Income regularity requirements for marriage visa

[Chongalulu]

On 23 January I will have to do my 2nd extension of my marriage visa and I would prefer for financial reasons to switch to income based qualification,rather than the 400k in the bank that I used for 1st extension. The income source is rental of my UK property which was rented out at £3000 (150,000baht) per month net after agency fees from October 2014. However the tenant moves out this week and there is no replacement lined up to replace them and of course no way of knowing when there will be (could possibly be after Xmas now). So my question is how recent does the income have to be to qualify,because on an averaging annual basis I only need about 4 months rent to cover the annual requirement. I need to know now because if recent,rather than annual,income is required I need to make arrangements to liquidise assets to fund 400k into my Thai account for the seasoning period. Can you confirm if this is 2 months as per my original extension or does it become 3 subsequently?

Grateful for the considerable knowledge of Ubonjoe et al who have been so helpful in the past.

[ubonjoe]

Immigration will accept what is on the income letter you get from the UK embassy.

Their requirements are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-obtain-a-pensionincome-letter-for-thai-immigration

[OJAS]

Strikes me that your UK agents are basically not up to the job if it is expected to take them such an inordinate amount of time to find replacement tenants for your property! Thanks to apparently rather more diligent efforts on the part of my managing agents, the maximum period my UK property has been vacant between tenants has never exceeded 3 weeks!

It is particularly important that you check whether the buildings insurance policy, for which you as landlord are presumably responsible, will provide adequate cover for your property while it remains unoccupied for such a long period of time.

Back on topic, have you yet obtained an income confirmation letter from the British Embassy? If not, I suggest that you contact them ASAP to check whether they would be prepared to issue you with one in the circumstances you describe. What I provide them as proof of my rental income is a copy of the current assured shorthold tenancy agreement relating to my property. Is your property covered by an assured shorthold tenancy agreement, and, if so, is it still current (notwithstanding that the existing tenant is moving out this week)?

[thaibeachlovers]

For a retirement extension it is 2 months initial and 3 subsequent, so I would assume it is the same for marriage.

[ubonjoe]

For a retirement extension it is 2 months initial and 3 subsequent, so I would assume it is the same for marriage.

The OP is asking about the income option not money in the bank requirements. For marriage it is 2 months for every extension.

[Liquorice]

If you can show the Embassy bank account deposit for the previous 12 months rent, they will provide a letter to that effect stating the annual income.

The letter is valid for 6 months.

It really doesn't matter if you have gaps in your tenancy as long as your total annual income meets the requirements (480,000 BHT per annum using income method). Immigration will do the conversion from £ sterling stated on the letter to THB.

[Liquorice]

Strikes me that your UK agents are basically not up to the job if it is expected to take them such an inordinate amount of time to find replacement tenants for your property! Thanks to apparently rather more diligent efforts on the part of my managing agents, the maximum period my UK property has been vacant between tenants has never exceeded 3 weeks!

It is particularly important that you check whether the buildings insurance policy, for which you as landlord are presumably responsible, will provide adequate cover for your property while it remains unoccupied for such a long period of time.

Finding a tenant who can afford £3,000 per month isn't easy.

[Chongalulu]

Strikes me that your UK agents are basically not up to the job if it is expected to take them such an inordinate amount of time to find replacement tenants for your property! Thanks to apparently rather more diligent efforts on the part of my managing agents, the maximum period my UK property has been vacant between tenants has never exceeded 3 weeks!

It is particularly important that you check whether the buildings insurance policy, for which you as landlord are presumably responsible, will provide adequate cover for your property while it remains unoccupied for such a long period of time.

Back on topic, have you yet obtained an income confirmation letter from the British Embassy? If not, I suggest that you contact them ASAP to check whether they would be prepared to issue you with one in the circumstances you describe. What I provide them as proof of my rental income is a copy of the current assured shorthold tenancy agreement relating to my property. Is your property covered by an assured shorthold tenancy agreement, and, if so, is it still current (notwithstanding that the existing tenant is moving out this week)?

You didn't say what area or £rental your property is in . The gross rent on mine was£3400 per month so I suspect it may be in a different segment. The agency found someone pretty quickly last time,and in any case all property is on rightmove which is where people look initially anyway. There is only one competing property in my town but at the moment virtually no one looking above the £2000 sector. Thanks for your tip re insurance which I'd already spoken to insurance company about. After 45 days unoccupancy you lose flood and burglary cover but unfurnished and mains turned off is reasonable extra risk.

I haven't contacted embassy yet the situation has only just arisen which is why I've sought advice here beforehand. Faz has provided some useful information below which is encouraging and again thanks for your input.

[aronp1]

Immigration will accept what is on the income letter you get from the UK embassy.

Their requirements are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-obtain-a-pensionincome-letter-for-thai-immigration

Plus copy of bank book showing income from the past two months.

[Chongalulu]

Immigration will accept what is on the income letter you get from the UK embassy.

Their requirements are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-obtain-a-pensionincome-letter-for-thai-immigration

Plus copy of bank book showing income from the past two months.

If I applied for the confirmation of income letter from British embassy now then clearly I would be able to demonstrate income for the year up till October 27 2015. Faz said in earlier post that this would be valid (as far as Thai immigration is concerned?) for six months meaning I could use it for my application in January,3 months hence. Can anyone else confirm this (not that I'm doubting you Faz,just that I would have to be absolutely sure ). My rent is paid into my UK bank and I transfer funds here as and when I need to. If in January immigration are also wanting to see evidence of more recent income into my UK bank then that will be a problem. I usually transfer circa 50000 baht month which can be seen just as a deposit in my Thai bank book.

So I do need greater clarification of exactly what is required/accepted by immigration (Korat is my office) if I'm going to rely on this income qualification method because if it is going to be difficult or uncertain I would have to get 400k baht into my account by 23 November to fill the seasoning requirements.

Thanks for your patience and hope for further clarification

[ubonjoe]

You can find the directive sent to all immigration offices about the 6 month rule here. PCEC-NOTICE-THAI-IMMIGRATION-NEWS-JUNE-6.pdf

There have been reports of some immigration offices not following it but I don't recall Korat being one of them.

I also do not recall Korat asking for backup proof for the income letter.

You have exceed the 480k baht required to reach an average income of 40k already for the year so I would think that the embassy would issue letter at anytime now.

[Chongalulu]

You can find the directive sent to all immigration offices about the 6 month rule here.

There have been reports of some immigration offices not following it but I don't recall Korat being one of them.

I also do not recall Korat asking for backup proof for the income letter.

You have exceed the 480k baht required to reach an average income of 40k already for the year so I would think that the embassy would issue letter at anytime now.

Thank Ubonjoe,that's brilliant and exactly what I need,as ever your responses are A++! Thanks to all who contributed.