Help - Visa Approved but need to get my BRP in 30 days

My husband and I live in the states and intend to move to the UK in December.  Fortunately I got my Visa today and unfortunately it started dated today.  I want to go to the UK to pick up my BRP and then return to the states for 2 months to finish everything here.  I've just learned that my husband needs to arrive before or with me for this to work.  Can he arrive with me, fly back to the USA before me, and then we both fly back to the UK in December to start our lives for real?  Will that cause any problems? 

Help needed as I/We are hoping to fly on Sunday!! 

Will there be any problem if he flys back to the USA before me?

Rachel

Yes, that's perfectly fine to do.

The only thing he MUST do is enter either before or at the same time as you on your first entry to the UK.

Once you are both in the UK, you can both come and go as you please.

Yes, that's perfectly fine to do.

The only thing he MUST do is enter either before or at the same time as you on your first entry to the UK.

Once you are both in the UK, you can both come and go as you please.

Finally some good news.  Well we are both off to the UK on Sunday it seems.  And then back to work in the US on Tuesday so we can put in notice at our jobs, sell our things, and move out.

What a faff.

Finally some good news.  Well we are both off to the UK on Sunday it seems.  And then back to work in the US on Tuesday so we can put in notice at our jobs, sell our things, and move out.

What a faff.

Make sure you don't enter via Ireland.

Make sure you don't enter via Ireland.

I got that one already thanks!  Looking forward to the long immigration queue at heathrow 

The great thing about living in Cardiff is the non UK arrivals counter is always so empty 

I got that one already thanks!  Looking forward to the long immigration queue at heathrow 

The great thing about living in Cardiff is the non UK arrivals counter is always so empty 

Great! I only mentioned it because with your schedule there would be very little time for a quick trip to France to get that passport stamp!

Enjoy Wales, it's a beautiful part of the country. 

Great! I only mentioned it because with your schedule there would be very little time for a quick trip to France to get that passport stamp!

Enjoy Wales, it's a beautiful part of the country. 

Yes, I'm so excited to be going back.  I lived there for 5 years, now the hubby and I have had our 2 year america adventure and we're headed back to dragons and rain (and Aer Lingus flights)

Yes, I'm so excited to be going back.  I lived there for 5 years, now the hubby and I have had our 2 year america adventure and we're headed back to dragons and rain (and Aer Lingus flights)

That's awesome! I remember holidaying as a child in Wales with my parents. We went down a slate mine and up Snowdon on a little train! One of the best vacations ever! 

If travelling with your husband you can use the EU queue.   Only when together though.  If you travel in on your own in the future, you have to stand in the non-EU line.

I noticed this comment "Make sure you don't enter via Ireland."Why?

I ask because what would be the situation if, because it's more personally convenient, the person coming to the UK for the first time on a spouse visa travels here NOT directly from their home country.  But by changing flights in a nearby country. 

I have in mind the situation where the person using a spouse visa lives in one country, from where they received the spouse visa and which they are a national of.  And not in the EU/EEA.

From their home country, they decide to fly to a nearby country which is in the EU.  From there, they then catch a second flight to an airport in the UK.  Not necessarily to the nearest airport to where the sponsor lives.  But one where the second flight happens to fly to.

Is this arrangement fine with UKVI?  In other words, it is not the case that the former applicant, now armed with the spouse visa, has to fly directly (given a layover) from their home country to the specific UK airport that is nearest to where the UK sponsor lives?

Or is the person using the spouse visa free to travel to the UK (within the 30 days allowed) by any air routes?  And whether the routes used are inside the EU or outside the EU is not relevant. (Except by using an Irish airport.)

Ireland is a part of the Common Travel Area and flights arriving into the UK from Ireland are prohibited from entering via border control.  In order to collect your BRP, you MUST have the visa stamped by UK Border Control on the date of entry.  As this is not allowed in a flight arriving from Ireland, UKVI specifically states to not enter this way.  People do and end up having to pay for a new ticket to leave the UK and reenter.  Best to avoid it all together. 

Cheers.  But forgetting Ireland, under spouse visa rules, the person can fly to the UK from any airport and arrive in the UK at any airport there?

Cheers.  But forgetting Ireland, under spouse visa rules, the person can fly to the UK from any airport and arrive in the UK at any airport there?

Absolutely.  Ireland is the only exception.

Appreciated.

As a matter of interest, since some of the posts ask about appealing a spouse visa application, for example, there are plans to increase the cost.  Here is the link to an article I came across.  I was also told in the summer by an immigration adviser about this:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/15/uk-immigration-and-asylum-tribunal-fees-to-rise-by-500

The general consensus among people who know the immigration system is that it's almost always better to apply for a new visa, even if it's more costly, rather than attempt the appeals process and find a) it takes up to 12 months to get a decision b) there are no guarantees that you will be successful.

In addition, if these cost rises for appeals go ahead, the difference in cost between making out a new visa application and the cost of appealing is narrowing quite a lot, if money is the main consideration.

Hi all, just another update from me. Took a flight to thr uk yesterday. Through the border this morning and straight to the post office to collect my BRP.  Post office says the BRP hasn't arrived yet (my letter says it should be ready for collection today) Now I'm sitting near the post office waiting for the BRP to arrive. Im supposed to be back in my USA work on Thursday with a Wednesday morning flight back so my fingers are crossed the BRP actually shows up today.