Hi folks

I'd like to get your advice please on the best way to get a visitor visa for my Thai girlfriend

If she likes it here I would then be looking at living here together

Should we marry first?

Should "we" get pregnant?

The above will come soon regardless of where we live

Should she apply on her own for a visitor visa?

Should i sponsor her?

She is 22, part-owns a small fast food restaurant, has a new passport, has travelled to Myanmar and Vietnam and speaks reasonably good English

I am 30, self employed computer repair shop owner with a criminal record from 2005

I've travelled to Thailand twice for a total of 4 months

I'm sure I've missed out some vital info needed for you to give appropriate advice

Please ask me anything relevant. I want to get it right

Thanks in advance

To put you straight, right from the start - your girlfriend cannot switch from a visit to settlement while in the UK. If she applies for, and if she is issued with, a visit visa, then she must leave at the end of a maximum 6 months. She could then apply for a settlement visa when back in Thailand if she qualifies.

Married or not, pregnant or not wont make any difference to a visit visa; or if it does it may make it harder as the Entry Clearance Officer may suspect she intends to remain in the UK rather than visit temporarily!

Unless you have been living together outside the UK in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years prior to applying so she can apply as your unmarried partner, she wont get a settlement visa unless you do marry and she applies as your spouse.

Have a read of UK visit visa basics for the visit visa, and UK settlement visa basics for settlement.

Thanks

I had several reads of those links

I have a few questions remaining:

1 - Would my criminal record negatively affect her application for a visitor visa

2 - If so, would character refs from lawyers, teachers, police etc balance it out?

I'd also like to hear some ideas on how to help obtain a visit visa

Anything I could be doing? She could be doing?

Thanks again

Your criminal record should have no effect on her application; either for a visit or a settlement visa.

Although if it was for pimping or people trafficking it might; in order to protect her! But I'm sure that's not the case and your intentions toward her are honourable.

As for further advice, unless you have any other specific questions I have nothing to add to what I've posted in the linked to topic; other than always tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in any visa application.