Spousal Visa

Hi everyone...as we are preparing to get all our documents (birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses etc) together to begin preparing to make the move to the UK when my husband lands a job I began thinking about my spousal visa. I tried looking in the files, but couldn't find a concise up to date information on the requirements and fees of a spousal visa. How long is it good for, what does it cost, when am I able to apply to be a british citizen once we have lived there long enough. Is it possible to know the amount of money (obviously could change due to rising costs/rules/whatever they want to charge for), but just a general ball park range of what would be needed from start to finish for first visa to citizenship. Thanks so much for your help thus far! We have been really grateful for this forum as a resource!

Amber

I tried looking in the files, but couldn't find a concise up to date information on the requirements and fees of a spousal visa. How long is it good for, what does it cost, when am I able to apply to be a british citizen once we have lived there long enough. Is it possible to know the amount of money (obviously could change due to rising costs/rules/whatever they want to charge for), but just a general ball park range of what would be needed from start to finish for first visa to citizenship. Thanks so much for your help thus far! We have been really grateful for this forum as a resource!

Okay, a few figures for you:

- Spousal visa validity = 33 months
- The visa currently costs £1,523
- You also have to pay £600 IHS surcharge at the time of paying for the visa, which covers your NHS healthcare for the 33 months. However, this is due to double to £1,200 sometime this year (we don't know when yet though).
- If you wish, you can pay £573 for priority processing, which gets your application put to the front of the line (behind other priority applications) when it arrives in Sheffield. Priority tends to half the processing time (it's currently about 30-40 working days for priority or about 60+ working days for non-priority)

The spousal visa will be issued in 2 parts:
- a 30-day visa vignette sticker in your passport, valid for 30 days for you to enter the UK
- a 33-month BRP card (Biometric Residence Permit) that you pick up from a local UK Post Office within 10 days of arriving in the UK... this will be your actual visa.

Once you have lived in the UK for 30 months on the spousal visa, you will need to apply for FLR(M) which is a 2-5-year extension to your spousal visa. This currently costs £1,033 plus £500 IHS surcharge (but the IHS will double to £1,000 soon).

After 5 years in the UK (on your spousal visa followed by FLR(M)), you can then apply for permanent residency (ILR). This costs about £2,300 at the moment.

Once you have ILR, you can apply for UK citizenship, as long as you meet all the requirements for it (good character,  residency etc.). Citizenship costs about £1,300.

All of these visas (spousal, FLR(M) and ILR) have been approved to increase to a max of £3,250 per visa by next year.

So, for the entire process from spousal visa to UK citizenship, you'll want to budget at least £10,000, maybe more.

Hi everyone...as we are preparing to get all our documents (birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses etc) together to begin preparing to make the move to the UK when my husband lands a job I began thinking about my spousal visa. I tried looking in the files, but couldn't find a concise up to date information on the requirements and fees of a spousal visa. How long is it good for, what does it cost, when am I able to apply to be a british citizen once we have lived there long enough. Is it possible to know the amount of money (obviously could change due to rising costs/rules/whatever they want to charge for), but just a general ball park range of what would be needed from start to finish for first visa to citizenship. Thanks so much for your help thus far! We have been really grateful for this forum as a resource!

Amber

 It will take 5 years to citizenship. You should budget £10,000 plus.

https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/636618/Appendix_FM_1_7_Financial_Requirement_Final.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

Thank you! Is there much advantage of getting citizenship vs ILR?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you! Is there much advantage of getting citizenship vs ILR?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With citizenship... they can’t ever kick you out.

ILR... if you’re outside of the country for so long (not sure how long), say because you returned to the US, then you would have to start from scatch if you want to return to the UK.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you! Is there much advantage of getting citizenship vs ILR?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Definitely. 
 It would mean you could come and go as you pleased. Currently, with ILR you can only be out of the country for 2 years before it expires and visits do not keep it active.
You wouldn't need to keep up with changes in the immigration laws. You could vote! It's a good idea to have the same citizenship as your spouse and children.

With citizenship... they can’t ever kick you out.

Well, they can, but you would have to do something shockingly bad for that to happen. 

Again, thank you!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

May I butt in here and ask a citizenship question? If you apply for UK citizenship do you have to give up your American citizenship or are you allowed to have dual citizenship? I have been wondering how that works. Thanks!

May I butt in here and ask a citizenship question? If you apply for UK citizenship do you have to give up your American citizenship or are you allowed to have dual citizenship? I have been wondering how that works. Thanks!

No, you would keep your US citizenship unless you chose to renounce it which is an expensive business. 

A little off topic from citizenship, but does anyone here have a good US/UK tax advisor?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, you would keep your US citizenship unless you chose to renounce it which is an expensive business. 

Ah, okay, cool! No, I definitely don't want to give up my US citizenship. I was under the impression for some reason that the US wouldn't allow it. No idea where I got that from. LOL!

Well, they can, but you would have to do something shockingly bad for that to happen. 

Really? Even for natural born British citizens?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Really?

Absolutely.

.Under s.40 of the 1981 Act, as amended by the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 from 1 April 2003 and by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 from 16 June 2006, any British citizen, British overseas territories citizen, British Overseas citizen, British National (Overseas), British protected person or British subject may, by Order, be deprived of his or her citizenship or status if the Home Secretary is satisfied that:
a. it would be conducive to the public good to deprive the person of his or her British nationality, and that s/he would not become stateless as a result of the deprivation (ss.40(2) and (4)); or
b. where the person acquired the citizenship or status as a result of his registration or naturalisation on or after 1 January 1983, the registration or naturalisation was obtained by means of:
• fraud; or
 
• false representation; or
• the concealment of any material fact
(s.40(3)); or
c. where the person acquired the citizenship or status on account of his registration or naturalisation before 1983, the registration or naturalisation was obtained by means of:
• fraud; or
• false representation; or
• the concealment of any material fact (s.40(6))

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deprivation-and-nullity-of-british-citizenship-nationality-policy-guidance

A little off topic from citizenship, but does anyone here have a good US/UK tax advisor?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Guya on our tax board does not advertise, but he’s the best there is.  I suspect he’s not cheap!  But with tax advice, you get what you pay for.

My company provided US/UK tax advice when I was on a corporate expat package I can would highly recommend NOT using PWC.  Year after year no matter who was my contact in the UK or US, they didn’t get it right.