General Information Welcome to the UK Visas page of Orchid of Siam. For our THAI language website please click here: http://www.orchidofsiamvisas.info All our UK visa services include completion of the appropriate form on behalf of the applicant, supplying lists of the required documentation to the applicant and sponsor, supplying sample letters of support, guidance on the Immigration Rules and other areas of law as relevant, translation of any documents required to be translated from Thai into English, liaising and advising both the applicant and the sponsor. We speak to Thai applicants in Thai to ensure there is no misunderstanding. As we have an office in Bangkok the time difference problem is removed. 20/01/2010 Please follow this link to see the proposed visa and other application fees and charges for 2010 / 2011 financial year expected to be implemented in March 2010 subject to Parliamentary approval. http://ezuploads.com/715/7715/108.pdf All applications submitted MUST be made on the proscribed forms and ALL settlement and student visa applications must be made online only. We do this for our clients as part of our service. The Embassy now requires the details of the adviser and the languages used to be included in the application; this is to deter unqualified and unregistered agencies. This page contains information on the most common types of UK Visas applied for in Thailand and the fees and associated costs are clearly detailed on this page in order that you are fully aware of them. Our address, contact telephone numbers and E-mail address appear at the foot of each page. We believe that this essential information must be available to a prospective client from the start and that the client has the right to expect this from any professional firm. The main visas we deal with are for spouses, fiancées, children, civil partnerships, family visits, tourists, students and EEA/EU family members. Established in 1988 we are very proud of our reputation as being a friendly, professional and affordable legally qualified firm that specialises in UK Visas for Thai nationals. We can advise you not only on the Immigration Rules as defined in the relevant Acts but also, more importantly, on how these are interpreted by the policy contained in the Diplomatic Service Procedures manual and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's standing staff instructions. Visa applications are not only subject to the Immigration Rules but also other legislation including the Housing Act, Children Act, Education Act, the Child Abduction and Custody Act, the Human Rights Act, EU Law and Public Funds laws and we will advise on these as necessary. The number of Thais who queue everyday at the visa office in Bangkok to try and get a UK visa is awesome. Even more so is the percentage of failures due to insufficient preparation, failure to complete the forms correctly or to supply the required documentation. Our aim is to 'gold-plate' the UK Visa application and ensure that more than the minimum required documentation is provided as well as preparing the applicant for a possible interview to maximise the chances of success. Perhaps the biggest secret of our success is the information given to the applicant on how to conduct and present themselves at the visa interview and normally by conducting a mock interview in Bangkok and running through the likely questions to be asked at the interview shortly beforehand. In this way the applicants are fully prepared for the interview and can approach it with confidence.

Our Service After your payment has been received we arrange for the applicant in Thailand to be contacted immediately in order to explain everything to them and to make sure that they have all the necessary documentation that they will need. If relevant advice will be given on TB testing and an appointment made for the test. Throughout the process the applicant in Thailand is welcome to contact our Thailand based office to discuss any matter about the visa either in person or by telephone and misunderstandings are reduced as all advice is given in Thai. Apart from producing the required documentation, which we will give them a list of, all the applicant has to do is sign the form and personally attend the TB test if one is required and attend at the visa application centre for a photograph and fingerprints to be taken. As this can only be done in Bangkok our Bangkok based staff accompany all applicants to the TB test centre and visa application centre. We can arrange to collect the passport and visa after they have been processed if required. The sponsor in the UK will be contacted to gather all their details needed for us to finalise the visa application form. The sponsor will then be sent a list of documents and evidence to be provided in support of the visa application and a sample sponsorship letters if relevant. Any further advice on letters required from employers, parents or other sponsorship will also be given. The visa application will be monitored closely by your case manager and both the sponsor and applicant will be advised as necessary to maximise the chances of the application succeeding. The quoted fee also includes the full completion of the very detailed forms that are applicable in your particular case, which is done in the UK. The forms are then sent electronically to our Bangkok office along with any further instructions and a letter in support of your application from us if anything needs to be clearly explained to the Embassy. Any translation required by the Embassy is included in our fee. All disbursements, expenses and applicable taxes are included in our fixed fee.

Why To Use Us As with using an accountant to submit a tax return to Inland Revenue it is a fact that a visa application submitted by an accredited firm is less likely to be questioned by the Embassy. We are professionally qualified, registered with and regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner as immigration advisers as required by law and this can be verified on their website: http://www.oisc.gov.uk We are registered qualified members of the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association of the UK (ILPA) which can be verified on their site http://www.ilpa.org.uk Stringent checks are made on our record keeping and client confidentiality. This is very important with regard to possible identity fraud as the personal details of both the applicant and sponsor will be known to ourselves. No personal details are recorded on computers, this includes payments made by card. All OISC advisers are checked for any criminal background. Obviously it would not be wise for you to pass your details to an unregulated firm. Many aspects of a UK Visa application are not particularly scientific and are not always obvious, clear or straightforward. As many people are in a potentially emotional state as they are separated from loved ones or have doubts about successfully getting a visa an impartial, sympathetic and experienced person can really help to resolve the situation. You are welcome to visit us by appointment or telephone for a totally free appraisal of your chances of obtaining a UK entry visa. For most people it is beneficial to pay our fee rather than attempting to do the visa by themselves as the cost of launching an appeal or submitting a second application generally outweighs our service charge. The two most common types for Thais are the UK Tourist Visa and the UK Settlement (spouse or fiancée) Visa. Please see the following pages for more information.

Waiting Times For Visas As at 1st October 2009 the British Embassy in Bangkok was advising that waiting times for UK Settlement Visas can be up to 90 working days. The majority of settlement visa applications are dealt with without a formal interview. Applicants can expect a telephone interview rather than a formal one. All other non-settlement visas are normally dealt with within 10 working days unless an interview is required. Obviously some cases are not straightforward and can take a considerable time to be dealt with. <>

Our Fees We have a fee of £490.00 (Baht 27,000) for a settlement visa and £327.00 (Baht 18,000) for non-settlement visas plus the Embassy fees as detailed on our Fees Scale & Online Payments page. Fees for the British Embassy in Bangkok are payable in Thai Baht only at an exchange rate that does not always reflect the current rates. Our fees can be paid in the UK in £ sterling or at our Bangkok office in Thai Baht.

General Notes Payment for our visa services can be made by credit or debit card using our Online Payment page, cheque, postal order or cash for personal callers.Fees Scale And Online Payment Please contact us for free initial advice and an assessment of your ability to get or sponsor a visa. In November 2008 and the early part of 2009 a new Points Based Scheme (PBS) for students and workers was introduced. Please see our pages on the following categories of visas: Tier 1. Highly Skilled Migrants, Entrepreneurs, Investors, Post Study Work for graduates. Tier 2. Skilled Workers who have a job offer. Tier 3. Lower Skilled Workers to fill temporary labour market shortages. Tier 4. Students. Tier 5. Youth temporary workers. Orchid of Siam are authorised to provide immigration advice and services by the Immigration Services Commissioner Ref. No. F200500016. Members of the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association. Members of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.

Orchid of Siam
24, Digdens Rise,
Epsom,	Surrey,	KT18 7DL
England.
01372210361-2
orchidofsiam@hotmail.com

Page Updated Tue Feb 2, 2010 5:16am EST