With five weeks to go until I return to Thailand. The TB test and all of the legal requirements are taken care of. There's not much more I can do from the UK, other than compile the documents and evidence which I have with me here and organise them into my wife's settlement visa folder.
For the layout I have decided to split the folder into eight sections. Each section will be labelled, indexed and separated by dividers. A main contents page at the front will make it easy for the embassy staff to find whatever they need. At the beginning of the larger more detailed sections, for example the financial, accommodation and evidence, I have written an overview explaining what is included in that section.
No doubt there may be some changes made before submission and there are some things I have yet to complete e.g. my sponsor letter, on-line application, plus the addition of translations and any documents from Thailand. But so far the layout is as follows:-
Section 1 – Introduction
- Cover letter from applicant
- Cover letter from sponsor
Section 2 – Application Form
- Printout of completed online application form VAF4A
Section 3 – Applicant Key Documents
- Current Passport
- Previous Passport
- ID Card (Photocopy)
- Thai marriage certificate + English translation
- Name change certificate + English translation
- Tabien Baan house book (photocopy)
- Financial status, Bank of Ayudhya bank book, Bank of Ayudhya applicant/sponsor joint bank account book
- Employment history
Section 4 – Sponsor Key Documents
- Copy passport certified by UK based solicitor
- Birth Certificate
- Copy of Thai marriage certificate
- Copy of certified Affirmation of Freedom to Marry
Section 5 – TB Test & English Language Requirement
- TB Test certificate issued by IOM Bangkok
- BULATS English test certificates issued by Vantage Siam Bangkok (A1 + B1 levels achieved)
Section 6 – Sponsor Financial Status
- Financial status overview
- Six months salary slips + P60's dated 2010 & 2011
- Annual bonus confirmation letter
- Letter from current employer
- Confirmation letter of 2011 pay increase
- Savings account statements Feb '11 – present (Acc No 01196228)
- Current account statements March '11 – present (Acc No 02432952)
- Latest credit card statement showing balance & available credit
Section 7 – Accommodation
- Accommodation overview
- Photographs of accommodation
- Land Registry Document
- Floor plan
- Royal Bank of Scotland mortgage statements 2008-2011
- Council Tax Bill, City of Sunderland 2011/12
- Northumbrian Water utility bill 2011/12
- Npower Gas & Electric utility bill 2011
- Home insurance policy certificate
Section 8 – Evidence of Relationship
- Section overview
- History of relationship
- Photographs applicant/sponsor April '10 - Sept '11
- Boarding passes from sponsors Thailand trips April '10 - Sept '11
- Copy of sponsors passport pages showing entry stamps into Thailand
- Boarding passes from joint trips made together applicant/sponsor
- Hotel receipts
- Skype sms records sponsor to applicant May '10 - Sept '11
- 18185.co.uk itemised telephone invoices, sponsor to applicant
- Orange home invoices
- Orange mobile invoices
- Copy of joint bank account book opened after marriage May '11
- Western Union money transfer receipts sponsor to applicant June '10 - Sept '11
- Copy emails, selection May '10 - Sept '11
- Wedding Greetings cards from family and friends
Presentation of Evidence
Photographs - For the presentation of photographic evidence. Rather than submitting full albums I have made a selection of pics spanning the duration of our relationship. Some of the photos have the date digitally stamped in the corner which also helps. I have arranged them into a kind of timeline format. I have pasted three or four photos onto individual A4 pages and printed them out. I will add more in September when I return to Thailand to include our village ceremony and more with the family. But in total I will include maybe twenty pages or around eighty photos. I may also include the original prints but haven't decided if that is necessary.
Evidence of contact - I have included copies of monthly Skype sms records, itemised telephone bills from land line and my mobile, money transfer receipts and emails. For emails, due to the volume I have selected copies of a few from each month from the duration of our relationship but will also include a screen shot of my in/out box. This may sound strange but in with my photos I have included a shot of me and my wife chatting on skype to show how we talk via webcam.
Originals vs Photocopies - The Embassy state that original documents, plus one photocopy of each should be provided. I have tried to do this for everything where possible including bank statements, pay slips, P60's, marriage certs etc. I have also made photocopies of everything that will be included in the folder to keep here at home. Just in case I need to refer to anything and also there is a chance that some documents will not be returned by the Embassy.
***Following advice and due to the amount of documentation I have decided to submit two folders. One containing all of the original documents and a second for photocopies of all of the original docs to be kept by the embassy***
***Following advice and due to the amount of documentation I have decided to submit two folders. One containing all of the original documents and a second for photocopies of all of the original docs to be kept by the embassy***
So again, that's pretty much where we're up to. I imagine the next few weeks will feel like a lifetime, because there isn't really much else I can do. I will start working on my sponsor letter soon but that shouldn't take too long. Ideally I will submit the on-line application just before I leave for Thailand but I believe they won't allow you to make appointments for any longer than five days ahead. So even that may have to wait until I land in LOS because we need to have an appointment for a week after I arrive. The first week when I arrive will be spent in Isaan for the village ceremony and I'll also have to spend some time having translations done and finalising the folder.
Cheers for now
Steve
