British goiverment Visa RANT

[wooloomooloo]

So, are you going to reapply for a visit visa, thaimite?

You could be using this time to make a fresh application today instead of wasting time here.

Look at the positives - you've learned from the experience and can get it right with a fresh application.

[wooloomooloo]

...I should also add that you could utilise the priority service and have a decision within three working days.

[marko kok prong]

This is disgraceful,and sadly typical of the contempt that the Uk govt,s agency's treat's expats with,yet if you a romanian gypsy they welcome you with open arms.

[billd766]

Somebody in your position should never have a problem.

Sounds like your application was tardy and your post suggests a bit of arrogance in the ease with which you expected to get the visa.

You should have sought the advice of friends or looked at the many threads on Thai Visa that cover exactly what is required.

It is no use bleating at the UK government, you are the only person to blame for not satisfying the criteria.

Time and time again members like the Old Git point out that each application has to be treated on its own merits and you need to tick all the boxes for the EO.

BS. Its not arrogant. I have been with my Thai partner for 14 years and married for 9 of those. As a UK citizen I also expect my wife to be able to get a visit visa also. This is not arrogance, its a basic human right. The OP is correctly complaining about the system or lack thereof for recourse or follow up.

I 100% agree with the OP.

I agree with you and Thaimite 100% also.

I find that the attitude of the UK embassy and the UK government has not changed that much since I applied for a marriage visa back in 1999/2000 (and in 2004 for a holiday) to allow my wife to be to come to the UK and be legally married. Back in those days it was all done in house at the embassy and I was alowed to be there for the interview.

The interviewer was an embassy staffer who had a Thai translator beside her and was rude and arrogant to my wife and then she turned on me using the same attitude. It quickly changed when I answered her back in the same tone and challenged her and I had all the documents required. I explained to her that I also had been a civil servant at the Home Office and knew the complaints procedure very wel and told her that if she did not change HER attitude my first call would be to the Ambassador, the second to the Civil Servants complaints commission and the third to my MP.

Fortunately she has been long gone, hopefully to Ulan Bator or somewhere like that.

My future wife got her visa with no further problem and several years later we applied for another visa through a different staffer who said that there would be no problems as my wife kept to the rules and regulations. In every situation such as that there are good, normal and poor service people who don't really care and sometimes take delight in making life difficult for others.

[crazykopite]

Sorry to hear of your problem I can understand your wanting to rant, sadly the only people who seem to get admitted into the UK are the scum of society you only have to look over the last 10 years of those entering the UK who had committed crimes in there own countries have then gone to the UK and have committed crimes of robbery , rape ,murder and so on. I can never understand why husbands are not allowed to attend the interview with there wives , it is not just the UK the USA are as bad as I have a friend who has experienced the same problem as you have.

[GAZZPA]

It sounds like you were refused a visa because you didn't provide appropriate evidence of your financial status. Ok, you say it was an oversight that you didn't copy the first page but without that they could have been anyones financial records, right? One of the key points that the UK government needs to be sure of is that there is sufficient money available for the trip.

I completely agree with the decline of the Visa under those circumstances. The UK has had lapse immigration laws for far too many years and there were too many people taking advantage of that. It is a big issue for the UK and one that is close to the hearts of the population, especially after such a prolonged period of economic misery. The government needed to tighten up the laws and I for one am glad that they did.

I do agree however that you as a Brit should be able to take your wife on holiday back to the UK, I don't believe there is any government conspiracy to decline visas. Also, I am not an expert but you were given the reason why the visa was declined and you admit it was your oversight. If this is the only reason and you apply again then it seems logical that the visa would be granted, so put in another application and stop moaning about it.

[GAZZPA]

It will not help your mood to discover (as I did last week) that it is far easier for a European with a Thai wife to visit the UK than it is for a British citizen with a Thai wife to do so.

They can enter under EU citizen's rights rather than the usual immigration regulations.

You are quite right. The right to free movement does not apply in your home country.

For crying out loud people,, he failed to prove his financial status by not copying the front page with his name on it. Of course he has freedom of movement in his own country. Reading through this thread it seems like it is just an excuse to rant about nothing.

[KissMyAxe]

Do the translated documents need to be aproved by a solicitor? I have this head ache to do tomorrow ...

Sent from my SM-N900 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[wooloomooloo]

Do the translated documents need to be aproved by a solicitor? I have this head ache to do tomorrow ...

What translated documents?

[KissMyAxe]

Marriage certificate etc..

Sent from my SM-N900 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[HUAHIN62]

Somebody in your position should never have a problem.

Sounds like your application was tardy and your post suggests a bit of arrogance in the ease with which you expected to get the visa.

You should have sought the advice of friends or looked at the many threads on Thai Visa that cover exactly what is required.

It is no use bleating at the UK government, you are the only person to blame for not satisfying the criteria.

Time and time again members like the Old Git point out that each application has to be treated on its own merits and you need to tick all the boxes for the EO.

Why didn't they contact him to get a copy of the front page of his bankbook. Is a little client service too much to ask for?

[NCFC]

you goofed up with the application by your own admission and you're blaming the British Government?

Someone in your situation will never have a problem if you submit the application correctly. And I have found them very friendly, even calling me to let me know the status of my wife's application on one occasion.

Going there with the right attitude and appearance helps.

[wooloomooloo]

Marriage certificate etc..

Officially your marriage certificate should be notarised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

You can try without notarisation, as I note you've already stated that the applicant's appointment is tomorrow. You might get lucky, you might not.

[Thaiready]

Somebody in your position should never have a problem.

Sounds like your application was tardy and your post suggests a bit of arrogance in the ease with which you expected to get the visa.

You should have sought the advice of friends or looked at the many threads on Thai Visa that cover exactly what is required.

It is no use bleating at the UK government, you are the only person to blame for not satisfying the criteria.

Time and time again members like the Old Git point out that each application has to be treated on its own merits and you need to tick all the boxes for the EO.

BS. Its not arrogant. I have been with my Thai partner for 14 years and married for 9 of those. As a UK citizen I also expect my wife to be able to get a visit visa also. This is not arrogance, its a basic human right. The OP is correctly complaining about the system or lack thereof for recourse or follow up.

I 100% agree with the OP.

+1

[abrahamzvi]

It will not help your mood to discover (as I did last week) that it is far easier for a European with a Thai wife to visit the UK than it is for a British citizen with a Thai wife to do so.

They can enter under EU citizen's rights rather than the usual immigration regulatio

A wife of an EU citizen has to complete similar form to a wife of a UK citizen and supply all required documentation. If all is satisfactory, she will get permission to enter the UK for six months from the date permission was issued, But she can only enter the UK with her husband, or he must be waiting for her. Please accept that under the circumstances (lack of. or incomplete information) the OP's wife would not have received the necessary permission (sort of visa) even if the OP was not British, but German or French etc.

[Dublin]

In my experience over the last four years of visa applications for my wife, Australia (twice)and NZ - can't do enough to help, efficient service and 12 month multiple re-entry granted. in comparison UK (twice)- total negative attitude, did nothing to ease the way, grudging gave up a three month single entry visa each time. I should add I have UK/NZ dual nationality and children living in both countries plus a mother in Australia so all visas were for close family visits. The difference in attitude between UK and Australia/NZ is quite remarkable and I am at a lost to understand it.

( The difference in attitude between UK and Australia/NZ is quite remarkable and I am at a lost to understand it.)

How about they are 3 different countries !!!!!!

[KissMyAxe]

Looks like I goofed up already, is the original marriage cert not good enough? Thank you for your replies...

Sent from my SM-N900 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[thaimite]

Yes I goofed up by not providing the first page of the bank book although the covering letter also listed all he documents provided clearly stated the bank statements were mine.

Please also bear in mind that I am assuming this is the main reason as the rejection letter contained the standard guff I have seen before about not providing evidence that the holiday maker would return. What exactly could that evidence be (she does not have nor need a job, and even if she did have a job potential wages in the UK would not make it worth her while to return. Proof of a of ownership of a house and cars? they could be rented / sold as soon as the visa was approved if it was her aim not to return?

The whole point is that as a Naturally born British citizen I should not be expected to prove my wife of a long time is not going to commit some crime that they have thought up on the spur of the moment just because it suits them to do so.

She is my wife of 10 years, neither of us has ever been in any trouble, and the application was for a simple holiday. My home is here with her in Thailand and I certainly will not be giving that up to return to a country where my wife is not wanted.

It appears from the rejection letter than can think up any excuse they want and that is the end of it.

Even if I do re-apply (I have not yet decided on that matter) there is no guarantee they will not think of some other issue next time.

As for the right appearance and attitude, that is just a spurious comment on your part with no foundation. However for the record we were both neatly dressed and I am sure my wife was polite during her interview as that is her natural manner. Of course I was not seen so my attitude / dress is irrelevant.

[billd766]

Of course IF the UK and every other government posted a list of EXACTLY what documents are required for each type of visa then the problem may not have occurred.

I am sorry if this sounds like common sense but to me it is.

To make it even easier perhaps the UK government could go back to the old system of doing everything in house instead of hiving it off to "save costs".

[mercman24]

No chance of me taking my "ladyfriend" back to the uk next year then, when i need to be back in the uk to sell my house. sounds like to much dam hassle, funny how we try do things ligit and there are literally thousands of ilegals in the uk, feel sorry for you mate

[weegee]

I cant fathom what went wrong for you....But did you included a Letter, inviting her? I know she is your legal wife...it helps.

I covered everything I could possible think they may want, and got the Visa in 4 working days, through VFS, but that was for Australia.

Maybe different for UK....But I was very Happy with VFS....Try again if you have time.

[Ricardo]

I feel for the OP.

This sort of rejection is the logical result, of the UK-government's crack-down on immigration from outside the EEC, where they've been much more successful, than most UK-residents (or Mail/Sun-readers) realise.

They've also (very sadly) succeeded in putting-off many of the profitable foreign-students, who used to come to the UK for further-education, which made money for the UK short-term, but also established goodwill which lasted a lifetime, with who knows what eventual economic benefits ?

But they've totally failed to control immigration of EEC-citizens, correctly since those do now have the right to entry, just as Brits have the right to go to the rest of the EEC.

And as we often discover, this has also devalued the perceived-benefits of being a UK-citizen, Thank The Gods that we (at least) voted with our feet, to show what we think of this shambles !

[wooloomooloo]

Looks like I goofed up already, is the original marriage cert not good enough? Thank you for your replies...

I've heard cases where the original and a translation (with a photocopy of both) has proved enough. But, officially, it should be all the above and notarised by the MFA.

[rhodie]

I feel for you but the problem is that they have a template and if something doesn't fit they reject it. I would get a visa agent to help. Don't send a message. They are everywhere. Just pop in and get it going.

Good luck.

[nongsangcity]

last year myself and my thai wife who holds a uk passport were refused a visa for her thai son to visit the UK for four weeks during the Thai school holidays......the refusal stated we didn't give enough information on where he would be sleeping...plus even though they know family holidays are important he was also turned down as with him being 15 years of age THEY feared for his safety whilst in the UK.....unbelievable but true......

[Krataiboy]

A technical knock-out of the worst kind. Having noticed the front page copy of your bank book missing, the interviewing officer could have at least have asked your wife if she had the original on her or whether you, presumably sitting a short distance away outside, could have provided it.

I know how it feels, because I've been there to. You have my sympathy, but don't let it put you off taking your wife to the UK some time. It is a great country, still, despite the some of the unfortunate people who are its representatives overseas.

[thaimite]

I feel for you but the problem is that they have a template and if something doesn't fit they reject it. I would get a visa agent to help. Don't send a message. They are everywhere. Just pop in and get it going.

Good luck.

As stated I originally wanted a visa agent and tried contacting a few by email as I was out of the country and had no response. I did phone one agent I found through this site, but he told me to send him an email which was never answerted.

I am living in the sticks outside of Ubon and unlike Bangkok and Pattaya,I do not believe there are many agents around. However if somebody would like to PM me the contact details of an agent they have used and can recommend then I will gladly follow it up.

[chiang mai]

Just out of curiosity, what is the cost of a visitor visa these days, I ask because I'm debating options for my spouse and it's a choice of visitors visa vs settlement visa? She's already been granted a settlement visa which we never initiated and is now lapsed, our intent going forward is something like six months in Thailand and six months in the UK.

[wooloomooloo]

About £90, chiang mai. But you won't get too far with six months on, six months off on an ongoing basis with successive visit visas.

I would get on over to the visas to other countries forum for more details.

Edited June 10, 2014 by wooloomooloo

[NoshowJones]

You can slice it up any way you want. It is an absolute disgrace that a Brit cannot routinely take his wife (of many years) in and out of his home country, as he pleases. The official that rejected this application is nothing more than a complete git! He/she could have easily, and SHOULD have clarified the omission. An absolute disgrace!

Yes, an absolute disgrace when you see the type of people who are allowed in.