Many British ex-pats living in Thailand are either choosing to or being forced to return to the UK. Most will have Thai wives or Thai girlfriends and would like them to come to the UK whether to live permanently or to stay for a significant amount of time. Of course, if your Thai wife wishes to live permanently in the UK, she would require a UK Spouse Visa, and for a Thai girlfriend wanting to stay for up to six months a year, she would need a UK Tourist Visa. For this article, we will focus on the UK Spouse Visa.
Plan ahead
Very few people make a snap decision to return to the UK, so it is, therefore, vital that you plan ahead. One of the biggest restrictions with a UK Spouse Visa is the financial requirements, and if you haven’t lived in the UK for some time and are of working age, this can be even harder. If you are planning to be self-employed, you should set your company up well in advance and be trading, ensuring that you have one years’ trading accounts showing a profit of over £18,600. If you are employed, you need a three months wage slips so you will need to go back first.
Requirements for a UK Spouse Visa
- Both of you must be 18 years of age or above
- Be legally married
- Be in a genuine relationship and live as man and wife
- The sponsor must earn a minimum of £18,600p.a.
We can help!
Here at Thai Visa Express, we are the only company who is OISC accredited in Thailand and are, therefore, in the perfect position to offer this advice regarding any UK Visa. If you would like more information, can call us on: +66 (0)80 102 2328, +66 (0) 38 420 313 or +44 (0) 20 8133 8059, email us on: info@thaivisaexpress.com or alternatively contact us via our website.