FLR question

[Rob180]

Could someone advise regarding this please?

In the FLR M guidance notes it says..... 'Any documents which are not in English must be accompanied by a reliable English translation'.

Does this mean it is necessary to have a divorce certificate and children's birth certificates (even when they're not part of the FLR application) translated as well as the marriage certificate? Or would they accept these untranslated?

I know it states all documents but I'm wondering if they would accept the above untranslated (apart from marriage certificate) or am I going to have to get these other documents translated before the application is submitted?

Edited July 21, 2016 by Rob180

[rasg]

I'm going through the same at the moment. One Thai son of the wife. Having all sorts of problems just getting the certificate but that is what we are going to do. Full Thai birth certificate and a translation. No point in supplying anything in Thai unless you supply a translation.

[bobrussell]

There is a chance of rejection where a translation is missing so better to include one. Strangely when we applied for child benefit HMRC told us that a translation was not required!

A slight panic when we applied for naturalisation as we did not have a translation so we did it ourselves! Set things out in the same way as the original. Signed it in Thai and got away with it thankfully. It was a good translation so had they checked, it would have been correct!

[Rob180]

Thanks guys, hopefully the certificates can be obtained without too much hassle, although getting them translated is going to be great fun given that the nearest translator to my wife's family is probably 5 hours away lol and we won't be back until the end of this year. You would think the UK immigration could at least pay someone multi-lingual that could read a simple piece of paper like a birth certificate in another language, but as usual.....no, there's never a straightforward option !

Edited July 22, 2016 by Rob180

[rasg]

Take a decent quality photo of whatever you need translated, and simply email it to the company who is doing the translation. Pay them on a credit card and get them to EMS the translations back. It's not difficult and will save lots of toing and froing. Even better is to go to a company with a fax machine and get it faxed to the translation company. Even better. Scan it and email it.

[Rob180]

Thanks RASG. I'll look at somehow getting the documents scanned. That will mean they effectively become copies but I assume that will be acceptable?

[rasg]

Acceptable to get the translations done! You need the original and the translation for the FLR application.

[Rob180]

If you don't have the actual original, only what an amphur would provide which would be a copy, is that going to suffice?

[rasg]

I would think so as it's come from an Amphur and not a copy shop.

Anything from a copy shop can be changed.

It's the route I am going down at the moment as the wife's family are slow to respond anything.

[Rob180]

Thanks RASG. The Amphur will need to certify it as authentic or/and stamp it I assume and not just print out a copy from the computer?

Edited July 23, 2016 by Rob180

[Rob180]

The FLR M guidance notes are contradictory. Paragraph 1 says... 'we may accept a copy certified'. Paragraph 2 says... 'we are unlikely to grant your application without the original document'. Which is it, does anyone know?? Are they meaning in Paragraph 2 if it's minus a covering letter? OR is Paragraph 2 referring more to things like bank statements and marriage certificates?? It would be helpful if it actually explained what it meant???

Documents provided with the application must be originals. Copies of any kind are not acceptable unless there are valid reasons for not being able to provide the original document. In such circumstances, we may accept a copy certified by the body or authority which issued the original (for example, a copy of a savings book certified by the building society or bank), or by a notary.

The reasons for not being able to provide the original document must be explained in a covering letter. We are unlikely to grant your application without the original document.

From 28 October 2013, if you are making your application by post you can send a complete and full copy of your partner’s current passport or travel document with your application. Every page of the passport must be copied including any blank pages. The copy does not need to be certified; your partner must sign the declaration at section 14 of the application form to confirm it is a complete and true copy of their current passport or travel document. Any documents which are not in English must be accompanied by a reliable English translation.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Rob180

[rasg]

Thanks RASG. The Amphur will need to certify it as authentic or/and stamp it I assume and not just print out a copy from the computer?

I don't know but I would think so. The wife's family has found her son's certificate and it is on its way to us here in the UK.

[Rob180]

If a certified copy is provided by the Amphur, could this be scanned and emailed to UK or would it have to be on the Amphur's original paper and posted?

I assume emailing might be acceptable, but nothing would surprise me

[rasg]

It has to be an original certificate provided by the Amphur. Emailing or scanning will mean it's a copy.

When we got married we only received a single marriage certificate. If we need another original we would have to go to the local registry office to get one.

Anything you are relying on for a visa that is in Thai needs to be translated.

[Rob180]

Thanks RASG. I will get them provided by the Amphur, mailed here and forget about scanning. Once I have them there's a translation agency near me in UK which will do the job. What are they expecting people to do who have no relatives or friends in Thailand to go to the Amphur? Fortunately that doesn't apply to us but it might to some people. Do they expect you to go back to Thailand and go to the Amphur yourself !?