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Topic: Greetings, and a bunch of questions  (Read 1569 times)

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Greetings, and a bunch of questions
« on: February 21, 2012, 05:11:24 AM »
Hi everyone,
I'm new to this forum, but glad to have found you all!

I met my English boyfriend online 3 years ago, and since then we've been back and forth visiting and such. He's been to the US for a couple of 3-week visits, and I've stayed in the UK for 2 six-month stints. After much consideration, we've decided it would be best if I moved to the UK rather than him joining me out here - healthcare, he has an established career and I do not, etc.

I love the UK, although at the moment I'm stuck in that strange phase of still being "foreign" in the UK but not feeling like the US is really "home" either! I think I'll adjust to life there pretty quickly once I can actually stay in one spot long enough to put down some roots.

I'm a natural worrier, so I've been driving myself nuts with worst-case scenarios about everything that could possibly go wrong  ::) If anyone has advice or insights they'd like to share, I would be most grateful!

Money/Job stuff
When we met, I was in college and living with my mother still, and just before I graduated, I suffered an injury that made joining the work force right away impossible. I'm better now, but as a result I have no employment history or profession, and have never filed tax returns. My BF earns enough to support us both, and I do have a savings account with the settlement money from my injury, but I worry that it might count against me in the immigration process.

Age Difference
He's 39, I'm 24. We're happier together than most same-age couples I've met, so I don't see why it should be an issue - but on my last visit over there, the woman at Immigration at the airport was interrogating me about it, and making comments on what a "big age difference" it was - I got pulled out of the line for extra questioning over it. Is this something they regard as being a problem, and could it be an issue in getting a fiancee visa granted?

I'm sure I'll think of some new worries to add soon enough.  :P


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Re: Greetings, and a bunch of questions
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2012, 06:29:54 AM »
The only thing the UK is concerned with is that your fiance earns enough to support you. Currently, the minimum is rent + council tax + £105 (I'm not actually 100% sure of that exact figure but it's very close to that) per week. Anything extra is bonus, including your savings account. You are not expected to work in the UK, although you certainly can, and unless you had a job lined up and guaranteed, it wouldn't make a difference towards maintenance.

The age difference is probably not big enough to throw up any red flags. Make sure to include a couple of photos of you looking like a happy couple (a couple, not dozens!). It's been advised that an age difference only starts to be a problem when it's 20+ years and there's other issues (ie, the couple doesn't speak the same language).


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Re: Greetings, and a bunch of questions
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2012, 06:50:39 AM »
The job stuff isn't going to count against you. Especially since most of us start from scratch on the job ladder here regardless of work history in the US.

No matter how many times you visit, living here is a whole new ball game. There will be good days and bad days. It is something we've all delt with so you will have a sympathetic ear here.
August 2008 - Tier 4 - Student Visa
February 2010 - Tier 1 - PSW
January 2012 - FLR(M)
June 2014 - ILR (finally!)


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Re: Greetings, and a bunch of questions
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2012, 01:10:13 AM »
Thank you to everyone who replied. I can stop panicking about some of it now, at least  ;D

My bf definitely earns enough to cover those requirements, so that's good to know. And fortunately half my family are shutterbugs, so we should have plenty of happy photos to choose from.


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Re: Greetings, and a bunch of questions
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2012, 06:56:11 AM »
My bf definitely earns enough to cover those requirements, so that's good to know.

Just be aware that the UK government are changing the immigration rules in about 6 weeks or so and it's very likely that the financial requirement for the visa will increase significantly then (the current requirement only requires a minimum income of around £12,000 or so (rent + council tax + £459.12 each month (£105.95 per week)), but they are talking about the sponsor (your BF) having to earn a minimum of somewhere between about £18,000 and £25,000 per year to qualify for the visa - nothing has been officially announced yet though).

If possible, you might want to think about applying for the visa before the changes in April (i.e. in the next 6 weeks).


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Re: Greetings, and a bunch of questions
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2012, 02:46:06 PM »
I can DEF echo the age difference not mattering at all! I'll be 30 in December and my husband will be 47 on the 15th of this month (so no less than 17 yrs age difference) and the immigration department never once mentioned anything about our age difference. I know working at an Airport isn't the most fun of jobs and they put up with a lot, but there's a definite difference between asking important questions (doing your job) Vs. Just being really down right rude!
~Amberelle


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