Lucie’s story
Posted: 12/09/2013 Filed under: Testimonial | Tags: 3rd party support, children, income threshold, teaching, Thailand 2 CommentsI am a British woman, and have been living in Thailand for about 17
years. 14 years ago, I met my husband, Atsadang, who is Thai. A few
years later we married, and we have 2 children, a son aged 9 and a
daughter aged almost 6.
I have worked for the last 10 years as a primary school ESL teacher.
But, due to new rules saying that all foreign teachers must have a
degree in order to get a work permit, as of next year I won’t any
longer be able to work at the only job that foreigners are allowed to
do here.
Added to this is the fact that I don’t have a lot of faith in the Thai
education system, and don’t want my children to go through it. And
then there’s the simple fact that I have had enough of living here. I
want to go home.
I am earning the equivalent of 8,500 pounds a year, and we live very
well on that, as the cost of living in Thailand is low. I can even
save some for our airfares back to the UK. Where I live, jobs simply
don’t exist that pay 18,600 – or even 13,000. And then there’s the
fact that I would also have to have a job offer in the UK before
arriving. Jobs like that aren’t doled out over Skype, you know.
So I am faced with the strong possibility of having to take my
children back to the UK, and leave my husband here on his own, until
such time as I can get a well-paid job and present 6 months of
payslips. How do you think that makes my children feel? And my
husband, who will be alone for months (or years) on end.
I am in a similar position to many other people – my parents own a
large enough house, and are happy to let us stay for as long as we
need to. I also am quite happy to forego any rights to unemployment
benefits when I arrive. I would rather live with my parents, and
survive on 2 low wages, than tear apart my very close family and claim
benefits while chasing after a well-paid job.
PLEASE, keep the rules that check if it’s a genuine relationship, but
remove the financial requirement. People in many parts of the world
simply cannot make that kind of money.
Lucie
Family Immigration Alliance 
lucie, i so much agree with you , to show a relationship, is the correct way, in mny passport it can be seen that , i have been to visit my fiancee and my baby girl 10 times, we want to give my intelligent baby a chance in life here, `1year 2months old, she is so beautiful, i love her and my dear fiancee so much, it breaks my heart that they are not here.
i am in simular situation, how cruel these rules are the government are trying to [ring our necks ,like a chicken, emotionally] it is digusting by humanitarian terms.
this government should have realise the BLUNT instriment they have employed to fullfill there promise to british voters, but it’s the wrong unthought out way of doing it, i would not do this to an animal, hororable.
god bless you lucie and i hope it will all work out for you, and your family can be united, yours arnold.
Lucie, even before the present £18600 rule came in to force on 9 July 2012 you would have needed to have found a job in the UK to meet the immigration rules, which would have meant leaving your husband in Thailand. So nothing has changed in that respect.
Unfortunately thousands of couples had to go down this route over the years. With an annual British teachers minimum salary of £21800 and accommodation in place you should have a good basis for an application.
Arnold if you want to bring your partner and child here I suggest you marry as to bring a fiancée and child to the UK will be far more expensive than applying for a wife and child.
Over and above the £18600 + child financial rules you will need to pay for a fiancée and dependent visa and then apply again when they arrive in the UK. The fiancée visa is only for 6 months but costs the same as a marriage visa.
In the six month period you must marry in the UK and after the wedding apply for further leave to remain FLR(M). I hope you have deep pockets !