Gaining a UK Visa for Thai G/F

Post by **STEVE G** » Sat May 03, 2008 9:06 am

From an article in today’s Bangkok Post about a gang caught trafficking women into the UK: “The gang then took them on a tour of Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries so they could get visa stamps from different countries in their passports to create a good impression and a reliable record of their travel before entering England.”

Post by **DawnHRD** » Sat May 03, 2008 9:48 am

caller wrote:I wish I could post the link here! Its a UK based forum mainly for UK/Thai relationships. I know quite a few look on here/are members and on my recent trip I had provisional plans to meet up with no less than 3 members planning to be in town at the same time as me.

I have regularly posted links from here on the forum - maybe the two sites could form a mutual masturbation society (that's a joke)! But you know what I mean.

I don't see any reason why you can't post links to there. We don't allow links to TV because they don't allow links to us. Any other less paranoid national or internationally based site I don't think there is a problem with. I have posted links to TeakDoor on here & vice versa. Go ahead & post the link if you think it would be helpful.

Post by **nevets** » Sat May 03, 2008 1:49 pm

we went to the British embassy in 1997 and it wasn't to bad , got the fiance visa after about 3 months of paperwork and 2 visits by her on her own that she cocked up so i came over and sorted it and we got the go ahead, in those days they liked the sponsor to be there. So having got the visa we arranged the ticket and came to the UK, on arrival there was no problem and we walked straight through and out in to a new world for us. And after 3 months she said when are we getting married as the deal was if we liked each other and she was happy we would, with in the 6month period marry or she would go back. So we got married and stayed in England 4.5 yrs and now live in Thailand.

Post by **caller** » Sat May 03, 2008 2:58 pm

Thanks Dawn,

I've sent pm's to those who asked and if it pops up again, I'll go ahead and post the link.

Just wanted the okay!

Caller

Post by **lomuamart** » Sat May 03, 2008 3:48 pm

Good for you, Nevets. You kept at it and got a result. I gave up after two years and came over here. (To be with my ex).
Another poster mentioned Imm at Heathrow. I was dreading that when I took my wife back for a holiday 18 months ago. Should I leave her to fend for herself at the "alien" queues? Should I go with her? I'd heard conflicting information.
Anyway, went through the "alien" bit and the officer was good as gold. Luckily there weren't other flights coming in at the time, so we were through in a matter of minutes. I couldn't believe it when we got through with no fuss.
Still, got collared by customs, but that only took a short while and they didn't find the pineapples and mangoes. I've never been certain about the legality of bringing fresh produce in.
Again to the OP. If you're unsuccessful on your first attempt, keep trying. Your girlfriend will always have a right to reapply, but there must be some more information available that wasn't in the first instance. It's basically an appeal and no British Court of Law, or Imm, will even consider it if there is no further evidence/information.
Again good luck. I used to have the refusal letters here, including a very detailed reply to my MP from The Home Office. They were lost in transit somewhere, but basically it said"
They didn't believe that we had been together for the length of time stated (lack of letters etc) and so they didn't believe she was a genuine applicant for a tourist visa. Refused.
The reply to my MP was a page long. I wish I had it now. That was far more detailed and again a load of rubbish.

Post by **Big Boy** » Sat May 03, 2008 3:55 pm

lomuamart wrote:

It's basically an appeal

On the example refusals I have (can only find one at the moment, but hope to have the other by this evening), they have clearly stated 'No right of Appeal'

Post by **lomuamart** » Sat May 03, 2008 4:09 pm

Fair enough BB.
I wasn't clear in my post above. There's nothing to stop an applicant reappying but the form, at the time I was looking at it, asked whether there was additional evidence/information that wasn't presented the first time. If there is, present it. If there isn't, then give us the dosh and you won't get a refund again.
Sure, not a proper appeal in the strict legal sense, but it amounts to the same thing.

Post by **caller** » Sat May 03, 2008 4:41 pm

And just an update on travel to LHR - there are signs up saying non-eu (I think that as opposed to UK?) passengers travelling with EU/UK passport holders can accompany the EU/UK passport holder through immigration.

No need to queue longer with the aliens!

Post by **Wanderlust** » Sat May 03, 2008 5:02 pm

As far as i know that has been the case for some time, several years for the UK, but they never had signs up; I believe that whenever people are travelling together they should always go through the same immigration desk together in whichever country they are entering or leaving. Remember when you leave Thailand you can go out through the Thai passport holders desks if you are travelling with a Thai.

Post by **nevets** » Sat May 03, 2008 5:18 pm

If your intentions are for marriage then don't ask for a tourist visa , she will have to go out and come back in on a fiance visa . If you get a fiance visa and it doesn't work out no problem but if you use it then you haven't waited your time. The problem with a tourist visa is they don't think she will come back , but a fiance is they are expecting you will contact them and say you have married and then ask to stay indefinite which is a hole new ball game and paper work but it OK its only paperwork and after about a year you get the stay indefinite stamp in her visa.

Post by **caller** » Sat May 03, 2008 5:36 pm

nevets wrote:If your intentions are for marriage then don't ask for a tourist visa , she will have to go out and come back in on a fiance visa . If you get a fiance visa and it doesn't work out no problem but if you use it then you haven't waited your time. The problem with a tourist visa is they don't think she will come back , but a fiance is they are expecting you will contact them and say you have married and then ask to stay indefinite which is a hole new ball game and paper work but it OK its only paperwork and after about a year you get the stay indefinite stamp in her visa.

Nevets - it's really changed!

After the fiancee visa comes the settlement visa. I could be wrong, but I think that can only be applied for in LOS. That lasts for 2 years, after which you apply for either indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or Futher leave to remain (FLR). If ILR, the applicant needs to have passed the Life in the UK test. ILR isn't now granted without that. ILR gives more rights to the applicant than FLR.

Once in the UK for 3 years, they can apply for citizenship (To short a timescale IMHO in normal circumstances and likely to be changed to 5 with strings in the next set of immigration rule changes being reviewed at the moment). However, to apply for citizenship, they have to have a visa like ILR. FLR doesn't count!

I know that last bit, because ILR is so much more expensive than FLR - 750gbp, so I thought why bother, just extend the SV, clever eh - but nope, you can't do that.

Confusing or what?

Post by **nevets** » Sat May 03, 2008 6:08 pm

looks like if your from India or pakistan its OK to walk through the door as long as you have come to the UK to marry an Asian girl about 15 or 16 already in the UK . But for us men wanting to marry an Asian our on country wont let us even when we are supporting ourselves and not sponging of the state.

Post by **Big Boy** » Sat May 03, 2008 6:36 pm

Caller,

Don't forget the £500 stealth tax to renew the visa every 2 years if the life in UK test hasn't been passed - also a pre-cursor to applying for naturalisation.

Post by **caller** » Sat May 03, 2008 9:02 pm

nevets wrote:looks like if your from India or pakistan its OK to walk through the door as long as you have come to the UK to marry an Asian girl about 15 or 16 already in the UK . But for us men wanting to marry an Asian our on country wont let us even when we are supporting ourselves and not sponging of the state.

Yes, it seems fundamentally unfair.

Post by **Jockey** » Sat May 03, 2008 9:19 pm

My girlfriend & I are travelling to London in June, followed by Spain, France, Italy, Gibralter, Portugal and back to London from where we will return to Thailand. Our tickets are already booked, flights, hotels the lot. She is about to apply to the Spanish embassy for a Schengen visa and also for a searate UK visa and I expect no problems otherwise I wouldn't have forked out over 200,000 thb.