American Fiance as Dependent of American Student in UK

Hello everyone,

My fiancee and I were engaged in May.  I will begin graduate school in the UK in September, and I already have my visa (We thought he was going to get another type of visa, so I went ahead and applied for mine as a single person).  Now, it looks as though our only option for getting him a visa is if he applies for a dependent visa.  We have been together for three years and have lived together for 1 1/2 years.  While we do plan to get married, we would like to do it on our own terms and not rush it (i.e. not a shotgun wedding to get him a dependent husband visa).   Also, he would like to work when we get there (and already has something lined up, but the only way he can work this job legitimately is if he is on a dependent visa).

What are our options?  Is there any way that we can get him a dependent visa by proving that we are engaged, have been together a while, that he will not be living off public funds, that we will be living together in the UK, etc.?  Thanks so much in advance for any advice!

C

There is an Unmarried Partner's visa (UP).  However, it stipulates that you must be living together in a relationship akin to marriage for two years. 

If he's already got a job lined up, could he not get a work permit?

We've been told he cannot get a work permit.  Basically, he will be doing the same job he does here in the US, which is working for an American company with no international offices, but he will be working remotely.  So he will be working from home on a laptop, doing the same thing he does here.  And since he won't be working for a UK company, he can't get a work permit, and since he can't get a work permit, we're told he can't apply for a business visit visa.  We have been told, though, that he could do the job without a work permit if he is on the dependent visa.

Thanks for the posts so far!

C

Unless he qualifies as an unmarried partner, my understanding is that he must be your spouse to be able to come over here and work.  The 'fiance visa' is for those Americans who are marrying a UK national. 

Yes, it seems unfair that you feel rushed, but unfortuntely the government has to draw the line somewhere.

there is a visa for a independent represenative of a foreign company.  now- i have no idea what this entails. i've searched through www.workpermits.gov.uk and the home office website to no avail. 

I have no idea whether he'd qualify as a sole representative, but here's the scoop from UK Visas...

Sole representative of an overseas firm in the UK
You must:

    * have been employed outside the UK as a representative of a firm that has its headquarters and carries out most of its business outside the UK, and which has no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the UK
    * be applying for entry to the UK as a senior employee with full authority to take decisions on behalf of the overseas firm so that you can represent it in the UK by setting up and operating a registered branch or wholly-owned subsidiary of that overseas firm
    * intend to be employed full-time as a representative of that overseas firm
    * not be a majority shareholder in that overseas firm
    * not intend to take employment except as set out above, and
    * be able to support yourself and your dependants, and live without needing help from public funds.

If he did qualify, then he'd have to apply for a visa, etc.
Here's the UK Visas link- http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1018721068172#Q1

We have basically come to the conclusion that because his situation does not fall into any of the cookie cutter visa schemes, his best bet is to either come as a visitor (for no more than six months, of course), which I think might be fine because he will not be living on public funds, etc., or to come as a dependent of me, which means scheduling a civil wedding pretty darn soon.

Thanks for all of your help...what did people do before this website existed??

You're going to need to be VERY careful if he's coming over as a visitor -- he'll need to prove that he's returning to the US (either with a return ticket, a copy of his lease, a letter from his employer, etc.) within six months and that he can support himself (so he'll need a recent bank statement, etc.).