chefandy

Hi guys,

I am looking for advice and information about moving to Durban.

I am English and my wife is from Durban (with a british and south african passport). We plan to move to Durban in dec 2017 at which point we will have been married for 18 months.. I know there is a spousal visa but I have seen to conflicting reports 1. there was a minimum marriage time and on the second one they didnt mention a time limit.

We are both chefs and are planning to open our own restaurant once we arrive once we have saved in pounds. This might be tricky to plan in the uk before moving so might not all be signed and sealed by the time we move.

Also we plan to start trying for a child this year with a view to have in london then move to durban to raise around my wifes family.

Also do you still recieve pensions built while living in england? including government pension



Can anyone suggest the best type of visa or a website with solid information on?

Also any agencies that will help with application ?

Cost of visa?

Thanks
Andy

ededed

Hey Andy, welcome to BE and congrats on your marriage!

There is so much conflicting info from the department of Home Affairs that it's difficult to give answers that will in effect be 100% accurate - the person at the customs desk will make a decision based on their mood (which is normally a surly grumpy one) anyway.

The actual government website doesn't seem to specify a timeframe but they told me 5 years to get PR from the date of marriage, but you could get an accompanying spouse visa straight away - but you couldn't work on it. So in theory, and assuming your wife is South African, she could work while you "volunteer".

Here is the official government website: Department of Home Affairs - Permanent Residency (Immigration)

You can probably do it, but just do it in your wife's name until you are naturalized and have PR. It's a pain in the arse as you won't be able to get finance or open any accounts without ID, which you only get when you're a permanent resident. An accompanying spouse visa used to be free - it probably still is.

You will need to phone the £5 a minute embassy number, make an appointment, take every document you can conceivably imagine (only to be told the one you don't have is the most important, even though they didn't ask for it on the website) and go and see a Home Affairs officer in London. It's doable, but you will question why you're doing it several times. Government staff are lazy, corrupt and incompetent. It's how they keep the Australians out I think.

Durban is nice - warm all year round and great people. I'm sure you have it covered, but make sure your place is in the right part of Durban (i.e. Nowhere near the City itself). Go where the money is and you'll be fine.

Good luck, shout if you have any questions.

girlgeek

See - this is why all the information is confusing! I am basically trying out the theory of 'reading as much as possible' (without following up on the need to rock and cry in a corner afterwards) and https://www.intergate-immigration.co...uth-africa.php says that you CAN work on a spousal visa..

God forbid that any 2 pieces of information accidently agree with one another to make this process simple after all *smh*

ededed

Welcome to Africa. If you can survive immigration, the country itself will be a breeze. I'd always take the official government website as my prime source of info. As long as you get a sticker in your passport that confirms you can work, regardless of what type of visa it is, you'll be fine. The sticker WILL confirm your employment status, and you won't be able to work (legally) without it. I'd go to Whitehall and ask them - although the answer will change depending on who you speak to, and their mood that day. It really is very frustrating.

The problem with this area of the forum is it isn't well populated - so finding accurate up to date information is difficult. So if you do get this confirmed, please come back and update us!

girlgeek

I had noticed and its a shame as there really aren't that many forums to try and talk to other people in the same situation. I will keep pursuing it as it makes a huge difference..

I have tried the Govt. website and also VFS who are neither use nor ornament. I have read through Gazette after Gazette just getting myself more and more confused. I have dealt with Northern Africa all my life as my Grandfather was Gambian but never looked into emigrating anywhere before. Its very frustrating - I'm surprised anyone ever leaves their home country legally. Feel like abandoning the whole bloody plan some days. *sigh*

ededed

Don't - stick with it. Follow the route. Understand it will take time - imagine the most incompetent, moronic and corrupt government you can think of, multiply it by about 10, and you have South Africa. But, you can beat the system if you have patience and fortitude.

Have you checked the critical skills list? Is there anyway you qualify there? I'll keep this thread open - but maybe keep your replies to the other visa thread I'm responding on just to save repeating questions and answers. Good luck!

Chti Anglais

Re - pensions built in Britain

You must let Newcastle know that you are moving abroad so that you will retain your pension when you retire especially if you have less than 10 years worth of contributions.
Contributions of less than ten years are not counted UNLESS you prove/tell them you were out of the UK system hence not contributing.
Each of your pensions will be X/35 of the going rate where X = number of years contributions current rate is about £145.00 per week. There's also possibly a bit extra dependent upon previous SERPs etc.
Have a look here - https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Good luck