"2 Year Visa For Gf & Daughter

[Autumng70]

Firstly I apologise if there is a forum on this already and would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction?

If not this is my situation; I am a UK resident, I have a Thai girlfriend and we have been together 2 years, she has visited the UK on a 6 month tourist visa last year. This year we had a daughter she was born in Thailand, my name in on the birth certificate and she has taken my name. We have applied for a UK passport for our daughter which we should have in about a month, my girlfriend will also apply for a Thai passport for our daughter and I believe this can be done without my having to be there, is this right? Assuming we have both UK & Thai passports fro our daughter I guess she can come & go to the UK & Thailand using both passports i.e. UK for leaving Thailand and entering UK and Thai for entering Thailand.

That just leaves my Thai girlfriend to sort Visa wise; initally I thought of applying for a 2nd 6 month tourist visa for her, but have read on here that some people have applied for a 2 year visa. It would make sense to apply for the 2 year visa so that my girlfriend can come and go in the 2 years, I appreciate the rules for not staying more than 6 months of 12 etc etc.

Can anyone one advise me if my thoughts are right or wrong?

Many thanks in anticipation......

[7by7]

As you say, your daughter can, and should, use her Thai passport for leaving and entering Thailand and her British passport for leaving and entering the UK.

Your girlfriend can apply for a long term visit visa. From VAT1.4 Visa validity - What period for a multiple entry visit visa?

There is no requirement for a person to have held a short term visit visa before being issued with a visit visa which has a longer validity. For example, an applicant does not need to have been issued with a standard six months visit visa before being issued with a five year visit visa. Unless there are grounds for not issuing a long term visit visa, the ECO should issue the visa applied for.

Applications for long term visit visas will be considered in the light of:

• Credible ongoing reason to visit. A successful applicant must demonstrate a frequent and sustained need to come to the UK, such as family links or an established business connection.
  
• Stability of personal circumstances. As far as possible applicants 'status should be unlikely to change significantly during the validity of the visa. The better able the applicant is to demonstrate stability over the long term the more it will support an application for a longer period of validity.
  

Note, though, that if she is granted a shorter term than that applied for there will be no refund of the difference in fees!

I think a lot depends on your situation in Thailand. You should provide evidence of your status there as you do not want the ECO to wonder why a woman with a British partner and child only wants to visit the UK and not live there with them.

[Autumng70]

Thank you for your input, I agree with your comments regarding why my girlfriend would not want to live there. The only reason I was considering the 2 year as opposed to the 6 month was I wanted to be sure my girlfriend was happy to live in the UK permanently.