Spouse visa, Surinder Singh, or something else??

Does the surinder singh route take about the same amount of time as spouse visa?

I do not know of anywhere listing processing times for Surinder. From peeking at other forums, times seem to range from 15 days to 3 weeks.

Just as a note, I think UK Yankee is the best forum around as far as the regular spouse visa, but I don't think very many here have used Surinder. It may be worth a peek at other forums for up-to-date technical information. 

 

The Surinder Singh route isn't a specific type of visa... What you would apply for is an EEA Family Permit, based on qualifying for it under the Surinder Singh provision

So you would need to look up processing times for EEA Family Permit applications.

If you were to apply in the US the EEA Family Permit would be processed in New York and it takes between 1 and 3 weeks. while spousal visa applications made the US are processing in Sheffield, U.K. and take about 4 weeks on average.

However if you are applying in Denmark then you'll have to check the processing times in Denmark... currently they are 2-3 weeks for EEA Family Permits and 8 weeks for spousal visas.


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Too, it hasn't been mentioned here on this thread, the UK is holding a referendum on EU membership on Thursday 23 June. Polls show an almost 50-50 split at the moment.

No one really knows how - whether we vote to stay or go - this will affect Freedom of Movement, or when any changes will take effect.

Hi,

I want to re-ramp this topic I brought up a while ago.

After going through some consultation and various changes/potential job offer in our situation, for that reason I am to go through via the SPOUSAL visa route.

The problem is when I go to gov.uk website, I don't know which visa to choose there... is it 'Apply to remain in the UK with family' or 'Apply to join family living permanently in the UK' (even though my wife is living with me outside the UK and we want to move back).

(For a quick note.. I am a USA citizen living/working in Denmark with my British wife).

It's 'Apply to Join Family Living in the UK' - as long as you are moving back at the same time as her (or just before, depending on your situation), you are considered 'present and settled' in the UK for the purposes of applying for the visa.

For the online application, she will select the visa type as:

Settlement -> Settlement -> Wife Husband

And you will also need to print and fill out the VAF4a Appendix 2 application form.

The 'Apply to remain with family in the UK' visa is an extension of a spousal visa (FLR(M) visa) and can only be applied for if she is already living in the UK on another visa (fiance visa, spousal visa, work or student visa). So she doesn't qualify for that one at the moment.

So, her first visa will be the spousal visa for 2.5 years (apply to join family in the UK) and her second visa will be an FLR(M) visa (apply to remain in the UK with family) for 2.5 years.

It's 'Apply to Join Family Living in the UK' - as long as you are moving back at the same time as her (or just before, depending on your situation), you are considered 'present and settled' in the UK for the purposes of applying for the visa.

For the online application, she will select the visa type as:

Settlement -> Settlement -> Wife

And she will also need to print and fill out the VAF4a Appendix 2 application form.

The 'Apply to remain with family in the UK' visa is an extension of a spousal visa (FLR(M) visa) and can only be applied for if she is already living in the UK on another visa (fiance visa, spousal visa, work or student visa). So she doesn't qualify for that one at the moment.

So, her first visa will be the spousal visa for 2.5 years (apply to join family in the UK) and her second visa will be an FLR(M) visa (apply to remain in the UK with family) for 2.5 years.

ksand, the wife's the UKC.

ksand, the wife's the UKC.

Oops, sorry - I misread it as the wife being US... I'll correct it.

Thanks!

So if I understand correctly, the visa is valid the moment it is issued, so does that mean if I move to UK 2 months after it is issued, I would actually have less than 2.5 years and I may have to apply for extension not once but twice before becoming a permanent to remain (or maybe not since I'm married to a British citizen)? Once the visa is issued, how much time do I have to enter the UK before the visa expires?

In addition to the visa fee, it looks like I have to pay the immigration Health Surcharge as the spouse of a British citizen. How much is that?

Does the 'Apply to Join Family Living in the UK' visa include children or if we have to apply for them separately?

So if I understand correctly, the visa is valid the moment it is issued, so does that mean if I move to UK 2 months after it is issued, I would actually have less than 2.5 years and I may have to apply for extension not once but twice before becoming a permanent to remain (or maybe not since I'm married to a British citizen)? Once the visa is issued, how much time do I have to enter the UK before the visa expires?

No, the visa is valid for 33 months, so 2 years and 9 months, which gives 3 months leeway.

However, last year they changed how the visa is issued - and instead of being issued as a 33-month sticker in your passport, they now issue it as follows:

- a 30-day vignette sticker in your passport. You MUST enter within those 30 days. If you don't, you will need to send your passport back and pay about £120 for a new 30-day sticker

- a 33-month BRP plastic ID card which you must pick up from a local UK post office within 10 days of arriving in the UK.

The online application will ask for an intended travel date, which can be up to 3 months ahead of the date you submit the online application.

The visa vignette will be valid for 30 days from that date (unless the visa hasn't been issued in time, in which case, it will be made valid from the date it is approved).

So, you would either need to put an intended travel date to match up with the date you will definitely move to the UK, or you get it issued earlier, enter once, pick up the BRP card, and then return to Denmark for a few weeks until you are ready to move properly.

In addition to the visa fee, it looks like I have to pay the immigration Health Surcharge as the spouse of a British citizen. How much is that?

Yes, that's correct - it's £200 per year of the visa, with half-years rounded up, so for a 33-month visa, it's £600 upfront.

The visa itself costs £1,195 and the surcharge is £600... so that's £1,795 in total.

Does the 'Apply to Join Family Living in the UK' visa include children or if we have to apply for them separately?

Would I have to put my child in the application form even if my child is also a British citizen?

Sorry, I missed your question at the end.

Does the 'Apply to Join Family Living in the UK' visa include children or if we have to apply for them separately?

If the children are British citizens, then they don't need a visa, as they just move on their UK passport.

If they are not British citizens, then you will need to apply for a separate visa for each child, at a cost of £1,795 per visa. Also, the income requirement is higher if you have non-UK citizen children who need visas.

- If it's just a spouse applying, the income requirement is £18,600 per year.
- If it's a spouse and one non-UK citizen child applying for visas, it's £22,400 per year
- If it's a spouse and 2 non-UK citizen children, it's £24,800 per year
(and it keeps increasing by £2,400 per child)

Would I have to put my child in the application form even if my child is also a British citizen?

I believe you will need to give the details of any children under 18 on the application form, though if they are British, you don't need to apply for visas for them.

DEFINITELY Surrender Singh route.  If the fees do not rise again (ha!) the current path to ILR on a spouse visa is about £6,000.  The same route to PR (the EU equivalent of ILR) is £60.  No brainer!

You'll need to provide proof that your wife has been exercising her EU treaty rights by living in Denmark (proof of your life there via leases/mortgage, utility bills, driving license, bank accounts, if your child is in school, etc.).

It doesn't matter if your wife has been working or not in Denmark.  What you need to demonstrate is that she had moved the "center of her life" to Denmark.

Hey KFdancer is that for 2 people 6000.00 or one..

Hey KFdancer is that for 2 people 6000.00 or one..

That's per person.
Current fees:
First spousal visa = £1.795
FLR(M) visa = £1,311 (plus £500 if you apply in person)
ILR visa = £1,875 (plus £500 if you apply in person)
Citizenship = £1,236

That's how much it's gonna cost  me plus NHS and settlement

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It's 'Apply to Join Family Living in the UK' - as long as you are moving back at the same time as her (or just before, depending on your situation), you are considered 'present and settled' in the UK for the purposes of applying for the visa.

For the online application, she will select the visa type as:

Settlement -> Settlement -> Wife Husband

And you will also need to print and fill out the VAF4a Appendix 2 application form.

The 'Apply to remain with family in the UK' visa is an extension of a spousal visa (FLR(M) visa) and can only be applied for if she is already living in the UK on another visa (fiance visa, spousal visa, work or student visa). So she doesn't qualify for that one at the moment.

So, her first visa will be the spousal visa for 2.5 years (apply to join family in the UK) and her second visa will be an FLR(M) visa (apply to remain in the UK with family) for 2.5 years.

For this spousal visa, what is the purpose of the 'Sponsor detail' section? Do I put my spouse information here, even though we would enter UK together?