Long Term Uk Family Visit Visa

[doctormann]

Hi there.

My Thai wife has previously obtained two six-month UK visitor and one two-year family visit visas. The latest one has now expired so she needs a new one. Ideally, on this next occasion, we would like to obtain a long-term family visit visa, just to avoid the hassles associated with having to apply frequently for shorter term visas.

I believe that she could get a five-year visa with no problem and a ten-year one would be even better. BUT, Thai passports are only valid for five years. How do VFS and UKBA handle this? If, for instance, her passport has only three years validity remaining, does this preclude the issue of a visa whose validity extends beyond the life of the passport or, when she gets a new passport, can the visa be transferred or does she have to present both old and new passports at Immigration when entering the UK? It seems to me that a person with a ten-year visa might end up carrying three passports!

Anybody know anything about this?

Thanks,

DM

[theoldgit]

In the event that your wife is granted a five or ten year visa and the renews her passport, she simply presents her new passport together with the old passport containing the visa, basically the visa is good until the date of expiry even if the passport is out of date.

She could ask the UKBA in Bangkok to transfer the visa vignette to her new passport but it's not necessary to do so, and they charge for doing it.

[doctormann]

In the event that your wife is granted a five or ten year visa and the renews her passport, she simply presents her new passport together with the old passport containing the visa, basically the visa is good until the date of expiry even if the passport is out of date.

She could ask the UKBA in Bangkok to transfer the visa vignette to her new passport but it's not necessary to do so, and they charge for doing it.

Thanks, I'd rather hoped that this might be the case. I'd better start sorting out the paperwork, yet again!

DM

[rawhod]

I would be very interested to know if you did get a 5 year family visa to the UK...

[theoldgit]

I would be very interested to know if you did get a 5 year family visa to the UK...

You will be aware that a five year visa doesn't allow somebody to stay for five years, the same restrictions apply regarding the time the holder is allowed to stay in the UK.

Probably the only benefit is that you are protected against price increases for five years and you don't have to go through the application process every year.

They are really designed for regular visitors, and they don't come cheap.

[rawhod]

I would be very interested to know if you did get a 5 year family visa to the UK...

You will be aware that a five year visa doesn't allow somebody to stay for five years, the same restrictions apply regarding the time the holder is allowed to stay in the UK.

Probably the only benefit is that you are protected against price increases for five years and you don't have to go through the application process every year.

They are really designed for regular visitors, and they don't come cheap.

I am aware of the conditions attached to the 5 year visa.

I have been trying to get to the guidance for time spent out of the UK on route to ILR.

We have a house in Chiang Mai and I have a house in the UK. I am an "old git" (sic) in Thailand on a retirement ext.and my wife a little younger.

We would like to spend time in Thailand and time in the UK.

I would hate to get to the final application for ILR only to find it refused because we spent too much time out of the UK. (That would make it considerably more expensive than a 5 year visa.) Plus, my wife being no "spring chicken", could well find the B1 English somewhat difficult.

The alternative, therefore, is a 5 year family visit visa where we can spend 6 months Thailand... 6 months UK.

[theoldgit]

I am aware of the conditions attached to the 5 year visa.

The alternative, therefore, is a 5 year family visit visa where we can spend 6 months Thailand... 6 months UK.

In which you will be aware that a long term visit visas are designed for regular visitors, I suspect they are not designed for someone who wishes to spend six months in UK and six months in Thailand, though I stand to be corrected.

It's possible that by doing so an ECO,or IO at the UK Border, may believe, rightly or wrongly, that a Visit Visa was being used to circumnavigate the settlement route.

[bobrussell]

This seems to be a catch 22 siuation. Use a visit visa for six month visits and the ECO/IO looks at you with suspicion but try for a settlement visa for six months in the UK and six in Thailand and you struggle to show residency in either country!