spouse/settlement ? for 40k ..

i read there is a 3 or year rule on the spouse one also .. but that does mention it starts from civil partnership .. would the time togehter as partners count as we alrady have a son or only from date of marriage ..

and would legalising hte 2 year old budha stuff and going to the amphur for a maririage certifacte then applying for visas soon after be viewed as odd

[steve187]

The settlement visa once issued is for 27 months, after two years apply for ILR, which will require KOL. with ILR she can stay indefinately, but can not spend more than a year or so out of the country.

A lot of people apply immeadiatly after the marriage.

Lots of threads on here, I'm a little rusty as its been a while. see here -

[Thongkorn]

you cannot extend a Visit, Holiday visa. i don't think.

And you cannot work.

Edited January 30, 2012 by Thongkorn

[7by7]

The visa you refer to in your OP, 'a 6 month marriage visa ................. as thats only 3900bt.' is a type of visit visa for those who wish to visit the UK to marry but not to settle in the UK. As it is a visit visa the holder cannot work and it cannot be converted to settlement in the UK; if the holder, i.e. your wife, decides that they do want to settle in the UK they must return home to Thailand and apply for settlement there.

For settlement you have three options

• Fiance visa This lasts 6 months, you marry in the UK during that time and then apply for a two year extension (FLR) at the end of which she applies to remain indefinitely (ILR). She cannot work until after the marriage and she has been granted FLR.
  
• Spouse visa. You marry officially in Thailand, i.e. ampur registration, and she applies as your spouse. This lasts 27 months and after she has been in the UK for 24 months she can apply for ILR. She can work immediately.
  
• Unmarried partner visa. If you can show that you have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least the last two years then she would qualify for this. Like a spouse visa it lasts for 27 months and after she has been in the UK for 24 months she can apply for ILR. Likewise, she can work.
  

As they are all types of settlement visa, the fee for each is the same.

See UK Settlement Visa Basics for more detail.

There is no '3 year rule' on a spouse visa.

[ThomsonPeter]

Your wife can only work if she has a settlement visa (or a work visa - but she won't get that)

Your best strategy is to get married in Thailand first.

Then you will have to return to UK on your own and establish a secure job and organise somewhere for you all to live.

Start collecting your original bank statements, correspondence about your work and your house and file it safely. You will need it.

Then when your house, finances, job, are all established and documented you are in position to apply for a settlement visa.

You won't get the visa if you indicate that your intention is not to settle.

But there is nothing to stop you returning to Thailand after a year if you change your mind.

One advantage of a settlement visa is that you are both able to register with the NHS immediately. Otherwise you need good health insurance.

[7by7]

There is absolutely no need for you to return to the UK first.

Obviously, though, you will have to show in her application that you will be able to support and accommodate yourselves in the UK without recourse to public funds.

Finances can come from the income and/or savings of you, your wife, a third party or any combination of these. Your and your wife's employment prospects in the UK will also be taken into account.

Accommodation can be provided by a third party, e.g. a friend or relative.