bobbyleo

If a spouse application is approved, what is the period of time that the move back to the UK needs to be completed before the visa is made invalid?

Trying to calculate a time frame of what needs to be done to tie up the loose ends here before we move. We need to close down a business and sell stock and equipment first as well as conclude personal affairs and we obviously do not want to start this process until the application is approved (have not sent it in yet).

Thanks.

WEBlue

If it's approved, this initial spouse visa is 33 months long. UKVI give you three "free" months to move over to the UK, in effect, because you only need 30 of those months (2.5 years) to take you to the second spouse visa (FLR) which also has 2.5 years of validity before you apply for ILR (permanent residency) after 5 years total inside the UK.

You can actually move to the UK any time within the 33 months of the first spouse visa's validity. There's no penalty for leaving it later than 3 months, but the problem is you may end up needing two FLRs to take you all the way to 5 years UK residence for ILR.

Another thing you can do--don't know if you know this already--is request in your application for the 'start' date of the spouse visa to be three months in the future. UKVI will do that, date it 3 months forward, but not more than 3 months. (Make it clear in both your cover letter and the application what is your preferred date for the visa to start.)

Dundee15

That is what we did, we could not leave the US until April so when we applied in Febuary we asked for the visa to be valid until April 13 when we got the visa it starts on April 13 just as we asked. We both fly to Scotland on April 20.

bobbyleo

Thats interesting and should help.

Thanks.

sera345

So theoretically you could have nearly 6 months (minus the application time) to move countries? i.e. immigration dates the visa 3 months ahead, and then you have the 3 "free" months before your 2.5 years starts ticking down?

WEBlue

Yes, if UKVI co-operate (and they usually seem to) that's true.

Dundee15

My spouses visa was approved on February 12th 2015 it is valid from April 13 2015 to January 13 2018 so you do get a bit of time to sell peoperty and pack up. We are flying to Scotland on April 20th we will arrive on April 21. We can apply for FLR (M) 30 months after we entered the UK so that would be around October 2017.

bobbyleo

Lot of useful information here.

We are going to delay our application until winter and hopefully be in a position to move no later than spring next year.

bobbyleo

Have the rules changed recently? (http://britishexpats.com/forum/citiz...icants-856987/).

If so, then am I right in thinking the entry date on the application could be up to three months in the future but the changes in rules mean we would have to enter no more than 30 days after that specified date (no longer 3 months).

If that is the case, 4 months is the maximum window of opportunity and not 6 months as it was before? Makes a substantial difference to when we make the application.

BritInParis

Correct.

Perth

Can I get clarification on this? Even though you now only have 30 days from the granting of the visa, can you still request the visa be dated 3 months ahead? I was not aware of this and fretting about how we could possibly wrap everything up in 30 days

michali

Can you imagine how it would be to put a date to travel three months ahead and then it takes three months for UKVI to process the application?! Hopefully, the process will be speeded up worldwide so that applicants have more than one month to pack up and leave. Of course there is the option to enter the UK, pick up the BRP and then go back to home country to complete packing up, but that would be so costly!

BritInParis

The visa will give thirty dates to enter the UK from the date you specify on your application as the date you wish to travel to the UK.

Perth

I'd rather have more time than less, I suppose. There is no way that we are going just for the BRP and returning back to the USA!

Perfect - thanks!

bobbyleo

If we travel to the UK to start the spouse visa clock but my wife then needed to return to the US to finish tie up loose ends, what effect would this have on the future process?

We can't start to dissemble out lives here until we get confirmation the spouse visa is accepted and I am not sure three months is long enough to do everything she needs.

We are aiming to be in he UK by Feb 2017.