Returning to the UK - my wife's status?
Nov 7th 2007, 8:35 pm
#1
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,558
Returning to the UK - my wife's status?
My wife and I are thinking of returning to live in the United Kingdom when we retire, three or more years from now, and I'm just beginning to realise that the rules may have changed in the last few decades - I'm reading some of the other threads here - so I would appreciate guidance. I'm a UK and US citizen, and my wife is a US citizen.
When we got married in the UK, in the mid seventies, my wife got a stamp in her US passport that reads something like "the restrictions on remaining in the UK are lifted." She got a National Insurance number and worked for a number of years. When she got a new passport, she showed the old passport and the Immigration Officer gave her the same stamp in her new passport. However, we've lived in America for 17 years now and she's only returned to the UK for vacations, so she doesn't have that stamp in her current passport..
So my question is, if she shows her old passport with the stamp in it, is there anything else we need to do to ensure entry to the UK to live? Is there now some further visa she needs to apply for?
Thanks in advance for any help - I looked in the Home Office site but couldn't seem to find the right place that addressed our situation.
Robin
When we got married in the UK, in the mid seventies, my wife got a stamp in her US passport that reads something like "the restrictions on remaining in the UK are lifted." She got a National Insurance number and worked for a number of years. When she got a new passport, she showed the old passport and the Immigration Officer gave her the same stamp in her new passport. However, we've lived in America for 17 years now and she's only returned to the UK for vacations, so she doesn't have that stamp in her current passport..
So my question is, if she shows her old passport with the stamp in it, is there anything else we need to do to ensure entry to the UK to live? Is there now some further visa she needs to apply for?
Thanks in advance for any help - I looked in the Home Office site but couldn't seem to find the right place that addressed our situation.
Robin
Nov 9th 2007, 12:57 am
#2
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Returning to the UK - my wife's status?
This is the info on the UK visa website regarding taking a wife into the UK from the US:
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/UK...=United+States
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Fr...=1018721067257
If I were you, I would complete a new visa application form and mail it into the British Consulate in NYC, together with your wife's old passports with UK visa in and an accompanying letter asking the same question you have asked on here. (You could phone them I guess but they charge $3 per minute!). It only apparently takes 5 days
Or just send in your wife's old passports (without a new visa application) and a letter with your questions. Best to send in a pre-paid stamped envelope to get them returned!
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/UK...=United+States
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Fr...=1018721067257
If I were you, I would complete a new visa application form and mail it into the British Consulate in NYC, together with your wife's old passports with UK visa in and an accompanying letter asking the same question you have asked on here. (You could phone them I guess but they charge $3 per minute!). It only apparently takes 5 days
Or just send in your wife's old passports (without a new visa application) and a letter with your questions. Best to send in a pre-paid stamped envelope to get them returned!
Nov 9th 2007, 1:14 am
#3
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 34,649
Re: Returning to the UK - my wife's status?
My wife and I are thinking of returning to live in the United Kingdom when we retire, three or more years from now, and I'm just beginning to realise that the rules may have changed in the last few decades - I'm reading some of the other threads here - so I would appreciate guidance. I'm a UK and US citizen, and my wife is a US citizen.
When we got married in the UK, in the mid seventies, my wife got a stamp in her US passport that reads something like "the restrictions on remaining in the UK are lifted." She got a National Insurance number and worked for a number of years. When she got a new passport, she showed the old passport and the Immigration Officer gave her the same stamp in her new passport. However, we've lived in America for 17 years now and she's only returned to the UK for vacations, so she doesn't have that stamp in her current passport..
So my question is, if she shows her old passport with the stamp in it, is there anything else we need to do to ensure entry to the UK to live? Is there now some further visa she needs to apply for?
When we got married in the UK, in the mid seventies, my wife got a stamp in her US passport that reads something like "the restrictions on remaining in the UK are lifted." She got a National Insurance number and worked for a number of years. When she got a new passport, she showed the old passport and the Immigration Officer gave her the same stamp in her new passport. However, we've lived in America for 17 years now and she's only returned to the UK for vacations, so she doesn't have that stamp in her current passport..
So my question is, if she shows her old passport with the stamp in it, is there anything else we need to do to ensure entry to the UK to live? Is there now some further visa she needs to apply for?
She might be able to get it back - take a look at the rules for returning resident entry clearance at http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk
Otherwise you will need to sponsor her for a new spouse visa.
Nov 9th 2007, 12:27 pm
#4
Heading for Poppyland
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,558
Re: Returning to the UK - my wife's status?
Thanks, both, for your good advice. This sounds pretty straightforward ...!
Robin
Robin
Nov 9th 2007, 3:28 pm
#5
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 456
Re: Returning to the UK - my wife's status?
Just one thing, the visa processing times can be a lot longer than they say. I applied for a visitors visa for my wife from the LA Consulate. Instead of 5 days it took over 4 weeks.
Calling the help line didn't seem to give me anymore information apart from that there was a backlog. However, apart from that the process was pretty easy.
Good luck.
Calling the help line didn't seem to give me anymore information apart from that there was a backlog. However, apart from that the process was pretty easy.
Good luck.
