Sorry if this has been discussed dry, but there are so many posts on this and many conflict with each other, hence could someone please provide some answers..........

 

1. Is it possible to get a UK Settlement for a Thai fiancee without her coming to UK on a Tourist Visa first?

 

There is something on UKBA website which I have copied below about both people having to have visited each other's countries before a Settlement Visa would be granted. This is what I'm wondering about, because people on here don't all seem to have had tourist visas granted first?

 

2.When can a Thai fiancee work in the UK after arrival if here on a Settlement Visa? Do you have to be granted Indefinite Leave To Remain first or be married in UK first?

 

 

Copied from UKBA site.............from genuine/subsisting relationship section:.

• are in a current, long-term relationship;
  
• are living together with your partner;
  
• share responsibility with your partner for any children;
  
• share financial responsibilities with your partner, such as a joint mortgage or tenancy agreement, a joint bank account or joint savings, and utility bills in both your names;
  
• you and your partner have visited one another's home country and family; and
  
• you have made plans about living together in the UK with your partner.
  

Thanks for anyone's advice.

Edited November 28, 201213 yr by RobertTheBruce

A TG does not have to first have a UK tourist visa (and travel to the UK) before applying for a settlement visa.

 

I had a look at the list of requirements that you list. I found that you missed an important part of the statement. What I found was that the list is one of 'Factors which may be associated with a genuine and subsisting relationship'. In other words they are not requirements.

 

1. Is it possible to get a UK Settlement for a Thai fiancee without her coming to UK on a Tourist Visa first?

 

2.When can a Thai fiancee work in the UK after arrival if here on a Settlement Visa? Do you have to be granted Indefinite Leave To Remain first or be married in UK first?

 

 

1. Yes. I brought my TG over on a marriage visa. ie we had six months in which to get married or she would have to return. She had not previously visited UK. After marriage she got 1 more year on the visa, then we applied for and got permanent residency.

 

2. No, cannot work on marriage visa. Once she got perm. res. she applied for a National Insurance number and was then able to legally work.

 

 

It was 1998 when she came to UK, rules may have changed since then. The most frustrating thing about visas is you get so much conflicting information. good luck!

Rules are guys in a nutshell,

 

1, Yes you can apply for a 6 month fiancee visa or a settlement visa without going on a tourist visa first, as previously stated you have to make sure that the relationship is very well documentated, i.e. e-mails. photos, telephone bills, facebook, money grams, etc, as much as possible.

 

2, Once you are married on a 6 month fiancee visa she can then work and apply for a National Insurance number, the tax office will put your partner on emergency tax until the National Insurance number arrives.

 

The info you have pasted Roberto is for when you are applying for visa extensions and permanent residence, the new rules are after married on a fiancee visa you will be given 2 years and 9 months after this time you apply again and recieve 2 years, you can only apply for permanent residence in the UK now after a 5 year stay in the UK.

Thanks everyone for the information, very much appreciated and has saved me mind numbing hours scrolling through dozens of pages online! All your posts are great, so many thanks again.

 

cheers

Rob, Make sure you get the financial side 100% correct mate, you can always check my website for up to date details www.keyvisathailand.com

 

Darren,

 

Good luck

Rob, just one more, lol, when you apply for a fiancee visa, in Thailand , at a cost of £826.00, once married in the UK you have to apply for a further settlement visa, again at a cost of £826, if applying in person, or £545 if applying by post. It is cheaper to get married in Thailand and just apply once for a marriage visa. once you get married and then apply for the settlement visa and get it, then she can start work.

another thing, when she goes to VFS to put in the application, theres a security guard that checks there appointment and passport, he also checked her application, which is nothing to do with him, and told her she had filled out the wrong form and pointed to another guy who would help her fill out the correct form at a cost, she told him she would wait until the VFS told her she had the wrong form, which they checked and was correct, so beware

Your wife did correct and this should be reported to the British Embassy Neil, you are correct the security guard is there to check appointments only and to make sure no security risks, he obviously has something going with one of the leaches that hang around the VFS looking to grab un suspecting applicants and also they pretend to be VFS staff, big thumbs up to your wife, but do everybody a favor Neil mate and send a quick e-mail to [email protected]

 

It is no detriment to your application and you are correct, beware they are doing this day in and day out!!!

 

I am an agent yes but I do not stand outside the VFS

The info you have pasted Roberto is for when you are applying for visa extensions and permanent residence, the new rules are after married on a fiancee visa you will be given 2 years and 9 months after this time you apply again and recieve 2 years, you can only apply for permanent residence in the UK now after a 5 year stay in the UK.

 

Sorry to hijack this thread.. My Girlfriend has been here nearly 5 years, she is on her last 2 years on her current visa, and wants to go for a permanent visa in your experience how easy is this to get? She has been here for 5 years, works 6 days a week paying tax etc. She is going to do a test soon at a local college, to get a level 2 or 3 or something I can't remember what she said.

I have not done one, but a friend of mine just completed one this month for his wife for nationality and British Passport she as been here 5 years in June, with the aplication she sent a level 2 ESOL certificate, Wage slips, household bills in her name and husbands name, joint bank accounts, anything british and official with her name or joint names, also a letter from her doctor say she was registered there, nothing of her husbands except a copy of his passport, she also needed two referees, someone with a bit of importance who as known her for the last 2 years, cost £851 and £65 to get it checked at the local government office. its still in the process so dont know if they have got it yet. its a expensive job with these thai women lol love em really

Edited November 29, 201213 yr by neil123

Rob, just one more, lol, when you apply for a fiancee visa, in Thailand , at a cost of £826.00, once married in the UK you have to apply for a further settlement visa, again at a cost of £826, if applying in person, or £545 if applying by post. It is cheaper to get married in Thailand and just apply once for a marriage visa. once you get married and then apply for the settlement visa and get it, then she can start work.

 

Thanks, I had a look at your link. I'm coming back over maybe March, so if things are progressing I'll pop in and see you. Thanks for your help.

http://thailand-uk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?482-UK-Visas

 

Lots of good info here... I obtained 1 x visit visa + 1 x settlement visa for my wife without paying a penny to visa agents solely by using the above link and reading up!

 

Don't waste your time and money!

7- Eleven you missed a bit Dont waste your time and money go the the experts, oooh I love the support by the way 7-Eleven how long ago did you get the settlement visa for your beloved?

 

Info on waiting times for extensions and PR guys at the moment is anything between 36-38 weeks in the UK , SO DO NOT WORRY IF YOU DO NOT HEAR ANYTHING. do not call them just wait they will get to it when they are ready.

Info on waiting times for extensions and PR guys at the moment is anything between 36-38 weeks in the UK , SO DO NOT WORRY IF YOU DO NOT HEAR ANYTHING. do not call them just wait they will get to it when they are ready.

 

Unless its one of 150,000 in boxes they have just found in a room at the UK Border agency lol

Rules are guys in a nutshell,

 

1, Yes you can apply for a 6 month fiancee visa or a settlement visa without going on a tourist visa first, as previously stated you have to make sure that the relationship is very well documentated, i.e. e-mails. photos, telephone bills, facebook, money grams, etc, as much as possible.

 

2, Once you are married on a 6 month fiancee visa she can then work and apply for a National Insurance number, the tax office will put your partner on emergency tax until the National Insurance number arrives.

 

The info you have pasted Roberto is for when you are applying for visa extensions and permanent residence, the new rules are after married on a fiancee visa you will be given 2 years and 9 months after this time you apply again and recieve 2 years, you can only apply for permanent residence in the UK now after a 5 year stay in the UK.

 

This is wrong information. If you enter the UK on a fiancee visa, and marry within the required 6 months, you will ( if granted ) be given leave to remain for 30 months. At the end of that 30 months, if you still qualify for further leave to remain ( still married, and meet the financial requirements) you will be granted a further 30 months. At the end of 5 years you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.

This is wrong information. If you enter the UK on a fiancee visa, and marry within the required 6 months, you will ( if granted ) be given leave to remain for 30 months. At the end of that 30 months, if you still qualify for further leave to remain ( still married, and meet the financial requirements) you will be granted a further 30 months. At the end of 5 years you can apply for indefinite leave to remain.

its 33 months after marriage, then 24 months, then can apply for Indefinate leave to remain, Tee2008, the new rules came in July 2012 do you know anyone who has completed there forst stint yet? after 6 posts all aimed at me, sounds like another visa hungry agent, here we go again

^ I know once they've been in the UK for 6 years they can apply for citizenship.. is it true if they leave the country.. say go back to Thailand they have to start the whole 6 years over again?

No Simon, If they have Citizenship then it will not be cancelled once they have it, they are allowed holidays obviously, but i think you are talking about a residence permit which means if they stay out of the UK for a period of 2 years then the residence permit is cancelled and have to start all over again

 

Kind regards

 

Darren

^ I know once they've been in the UK for 6 years they can apply for citizenship.. is it true if they leave the country.. say go back to Thailand they have to start the whole 6 years over again?

I thought I would do a search for this and see what I could find. I will assume that you are asking about someone who has entered the UK as a partner. In that circumstance the requirement is only 3 years. Out of that 3 year period the person can be outside of the UK for a period of 270 days:

 

Naturalisation after three years in the UK as a spouse of an UK Citizen

 

The requirements for naturalisation as a spouse of a British citizen are very similar to those mentioned above. The main difference is that there is a shorter residency requirement of three years in the UK as opposed to six years. The three years of the residency requirement are counted from the date your naturalization application is received by the Home Office.

Further details on residency requirements are as follows:

• You must have been living in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the three- year period; and
  
• On the date that your application is received in the Home Office, you must have permanent residence/ ILR in the UK; and
  
• During the three-year period you must not have been outside the UK for more than 270 days (approximately 9 months); and
  
• During the last 12 months of the three-year period you must not have been outside the UK for more than 90 days; and
  
• You must not have been in breach of any UK immigration rules at any time during this three-year period of residence in the UK.
  

SOURCE

 

..and from the UK Border Agency:

 

Can I be naturalised as a British citizen?

 

If you are over 18 and have been living in the United Kingdom for the last five years (or three years if you are married to or a civil partner of a British citizen) you may be able to apply for naturalisation as a British citizen. You may also be able to apply for naturalisation if you or your husband, wife or civil partner is in crown or designated service outside the United Kingdom. Applications for naturalisation are made using application form AN.

My GF came to the UK 5 years ago went back to Thailand once.. but has been here for 4 years now.. Her Visa runs out 2014. She came with her partner but that ended nearly 3 years ago now. She is planning on going to college next year to do her ESOL and hopefully get her citizenship.

The requirements for naturalisation as a spouse of a British citizen are very similar to those mentioned above. The main difference is that there is a shorter residency requirement of three years in the UK as opposed to six year

 

Are you sure about this, I think this maybe under the old rules pre July this year, its now 5 years, theres the initial leave/ entry for which you get 30 months, then after that you have to apply for a further leave stage of 30 months then you can apply for indefinate stay

Just seen on the news this morning, that everyone applying for immigration or student status to enter the UK as from next year will have to go through a comprehensive face to face interview ( that should be fun )

Naturalisation after three years in the UK as a spouse of an UK Citizen

 

The requirements for naturalisation as a spouse of a British citizen are very similar to those mentioned above. The main difference is that there is a shorter residency requirement of three years in the UK as opposed to six years. The three years of the residency requirement are counted from the date your naturalization application is received by the Home Office

 

I also think this only applies if you have been married and can prove you have been married and lived outside the UK for 4 years

The requirements for naturalisation as a spouse of a British citizen are very similar to those mentioned above. The main difference is that there is a shorter residency requirement of three years in the UK as opposed to six year

 

Are you sure about this, I think this maybe under the old rules pre July this year, its now 5 years, theres the initial leave/ entry for which you get 30 months, then after that you have to apply for a further leave stage of 30 months then you can apply for indefinate stay

I don't know but have a look at the second link (ie UK Border Agency). It is the official government agencies website and it states a similar thing as I posted.