name change on spouse visa

[tevez32]

My girlfriend will take the English A1 test and TB X-ray later this month in her thai name, early next month I will travel to Thailand to get married and change her name and ID documents. Will this cause any problems when applying for her spouse visa? I've called the immigration helpline in the UK, who said it would be at the discretion of the economy, has anyone had any experience with this?

[tevez32]

ECO not ECONOMY, damn predictive text

[Mario2008]

Moved to visa for other countries section.

[7by7]

Should not be a problem as your marriage certificate will provide the link.

Same if she changes her name in her passport or applies using her current passport in her maiden name.

[wooloomooloo]

Good question, tevez.

My wife changed her name to her married name on her tabien baan and ID card in her home town the day we were married which were both processed immediately. We then went to BKK the following day and amended her passport (did a fast-track at the MFA, Chaeng Wattana, which took three business days). No English A1 was required back in August 2010.

It got slightly more interesting as she took the TB test (which was clear) before the amended passport was returned. But IOM wouldn't issue the TB certificate in her married name until they sighted her amended passport. They kindly held on to the TB certificate until we returned to IOM two days later with her new passport, for which she was duly issued with the TB certificate in her married name which matched her new passport.

I'm not saying this will cause your wife problems, as it can be explained away in your wife's settlement application, but obviously something you've considered.

We deliberately went in this order to avoid confusion and possible upset with the application. Ultimately, all my wife's then important documents were lodged in her married name.

As long as your wife is clear in her settlement visa application, then there shouldn't be any problems.

[tevez32]

Thanks for the info, I'll contact IoM about waiting to issue certificate in her married name.

[wooloomooloo]

Just for clarity, the IOM's reason for not issuing the TB certificate in my wife's new married name before sight of her new passport in her married name was that the full name on the TB certificate had to match her travel document. This may not be a problem in your wife's case, but worth mentioning.

[wooloomooloo]

Thanks for the info, I'll contact IoM about waiting to issue certificate in her married name.

Sorry, crossed posts. As long as your wife's TB certificate and travel document [passport] match then no problem. If your wife intends to travel to UK on her current passport containing her Thai surname then she should, ordinarily, leave the TB certificate as it is. I just wanted you to know that IOM won't issue the certificate in different surnames. I can see their point.

Confused? So was I, hence why I wanted everything changed before the application was submitted. So much paperwork made my mind boggle without having to cope with documents in two different surnames, ha ha.

She can always change her passport at a later date.

Edited May 8, 2015 by wooloomooloo

[bigyin]

My wife had the TB certificate and the A1 test result in her name before marriage and we applied for a settlement visa after we were married. I drew attention to everything in the visa application and made sure the ECO knew that the A1 test result was in the old name..sent both old and new passports with the application and visa granted no problem. Just make sure they are made aware of what happened and that it is all the same person.

[tevez32]

I would use her current passport in her thai name and change it upon expiry, but it expires in 2 years. I'm not sure if it's possible to be issued with a visa that runs longer than the passport.

[wooloomooloo]

In the words of Columbo, just one more thing, although it nearly killed us to get everything done and dusted in one week in BKK and application submitted, all my wife's documents were also translated and notarised at MFA in her married name.

Not the end of the world if you don't but there was no stone left unturned. There was never a time that we suddenly needed to get a translation and/or notarisation at great additional expense in the UK. All documents were at hand, available, translated and notarised during my wife's visa years.

Edited May 8, 2015 by wooloomooloo

[tevez32]

I'm attempting something similar in regards to time in Bangkok, hence her doing the English test and TB test before I arrive.

[wooloomooloo]

I would use her current passport in her thai name and change it upon expiry, but it expires in 2 years. I'm not sure if it's possible to be issued with a visa that runs longer than the passport.

Your girlfriend can apply for a new passport in her married name after you've both married, even the day you married. She doesn't have to wait for her current passport to expire. Though, she can just leave it if she so wishes.

Like I said, this could cause problems with the issuance of the TB certificate. All depends on the timing.

It really was the biggest effort in our lives to get everything done in one week and was a logistical nightmare. But it's possible. Depends on how much you want to stare death in the face, ha ha.

[wooloomooloo]

... and that was our honeymoon. Geez.

[7by7]

I would use her current passport in her thai name and change it upon expiry, but it expires in 2 years. I'm not sure if it's possible to be issued with a visa that runs longer than the passport.

It is possible, and not that rare.

A visa does not expire because the passport it is stuck into has.