Webinar: How to Bring Your Loved One to the United Kingdom

Mark Friedman 

Welcome everybody from beautiful downtown Bangkok. As you can see in the in the window here, we are located right next to the US ambassador’s residence and the embassy from the Netherlands. And good afternoon to everybody from the UK. Before we get started, we want to cover a couple of administrative things. We’re going to handle Q&A At the end of the webinar. It’s always been a great part of the presentation. So feel free to ask whatever you like there’s an icon down below that says Q&A click on that type in your question, we’ll be happy to host or get to as many of those as we can. And if we miss anything, we’ll do FAQ later when we share the recording, which is our second point. If you feel like we’re going a little quickly or you miss something, we will post the recording on our YouTube channel, and also on our website. So don’t feel the need to to try to keep up with copious notes here. And then finally, for those of you who are live with us today, we’re going to provide a bonus for your participation as a thanks for tuning in this evening. So without further ado, let’s let’s jump into the presentation. I’m Mark Friedman, the managing director of Baan Thai. I’m an American lawyer, and a member of the California Bar since 1987. I was also a former British Petroleum Senior Counsel and develop the definite affinity for for London, which became my second home when BP was located at Finsbury circus. Noina, unfortunately can’t join us tonight, my partner who’s been doing helping Thai nationals emigrate and visit abroad for many years. She’s a bit under the weather. There’s a cold going around here. But I’m pleased to be joined by our UK and Australia visa specialist Wil.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Hi, good evening to those who are currently in Thailand and good afternoon to those who are in the UK. So my name is Wilbert, you can call me Wil and the Client Services Manager for bands Immigration Solutions. I’m also the primary legal expert for UK and EU immigration services. And I have been helping clients all over the world for the past six years. 

Mark Friedman:    

So just as an overview, we’re going to be covering three different visa types if you want to visit or bring a visitor friend to the UK, we’re going to talk about the fiancee visa, and then finally the spouse visa. But before we jump into the substance of the each of those visas will I think it’d be important for folks to get an overview of process expense and timing. So why don’t we start with step number one, how does somebody begin to help somebody either visit or immigrate to the UK, of  

Wilbert Briones:    

of course, so I will gladly to explain to you the end to end process of the visa application process of the United Kingdom. So the very first process, it’s an online application, so meaning documents forms have to be filled up on. So that’s the first stage of the process. Then after which once you have filled everything, the fee have to be paid also online using your credit card. It’s either debit or credit card. And then after the visa fees have been paid, it will now go to VFS services.  

Mark Friedman:    

And what is VFS stands for?  

Wilbert Briones:    

All right, so VFS stands for visa facilitation services. So this is a third party service provider commissioned by the home office to administer the application process. And then we just also emphasize that the VFS doesn’t have to say anything about the application, they will only administer the acceptance of documents and biometrics.  

Mark Friedman:    

So the home office in the UK that has outsourced sort of facilitation of this to a private third party. Where’s that third party located? V V F S doesn’t roll off the tongue here.  

Wilbert Briones:   

All right. VFS security located at Bangkok in Sukhumvit 13.  

Mark Friedman:    

so right in central Bangkok, probably a short walk from the BTS Nana station. Exactly. Okay, great. So, you’ve put in your online application, you’ve paid your fees, do you have to visit the VFS or is that also online?  

Wilbert Briones:  

That is correct. So you would have to visit VFS for the purpose of the biometric submission because home office will not start or commence the review of your application unless otherwise they have received the applicants biometric  

Mark Friedman:  

and that’s fingerprints and what else and photograph and a photograph very good. So they’re identifying the applicant to the application in person. That’s exactly correct. Do you need to make it up pointman or can you walk in an  

Wilbert Briones:  

appointment has to be has to be made before you go to the VFS? Services?   

Mark Friedman:  

Excellent, All right. So now you’ve got everything, including your biometrics done, what happens next?  

Wilbert Briones:   

Okay, so what happens next will be home office will review the application based on the documents submitted, and then you just have to wait for a couple of weeks before we get a decision on the applicants application.  

Mark Friedman:  

Okay, and where is the home office officer based? Is that here in Bangkok? Or is that in the UK  

Wilbert Briones:  

in the UK? Okay. And then  

Mark Friedman:  

you’re going to hear is, and we’re going to get into a little more of timing in just a moment. But how is the decision of the home office communicated to the applicant?  

Wilbert Briones:  

All right, so the communication will be made by an email. So this email address that was used during the application, so it’s either the applicants email address, or their lawyers, or their paralegals or their agents.  

Mark Friedman:  

Okay. So that’s the general bones of the process. Now, let’s get into a little more specifics on the fees and the timeline just to give people a sense of how much and when. So we’ll start with the visitor visa, I see there’s a range there. Why is there a range from 115 pounds to 963 pounds,  

Wilbert Briones:  

all right, because for a visit visa, the fee typically starts 115 pounds, because that’s for a shorter duration of six months. So if you want to have a longer visa duration, that’s the time that the visa fee increases as well.  

Mark Friedman:  

So the longer the visa term, up to 10 years, the more expensive.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Exactly. And that’s a 963 pounds fee for 10 years.  

Mark Friedman:  

Which is similar to the US B1, B2, which also was a term 10 years. And the fiancee visa and Spouse Visa both costs the same. It’s pretty pricey. How often does the UK increase these fees?  

Wilbert Briones:  

It’s not often as a matter of fact, for the past few years, they have an increased except for the for last October, where they made some announcement because they have to increase the fees in support of the home office services.  

Mark Friedman:  

Inflation is hit every where, I see exactly. And we’ll talk a little bit about timing. So for visitor visa three weeks, but I also see you’ve noted here that you can get it back sooner for priority and super priority. Is that more expensive?  

Wilbert Briones:   

Yes, that’s correct. So the good thing about the UK visa assessment, they have an option for you to have an expedited service, I suppose to other countries such as US and Australia. Yes. So as for example, if you would like to offer up or the service, the superfine working days, you can get the decision as early as that but you would have to pay approximately around 21,000 Baht. Back. And of course, super priority. It’s around 40,000 Baht. But you can get the decision as fast as 24 hours after the applicant submits the biometric at the VFS.  

Mark Friedman:  

So several 100 pounds to get the process moving along. That’s correct. Oh, yes. And then for Fiancee Visa, and Spousal Visa is eight to 12 weeks to get a decision. 

Wilbert Briones:  

Yes, three months. So wherever if you would like to have it expedited. Also for a certain fee. That’s for around six weeks, or 30 working days.  

Mark Friedman:   

And for you folks from the UK. Just to put this in a little bit of context as a US lawyer. It’s taking between 14 and 18 months to get a decision on Fiance or Spousal Visas. So, boy, really quick system here. That’s great. All right. Well, let’s get into kind of the specifics here on each of these phases. And we’ll want to start with the visitor.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Yeah. Okay. So if you’re seeking a visa that permits you to visit the UK for a short term, stay up for six months to bring your friends, or family members for tourism, holidays or vacation that this visa was the type of visa that you have to apply.  

Mark Friedman:  

And like the US visitor visa, there’s no working, correct, yes, no working at all. All right, and not even babysitting or any kind of domestic services that’s Be careful about this. So let’s talk a little bit about the pros and the cons of this fees.  

Wilbert Briones:   

So on the downside, obtaining this type of visa can be challenging as applicant was overcome the assessing officers assumption that they may work or overstay in the UK. So similar to other visa to other countries, we have to provide a compelling reason why we will go back to our home country, and in addition to that, you can switch to a family visa in the UK.  

Mark Friedman:   

So if you bring a significant other girlfriend or boyfriend to the UK and you decide to get married, they’re going to have to come out first and apply for the visa and then go back into the UK.  

Wilbert Briones:  

That’s correct. But the good thing about this visa as opposed to other countries you can Choose which as to how long the disability that you would like to apply for. So the standard one is six months, but you could apply for five years, two years, five years and 10 years, the maximum,  

Mark Friedman:  

Okay, so let’s do a little bit deeper dive into this presumption that the applicant intends to violate the terms of their visa. And by the way, this is not unique to the UK, the US has the same presumption. And what we say is, you’re essentially guilty until proven innocent. But there are ways to overcome the presumption. And one way is to build trust with the Office of reviewing the application. And the other way is to tell a story of the compelling reasons you have to return to Thailand. In terms of building trust, if you can show a history of honoring travel visas over some period of time, that really helps. And for example, we had a client who successfully obtained a tourist visa, who had traveled on various visa terms to Japan nine times that gave the reviewing officer confident that this person understood what the visa strictures were and could honor those. and then in terms of a compelling reason to return, that should ladder to the timing of your visit to the UK, for example, you’ve got a good job here, you happen to be off for Songkran for a couple of weeks. And that’s the period of time that you’re that you’re attending or you have a child, and that child has a school break at a particular time, you’re going to be there for the school break. And then you’ve got to get that child back into school, so it’s really about making sure you present the headlines in your application in a compelling way. And make sure it all ties together to give the officer confidence that you are going to honor the terms of that visa. It’s not easy, but it’s doable. That’s correct. So let’s move on. You’re on the next stage of the relationship. You’re not just friends anymore, you decided to get married. Talk a little bit about the requirements for the fiancee visa.  

Wilbert Briones:  

All right, so the next visa category is a UK fiancee visa. So if you’re planning to move to the UK to start a new life with your partner who lives there, you may qualify for the UK fiancee visa. So this visa, the visa holder is allowed to enter the UK to marry or enter in a civil partnership with their partner who’s based in the UK and start a new life together. The applicant partner must be either a UK citizen or have a permanent residency status. And also the fiancee visa is valid for six months and are granted with the expectation that you will marry your partner within the visa validity period of six months. Otherwise, you would have to leave the United Kingdom. And also the visa considerations will be the how legitimate your relationship with your partner. That’s the most important thing. And also the income threshold. So your partner and you must meet the income threshold of 29,000 pounds annually. And lastly, you would also need to pass the English exam as opposed to the US there’s none and also the tuberculosis test as well.  

Mark Friedman:   

Alright, let’s talk a little bit about this English exam. And you’re right there isn’t for permanent residency in the United States. So would you have to be completely fluent in English? Or what’s the standard? You say?  

Wilbert Briones:  

It’s more uncommon, conversational English language.  

Mark Friedman:  

So basic conversation. Yes,  

Wilbert Briones:  

that’s correct.  

Mark Friedman:  

And are there resources if I’m a Thai National residing here in Krung Thep , is there some school or some some resources so I can prepare for this English exam?  

Wilbert Briones:  

Yes, there are. So you can either watch sample video videos on YouTube or some testing centers are offering courses for free for you to be trained on how to answer questions during your English exam.  

Mark Friedman:  

And these are testing centers that are based in Bangkok. Yes. Okay. Let’s go on to the next one. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of the fiancee visa? 

Wilbert Briones:  

Alright, so the advantage of having a fiancee visa, so it’s easier to obtain than a visitor visa because the onus is on the applicant sponsor and how he can prove that he has the capacity to support you once you live in the UK.  

Mark Friedman:  

And there’s no presumption that the applicant is intending to violate the visa  

Wilbert Briones:  

that’s correct, yes. and also the good thing about this visa is you can switch to a family visa. so once you get married, you want to go back to your home country. You can do the application within the United Kingdom.  

Mark Friedman:  

No reason to buy an expensive plane ticket and leave  

Wilbert Briones:  

I couldn’t agree more. Yes.  

Mark Friedman:  

And then what are the downsides for this one, it’s, um, it’s more  

Wilbert Briones:  

in scrutiny on their relationship. So you have to make sure that you have collated all the evidences before the visa submission, and everything is documented.  

Mark Friedman:  

And what and what kind of documents are you looking at them for?  

Wilbert Briones:  

So normally, it’s the proof of relationship that you have met in person. So pictures and then like boarding passes, that you went to Thailand or elsewhere that you’ve met before.  

Mark Friedman:  

So it’s a record of your relationship, the things you’ve done together your communication, celebrating events, that sort of? And you raise this point of meeting in person, is that necessary to do given all the online dating apps and ability to communicate online and electronically? Is it necessary to meet in person to apply for this?  

Wilbert Briones:  

Yes, it is necessary? All right, how  

Mark Friedman:  

How many times?  

Wilbert Briones:  

There’s no such number of requirements as to how many times you met as the must have met in person, then that’s good to go.  

Mark Friedman:  

So one time is the threshold. Yes. Okay. And what about you’ve applied for the Fiancee Visa, you’ve gone to the UK? If you decide to get married in the UK, do you have to reapply at that point?  

Wilbert Briones:   

Yeah. So in the US, they call it adjustment of status. So for the UK, it’s about it’s also switching to a spouse visa application. So you would have to do the entire process again. And you would have to pay another fee to change your fiancee visa to a spouse visa,  

Mark Friedman:  

which is just north as I recall. 1800 pounds? That’s correct. Yes, that’s an expensive switch. So if you’re in a serious relationship, you may want to think about just jumping into a spouse visa to avoid that double fee payment. So let’s talk about the spouse visa.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Alright, so for UK Spouse Visa, this particular visa partner visa, also known as the UK Spouse Visa, it’s a settlement visa that allows you to live together with your British partner in the UK for up to 30 months. And it is this classified as a family visa category. So you can be either purple or unmarried couples, whether it’s homosexuals or heterosexuals,  

Mark Friedman:  

okay. So same sex marriages are same six common law marriages are recognized in the UK as they are. Yes, they are very good, and then when you talk about certain unmarried couples, what does that relationship look like, under which you can then apply for this visa?  

Wilbert Briones:  

Alright, so the qualification for that is you have to be in a relationship with your British partner for at least two years before the visa submission date.   

Mark Friedman:  

Excellent. So it’s two years of documented being together in a relationship. And again, the documentation is going to be very important there, for example, sharing bank accounts sharing a lease of a property, that sort of thing.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Yes, that’s correct, Mark. Great. Okay.  

Mark Friedman:  

And then what are the requirements?  

Wilbert Briones:  

Alright, so it’s actually similar requirements to the UK Fiancee Visa. It’s just so happened that the spouse visa you are already married before you submit the application.  

Mark Friedman:  

Right. And can you marry here in Thailand? Yes, you can. Alright. So and that would require folks and a real marriage in that it has to be registered with an input district office. Sometimes there’s religious ceremonies here. But you do have to formalize that that union secretary? Yes, that’s correct. Okay. And could you get married anywhere in the world? Yes. Okay. So a Thai National and a British national can go off and go to the Maldives and have a registered marriage there. And that would work. Yes, it will work. Not that I’m promoting tourism in the Maldives. Okay, so let’s talk about the pros and the cons of this visa.  

Wilbert Briones:  

All right, so the advantage of this visa it’s a one time application as opposed to UK Fiancee Visa. And once you have received your UK Spouse visa, you will receive a BRP card that will allow you to work like a British citizen.  

Mark Friedman:  

It’s important. Yes, that’s excellent. And what’s the downside as you come in as a spouse of the UK, either permanent resident or or says  

Wilbert Briones:  

the downside is that you cannot claim most of the benefits such as public fines, housing allowance or tax credits as what a British citizen is experiencing.  

Mark Friedman:   

So I come in as a spouse of a UK citizen, how long until I can achieve essentially permanent residency I forget the name of the term there in the UK.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Okay, that’s actually a very good question mark. So, if you are on a family route visa, okay for five consecutive years, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain status or which in layman’s term is permanent resident or ILR? Yes, or ILR. Is that 

Mark Friedman:  

okay? And then how long do you have to hold ILR status as a Permanent Residency before you become a citizen of the UK and get that British passport.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Okay, so that’s a very good question. So if you’re married to a British citizen, you can simply apply for a British citizenship right after you receive your indefinite leave to remain status.  

Mark Friedman:  

And for folks that are Thai nationals, having that British passport allows you to travel globally a lot more easily than on a Thai passport. And that’s what I found with my spouse when she completed her journey to US citizenship. Got that passport? That’s correct. Excellent. So let’s talk a little bit about the income requirement. As I was falling, you were saying it’s the same for the fiancee visa? And for the spousal visa, is that correct? Yes, that’s very hard. Okay. So 29,000 pounds not insubstantial. In the US, you can also use assets like a home or other kinds of assets in lieu of the income requirement. Can you do that in the UK?  

Wilbert Briones:  

Um, no, actually, there’s there are only five income, permitted resources that the applicant and this spouse can use. So these are income from your employment. It’s either salaried or non salaried. And non employment income such as property income from your rental, on dividends or shares from your company. We can also use that as, yes, passive income, and then cash savings, and then also your pension income, whether it’s in the UK or from other countries, all right. And also income from your self employment as a director of your own company can also be accounted as part of your income.  

Mark Friedman:  

Great! and in the US, if you don’t meet the income requirement, you can have a co-sponsor, who agrees to be legally bound to help support the applicant. It’s typically a parent or a sibling. Is that available to in the UK?  

Wilbert Briones:  

No, it’s not co-sponsoring is not allowed in the United Kingdom.  

Mark Friedman:  

But the final bullet point you’re noting here is that that 29,000 pounds is regardless of the size of the family. Right?  

Wilbert Briones:  

That’s correct, as opposed to the previous immigration rule that you have to prove additional income for, for additional child or children that he will be part of the application. But right now, they fixed it at 29,000 pounds, regardless of the number of and that was a recent blockchain. Yes, effective April 11 2024  

Mark Friedman:   

Which is different than the US, which requires additional proof of funds for each additional family member. Okay. Well, thank you for that, Will, I now, kind of know how to bring a friend of the fiancee or spouse, let’s talk a little bit strategically, folks, as you are thinking about, perhaps taking advantage of one of these visa programs. For the visitor visa, you know, many Thai nationals don’t have a lot of international travel experience, or they may be building up their career and so on. So if you can think about maybe creating a record of traveling abroad before you make your application to the US or to the UK, that may build credibility with with the officer and also making sure that you can create or not create, but have compelling reasons to return and really think about the timing of your ask in terms of your visit to the UK, and why then you need to come back. And then for relationships, you know, if a relationship is brand new, and you don’t know where it’s going, you know, documenting the relationship may not be top of mind. But once you’re in a committed relationship, I think it’s really important to start keeping good records that could be travel that you’re you’re doing together in terms of airline tickets in your hotel stays, photographs, it could be greeting cards, that you send one another and certainly text messages and other ways that you’re communicating with one another electronically, and phone records, right that’s. And by keeping all of that when you’re ready, then to file for your fiancee or your spousal visa all of that together. And instead of trying to put together that record, you’re really calling or choosing from that record, and it’s much easier to follow that file that application.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Yeah, that’s correct, Mark. And in in addition to that, that’s why it is actually recommended that you seek legal advice either from a licensed lawyer or legal or authorized representative or agents because these are experienced agents and have seen a hundreds of applications in the past. And the job is you know, to find the error in your application. So it’s either you do it nice or you do it twice. It’s like paying fees multiple times just for you to get the visa.  

Mark Friedman:  

So it may be cost effective to hire somebody, or if you’ve got a friend that has successfully gone through, just have somebody with experienced eyes, look at your application, before you spend that 1800 pounds, and maybe commit an error and have to do it again. Exactly. Okay. All right. Well, folks, that kind of concludes the substantive portion, we wanted to kind of give you an information download for about 30 minutes. And I think we hit that mark. Um, there’s two things, I want to tell you. First of all, we will be, as I said before, presenting a recording of this. So that if you want to look at a particular part, again, may have missed, but Wil was kind enough to put together a UK visa guide. And you can go to our website to the resource section and download that for free. And a lot of the same information you’ll find in that guide. The other thing is, if you’ve got a question that occurs later, and we’re going to try to get to some questions now, you can always write to us at hello@btisolutions.co not .com .co, and ask for Will and present the question. And we’re always happy to answer your questions or engage in a free consultation, just to kind of get you you know, squared away. Okay? That’s correct. So, really appreciate your time, pretty appreciate. It’s getting to be dinnertime, here. This is the land of smiles and it’s like the lunch hour in the UK. So we do appreciate your time. And as a thank you. For those participating today, if you engage will and at our firm, within the next month, we’d be happy to pass along a 10% discount on our professional fees, just as a just as an appreciation, a note of appreciation. Okay, so let’s get to the Q&A. And we have a few of them will to answer here. Okay, so the first question, I’m an older guy, so I’m gonna have to pop up my glasses here. But the first question was, I met a woman in Thailand, and I’m considering marriage. Would it be better to marry her in the UK in Thailand? Or should they ever visit the UK? If she’d like to live here.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Okay. Thank you for that question mark. So, if you are not after the cost, then you can have the fiancee visa and get married in the UK and switch visa, however, because of the culture, cultural differences, so we are suggesting clients to invite them for a visitor visa, have a look if UK is the perfect culture for them. And once they said I love you, I love the UK, then they can they can come back to Thailand, get married and apply for a spouse visa.  

Mark Friedman:  

Good common sense. So we have a few more questions. This question is what’s the common denial reason in applying for UK visas for example, for a visitor visa, or for the settlement pieces fiancee or spouse? Okay, common denial.  

Wilbert Briones:  

Alright, so for the common denial reasons for a VISTA visa, it’s about the consistency of the information that you provide it. Because there are cases that say, for example, if the applicant declared that they have met in person, and but looking at the document, and then they’re consistently communicating, but most of the time, they fail to provide evidence that there’s a ongoing communication. So that’s one part of the denial and also that you are putting large amounts of money prior to your visa application date. Because if the money that you put in the bank account isn’t commensurate with what with what you earn, so it’s a doubtful reason from the home office as to the sources of their of your files, so they are denying the visa for such.  

Mark Friedman:  

And by the way, that sounds like common reasons for visa denials, whether it’s UK, the US or globally, it’s really trusting the documentation, making sure it all hangs together. And I would say for visitor visas, the most the reason that most of those are denied is the belief by the officer that there isn’t a compelling reason compelling enough reason for that person to return. And again, you’re overcoming a presumption that they’re going to violate. So you really do have to have quite a good story to tell before that visa is granted. Alright we have another question. I’ve been with my girlfriend just over a year and she has been to the UK for six weeks this year. What visa is the best to apply for her to come again? Which can lead to an IDR  

Wilbert Briones:  

Yeah, IDR or maybe she’s referring to LDR thanks for that Martin. So you have to marry your your partner first before it goes to an LDR under family route visa. So either you asking for to go there and a fiancee visa, or you go here to Thailand and get married and apply for a spouse visa.  

Mark Friedman:  

And again getting married here in Thailand requires formalization. Typically a free to marry affidavit that is notarized by your British embassy here, and then translated taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then registered at the appropriate local Amphoe of your future spouse, that takes some time. And so it takes a little bit of planning to get that appointment at the embassy and so on. So just build that into your your plan. 

Wilbert Briones:   

Okay, and another one. So from Ben, should we go for Spouse marriage or family visa, we have been married in the UK for over a year now. I mean, depends if the intention is to stay longer in the UK to get to be a British citizen in the future, then a family visa under Spousal Visa category will be recommended. However, if the intention is just to be there from time to time, then a visitor family visa is applicable visa.  

Mark Friedman:  

Excellent. I have another question here. How long do I need to wait before I can resubmit my visitor visa application after it’s been refused or denied?  

Wilbert Briones:  

Okay, so there’s no grace period, as soon as you’re ready to resubmit your application anytime you can do it.  

Mark Friedman:  

Okay. So that’s the law, which says you can get us keep resubmitting them. Our practical advice is you should wait until there’s some change of circumstances that would say hey, to the officer I applied before but look at this now through new eyes, because I have an improved story to tell about why I’m going to apply with  

Wilbert Briones:   

That’s correct. And I would like to emphasize, Mark, you know, the difference between the other countries for the dinette when the home office denies the application, they will enumerate all the reasons of denial. And as long as you can answer those, and provided the necessary documents, you can resubmit and the visa will be overturned. So I have several applications in the past that I was able to overturn the decision of the home office and they got the visa and the family get denied.  

Mark Friedman:  

That’s outstanding. And by the way, it’s much better in the UK than the US, the US will deny your visitor visa and never tell you a reason. In fact, people have called their US senators who have run up the Embassy on their behalf. And they won’t even tell you a senator. So that’s a very, very humane way. We have a question here. My partner has been traveling with me to a few countries including Australia, we are now back in Thailand with the fact on I’m sorry, with the fact that she has an Australian current visa and make the process easier. We are planning our next trip to UK and then to Europe. Would the visa for the UK include the EU? So there’s a couple of questions in there. One is what her travel history and the fact that she has a visa to the to Australia help her.  

Wilbert Briones:  

The answer there is yes, as long as the terms and conditions of her Australian visa has been complied accordingly.  

Mark Friedman:  

So if she can say I was granted a visa for this purpose for this length of time I complied with it. That builds trust. Yes. And the second question is, would the UK visitor visa include the EU? Or are you going to have to apply for a separate Schengen?  

Wilbert Briones:  

It’s a separate application.  

Mark Friedman:  

Okay, and which is easier, as Oscar is thinking about, you know, gaming this a little bit? Is it easier to obtain a Schengen? Again, I know it’s country specific, or given this history, what we know now, should he take the chance and apply for the UK visa?  

Wilbert Briones:  

Well, the answer there, it really depends on the applicant circumstance. So it’s the overall circumstance that they’re looking at whenever they granted.  

Mark Friedman:  

Okay. Martin’s coming back to us. He thanked you for your answer. He’s been advised that I can apply for a two year family visa, which can be extended until five years in which time can take I think there may be a typo here but can take life oh can take life in the UK Test to obtain indefinite leave to remain?  

Wilbert Briones:   

That’s correct. That’s correct, Martin. So you have to your wife has to be in the UK for five years before applying for indefinite leave to remain and that has to take the exam for life in the life in the UK.  

Mark Friedman:  

And that says a civics kind of exam Exactly. Which is the same as the US when you become a citizen in the US. And I assume there’s resources to study for that. Test is yes, there are excellent. Okay. I have I think, Oh, I think we have from help. Another question just came in sorry about that. If you’re not married, can your Thai wife come on a visitor visa? Or can only be a marriage visa? Great question. Yes,  

Wilbert Briones:  

they can apply for a marriage visitor visa. I mean, sorry, can apply for a visitor visa while they are married.  

Mark Friedman:  

But that same presumption that your wife will intend to violate the visa will still apply. So you’re gonna have to overcome that presumption. That’s correct. Okay. Whereas if you apply for a spousal visa, there is not that presumption, you just have to prove legitimacy of your relationship. Yes, that’s scary. But you can yes, you can Pual apply for a visitor visa?  

Wilbert Briones:  

Um, yes, Martin, you don’t need to be married as domestic and prove that you are, that you are in a relationship for at least two years, then you can apply for a partner visa.  

Mark Friedman:  

Right. So that’s that kind of what we would call in the US a common law marriage or a common law relationship that’s against beyond just having a relationship, you have to be essentially cohabitating and be together. Yes. It’s  

Wilbert Briones:   

a plus factor as well. Yes.  

Mark Friedman:  

Okay, Martin, you’ve been terrific tonight. Thank you. Here’s another question, How much money do I need in my bank account when applying for a visitor visa? Is there a benchmark there?  

Wilbert Briones:  

There’s no, it’s actually one of the myths that we have debunk in the visa application process. Because as what earlier inform that if you are putting funds in your bank account, that is not normal, you know, that, for example, they didn’t see that in the past six months. And then lo and behold, they’re curious before the application, you got large some amount of money, that’s actually doubtful on the part of the visa assessing officer that unless otherwise, you could prove a document, or attestation, that this money was a gift from somebody else, or a money transfer receipt from a family member, something like that.  

Mark Friedman:   

Okay. So in other words, what you’re saying is if suddenly, this Thai National shows up with a lot of money in their bank account a few weeks prior to the visa application, that’s going to raise more red flags than the hope. Yes, that’s correct. So again, planning ahead, and being strategic about this will will redound to your benefit in the long run? That’s correct. Well, folks, we’re 40 minutes in which is kind of what our time line was to be respectful of your need to go get some dinner here in Krungthep or go get some lunch there in the UK. I want to thank everybody the interaction has been terrific with this group. Again, if you want to go ahead and look at resource guides for UK and other issues, you can go to our resources page at on our website, and you can always send us a note we’d be happy to hear from you. Hello with btisolutions.co Thanks again for your time. We really appreciate it and we look forward to hosting another one of these webinars in the near future. Take care. Thank you.