Married Separated and Girlfriend

[JohnParkinson]

Hi I am married but recently separated about 1 year ago. I have met a women in thailand who I would like to bring here to the UK to live eventually or at least to visit me on a regular and frequent basis.

My wife knows this and I is going to give me a hard time over any divorce so I can not honestly see any short term fix.

From what I have read I can bring my girlfriend to the UK on a General Visiting Visa for 6 months at a time.

Does this mean I could bring my girlfriend every year for 6 months ?

If not any suggestions ?

[MPH80]

Yes - providing she's granted the visa - and to do that she has to show strong ties to her homeland.

Having a partner in the UK and (presumably if she can be away for 6 months) no job are negatives on the 'strong ties'.

Your other options are:

1) Move to Thailand and live together for 2 years - then return
2) Bring her on a student or work visa
3) Follow your plan
4) Get divorced, get married and bring her here.

M.

[JohnParkinson]

Thank you for kind advice.

In your list of other options you mention move to Thailand for 2 years and then return.

Please can you explain to me how this would help or create an alternative route ?

[Obie]

I dont see how plan 1 will work without a divorce. In any event I believe the other options you suggested are spot on.

[MPH80]

Obie - I was working under the assumption that 2 years in Thailand would be enough time to put through a divorce ...

JohnParkinson - the 2 years in Thailand would allow you to be in a relationship akin to marriage - e.g. living together/sharing bills etc. Once you've lived together for that period - and providing you can then meet the financial qualifications - you could apply for an unmarried partner visa. It's similar to the spouse, but doesn't require marriage to have taken place.

It does, however, have a requirement to show that your previous relationship has broken down permanently - which essentially means showing a divorce.

[JohnParkinson]

Hmm you see I am in no rush to divorce and either is my wife as we are both well off. I live in a nice house and have assets in UK which I know would come to court and may lose if I filed for divorce. At the same time my wife has assets that she would rather keep so we both at checkmate.

If I apply for a general visitor visa and I tell the border agency that the thai women is my girlfriend

Will this not be a positive to strong ties because we have a relationship unlike my wife.



Would I be right in assuming Student visa is only a temporary situation because she would study for the duration of the course and then go back ?



What about if I make a business in the UK and say she is my partner in business would this be a possibility ?

[Obie]

She could apply in this Category

[JohnParkinson]

Yes this suggestion may work regarding Tier 1 Visa


However what reasons could I give in order get her on a general visiting visa

She is not my family official nor my business partner ?

If I was to say she is just my friend and give reasons to how we became friend and prove we speak over the internet on a regular basis etc.

Would this be enough ?

[ban.s]

For general visitor visa, she needs to satisfy two main conditions

1) whether she can support her stay without recourse to public fund (this could be either self financed and/or sponsored) - you can provide sponsorship letter as a friend

2) whether she has enough ties with home country i.e. incentive to return back on completion of the trip - this could either ties through employment, education, property, finance, other social ties etc

[JohnParkinson]

Yes she satisfies both conditions does she need to state a reason why she wishes to visit and if so

Is it adequate to state she is visiting a friend in the UK (i.e me)

[ouflak1]

Just as an aside point... Is there no way you and your wife could settle on an amicable split of assets on your own, in such a way that doesn't really need to involve lawyers and that a judge can simple stamp the approval of? That makes your situation for more workable. Unfortunately, I don't how UK law works, if it mandates lawyers and 50/50 splits common-sense-be-damned, etc.... I know you've said that she would put up a fight, but you qualified that by effectively saying that she really doesn't necessarily want one. It seems there is some room to work this out.

Anyway, have you actually physically met your Thai girlfriend in person before? This will help.

As far as the 2 year in Thailand possibility, keep in mind that the UK may not recognize any foreign divorce for a variety of reasons. Unless there is a specific agreement in place between these two countries, they are not obligated to.

[JohnParkinson]

Thank you all for your comments.

If I could employ my thai girlfriend as a nanny as private domestic worker for my family would she then be allowed in the country ?