UK Settlement Visa

[Eneukman]

I'm planning on returning to the UK to live with my Thai wife in 6 months or so. I'm aware of the various requirements to enable my wife to get a settlement visa, which as far as I can see allows her to stay and work in the UK for an initial period of 33 months.I do have some questions:

 

1. I know she has to get a TB test at a specific hospital in Bangkok. How long is this certificate valid? We are planning to visit Bangkok next month so it would save another trip if we could arrange for the test to be done then. I know that we have to tell the hospital that the test is for a visa to the UK.

 

2. I shall be applying on the basis of my income being in excess of £18,600. We'll probably be applying shortly after the end of the tax year so it's unlikely that the documentation of the current tax year will be available. I have the P60 for one pension here in Thailand for the yax year to 5th April 2016 so can provide that along with a letter from my pension provider showing me my new pension rate from 6th April 2016. I have a second smaller pension the monthly advices from which are sent to my brother. I could ask him to email a copy of the P60 from them if necessary along with a letter giving me my new rate from 1st January.

 

 My pensions are less than £18,600 so I shall be making up the shortfall by using investment income. My shares are held in a nominee company managed by Alliance Trust in Dundee. My brother emailed me the relevant pages covering my income from the 2015/16 end of year report. Would this be accepted or would the original be required? If the original is  required, rather than risk it going astray in the post, I would probably ask him to have it couriered to me by DHL at great expense to me! I should be able to print the 2016/17 report on-line shortly after 5th April but doubt the original printed version would be available before we start the visa process. 

 

3. My bank statements go to my brother but I am able to view my statements on-line and indeed save them to my computer monthly. Will I need to produce them when my wife applies for her visa? In addition, I also have 2 on-line savings accounts, for which I can print statements if required. I can also produce the passbooks for my two Thai bank accounts.

 

4. I believe I'll need to give my wife a letter inviting her to come and stay with me in Scotland. We'll be staying initially with my brother before finding somewhere to rent nearby. Will she also need a letter from him confirming that we can stay with him until we are able to rent a place of our own?

 

Thanks,

 

Alan

 

 

[globalThailand]

1. Certificate is valid for 6 months

https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa/overview

 

Can't help with 2 I'm afraid

 

3. I believe in this case as they are 'electronic statements' they will need an accompanying letter from the bank (see 1 v. (2))

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

 

4. You will need a letter from your brother and some supporting evidence that there will be sufficient rooms available

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maintenance-and-accommodation-maa/maintenance-and-accommodation-maa--2#maa6-accommodation-general-requirements

[rasg]

If you supply any paperwork to UKVI from the tax office I am pretty certain you need to provide the original documents.

 

My suggestions to you is to have a word with your accountant. As I am self employed I sent the financial requirements to him and he did the rest.

 

I used electronic statements but I stapled each month together and then Santander stamped the first page of each. A letter from the bank will have also suffice. Or get your brother to send the originals. My account is online only so I can’t do that.

 

Royal Mail offer a tracked service that finishes in Thailand using EMS. Sending anything to Thailand involves customs and can take up to a week, depending on what you are sending. Make sure you have anything sent in good time.

 

Allow the whole day for the TB test. You have to book in advance via email but do try to get an early appointment. Your wife will have to go to the IOM building in Bangkok first and then they will send her to one of three hospitals for the Xray. After that she has to go back to the IOM building to pick the certificate if she has "passed". My wife would have saved me lots of worry if she had told me that she'd had a TB test a couple of years previously as part of her hotel job, because we had booked the appointment at VFS for the following day. There is meant to be a way of paying inline but I gave up on that one.

 

Email address to book the TB test: [email protected]

 

Address:

IOM Bangkok
Kasemkij Building

8th floor
120, Silom road

Bangrak

Bangkok
10500
 
Tel : 02‐234‐7950‐5

 

*IOM office is open for registration from 8.00-11.45 AM. And 1.00-3.00 PM. Monday-Friday only.

Required documents on the appointment date:
? Original passport and a copy of the passport.
? Original passport or ID card and their copy for a parent or a legal guardian, accompanying children under 18 years of age.
? Ante‐Natal Care Book for pregnant women.
? Printed address in the UK.
? Original TB certificate for old applicants whose certificates are still valid.

*The photo will be taken electronically during the registration process.
*The certificate will be valid for 6 months.

Service Fee (to be paid by cash at IOM office):
? Applicants of 11 years of age and above: 3,300 Baht.

 

[Eneukman]

Thanks for the information. I was assuming that the x-ray would be carried out at the IOM building but am I wrong in thinking that? We'll probably stay at the Asia Hotel which is only 2 stops away from Sala Daeng on the sky train though on different lines so getting there early isn't a problem. Getting to a hospital elsewhere in Bangkok could be an issue. My wife went to Pattaya City Hospital to check a couple of other things so I got her to have a chest x-ray, which came back clear so there shouldn't be any problems getting the certificate.

 

I'll email my brother and get him to courier to me (at my expense) the full end of year statement for the previous tax year from Stocktrade (subsequently bought by Alliance Trust from Brewin Dolphin) along with my last 6 current account statements. If necessary, I can email him my on-line savings account statements and again get him to have them stamped by Nationwide and couriered to me. That shouldn't be necessary as I'm applying on the grounds of income rather than money in the bank.

 

I'm required and have enough knowledge about financial matters not to need an accountant at present. 

 

My brother owns his own house -  in fact it has been in the family since it was built around 1881. It's a terraced house on 3 floors with 4 bedrooms, on the 2 upper floors. so it has plenty of space. There are only 2 public rooms - a living room and a kitchen / diner but one of the outbuildings has been converted into a lounge.

 

The British government sure don't make life easy for you!!!!!!

 

Alan

[7by7]

From what you say in your OP I assume that you are meeting the financial requirement through a combination of Category C: Non-employment income and Category E: Pension.

 

The documents you need to provide for each can be found in the relevant parts of the financial appendix, linked to above, and the Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE: family members specified evidence. Documents should be originals or if copies or internet printouts certified as true copies by the issuer; either by stamping each page or with an accompanying letter.

 

Yes, her X-ray will be done at the IOM; see Tuberculosis testing in Thailand.

 

Your brother needs to provide a letter offering to accommodate you in which he describes the property and who else already lives there to show that there will be at least one room for the exclusive use of you and your wife. He may also want to supply one or more of the other documents listed under 'Accommodation' in the supporting documents guide, but don't go overboard.

 

 

 

 

[TommyUK1960]

What about the English test? Have you got that covered?

My wife has got do the test in January. Just wondered if you got any tips?

[Aranyrammie]

40 minutes ago, TommyUK1960 said:

What about the English test? Have you got that covered?

My wife has got do the test in January. Just wondered if you got any tips?

Just trying to find the sites in Bangkok online, website must be down. Does anyone know where in Bangkok you go for tests and any contact numbers?

[rasg]

9 hours ago, Eneukman said:

Thanks for the information. I was assuming that the x-ray would be carried out at the IOM building but am I wrong in thinking that?

 

Yes you are unless they have changed things since February. After attending the IOM building they send you to one of three hospitals for the XRay. The Christian Hospital is closest and a few hundred yards away.

 

9 hours ago, Eneukman said:

I'm required and have enough knowledge about financial matters not to need an accountant at present. 

 

I hope so. As I am self employed mine was a Godsend. In your situation your validated bank statements or original bank statements and the rest of the documents should do the job.  

 

 

 

[Eneukman]

16 hours ago, 7by7 said:

From what you say in your OP I assume that you are meeting the financial requirement through a combination of Category C: Non-employment income and Category E: Pension.

 

The documents you need to provide for each can be found in the relevant parts of the financial appendix, linked to above, and the Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE: family members specified evidence. Documents should be originals or if copies or internet printouts certified as true copies by the issuer; either by stamping each page or with an accompanying letter.

 

Yes, her X-ray will be done at the IOM; see Tuberculosis testing in Thailand.

 

Your brother needs to provide a letter offering to accommodate you in which he describes the property and who else already lives there to show that there will be at least one room for the exclusive use of you and your wife. He may also want to supply one or more of the other documents listed under 'Accommodation' in the supporting documents guide, but don't go overboard.

 

 

16 hours ago, 7by7 said:

 

 

 

Yes, I'll be applying using a combination of pension income and investment income. My total income is in excess of £26,000 though I think proving all of it may not be possible. Nevertheless, I shall be able to prove income of around £25,000 - maybe  bit more.

 

I've emailed my brother asking him to courier to me the end of year statement showing my investment income for the last financial year along with the original bank statements for the last 6 months. I'll be speaking to him later today so I can give him more information as to what I need. I can also email him at a later date with copies of my on-line savings account statements and ask him to go to the Natonwide Building Society and have these stamped and couriered to me along with any more recent bank statements and the appropriate letter from him. 

 

Thanks,

 

Alan

[Eneukman]

15 hours ago, TommyUK1960 said:

What about the English test? Have you got that covered?

My wife has got do the test in January. Just wondered if you got any tips?

 

I haven't got round to arranging the English language test yet though I'm confident that she'll be able to pass it without any problems. That said, I'm going to arrange additional English lessons for her in January. 

 

Additionally, rather than trying to jump through all the hoops the UK government place in your way, I'm going to use the services of a local agent to assist with the visa process. I object to paying the outrageous fee he'll charge but at least he has the experience required to ensure that she does get the visa at the first attempt. I spoke to him a few months ago and asked if he could give my wife a couple of example language tests so she knows what to expect. He can also check that I have provided the correct documentation and not omitted anything stupid. 

 

Alan

[Eneukman]

14 hours ago, Aranyrammie said:

Just trying to find the sites in Bangkok online, website must be down. Does anyone know where in Bangkok you go for tests and any contact numbers?

 

Take a look here - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/573290/Approved_Secure_English_Language_Tests_and_Test_Centres.pdf

 

This lists various sites in Bangkok where they appear to do the tests though I don't know how often they're held. I believe the agent I plan to use will arrange for one of his Thai staff to take my wife to and from the test site.

 

Alan

[Eneukman]

14 hours ago, rasg said:

 

Yes you are unless they have changed things since February. After attending the IOM building they send you to one of three hospitals for the XRay. The Christian Hospital is closest and a few hundred yards away.

 

 

I hope so. As I am self employed mine was a Godsend. In your situation your validated bank statements or original bank statements and the rest of the documents should do the job.  

 

 

 

 

Let's hope they send us to the Christian Hospital!

 

I worked for many years in the banking industry the last 25 of which were in a specialist department in which I got a grounding in law, specifically law regarding Wills, accountancy and income tax. Also, my tax affairs are relatively simple and will become even more so when I return to Scotland to live. As I retired 12 years ago at the age of 50, my knowledge is a bit out of date but I still know the appropriate questions to ask if I need to contact any government department by phone or by email.

 

My bank statements shouldn't be required as I'm applying on the grounds of my income being in excess of £18,600. My UK savings are less than £60,000 (or whatever the limit is) and in any event have varied considerably over the last 6 months but showing a sizeable balance should help.

 

Alan 

[theoldgit]

You'll still need to provide bank statements, you need to demonstrate that the income you're declaring is actually being banked in your account.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[7by7]

22 hours ago, 7by7 said:

Yes, her X-ray will be done at the IOM; see Tuberculosis testing in Thailand.

 

20 hours ago, rasg said:

 

Yes you are unless they have changed things since February. After attending the IOM building they send you to one of three hospitals for the XRay. The Christian Hospital is closest and a few hundred yards away.

 I stand corrected; apologies for my error.

[7by7]

6 hours ago, Eneukman said:

Additionally, rather than trying to jump through all the hoops the UK government place in your way, I'm going to use the services of a local agent to assist with the visa process. I object to paying the outrageous fee he'll charge but at least he has the experience required to ensure that she does get the visa at the first attempt. I spoke to him a few months ago and asked if he could give my wife a couple of example language tests so she knows what to expect. He can also check that I have provided the correct documentation and not omitted anything stupid. 

 

Be careful if using an agent; not all are as professional or honest as others; even those run by Brits!

 

Have a read of the pinned topic Visa agents.

 

I know of agents run by Brits, one in particular, who are little better than scammers; unfortunately the draconian Thai defamation laws and therefore the forum rules forbid me from naming names in the open forum.

 

The only agents I am confident in recommending are Thai Visa Express.

[rasg]

Additionally, rather than trying to jump through all the hoops the UK government place in your way, I'm going to use the services of a local agent to assist with the visa process. I object to paying the outrageous fee he'll charge but at least he has the experience required to ensure that she does get the visa at the first attempt. I spoke to him a few months ago and asked if he could give my wife a couple of example language tests so she knows what to expect. He can also check that I have provided the correct documentation and not omitted anything stupid. 

 

All things you could have easily done yourself and saved the "outrageous fee" he will charge you. Example language tests are available online with a simple Google search or a short trip to YouTube. All of the hoops that you have to jump through are there whether you use a visa agent or not and you end up paying "an outrageous fee" and still end up having to do 80-90% of the work yourself supplying him with the information.

 

In the UK there are laws to prevent just anybody from setting up visa companies. They have to be an OISC Registered Advisor. Thai Visa Express are the only one that I know of that has offices both here in the UK and Thailand. No such rules in Thailand and there are some shockingly bad companies in Thailand that can often hinder and almost guarantee that your wife won’t get a visa. Somebody I am trying to help at the moment was refused twice this year for a visit visa because the couple involved were given incorrect info by two different visa companies in Thailand.

 

When that happens it is a hard road back restoring any credibility with UKVI. Many, many people on here are happy to give back because they received help here for their partners and I would suggest there are a few here with far more experience than many of the visa companies.

 

As I retired 12 years ago at the age of 50, my knowledge is a bit out of date but I still know the appropriate questions to ask if I need to contact any government department by phone or by email.

 

One of the reasons that forums like this exist is that it is almost impossible to contact UKVI or VFS by telephone and if you do manage to do so, the advice provided is often not correct. The same goes for email. UKVI have a premium rate call line at £1.37 a minute. After doing £10 in one call last year and finding that the person was unable to answer my relatively simple question, I went in search of the answer elsewhere and found this place and had an answer within an hour or two.

[rasg]

29 minutes ago, 7by7 said:

 

 I stand corrected; apologies for my error.

 

None needed to me. The only reason I know is that my wife did it back in February & I keep every scrap of info that I have ever been sent.

I notice that I have posted a similar reply Eneukman as you did.

[brewsterbudgen]

IDP and the British Council are the authorised A1/B1 test providers in Thailand. Tests are held regularly, usually on Thursdays and Fridays. The test takes around 20 minutes and only speaking and listening skills are assessed. The result is available about a week after the test.

[rasg]

This should probably belong in a new post.

 

I am interested in the differences between the language tests that take place in Thailand and in the UK.

 

I was reading elsewhere that an A1 English test in Thailand involved two students as well as an examiner where the students were supposed to have a conversation together. The poster was complaining that one of the students spoke very quickly and the poster's wife couldn't understand what the other student was saying. The examiner asked the student to speak more slowly fell on deaf ears. The poster was worried that his other half had failed. She didn't but it worried him.

 

The A1 test at Trinity in Hammersmith was six minutes long, examiner and a single student.

 

Why the difference? Anybody know?

[brewsterbudgen]

This should probably belong in a new post.
 
I am interested in the differences between the language tests that take place in Thailand and in the UK.
 
I was reading elsewhere that an A1 English test in Thailand involved two students as well as an examiner where the students were supposed to have a conversation together. The poster was complaining that one of the students spoke very quickly and the poster's wife couldn't understand what the other student was saying. The examiner asked the student to speak more slowly fell on deaf ears. The poster was worried that his other half had failed. She didn't but it worried him.
 
The A1 test at Trinity in Hammersmith was six minutes long, examiner and a single student.
 
Why the difference? Anybody know?

The test in Thailand is the IELTS Life Skills test but I think a different test is used in the UK. The Life Skills test has to have 2 candidates as interaction between the candidates is rated. It's not unusual to have two candidates with different levels of English but the candidates are always assessed separately.

[rasg]

Interesting. I wonder why that is?

[brewsterbudgen]

Interesting. I wonder why that is?

UKVI have to select tests and test providers that meet their criteria, particularly in regard to security. They won't always be the same country by country. Unfortunately Asia has a reputation for easy cheating, so the IELTS test which has been around for a while, meets their strict requirements for Asia.