Found Love In Thailand

[Tiesto]

I'm 26 year old man thats just returned from travelling, I had a year out that I exteneded to 16 months. I met a girl in Bangkok that ended up messing my whole South East Asia expedition, I basicly ended up staying in Bangkok with her for 7 months (with a few trips to Koh Phanagn etc.)

I know its the same old story here but we're both deeply in love with each other, but I had to return to the UK as I had a good job offer with good pay etc. I need to know if theres anything I can do here in the UK to get her over? Shes got a degree and comes from a wealthy family and wants to join me in the UK. She speaks perfect English too

Shes told me theres no point in her going to the embassy yet as i've got debts from my travelling and also no savings, which will change in the next 3-4 months! I think she knows i'm a bit of a party animal and wants to make sure i'm going to be able to support her once she get here so maybe this is a test to make sure I can hold down a job (which I can) or I can save money and not stick it all down my throat and up my nose, which i'm not going to do!

I'm willing to do anything to get her over but just want reassurance as if she leaves it for a little while, she'd still be ok! What would I or she need to prove to the Embassy to show this is a legit relationship rather than a girl just wanting to come the UK for British passport? Shes been to the UK too on a 6 month tourist visa, will this benfit her or not? I'm also coming out to Thailand in August to see her for a couple of weeks and hopefuly if shes still serious about this, propose to her....

Also what happens with her regardng work? I can support her until we get married but she will want to earn a living eventually

Thanks for any replys.

Edited April 21, 2006 by Tiesto

[GU22]

I assume by "get her over" you mean have her come to live in the UK with you as your wife.

There are basically 2 ways of doing this.

1) A fiancé visa (FV). This is a 6 month visa which allows her to travel to the UK in order to marry you. The marriage has to take place within the 6 month life of the visa. Once you are married she applies for Further Leave to Remain (FLR). This lasts for 2 years at the end of which she applies for Indefinite Leave to remain (ILR). Whilst she is on the FV she cannot work, but once she has FLR she can.

Cost of FV :- £260

Cost of FLR:-£335 by post or £500 in person.

Cost of ILR:-£335 by post or £500 in person.

2) A spouse visa (SV). This is a 2 year visa, and she applies for it after you have married in Thailand. At the end of the 2 years she applies for ILR. Unlike a FV she can work immediately she arrives.

Cost of SV:- £260

Cost of ILR:- £335 by post or £500 in person.

As you can see, unless there are strong reasons for marrying in the UK, it makes financial sense to marry in Thailand and go the SV route. But it's your choice.

(One other option would be an unmarried partners visa, but you would both need to have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years before she would qualify for one of these.)

I suggest that you have a good read through the following, and then feel free to ask questions on anything that you're not sure about.

Guidance - Sponsors (INF 3)

Guidance - Husbands, wives and partners (INF 4)

TB Testing

How do I apply?

Visa Services offered by British Embassy, Bangkok.

[silomfan]

If she comes from a wealthy family why do you need to support her . ?? You say she's been to the UK before on a 6 month visitors visa, but don't say how long ago. If its a while ago , then why not get her to apply again for another vv . If she's already got an unblemished immigration history and comes from a wealthy family then she should have no problem getting here again as a tourist. This may help you as you are financially pushed right now , and means you won't have to go through all the rigmorole of bringing your relationship into it . Her family will be able to show enough money for the usual financial criteria and as for the accomodation and other criteria asked for to get a vv, why can't she say the same as before ?

Of course if she has been to the UK recently this may not work , in which case you will have to go down the lines that GU22 suggests above.

SILOMFAN

[GU22]

Silomfan,

My reading of the OP is that he wants his g/f to live with him in the UK permanently, so waffling on about visit visas isn't much use.

However, if I've read it wrong and a visit is what is wanted, then as you say, her previous visa means a subsequent one will be a formality.

Unless, of course, she broke the conditions of her previous visa.

[Tiesto]

If she comes from a wealthy family why do you need to support her . ?? You say she's been to the UK before on a 6 month visitors visa, but don't say how long ago. If its a while ago , then why not get her to apply again for another vv . If she's already got an unblemished immigration history and comes from a wealthy family then she should have no problem getting here again as a tourist. This may help you as you are financially pushed right now , and means you won't have to go through all the rigmorole of bringing your relationship into it . Her family will be able to show enough money for the usual financial criteria and as for the accomodation and other criteria asked for to get a vv, why can't she say the same as before ?

Of course if she has been to the UK recently this may not work , in which case you will have to go down the lines that GU22 suggests above.

SILOMFAN

She went to the UK around this time last year and stayed for the whole 6 months would that effect her getting a visa? Her family are wealthy but i'd still need to prove that i'm earning enough?

If she came as a tourist we'd not be able to get married in this country, or if we could she wouldn't be able to stay is that correct? Also if she came as a tourist again would that effect her getting an FV visa?

Thanks for the replys anyway!

Edited April 23, 2006 by Tiesto

[Beachcomber]

I'm 26 year old man thats just returned from travelling, I had a year out that I exteneded to 16 months. I met a girl in Bangkok that ended up messing my whole South East Asia expedition, I basicly ended up staying in Bangkok with her for 7 months (with a few trips to Koh Phanagn etc.)

I know its the same old story here but we're both deeply in love with each other, but I had to return to the UK as I had a good job offer with good pay etc. I need to know if theres anything I can do here in the UK to get her over? Shes got a degree and comes from a wealthy family and wants to join me in the UK. She speaks perfect English too

Shes told me theres no point in her going to the embassy yet as i've got debts from my travelling and also no savings, which will change in the next 3-4 months! I think she knows i'm a bit of a party animal and wants to make sure i'm going to be able to support her once she get here so maybe this is a test to make sure I can hold down a job (which I can) or I can save money and not stick it all down my throat and up my nose, which i'm not going to do!

I'm willing to do anything to get her over but just want reassurance as if she leaves it for a little while, she'd still be ok! What would I or she need to prove to the Embassy to show this is a legit relationship rather than a girl just wanting to come the UK for British passport? Shes been to the UK too on a 6 month tourist visa, will this benfit her or not? I'm also coming out to Thailand in August to see her for a couple of weeks and hopefuly if shes still serious about this, propose to her....

Also what happens with her regardng work? I can support her until we get married but she will want to earn a living eventually

Thanks for any replys.

If she had a tourist visa to UK before why can she not do the same again?

I would wonder how she got to the UK last time and why she came back?

Just call me cynical

[the scouser]

She went to the UK around this time last year and stayed for the whole 6 months would that effect her getting a visa?

It depends for how long she said she'd be staying in the UK. If she said, for example, one month and then stayed 6, the visa officer might draw a negative conclusion from this.

Her family are wealthy but i'd still need to prove that i'm earning enough?

It depends who's paying for any proposed trip.

If she came as a tourist we'd not be able to get married in this country, or if we could she wouldn't be able to stay is that correct?

Your girlfriend can apply for a marriage visit visa which will enable her to marry in the UK, but, as you say, it doesn't allow her to be able to stay permanently. If you want her to settle in the UK, then you can either marry in Thailand and apply for a spouse settlement visa, or plan to marry in the UK and seek a fiancée settlement visa.

Also if she came as a tourist again would that effect her getting an FV visa?

It should have no bearing upon any future fiancée application, unless, of course, she failed to abide by any condition of the visit visa.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[GU22]

I would wonder how she got to the UK last time

Presumably she did the same as the other 31,028 Thais who were issued with visit visas last year; she applied, showed she was a genuine visitor and was given her visa.

and why she came back?

Most visitors do! Of course, the minority who don't are responsible for the efforts that genuine visitors have to make in order to show that they are genuine.

Tiesto,

You and your girlfriend need to decide what it is you want to do.

If she wants to come for a visit, then obviously a visit visa is what she needs. If she is funding the visit herself then your finances, or lack of them, are irrelevant.

If she is coming as your fiance or wife then you need to show that the two of you can be adequately supported and accommodated without recourse to public funds. Unless her wealthy family are going to be sending her an allowance for this, then your finances will be relevant. However, you don't need much. As long as you can pay your rent or mortgage, cover regular outgoings and service any debts and have a bit left over for food etc. then you are fine. You do not need to have any savings at all (unless you have no income and are relying on savings to support yourselves).

Previous applications, whether successful or not, will have no bearing on any future application.

Unless:-

The reasons for a previous refusal have not been dealt with in the new application.

There have been previous breaches of the immigration rules, e.g. working on a visit visa, overstaying, not abiding with an undertaking to return, etc.

Sorry, but one of your original questions has been overlooked

Also what happens with her regarding work? I can support her until we get married but she will want to earn a living eventually

If she is in the UK as a visitor then she cannot work. If she is here with a fiance visa then she cannot work until after the marriage and she has FLR. If she is here with a spouse visa then she can work straight away. Edited April 23, 2006 by GU22

[samran]

If you GF is from a wealthy family then it means she's probably been educated OS in the US, UK or Australia. It also means she has a good job, which means that she should just about qualify for what is called a Highly Skilled Migrant Permit which is the UK's own points system for economic migrants

She'll need to prove that she earns a certain amount per year (which she has paid tax on). The more earnings the more points. She has to show she has a university degree (if she has a masters then that means more points) and at least 3 years of work experience.

Download the forms here http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/content/w...n/homepage.html

There is a version of the programme for under 28 year olds and the conditions to qualify are much easier than those for over 28's. I know a couple of Thai professionals who have qualified and the conditions to do so aren't too onerous.

The permit will allow unrestricted work rights for her in the UK, which will allow you to be together without having to get married until you are ready.

[samran]

I've trashed a bunch of useless point scoring posts in this thread. Take it elsewhere guys and lets help the OP answer his questions.