UK visa for Thai wife/girlfriend

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Midsman
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UK visa for Thai wife/girlfriend

Post by Midsman »

I visit England once a year for 4-6 weeks.

This year I am thinking of taking my g/f over. Anyone have any advice whether it is hard to obtain a visa ?

Regards in advance.
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usual suspect
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by usual suspect »

Midsman..When you say you 'visit' England for 4-6 weeks, am I assuming you're here the rest of the time..?
When you say 'your g/f'..have you been together for quite a long time..?
The UK embassy DO like to see proof that indeed the Thai lady IS your long-term g/f, they DO like to see proof that you
live together.
They also prefer your lady to be in regular employment, & that being the case she will need a letter from her employer stating how long she's worked for them, & that he/she are willing to allow her time off for her trip.
(Working in a bar does not really float the embassy's boat in terms of 'employment' ).
Where will you be staying in the UK?..do you still have a house? They're not happy about fictional addresses.
In real terms the Embassy need to be confident about allowing her into the UK, & confident also that she will return
back to Thailand. Sorry if I have been a bit factual here, but getting a '1st time' visa can be tough...
...but I DO wish you well.. :cheers: :cheers:
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Bristolian
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Bristolian »

I have to agree with US. They will also be looking that someone can finance the visit (Bank statements). The first visa even when married can be difficult but subsequent visas become much easier even though the paperwork is the same
Good Luck
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Midsman
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Midsman »

Yes I live here have a house etc.

Yes she is long term and is in full time employent.

There are more what I call normal girls that live in Thaiand than working girls.Like mine who has been in full time employment all her life and does not drink and would not go in a girle bar.

Just wondered if anyone hasd been successful lately thats all. I understand their caution.But hey lets not all stereotype Thai ladies.

I will have a bash at it.
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Big Boy »

Unfortunately midsman, it doesn't matter what forum members think. It is the visa office that seems to be guilty of stereo typing.

[Edit] Oh, and good luck. Meet all of their requirements, answer all of their qquestio honestly, and it will be harder for them to say no.
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Bristolian »

My first application for my WIFE was at a difficult time for Thaikand and its relationship with the U.K. They questioned that my Barclays Bank statements were originals (pretty poor printed quality)

I provided them with details of earnings (hers & mine)

Invitation to stay at my home I the Uk.

The application was refused as

1) my savings account in the UK had remained stable for a number of years. Why is it stable with few transactions ( I don't live there it's a savings account!)

2) insufficient proof that your wife will want to return to Thailand. (They ignored her full time job earnings, property and that her children (not ours) were also in Thaiand... Go figure!!

Like I say it was a difficult time for country relations.

We appealed, supplied all new information answered 1001 questions, I wrote to my local MP and finally the appeal was agreed but not until after our planned departure. We lost the deposits for hotels and car hire.

Don't book anything until you have the visa

Her 2nd visa was a breeze
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by oakdale160 »

Pity you are not living with a Polish hooker then there would be no problem.
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Midsman »

Ok Gents thankyou for your feedback.

But why would a Visa Officer want to or need to stereotype. This is just your unfounded opinion based on no fact what so ever
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Big Boy »

Firstly, I 've never ever been refused a visa for my wife, my daughter, my son-inlaw or my grand daughters. I have always met their full requirements and told the truth (hence my advice).

I have copies of plenty of friends refusal letters, all based on absolute fiction - many of them with no right of appeal. So evidence? Yes I've got plenty.
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Khundon1975 »

Midsman wrote:Ok Gents thankyou for your feedback.

But why would a Visa Officer want to or need to stereotype. This is just your unfounded opinion based on no fact what so ever
Hi Midsman unfortunately, sad as it is, the Visa office in BKK and the UK will stereotype most such applications as yours. :cuss:
My first application for my, as then, girlfriend, now my wife, who had been at uni in UK and after getting her second degree here in UK had traveled back to Thailand for a few days.
On returning to UK with 2 weeks left on her visa, was stopped at LHR immigration and questioned for hours on end.
Her passport was held, she was allowed into UK for 3 days to sort out her personal affairs and told to report to LHR with a ticket for a flight to Thailand.
Although she was not actually deported, she was "asked to leave" by immigration authorities, as they believed that by returning to UK with just 14 days left on her visa, she had intended to stay beyond her visa dates and work in the UK.

A red line was put through her visa in her passport and she was escorted to the plane.

The immigration ass@@les had no proof on which to base this assumption, but hey, they put her in that particular pigeon hole and that is what they decided to do.
The fact that she had many thousands of pounds in a UK bank account and many properties in Thailand and had every reason to return when her visa ran out, cut no ice with them.

Although she had not actually been deported, nor had she broken any immigration rules, when we applied for a visa for her to return and join me in UK, the same ass@@@es pulled up the info from the computer and put up loads of reasons why she should not be allowed a visa.

Fortunately, we have a long time family friend, who is also a London based QC, who was so angry about how she was treated, he ripped into the immigration office in UK, based on the fact that they had no evidence she was not going to return to Thailand, on the last day of her visa.
I returned to Thailand for 6 months, during which time we married and I returned to UK.

We then put in a comprehensive application for a visa for her to return to UK and I flew out again for a week to be with (stand outside the interview room) her, during her interview at the British embassy in BKK.

The application contained so much evidence (because of the previous "asked to leave" incident) that we had been in a long term relationship, both in UK and Thailand, including telephone records, property records, my bank statements and employment record, her bank records that proved she could support herself for 20 years or more in the UK, without resort to state benefits, testimonials of family and friends, pictures of where we lived in Thailand and UK and a picture of the bloody kitchen sink. Not to forget the bloody marriage certificate!
You name it, we put it in, together with a letter from our friend the QC.

During her visa interview in BKK, I got to see several female applicants with farang partners going through their interviews, only to come out crying, because the immigration officer had not believed they were in a long term relationship and had every intention of working in UK, if given a travel visa.

It was obvious to me, after speaking to their partners, that they had not fully prepared their application, indeed, 2 guys I spoke to admitted to me, that their girlfriend were going to work, as they could not support them financially.

Dumb in the extreme, as despite what you think about BKK UK immigration not stereotyping applicants, they do, no matter how much they will tell you they don't and they will use any obscure reason to turn down your application.

No disrespect to the girls involved, who's partners I spoke to, but they looked (dressed) like they had just come from working in a girly bar. I have no proof that was the case and personally, I don't care what job they did, but if I thought that, what impression did the interviewing officer get?

The good news, is that if you are unsuccessful the first time round, your Thai girlfriend can, sometimes, appeal and if you and she can prove her application is genuine, then you should be successful and get the visa.
:rant:

Good luck. :cheers:
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Bristolian »

OP. You asked for information and were given some very honest replies from numerous personal experiences

Like BB I have a sh1t load of paperwork from the first failed application for my wife.

My apologies if my initial experience does not meet with your expectations. I can also tell you that the advice you have been given is not unfounded. Why ask for help and advice if you already know how easy it is?

Unless you prepare well, as BB has stated; accept that you will fail.
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by dalmatiandave »

Midsman wrote:I visit England once a year for 4-6 weeks.

This year I am thinking of taking my g/f over. Anyone have any advice whether it is hard to obtain a visa ?

Regards in advance.
I have taken my gf 3 times to UK with no problems. 2 times owning a house, once renting.
Their advice is tell the truth and you will get a visa, exactly my approach.
I live in Thailand, I even advised that I would pay all air fares, spending money as gf has ziltch and no issues still.
Give photographic evidence, emails, past vacations together and you should have no problems.
Main reason they will reject is if they think there is not a reason for the applicant to return to Thailand. Make them believe otherwise is going to give a positive result.
Good luck (if u need it)
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Big Boy »

Khundon1975 wrote:The good news, is that if you are unsuccessful the first time round, your Thai girlfriend can, sometimes, appeal and if you and she can prove her application is genuine, then you should be successful and get the visa.
:rant:

Good luck. :cheers:
Not entirely true. I've had a few friends refused with no right of appeal.
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Khundon1975
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Khundon1975 »

Big Boy wrote:
Khundon1975 wrote:The good news, is that if you are unsuccessful the first time round, your Thai girlfriend can, sometimes, appeal and if you and she can prove her application is genuine, then you should be successful and get the visa.
:rant:

Good luck. :cheers:
Not entirely true. I've had a few friends refused with no right of appeal.
BB That's why I put sometimes in my post. :wink:
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Re: Thai g/f to England

Post by Big Boy »

:oops: Missed that :wink:
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