Thai moving to UK- Help!

[EC225LP]

Hi Guys,

Been living in Malaysia for the last ten years, married to a Thai lady for the last 5, we have two kids 2yr and 4yr (both have British passports).

Looks like next year we will be moving back to the UK.

Does anyone have any advice on what visa she will need and how to apply? (She already has a 5 year social visit pass). Been doing a bit of reading up but there seems to be a lot of different visas available.

If anyone has been through this and would care to point me in the right direction, I would be very grateful.

Thanks.

[theoldgit]

If your wife is intending to permanently live in the UK then there is only one class of visa that suits her needs, a Settlement Visa.

She will need to apply online, meet the financial requirements, pass an English test and a TB test.

If she's legally resident in Malaysia then she can apply there http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/malaysia/vfsglobalintroduction.html

There are numerous threads on the settlement process and a pinned topic at the top of the forum - whilst this ii in the process of being updated, the basics are correct.

[7by7]

If the intention is to move to the UK to reside indefinitely then she needs a settlement visa as your spouse.

As she is resident in Malaysia she can apply there.

You may find the following useful:-

UK settlement visa basics (needs some updating, but the essentials are the same)

Apply to join family living permanently in the UK (I know you are not, yourself, currently living the UK, but it's all exactly the same as if you were.)

NHS surcharge (only your wife has to pay this as you and your children are British citizens)

Financial requirement appendix (As your children are British citizens, they are not included in this, only your wife is)

Specified evidence appendix

Approved English test providers (Those in Malaysia are on page 6)

TB testing in Malaysia

All UK visa applications are now made online, starting here.

At the end of the process, after paying the fee, currently 1501 USD but expect that to increase in April, and submitting the online form she will need to make an appointment at the UK visa application centre in KL to have her biometrics taken and submit her supporting documents.

Edit; Did it really take me 8 minutes to type that!

Edited December 20, 2015 by 7by7

[EC225LP]

Guys, thanks so much for this wealth of information! It's really helpfull.

[EC225LP]

One more question... I'm assuming the English test can be done anywhere regardless of country of application? Example being, we will apply from Thailand, but take the English test in kuching Malaysia... I assume that certificate will be good for an application made from Thailand?

[ThaiVisaExpress]

You can take the test anywhere.

theoldgit and 7x7 have given you good advice, as always. But be sure that you meet the financial requirements. You may meet the requirements by employment income in Malaysia, but you haven't given any detail of your status there. If you don't meet the requirements by employment income, then there are various other ways that you can do it. You will receive better advice if you give some background ( if you want to, that is ).

Tony M

[EC225LP]

^^Thanks.... should be OK on the financial side. I work for an international company and won't be changing jobs... so hopefully should be OK.

[7by7]

In which case you will come under 5.2. Category A: With current employer for 6 months or more – overseas sponsor returning to the UK of the financial requirement.

I suggest that you read that carefully, as well as the specified evidence appendix, to make sure you have all the evidence required and it is in the required format.

ECOs have very little discretion on the evidence submitted with an application. If a specified piece of evidence is missing they do have the option of requesting it; but anecdotal reports suggest that they don't exercise that option very often and usually simply refuse!

[theoldgit]

Nonsense post removed.

[teeyai]

I Can,t recommend Thaivisa Express Highly Enough for anything Visa related .

They Truly know there Business and Get things Done fast and efficient .

Regards

Paul d .

[connda]

Tell her to take a bag of limes with her. She'll do fine.

[EC225LP]

Thanks again guys for all the input.

After looking into this, it seems you can apply for a similar visa from inside the UK (although the application is different)

My wife currently has a multi entry visa, valid for 5 years.

Whats to stop us from entering on this visa, and then applying for permission to remain?

Has anyone done this? and is there anything I have over looked?

[bobrussell]

Thanks again guys for all the input.

After looking into this, it seems you can apply for a similar visa from inside the UK (although the application is different)

My wife currently has a multi entry visa, valid for 5 years.

Whats to stop us from entering on this visa, and then applying for permission to remain?

Has anyone done this? and is there anything I have over looked?

Multi entry visas are a form of visit visa and cannot be converted to other types of visa within the UK. So the answer is, the application for leave to remain will be rejected and you will have lost a lot of money!

[7by7]

I think that you are looking at Apply to remain in the UK with family.

As you can see from Eligibility:

You can apply to extend or switch in any of these routes if you’re eligible, except if you have permission to be in the UK:

• as a visitor
• for less than 6 months - unless you got your visa to get married or become civil partners or you got your visa to wait for the outcome of a family court or divorce

So as your wife would be in the UK as a visitor she is not eligible for this, and as Bob says any application would be a waste of money as it would be refused.

[EC225LP]

Hi Guys,

The visa application is well under way... english test passed, TB test completed.

We are filling out the online application now, and was looking for some advice-

Under the personal travel details it asks for details of foreign trips taken outside the home country within the last 10 years.

Do you need to list every trip? point being we go to Brunei every other week for shopping etc, hundreds of entry /exit stamps in her passport...Do they all need to be listed?!

[whiterussian]

There's a box for additional information on the application at the end, you could state that you have over X visits to Brunei for shopping, and as such haven't listed them all. They will have her passport with the application anyway, so you might be better just to list the latest trip to Brunei, plus other countries in the required boxes. imo

[South]

This is one of the only threads I have seen on here in a while giving good advice. Oldgit and 7by7, thumbs up to you two.

[7by7]

There's a box for additional information on the application at the end, you could state that you have over X visits to Brunei for shopping, and as such haven't listed them all. They will have her passport with the application anyway, so you might be better just to list the latest trip to Brunei, plus other countries in the required boxes. imo

Agree.

In answer to the actual question, if the software lets you, put "See additional information."​

If the software wont let you do this, leave it blank on the online form and then write it by hand on the hard copy.

In the additional information box put something like "I make regular shopping trips to Brunei with my husband; please see relevent stamps in our passports."

Edited March 21, 2016 by 7by7

[EC225LP]

Guys- Thanks again... great info and advice!

Quick one- whats up with the visa4uk.fco.gov.uk website? been trying to get on to finish our application for a couple of days now, but it won't load...

Anyone else experiencing this? tried form a couple of different computers.. no joy

[7by7]

Just logged in ok.

Is it working for you now?

[EC225LP]

Just logged in ok.

Is it working for you now?

Yes, thanks... its working fine now

[EC225LP]

Guys, thanks again for all the help and support.

The application is going well, I've been reading up on the application process, and collected together all the documentation necessary including,

Marriage certificate (original)

Children's birth certs (originals english and Thai)

Children's UK passports (original)

All the wife's current and previous Thai passports.

Certified true copies of 6 months payslips

Certified true copies of 6 months savings statements (not required for the financial requirement, but I added them in anyway)

Job offer in the UK

Proof of address (mortgage doc from bank)

Life skills A1 and TB test certs (original)

All the relevant application forms/sponsorship forms.

Can anyone think of any else that should be included??!!

Thanks guys!

[7by7]

Difficult to say, as a lot depends on variables such as how you are meeting the financial requirement.

Have a check through Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE: family members specified evidence.

It's a bit of a slog, but will help you make sure you have everything you need.

[EC225LP]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the help.

Visa was granted the other day and we are on our way at the end of the month!

Next step life in the UK??!

[Jeff Cowie]

Folks, is the advice on this still current?  I'm going through the same situation but see that the settlement visa requires under eligibility that the person must have been living in the uk with a 'partner of a settled person' visa for at least 2 years to apply for a settlement visa.

 

 

[theoldgit]

You've probably read it wrong, rather than jump on the back of a pretty old thread about somebody living in Malaysia who may not be in the same position as you, please start your own thread and ask a question with your actual details.

 

I'll close this thread.