Uk Settlement Visa

[sheba]

Hi,

I'm in the process of getting everything together to apply for a settlement visa with my Thai wife. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here is our situation:

We have known each other for 8 years and have been living together in Thailand for 7 years. We got married in October last year. We have visited the uk together once. We are planning to go back mid October and stay with my parents until we can support ourselves.

Right now our main concern is the visa rules changing on the 9th. My wife recently did a KET English test and we wont find out the results of this test until the 13th of July and we would have to wait until the second week of August before we receive the certificate. This was all fine until we found out about the changes on the 9th of July.

The changes seem to affect us as we were relying on financial support from my parents, which now appears to be impossible. The amount of money stated is far beyond our means at present. Our plan was to have job interviews lined up for our first week and be financially independent as soon as possible.

What I'm wondering is:

Are the new rules just guidelines or will visas be refused if we can't provide evidence of the amounts stated?

Does anyone know of an English test (in Chiang Mai if possible) that could get the results to us before the 9th?

Cheers,

[bobrussell]

Not sure how long it takes for results (and certificate) for Bulats or other English testers. If you can get results that can be submitted then you may have time to submit your application before the 9th July.

I am not knowledgeable on this so there may be a fatal flaw in my suggestion.

I suspect there will be a mad rush of applications to beat the deadline!

Good luck!

[VisasPlus]

The new rules are not guidelines. They will be law once they is passed by parliament. That does mean that the visa will be refused if you don't meet the requirements of the immigration rules.

I think the only English test available in Chiang Mai is the TOEIC test, and I have no idea how long results take. You could give them a call if you can find their number:

Center for Professional Assessment - Chiang Mai Nawarat Building 3rd Floor Kaeo Nawarat Soi 3 Amphur Muang Chiangmai 50000 Thailand

EDIT: Double post - sorry

Edited June 12, 2012 by VisasPlus

[VisasPlus]

The new rules are not guidelines. They will be law once they is passed by parliament. That does mean that the visa will be refused if you don't meet the requirements of the immigration rules.

I think the only English test available in Chiang Mai is the TOEIC test, and I have no idea how long results take. You could give them a call if you can find their number:

Center for Professional Assessment - Chiang Mai Nawarat Building 3rd Floor Kaeo Nawarat Soi 3 Amphur Muang Chiangmai 50000 Thailand

[sheba]

Thanks so much for the replies so far. It's been a very stressful day! We are going to go for it and try to get our application in before the 9th. There is a Toefl exam we can take this Sunday. I read somewhere that the results are available within 15 days of sitting the exam. If this is the case we will be ok.

For future reference the number for the test center in Chiang Mai is:

Center for Professional Assessment - 053 306 600

Does anyone know about the following:

Which supporting documents will we need to have officially translated from Thai to English?

Is a copy of my Thai work permit along with a full copy of my passport ok for evidence of me working in Thailand?

Once we have everything together, do we need to submit the application online first?

Do we need to book an appointment with VFS or just show up on the day?

Cheers!

[toddmeister]

Once we have everything together, do we need to submit the application online first?

Do we need to book an appointment with VFS or just show up on the day?

You can only do the application online now and no you can not just turn up at VFS. When you complete the online application you are prompted to book an appointment at VFS to hand in the suporting documents.

[sheba]

Cheers toddmeister.

Does anyone know how far ahead we can book the appointment with vfs? Also do we have to submit our application online before booking the appointment?

These changes to the visa requirements have really shaken everything up! Spent this afternoon chasing down toefl ibt centers. My wife should be able to do the test on Sunday. The only worry now is whether they will except a printed out score report or if we have have to wait for the one they post out.

As mentioned above, we also did a KET test but the results wont be released in time for our visa application. Should we still submit the details of the test (statement of entry, with candidate number and secret number) so that, if needed, they could check her score online?

Apologies if my posts are a little disorganised and rambling. These visa changes have knocked us for six!

Thanks again for all the help so far!

[toddmeister]

Does anyone know how far ahead we can book the appointment with vfs? Also do we have to submit our application online before booking the appointment?

My wife's application was last year but at that time you could only book appointments up to a week in advance. I would imagine with the new rules announcement that there will be a rush of applications before that date so I would try to book an appointment as soon as you get the test results.

For the application, you complete the online form and print it out, your wife signs the printed form and includes it in with her supporting documents. When you have completed the online form you are then prompted to book an appointment at VFS

[VisasPlus]

Cheers toddmeister.

Does anyone know how far ahead we can book the appointment with vfs? Also do we have to submit our application online before booking the appointment?

These changes to the visa requirements have really shaken everything up! Spent this afternoon chasing down toefl ibt centers. My wife should be able to do the test on Sunday. The only worry now is whether they will except a printed out score report or if we have have to wait for the one they post out.

As mentioned above, we also did a KET test but the results wont be released in time for our visa application. Should we still submit the details of the test (statement of entry, with candidate number and secret number) so that, if needed, they could check her score online?

Apologies if my posts are a little disorganised and rambling. These visa changes have knocked us for six!

Thanks again for all the help so far!

Some answers, not all !

1. You can only book the VFS appointment one week ahead. You can book the appointment before you actually press the submit button for the application. You can prepare the application online, and submit it any time before the appointment.

2. Are you doing TOEFL in Chiang Mai ? If so, where ? The test has to be taken at a test centre approved by UKBA. Is there more than the one in CM ? I thought CFA was the only one ? If you take it a non-approved centre, the application will fail.

3. You can submit details of the KET test, but they will not serve any purpose, I think. I would, but make sure you say it is only for information or the ECO might refuse because there is no pass certificate !

[bobrussell]

It may be worth booking an appointment at VFS as soon as you possibly can! I bet there will be a major influx of applications. The new rules are not just tinkering, they are a total rebuild!

I still think there will be a major re-think as I am sure these will be challenged in the courts but this will be of little comfort for those making applications in the near future!

I accept that immigration rules are considered by the UK government to outweigh the human rights aspects but I doubt the European Courts will feel the same way!

[7by7]

I accept that immigration rules are considered by the UK government to outweigh the human rights aspects but I doubt the European Courts will feel the same way!

I feel that you may be wrong there.

Article 8 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is a qualified right. Para 2 says

There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

Economic well being of the UK, perhaps?

We shall have to wait and see if someone does take this to court and what the final judgment will be.

Back on topic now, please. There is already a topic running on these proposed changes, please post any comments etc. on them there.

[sheba]

Thanks again for all the advice. You guys really are a life line at the moment!

I checked online and couldn't find a list of ukba approved test centers in Thailand. I was under the impression that it was just a list of approved examining bodies. In which case toefl ibt is one of them.

The ket results will be available on the 13th. As suggested I will include the confirmation of entry document (with id number and secret number) so that, if needed, they could check that she passed. The toefl exam results should come in time so we would end up submitting two sets of results. Should we include a note to say why? Also should we write on her application that she has both? She is a tour guide and has very good English skills. Would it be an idea to get her boss to mention her English skills in his letter of recomendtion?

In the worst case senario, that we are not granted a visa, would an appeal be under the old (pre 9th of july) rules, as the visa was applied for before this date?

Thanks again

[sheba]

Just to be 100% clear: We can book an appointment here https://www.vfs.firm.in/th-apptsystem/appscheduling/appwelcome.aspx 1 week before the appointment. Between booking the appointment and going to vfs we can then submit the application form at http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/ApplyNow.aspx.

This will be a great help as the test results will arrive less than a week before we hope to have our appointment. As recommended, I hope to book as soon as possible.

Is it also possible to have the visa application saved online and then amend it (add test scores) at a later date?

Cheers

[toddmeister]

Is it also possible to have the visa application saved online and then amend it (add test scores) at a later date?

Yes Sheba you can save the application at various stages of the form but don't "complete" it. Also you have to log back into the application within 7 days and save it again or it will be deleted.

[VisasPlus]

I have to say that I am a little confused. You have taken two English tests ? One with KET, one with TOEFL ? Is either of these tests with a UKBA approved test centre ? If not, the the application will be refused. These are the approved test centres in Thailand:

PEARSON Pearson Professional Center Bangkok Business Building Level 10, Unit 10-10 54, Thanon Sukhumvit Soi 21, Bangkok Thailand, 10110

TOEIC Center for Professional Assessment - Bangkok Suite 1907, Bangkok Business Building 54 Asoke Road, Sukhumvit 21 Bangkok 10110 Thailand +66 (0) 2260 7061 +66 (0) 22664 3122 Center for Professional Assessment - Chiang Mai Nawarat Building 3rd Floor Kaeo Nawarat Soi 3 Amphur Muang Chiangmai 50000 Thailand

BULATS Vantage Siam Co. Ltd. 65/213 Chamnan Phenjati Building, 25th Floor, Rama 9 Road, Huay Kwang, Bangkok. 103

If the KET (BULATS) test was taken at Vantage Siam in Bangkok, then it will be accepted. You will have to submit the test pass result sheets if the certificate has not arrived from the UK. The Embassy will accept these.

Edited June 14, 2012 by VisasPlus

[sheba]

Thanks for clearing that up Toddmeister! And thanks for your help Visasplus. It is a little confusing but I'll try and explain how we came to be doing two tests.

We originally did the Ket (Cambridge Key English Test) test at Normington examination Center, Bangkok. The results from this test will be available online from the 13th of July and the certificate around mid August. These would have arrived in time for our original plans. However, after finding out about the visa changes on the 9th, we decided it would be better if we could get our application in before that.

This meant looking for a test that we could sit asap and get the results of before the 9th. We found the Toefl test here in Chiang Mai and decided to go for it, as Toefl is on the UKBA list of approved tests, and the results are available in under two weeks.

A friend of mine recently did the Ket test and when I looked at her certificate, it didn't mention which examination center it had been taken in, just that it was an official Cambridge Ket test.

Great to hear that the embassy will accept the test result sheet for the Ket, even if the certificate hasn't arrived from the uk yet. As we will have to submit our application before the results are announced, we will be including the confirmation of entry document (with id number and secret number) so that, if needed, they could check that she passed. My wife speaks very good English and left the test feeling she had done well, so I'm confident she passed.

Cheers guys

[cptruff]

Is it also possible to have the visa application saved online and then amend it (add test scores) at a later date?

Yes Sheba you can save the application at various stages of the form but don't "complete" it. Also you have to log back into the application within 7 days and save it again or it will be deleted.

that's good to know that you can save it bit by bit, a bit daunting filling it out in one go online, I was worried about sessions timing out, power cuts and pretty much everything that can go wrong!!

[sheba]

Thais seem to insist on all photocopies being signed in blue pen. I've seen the signing range from an initial to a full blown 'This is a true copy, Joe Bloggs'. How about our supporting documents for the settlement visa, should they all be signed in blue pen and if so to what extent?

Cheers

[bobrussell]

Blue/red - UK government seem to like signatures in any colour other than black but I am sure it will not make that much difference! Nothing wrong with 'I certify (or confirm) this is a true copy' and a signature.

Where possible you need to submit originals (plus copies ideally) and provide an explanation as to why you are not submitting originals. Are there any particular documents you are concerned about?

Obviously you will be sending copies of your passport but generally pretty much all else should be originals.

[sheba]

Cheers Bobrussell! It was mainly photocopies of passports that I was wondering about actually. Not only my wife's and mine but also my parents'. They will be sending over copies next week, should I ask them to sign each page first?

There are a few other documents that we are only suppling copies of, such as my degree and my thai contract. I'm thinking it wouldn't do any harm for me to sign them.

Thanks again for your help!

[7by7]

Any original documents that you want returned should be accompanied by a photocopy. These do not need to be certified as they will have the originals as well.

Any documents where you submit copies only should be certified; as bobrussel says, self certification is fine.

[sheba]

Cheers 7by7. That makes sense. I've heard a few people mention the need to include my wife's birth certificate. Is this really necessary? I would have thought her passport would have been more suitable. If it is required, are there any more requirement that you wouldn't normally think to include?

Many thanks

[sheba]

Pretty much sorted now. Thanks again for all the help and advice! Just wondering about our wedding certificate. Should we include the original or is a signed photo copy and a translation ok?

Cheers

[dracos]

Pretty much sorted now. Thanks again for all the help and advice! Just wondering about our wedding certificate. Should we include the original or is a signed photo copy and a translation ok?

Cheers

Original documents should be supplied where possible. If it is not possible then you need to explain why in the covering letter. Advisable to get it translated as per the UKBA guidelines but from other posts regarding this it may not always be necessary. Cost is usually around 200 to 300 Baht per page by a registered translation agent but it does not need to be stamped by MoFA - better to be safe than sorry for a few hundred Baht when you are potentially losing 44,000 for an incomplete application.

Make sure that you also submit photocopies of all original documents that you want returned (usually easier to submit 2 folders clearly marked: 1) original copies which are to be returned, and 2) copies of original documents which may be retained. When reviewing the application the ECO will compare the photocopies to the originals to make sure they are genuine and then keep the photocopy for their records and return the originals with the passport. If you do not supply copies of an original document that they want then they will keep the original.

[sheba]

Cheers dracos. Pretty much got everything together now. Looking forward to handing all this in next week. Thanks a lot all the help from everyone on here, it's made the whole process much more bearable!

Best of luck to all those applying!

[all done]

Blue/red - UK government seem to like signatures in any colour other than black but I am sure it will not make that much difference! Nothing wrong with 'I certify (or confirm) this is a true copy' and a signature.

Where possible you need to submit originals (plus copies ideally) and provide an explanation as to why you are not submitting originals. Are there any particular documents you are concerned about?

Obviously you will be sending copies of your passport but generally pretty much all else should be originals.

On most UK government documents if they are not in Black ink they will be rejected, this includes Passport Applications... I dont know about red or blue... but am not willing to try filling in a government form in red pen....it would almost certainly be rejected

[sheba]

Thanks Bobrussell, All done. Think your both right, black is for filling out forms and blue for certifying documents etc.

Submitted our settlement application yesterday. Thanks for everyones help! All went well, except for an incident involving a bench outside Regent House, which even Thaivisa couldn't have prevented!

We submitted a print out of our online TOEFL test results, a print out of our registration receipt and details of how to access the results online. We also included the details of our KET test (registration receipt and details of how to access the results, when they are released on the 13th of July). Vfs accepted the application.

On the list of new approved english tests pdf, it says that all is required is the score report. I'm hoping that that with the other information we provided will be enough. I was just wondering if anyone else had any similar experiences. Also should we try and send the certificate, that we will hopefully get in the post in the next few days, to the embassy/vfs?

Cheers

[sheba]

We phoned VFS but they only advise. Has anyone had any luck contacting the embassy? I really need to know if what we have submitted will satisfy the English Language requirements.

Cheers

[cptruff]

same here, I also called VFS but they only gave me limited advice on the same subject as sheba.

Does anyone know if it is possible to contact the embassy directly?

visaplus, 7by7, any ideas?

thanks!

[theoldgit]

Does anyone know if it is possible to contact the embassy directly?

I think you will find that they are above talking to us mere mortals, they will just refer you to VFS.