Spouse visa approved — now what??? (Getting set up in U.K.)

Hey everyone! With the help of this forum, I got my spouse visa in the mail today!!!

I’m planning to go over in mid-April, pick up my BRP. Then head back to the US for a few weeks to sort out the rest of my life (car, finish packing/shipping, job, etc)

Does anyone have a list of things they did when they first got over to the U.K.? Any advice to do things a certain way so everything is good for the next visa??

Any advice is appreciated!! Or, if someone has already written this up in a different thread, simply point me there!

Thanks!!

Hey everyone! With the help of this forum, I got my spouse visa in the mail today!!!

I’m planning to go over in mid-April, pick up my BRP. Then head back to the US for a few weeks to sort out the rest of my life (car, finish packing/shipping, job, etc)

Does anyone have a list of things they did when they first got over to the U.K.? Any advice to do things a certain way so everything is good for the next visa??

Any advice is appreciated!! Or, if someone has already written this up in a different thread, simply point me there!

Thanks!!

First thing, get your name on some official post to prove you live there.  I think the easiest thing is to add you to the council tax.  Get added to the utilities (have them in both yours and your spouse's name), and turn off paperless billing.  You need to start collecting your post to both you and your partner (to prove you live at the same address) for the next visas.

You can drive using your valid US license for up to 1 year, but after that, you'll be treated as having whatever level of UK licensure you've achieved by then... so if you don't have a UK license at all after 1 year, you can't drive.  If you have a provisional, you can only drive with a sober 21+ licensed driver in the car with you (and you must display L -- for Learner -- plates on your car).  If you have a full UK driving license before your 1 year is up, then you can carry on driving as before.  The process of getting a full UK driving license takes a couple of months, so don't leave this to the last minute.  First you apply for your provisional license.  Then you study for and take the theory test and take practical driving lessons.  Then after you have passed the theory and you are ready to pass the practical, you book and take the practical test.  Don't think you can just breeze through it... you do need to study for the theory test, and you do need lessons for your practical.  Driving tests are very exacting here.

Other than those two things, I can't think of anything too time-sensitive.  Just work on adapting to living here.  Check out some other sections of UKY if you haven't already... there's lots of good advice here, and there's a lot of understanding and support from all of us who thought we were prepared to live in the UK until the reality hit us in the face.

Then it's just enrol with a doctor and dentist, apply for a national insurance number, open bank accounts etc.

First thing, get your name on some official post to prove you live there.  I think the easiest thing is to add you to the council tax.  Get added to the utilities (have them in both yours and your spouse's name), and turn off paperless billing.  You need to start collecting your post to both you and your partner (to prove you live at the same address) for the next visa

Thanks so much for the good advice!!!

How time sensitive is having post for the next visa? Is it 6 pieces of mail for both of us per year?

Should I be worried if it takes a month or two to get the first piece of mail with my name on it?

Thanks so much for the good advice!!!

How time sensitive is having post for the next visa? Is it 6 pieces of mail for both of us per year?

Should I be worried if it takes a month or two to get the first piece of mail with my name on it?

No, you only have to show 6 items of mail in each name covering the final 2 years before applying for FLR(M), so you have about a 6-month leeway now to get mail in your name.

The requirements are:
- 6 items in each name (either 6 joint, 12 separate or a combination of both)
- from at least 3 different official sources
- evenly spread over the last 2 years... so one in each name every 4 months


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The time sensitive nature of mail in your name is mainly because its needed to do virtually everything else you have to.... Registering with a GP, getting a bank account, getting your NI number and probably a few things I'm forgotting. Thats why council tax is usually fastest and best, since its valid proof of address for everything.

I have a folder that I collect our mail in every so often (it lives on my husbands desk in a pile, I pull out the things worth filing). We definitely won't have a shortage of items for the next visa!

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No, you only have to show 6 items of mail in each name covering the final 2 years before applying for FLR(M), so you have about a 6-month leeway now to get mail in your name.

The requirements are:
- 6 items in each name (either 6 joint, 12 separate or a combination of both)
- from at least 3 different official sources
- evenly spread over the last 2 years... so one in each name every 4 months


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Thanks!!! I’ll start saving mail once I get there.

One unrelated question - when I filled out the visa application form, I answered that my spouse would already be in the U.K. when I traveled. However, the vignette window lines up with us being able to fly in together from my sisters wedding.

Am I breaking any rules if we now fly in together? (Is the immigration officer able to see what answer I gave on the form?)

Thanks!!! I’ll start saving mail once I get there.

One unrelated question - when I filled out the visa application form, I answered that my spouse would already be in the U.K. when I traveled. However, the vignette window lines up with us being able to fly in together from my sisters wedding.

Am I breaking any rules if we now fly in together? (Is the immigration officer able to see what answer I gave on the form?)

No, you won’t be breaking any rules and no, they won’t know what was on your form (after all, plans can change).

The requirements for entering the UK for the first time on your visa are that:
- your UK spouse is already in the UK
Or
- your UK spouse is entering the UK on the same occasion as you are (you are traveling together)

What you cannot do is enter the UK BEFORE your UK spouse.

So, they either have to be with you when you enter or already here.


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Thanks!!! I’ll start saving mail once I get there.

One unrelated question - when I filled out the visa application form, I answered that my spouse would already be in the U.K. when I traveled. However, the vignette window lines up with us being able to fly in together from my sisters wedding.

Am I breaking any rules if we now fly in together? (Is the immigration officer able to see what answer I gave on the form?)

That would have no impact on your qualification for the visa. As long as he is there before you OR travelling with you, you're ok. What would not be acceptable would be for you to arrive first.

So we are currently in that mode and just so info for you that may help:

1. We had difficulty getting a bank account as nationwide were quite specific on evidence of address. Santander thankfully allowed the tenancy agreement as a form of identification.
2. You have to fill in a quite large document to register with a GP, but my spouse found the GP themselves helpful with some questions regarding 'residency' as the wording is terrible. But they said it would be very unlikely to get refused.
3. Provisional is easy to obtain, just call into a local police station and ask to get a photo signed. Swansea's helpline was very helpful.