Uk Family Visa

[stubuzz]

Hi Everyone,

I have been living in Thailand with my Thai wife and 6 year old daughter for 9 years now. My parents usually come to visit us here every year, but this year due to my father's medical problems ( cancer ) they are unable to get travel insurance, so they have invited us to go to England. My parents will supply the air tickets and we will be staying at the family house.

My wife and daughter have never been to or applied for a UK visa before.

After reading through various website i am a little confused of the procedure and the documents needed. I also read that documents written in Thai need to be translated into English. After they are translated do they have to be certified at the Ministry of Internal Affairs?

Should i get a letter of sponsorship from my parents or should i transfer the air fair to my account and sponser them myself?( I am British.)

One more thing, will my daughter go on my wife's application as a dependant or do i need a seperate application for her?

Can anyone give any helpful advice on procedure or a list of necessary documents?

Thanks in advance.

Edited May 12, 2012 by stubuzz

[rawhod]

We have just completed a successful Family Visa application for my Thai wife to visit the UK, we did not translate any of the Thai documents into English and we had no problem.

The visa situation for your daughter will depend upon whether she has a Thai or UK passport.

There are numerous past threads that will help you regarding the documents required for visa applications.

[7by7]

The official advice is that all documents not in English should be accompanied by a certified (by the translator) translation. Anecdotal evidence such as that above suggests that this is not always necessary.

A letter of invitation from your parents will help, especially if you will be staying with them. If they are paying for the tickets they should say so; sudden, unexplained deposits into an applicant's or sponsor's bank always arouse suspicion.

Your wife and daughter will have to make a separate application and pay a separate fee; though they can use the same supporting documents. But why does your daughter not have a British passport? If she did then obviously she wouldn't need a UK visa.

You may find UK Visit Visa Basics helpful.

[stubuzz]

Thanks for the replies. My daughter was born in Thailand before July 2006 and we were unmarried at the time. I haven't done the domicile interview, paternity declarations etc, mostly because of the ridiculous charges from the British Embassy. So at the moment she only has a Thai passport.

So reading the replies i have to fill out VAF 1B for my wife and child? That's 2 applications.

I don't add my daughter to my wifes application as a dependant?

[7by7]

Correct, she cannot be added to your wife's application as a dependant; that option was abolished some time ago; probably by Blair when he decided visa applications should make a profit.

Wife and daughter will need to make separate applications, although as said they can use the same supporting documents. Just make sure that their appointments at the VAC to submit the application etc are concurrent or at least consecutive.

How long will you be in the UK for? It may be worth seeing if you can sort out your daughter's nationality and a British passport for her whilst there. See Children born before 1 July 2006 whose father is a British citizen but not married to their mother - section 3(1) applications and How do I register a child aged under 18 as a British citizen?

[stubuzz]

I have read through the info in the links given, and i still have a few questions.

1. The Visa application center is not at the British Embassy. I do not need to visit the British Embassy at all when arranging visas. I can arrange the interview when submitting my application form/documents.

2.Can i pay the visa fees when submitting the documents?

3. Who are sponsorship letters addressed to? UK Border Agency or Visa services at the British Embassy, Bangkok.

[beano2274]

I have read through the info in the links given, and i still have a few questions.

1. The Visa application center is not at the British Embassy. I do not need to visit the British Embassy at all when arranging visas. I can arrange the interview when submitting my application form/documents.

2.Can i pay the visa fees when submitting the documents?

3. Who are sponsorship letters addressed to? UK Border Agency or Visa services at the British Embassy, Bangkok.

Remember the applications are both done online, print out the finished applications, then make the appointments on the VFS website.

My letters were addressed to the Entry Clearance Officer, British Embassy.

Payment is by cheque no cash, read the instructions about payment.

[stubuzz]

Thanks.

i have just thought of a couple of more questions.

I am also submitting a sponsorship letter for my wife and daughter, should i include my UK address on it with my Thai address, I have lived in Thailand for the past 9 years, but i use my Uk address for anything official to do with the UK. Banks, pensions, ect...

On the application form section 7.5 asks ( only for children under 18 )

Give details of the person you will be staying with.

This will be my parents( It's their house). But my wife and I will also be staying there. So do i include my wife and I in this section?

[rawhod]

Thanks.

i have just thought of a couple of more questions.

I am also submitting a sponsorship letter for my wife and daughter, should i include my UK address on it with my Thai address, I have lived in Thailand for the past 9 years, but i use my Uk address for anything official to do with the UK. Banks, pensions, ect...

On the application form section 7.5 asks ( only for children under 18 )

Give details of the person you will be staying with.

This will be my parents( It's their house). But my wife and I will also be staying there. So do i include my wife and I in this section?

I similarly use my UK address for my UK bank and pensions so I gave both my Thai address and my UK address on the sponsor letter heading.

Because you will be saying "Yes" to Q 7.4, in my opinion, the box 7.5 will require only the details of your parents.

Have you started the on-line application?

If not, I would suggest that you do. Some of the on-line application questions are not quite the same as the paper application sheet. The on-line application also formulates the following questions dependant upon your answers, if you see what I mean.

You can do that in stages and save the details at various stages, you can then go back and review and correct as you go along and when you are happy, you can submit.

[stubuzz]

Thanks i'll check the online version of the VAF 1B.

I think i understand what is involved in a successful application now.

But, i have a few more questions i need clearing up.

Regarding financial evidence. Is a copy of an up to date bank book sufficient, or do they need 6 months of bank statements. I have never had a bank statement from my Thai bank accounts!

Payment.

We will be submitting 2 applications, but they will be sharing supporting documents (wife/daughter). Should i get 2 bank drafts, one for each applicant or 1 bank draft to cover both the application fees?

Finally, i was reading about how to submit the documents at the VAC. Assistance from friends ect .... They cannot make the application for you or attend the visa application centre. ( My wife won't be happy if I have to wait outside )

The VAC wont let you carry in any bags, phones, electrical stuff, and they have no storage facilities. Do they adhere to the last two statements?

[beano2274]

You cannot go in to VFS, last time I think my wife just left her phone off, her bag was checked though.

[rawhod]

Thanks i'll check the online version of the VAF 1B.

I think i understand what is involved in a successful application now.

But, i have a few more questions i need clearing up.

Regarding financial evidence. Is a copy of an up to date bank book sufficient, or do they need 6 months of bank statements. I have never had a bank statement from my Thai bank accounts!

Payment.

We will be submitting 2 applications, but they will be sharing supporting documents (wife/daughter). Should i get 2 bank drafts, one for each applicant or 1 bank draft to cover both the application fees?

Finally, i was reading about how to submit the documents at the VAC. Assistance from friends ect .... They cannot make the application for you or attend the visa application centre. ( My wife won't be happy if I have to wait outside )

The VAC wont let you carry in any bags, phones, electrical stuff, and they have no storage facilities. Do they adhere to the last two statements?

You need to submit the original bank books complete with copies of all the pages. The staff at VFS check the books and the copies, and return the books to the applicant. Similarly with Tabian Baan or Chanote you submit the original and copy.

They will give you a receipt for each application so it may be better to have two bank drafts. You can get the bank drafts from the bank in the foyer at Regent house.

Only the applicant can enter the VFS to submit the documents. My wife took her bag but left her mobile with me. If you are wanting SMS notification and/or courier service for return of documents, you pay cash for these on submission, so she will need to take in some money.

[stubuzz]

Thanks everyone for the information.

I have just had a thought. My wife is originally from Chiang Mai, but we live in Chachoengsao. My wife and daughter are registered on our friend's Tabien Barn, in Chachoengsao. But we live in rented accommodation.

When i complete their application forms the Tabien barn and current address will not correspond. Should i just give an explanation at the end of the form is there something else i have to do?

[beano2274]

Thanks everyone for the information.

I have just had a thought. My wife is originally from Chiang Mai, but we live in Chachoengsao. My wife and daughter are registered on our friend's Tabien Barn, in Chachoengsao. But we live in rented accommodation.

When i complete their application forms the Tabien barn and current address will not correspond. Should i just give an explanation at the end of the form is there something else i have to do?

No need, my wifes tambien baan and home address are also different.