Dear All, I have been helped by many on these forums with regard to my partner's spouse visa application. We can do nothing for a while yet, because I have to get my divorce and then start looking for somewhere for us to live in the UK. We will be getting married in the British Embassy in Manila, because the Philippines does not recognize equal marriage. At this stage I have two questions. First of all, can anyone tell me how much it will cost us for everything up to the moment we arrive in the UK - perhaps including the IDR and FDR and the NHS surcharge? I would be grateful if you could give me a breakdown for each item. Aposhark was very kind and gave me a figure of £10,000, but that was in 2011 when he and his wife applied and he had lost the details of how much each item cost. Secondly, when it says adequate accommodation in the UK for the visa application, can that be a rented place or even a rented ensuite room while we look for a place to buy? Or would that be deemed inadequate? It is gratifying to know that we will be helped here, when it comes to the actual application. We want to get it absolutely right - no mistakes at all - in order to prevent the possibility of delay or even having to redo it all again. I think it is likely that my divorce will come through sometime early 2016 hopefully. I will then return to Manila, where we will get married and start the application. I am going back to the UK this November in order to finalize the divorce and start looking for a place of us. Thank you all in anticipation for your help.
On accomodation. It has at least to be a rental with at least 6 months to run on it. Though in our case we had less than 6 months to run. It also needs to be free from overcrowding. Am not certain about actual dimensions but the dwelling needs to be big enough for the two of you, if there is just the two of you. I believe it can also be the use of a accomodation in a family home. This is not uncommon.
The Indefnite Leave to Remain fees whilst being payable, would not be due for approximately 5 years, under current rules. By the time your partner files for ILR the fees may well have gone up. Further Leave to Remain fees would be due after approx 2.5 years, again under current rules. Followed by British Citizenship fees. If your partner goes for Spouse Visa then the NHS fees are payable at the time of visa application.
And here are the visa, FLR and ILR and Citizenship fees as they stand right now. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa.../419449/fees_table_for_website_2015_03_30.pdf
what sort of brain worked out those fees ? took me a while to find the relevant ones--and i knew what to look for ! look at that ILR hike !!
The ILR cost has gone up so much because the Government knows its their last chance to get some money out of you, if you want to gain British Citizenship after that is as equally as expensive as the ILR.
I think with the visa cost it is better to take each one as it comes, its too depressing to think of the overall cost over five years, we all need a little respite from visa costs from time to time
