Am new here, moving from MA to Devon, Fall 2016 with UK spouse, need some help.

Hello, my name is Debra from western Massachusetts, and I am married to a UK citizen who is here on a green card. We married in July of 2014, and all went well with her staying here visa wise in the US. We are now planning to both move to the UK, actually Devon, where her family is, this fall 2016.

We are at the beginning stages of figuring out what to do visa wise. we qualify monetarily for her sponsoring me without job info, as we both sold homes in the past few years. my question is, what visa form do we use and when? as in, we'll both be filing from here in the US. I've been all over the UK gov website and can't seem to figure out what visa form to hone in on when a couple lives in the US now. also, any ideas on when we start applying?

We used a company called Rapid Visa here in the USA and they were very reasonable money wise, and very helpful, about 450 dollars. They helped us to be sure all paperwork was ready and did a great job. Do we need the same in the UK? my thinking is not....and I dont seem to see inexpensive visa helping companies like that on the web in the UK in my searches.

any help would be greatly appreciated and thank you so much!
~debra

Hi, welcome to the forum .

We are at the beginning stages of figuring out what to do visa wise. we qualify monetarily for her sponsoring me without job info, as we both sold homes in the past few years. my question is, what visa form do we use and when?

I've been all over the UK gov website and can't seem to figure out what visa form to hone in on when a couple lives in the US now. also, any ideas on when we start applying?

You need to apply for the Spousal/Civil Partner visa, which consists of an online application (https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome) and a printed paper appendix (VAF4a Appendix 2: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-uk-visa-for-family-settlement-form-vaf4a)

Information about the visa and how to qualify for it is here:
https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk/overview

It doesn't matter if you will both be in the US when you apply. As long as she is a UK citizen, then she is considered 'present and settled' in the UK for visa purposes.

Normally to meet the financial requirements if moving back at the same time as you, she would need to have a job offer in the UK starting within 3 months of returning home AND have earned £18,600 in the last 12 months in the US. However, if you meet the requirements through £62,500 savings, then she won't need to worry about a UK job offer or previous US income.

We used a company called Rapid Visa here in the USA and they were very reasonable money wise, and very helpful, about 450 dollars. They helped us to be sure all paperwork was ready and did a great job. Do we need the same in the UK? my thinking is not....and I dont seem to see inexpensive visa helping companies like that on the web in the UK in my searches.

No, you won't need to use a visa service as all the information you need to know you can find for free on the UKVI website and by asking here on the forum. Plus, some of the 'visa services' have been known to give bad advice in the past, which would have resulted in refusals had their advice been taken... plus, they can't help you get the visa any faster, so really it would just be a waste of money to use one.

The only people who might need to get help with their application, by way of a specialist immigration lawyer, would be if they had real reasons to believe their visa might be refused, such as serious criminal convictions, previous illegal overstays or illegal working in the UK, previous refused visas or entry to the UK.

The main thing you need to do for the spousal/civil partner visa is to make sure you meet all the requirements: financial, UK accommodation and relationship, and have all the required documents to prove it. As long as do that, there should be no reason for the visa to be refused (approximately 95% of all UK visa applications made in the US are approved).

...oh wow thank yo so so much! that is just great. i think we will be quite straight forward for them to process, and all of it is good news.

a few questions if you don't mind:

1. when do we apply from here?

2. we expect to move in october or november of this year. I HAVE to return to the US for a camp I run every year on April 1st, so that would be April 2017, about 5 months after I move to the UK.

when my wife Becca moved here, she could not leave the country until she had her green card. will it be the same for me? and how long will it take, as in, shall I apply early from here? can i get a special visa to leave and come back if need be or do you think it will be done quickly?

Just dont know timing of how it works going that way.

Thank you, I have a big smile on my face. it can all seem so daunting, so glad i joined this forum.

Debra

...oh wow thank yo so so much! that is just great. i think we will be quite straight forward for them to process, and all of it is good news.

No problem .

1. when do we apply from here?

You can apply no more than 3 months before you wish to move to the UK.

The online application will ask for an intended travel date, which must be within 3 months, then the visa vignette in your passport will be made valid for 30 days from that date. You must enter the UK within the 30 days, or you will need to pay for a replacement vignette.

Once you are in the UK, you will have 10 days to pick up your Biometrics Residence Card (BRP card) from a local UK post office - this will be your actual visa and you will need to carry it with your passport when you travel, in order to get back into the UK.

If it's the case that the visa takes longer to process and the intended travel date has already passed before it is issued, they will just make it valid for 30 days from the date they approve the visa.

So, if you will move in October or November, you won't be able to apply for the visa until July or August 2016.

2. we expect to move in october or november of this year. I HAVE to return to the US for a camp I run every year on April 1st, so that would be April 2017, about 5 months after I move to the UK.

when my wife Becca moved here, she could not leave the country until she had her green card. will it be the same for me?

No, you will have your visa right away (once you have picked it up from the post office) and it will be valid for 33 months, for multiple entries to the UK... so you can come and go as you please.

The main thing is that you set up your home in the UK and that you and your wife live together for the duration of the visa... you prove this for the next visa after 2.5 years in the UK by collecting mail addressed to both of you at the same address over the whole time you're living in the UK... so you'll need to get your name on utility bills, bank accounts, things like that as soon as you can.

and how long will it take, as in, shall I apply early from here? can i get a special visa to leave and come back if need be or do you think it will be done quickly?

It depends on how busy the consulate is at the time you apply, but it's much faster than applying for a US visa - you'll be waiting a maximum of 3 months, but more likely up to 3-4 weeks for your visa.

There is an option to pay about $560 for Settlement Priority Processing, which means your application will be put to the front of the processing line when it arrives in the UK for processing.

Priority Processing generally takes anywhere from 1-2 days to 3-4 weeks for processing, while if you don't pay for priority processing you're generally looking at between 1-2 weeks and 2-3 months... depending on how busy they are. Generally the summer is the busiest time of year, and last summer it was taking about 1 month for priority and 2-3 months for non-priority.

You have to send your passport off with your visa application, so you won't be able to travel anywhere until you have the visa.

The general steps for applying are:

- research the visa requirements and gather the documents
- print and fill out VAF4a Appendix 2
- start the online application (you can use the paper VAF4a version of the form for reference)
- when you are completely ready to apply, complete and submit the online application, pay for the visa, pay the £600 NHS Levy (part of the online form) and book a biometrics appointment at a local USCIS Application Support Center (you will be prompted to do this on the online application site)... most people find they can get an appointment within a couple of days
- attend the biometrics appointment, taking with you your passport and printed appointment confirmation sheet - they will stamp the sheet at the appointment
- place the stamped sheet, your passport, all your documents and the printed application forms in your packet
- purchase priority processing if you are using it
- sort out your return shipping (you can purchase pre-arranged UPS shipping through the same site as the priority processing, or do it yourself through UPS or DHL)
- mail your documents and application to Sheffield, UK for processing
- wait for the visa to be processed and mailed back to you
- check the visa for errors and then book your flight
- move to the UK

this is great and so much info!

I am so excited to get going and so relieved to hear it's much faster than the US, which was a bit of a haul, but actually quite easy once we got everything in.

you forgot one thing on the list, move our 2 beloved cats!
eeks, that makes us both nervous, but we'll do it all.

i also am so happy to have this place to feel like i can speak to others
who have moved at another country, am preparing for the homesickness
and all that.

thank you!

one more question, could you tell me how much it costs for the visa fees?

sincerely,
debra

you forgot one thing on the list, move our 2 beloved cats!
eeks, that makes us both nervous, but we'll do it all.

Lol - you didn't mention cats as well .

I think the process for moving pets is much quicker and more straightforward than it used to be. I don't know much about it, but there are plenty of people here who have moved their cats and can help .

one more question, could you tell me how much it costs for the visa fees?

This is the part you probably won't like so much (sorry) - the fees are expensive and rise in April every year, so they will be more than this when you apply, but the current prices are:

- Visa fee = £956
- mandatory NHS levy = £600 (to give you access to the NHS)
Total visa fee = £1556 (about $2300)

- settlement priority processing (if using) = £360 (currently $565)
- pre-paid return shipping (if using) = $216

Information about priority processing and the shipping service can be found on the VFS Global website: http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/usa/user_pay_services.html

aww, you rock k! thank you so so much.

yes, i expected these fees, we paid alot this way too. it's part of life i guess when you marry someone from another country.

i just looked on the pet forum here, and i did not anticipate that it might cost us $3500 to get 2 cats there, really? i have to sit down and read more info there and see if I read that wrong. let's hope.

it's such a big deal anticipating this kind of move, but your info today makes it all seem do-able, much appreciated...and i know from dealing with Becca and her initial homesickness, this forum will be great for me down the road.

debra

Do you realise that your partner will lose her right to live in the US if you move permanently to the UK? The green card will expire after a certain period of time, I believe 2 years.

Hello,

yes, we know that, unfortunately so, but we've weighed it out and she'd like to be with her elder mum. thank you...it's not easy to give up after all our good work tho.

debra

Ah I see, just checking. I have met some people who think the permanent residence card confers permanent residence for all time.

Do you know where in Devon you will be living? Just being nosey as I'm from Devon and spend a lot of time there.

the beautiful town of Totnes!
and you? do you live there now?

debra

Totnes is lovely! I'm in N.Devon about 40% of the time, its where I was born and I love the scenery and s low pace of life.

Hiya Debra,

Just wanted to welcome you.. I'm a fellow Masshole   Born n brought up  there, lived there until I came to Scotland in 1999.

Miss my DD coffee everyday still even after all these years

haha! yes i think i'll miss DD coffee too when i am permanently there, altho i have become quite addicted to tea now. i've traveled scotland around dumfries the past 3 years, beautiful.

...and about devon, i actually am a little worried about the slow pace. i was just there for 5 weeks, and it was beautiful and slow and wonderful, but i wonder if i will have a hard time with that over the long haul....maybe i can adjust to it and that will be my own new way, a nice thought. ~debra