How to Obtain a Settlement Visa for the UK (Revised July 2012)

[CCity Rocker]

Thanks to frogster for providing such a brilliant source of information in the first place.

Hi guys

I am currently in the process of gathering the documents required to apply for a spouse visa and I would greatly appreciate some advice. I have a few specific questions, but first I think it would help if I provide some background information.

I have been with my girlfriend for 6 years and we shall be married in Thailand next month. We successfully obtained a visitor’s visa last year and she came to here to stay for 1 month at my parent’s house with me. I have spent 4 of the last 6 years living with her in Thailand and coming back to the UK to work on short term contracts. We satisfy all of the current visa requirements regarding finance, heath etc. and I will be coaching her for her English language test when I come back to get married.

We shall be living at my parents’ house initially until we get established and shall be looking to re-locate once we are sorted. I have the deeds, photos of the house, a letter confirming that the mortgage has been settled and a letter from the council confirming that the occupants including myself, are on the register of electors.

My questions are:

As we managed to satisfy the accommodation requirements for the visitor’s visa and the situation is exactly the same, should I be providing some sort of tenancy agreement or any other documents to satisfy the accommodation requirement?

Also when we made the application for the visitor’s visa, my parents and I provided notarised letters of invitation. Should we be providing similar notarised letters of support for the application this time?
I also provided signed copies of their passport pages along with 6 months bank statements. Should I provide these updated documents again?

Any advice would be gratefully received as I paid a considerable sum to a well-known agency in order to secure the visitor’s visa, but in reality we did virtually all of the work ourselves and I am reluctant to pay another agency for some fairly simple advice.

I hope someone can help. Thanks in advance.

[prioritypress]

Update everything.

What about your finances?


Nick

[rossi]

maybe worth updating the first post that the TB test is now 3300baht

[URL]http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries/thailand/applying/tb-testing/?langname=null[/URL]

[mandlebrot]

Guys, Do we still need to get the Thai marriage cert and other Thai documents (e.g. Wife's Birth Cert) translated into English?

I ask because I'm sure I've read somewhere on here that this is no longer necessary for the Visa application but can't for the life of me remember where I read it.

Thanks

[MattM85]

Can't imagine why you wouldn't have to do it any more...

[colin244]

Get it done as I think the BE will require it and anyway will be useful in the future so have more than 1 copy done.

colin 244

[mandlebrot]

Thanks

[StaffsShot]

Frogster what a star you are. I found your advice invaluable and it was a great help in our application for my wife to accompany me back to UK, on a spouse visa. I found the British Embassy a very easy process and we were in and out with documents stamped within 30 mins. The worst part for me was the wait at Thai Mfa, waiting over 2 hours.

It was our first ever visa application submitted Aug 30 and visa granted first week in November.
At Birmingham airport the officer asked no questions and said thank you.

Really pleased how my wife is adapting to UK life and the weather.
following your guidelines there's no need to use an agency, unless exceptional circumstances.

Thanks again Frogster for taking the time to post your very helpful advice, it's much appreciated
Pete and Nuengruethai

[Boydio]

Does the thread need updating to reflect the fact that applicants now also need to include the 'Appendix 2' document?

[Tobias]

Boydio, the topic needs a major overhaul. I am very busy at present but once I've got a few spare days I'll put together a new guide that will deal with the new rules, regulations and evidential requirements.

Frogster did a great job of assimilating and placing together in one place all the information forum contributors have posted over the years. You are correct, it is now a little out of date and needs to be overhauled and brought right up to date.

[Boydio]

In truth, I think most of it is still massively helpful and accurate, the only obvious omission I can see, in terms of the visa process, is the appendix requirement.

[Irishfella]

Hello members. I am currently compiling all the necessary documents for my wifes settlement visa. What is the requirement to have an appendix. Also do I have to complete the "Sponsor a Visa Applicant: Form SU07/12"

Thanks in advance for your replies

Mike

[Boydio]

Hi Irishfella,

On the assumption that you're sponsoring her application, you need to complete 'Appendix 2' which is the Financial Requirement Form. I'm not sure about the second part of your question, the name of that form doesn't ring a bell, but perhaps it's the same one that I've just referred to.

[Irishfella]

Hi Boydio. Is everything I need to complete included in the online https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/index

Or is there extra forms I need to complete that my wife takes with her to present along with all the order documents and evidence?

I have pasted the wording of the Sponsorship Undertaking Form SU07/12 below. Ive now also downloaded the APPENDIX 2 (VAF 4A NOVEMBER 2012) FINANCIAL REQUIREMENT FORM which I will print off and complete.

Thanks in advance for your replies

SPONSORSHIP UNDERTAKING Form SU07/12
The sponsor giving this undertaking must be resident in the United Kingdom (see Note 1)
Sponsored Person's (i.e. Applicant's) Details:
Full Name (please underline family name)
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Nationality:
Full Postal Address where the Sponsored Person will be residing in the UK :
Postcode:
Sponsor's Undertaking:
Full Name of Sponsor (please underline family name):
Sponsor's Date of Birth:
Full Address of Sponsor (see Note 1 below):
Postcode:
Sponsor's Employer's details (company name and
full address):
Postcode:
Sponsor's National Insurance Number:
I hereby undertake that, if the sponsored person named above is granted leave to enter the UK on a permanent basis, I shall be responsible for his/her maintenance, accommodation and care in the UK for a period of five years from the date of their entry to the UK. I am further aware that the sponsored individual will have no recourse to public funds for five years from the date of their entry to the UK.
Or;
If the sponsored person named above is granted limited leave to enter the UK, I shall be responsible for his/her maintenance, accommodation and care in the UK without recourse to public funds for the duration of that limited leave to enter.
I understand that this undertaking shall be made available to the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK, who will take appropriate steps to recover from me the cost of any public funds paid to or in respect of the sponsored person named above. I also understand that the Home Office may take appropriate action to recover from me amounts attributable to any support provided under Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (support for asylum seekers) to the sponsored person named above. I further understand that I may be committing a criminal offence and liable to prosecution if, after I have given this undertaking, I do not support the sponsored person named above and income support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (under social security legislation) and/or support for asylum seekers (under immigration legislation) is provided to or in respect of the sponsored person named above.
Signed:
Date:
Note 1: The sponsor should provide evidence that he/she lives at the address given above. This evidence should include one or more documents from the list below. Please note that applicants must also provide evidence of their sponsor's ability to maintain and accommodate them without recourse to public funds.
 Certified

[Boydio]

To be honest, I don't remember seeing that.

You need the financial requirements appendix, but that's a different form and is about 17 pages long.