I must say that surprises me one one had but on the other we do have a bit of a reputation as "Rip-off-Britain" don't we.
so--to take this farce one stage further--- am i right in thinking anyone from a EU country could have entered the UK as of right---and drawn benefits if they couldnt get a job ? then--imported a future partner from any other non EU country---without paying any visa fees--or--obviously--not meeting any sponsorship financial requirements ? and marry --here in the UK---- and they both then live on the dole happily ever after please tell me i got that wrong. ?
Not sure how it would work in terms of benefits, but pretty much yeah. Edit - I think they would have to be properly married so in terms of 'future partner' I guess not.
well--a poster earlier in this thread got married to her partner here in the UK--him being from the EU.
The 'rules' state that a EU national living in any Shengen state may avail of a Family Reunification Visa - which grants rights of permanent residency - to his wife and her dependants (ie parents and children). If he's not married than he can obtain the same visa for a fiancée. For non-Shengen countries in the EEA, only a wife/husband/fiancée can join their EU spouse.
I have heard a few stories such as this one. The couple managed to get married under Visit Visa after few years of living in UK the spouse was send back to the country of origin.
That's the scary part. At one point you get away with it and then the HO will realise the mistake and all of a sudden you face deportation.
And that just about sums it up with a visa system that can be manipulated by a few and basically screwing it up for those prepared to play by the rules. So what happens the UKBA tighten the rules and some come along and shout foul. We reap what we sow ( or what is sown by the abusers)
That's the way it should be. I can understand the imposition of means testing and ensuring the relationship is genuine. I can understand if applicants need to pay 'administration' costs. However, the Visa business shouldn't be a for-profit enterprise. Having only just started down this path, perhaps I'm being a touch melodramatic, but for the first time I feel that my human rights are being violated.
Maybe she stayed here after the marriage and didn't go back and apply for a spouse visa. Otherwise, why would she be sent back?
For a government to use this process as a means of profiteering doesn't sit well with me. If the costs involved represent the true financial burden to the government of administering fiancé/spouse visas, then I'll take it all back. However, I can't help but feel our processing fees are helping to resource other ventures well beyond downtrodden Joe Blogs trying to seal his happiness with sweet little Jennylyn from the province.
Under the last Labour government, these visas were approximately £100. There were a number of forms to be completed - but nothing remotely approaching the same scale as at present - and you handed-in your application, paid the fee then waited to be called for a quick 5 minute interview at the end of which you'd know the result. If successful, you could return the next day to collect your visaed passport. From memory, FLR and ILR were simple paper exercises and if a fee was charged, it was a nominal amount.
I wish that was the case today, just finished filling out the 85 page long application for our second FLR this afternoon, its expensive and a pain in the backside nowadays for sure. The biggest thing for me though is that it takes 5 years now until you can apply for the ILR, a lot can happen in that time.
I think if the HO approves the marriage then it's okay, although it does not guarantee you'll get a permanent visa, but at least you may have a better chance, just follow the next steps and good luck!
hi, just want to give an update. i got my spouse visa just today. LDR is harder than we thought so we applied for another vis hi, i want to give an update. i just got my spouse visa today. LDR is so much harder than we thought so we have decided to apply and we got it!
