yuugen

Hi,

I have an agent in the UK making a spouse visa application on my behalf. We are currently living in Japan, I'm British and my wife is Japanese. She's recently passed her B1 test and I've been told we have a very good chance of getting the visa because of our strong income information and the fact I own a home in the UK, but I'm trying to understand how the process works for the issuing of the BRP card. I know the temporary visa entry vignette will be issued in Japan and it's valid for 90 days. But I can't find any information about:

• When the BRP is issued to a designated post office in the UK
• Is the BRP issued at the same time as the vignette but to a designated post office in the UK?
• And how long does the post office holds on to the BRP?

Our plan is:

• Pick up the temporary visa vignette
• Arrange a flight to go the UK to collect the BRP
• Return to Japan to make proper arrangements to return to the UK to live

But arranging a flight takes time after the collecting the vignette so will the designated post office hold onto the BRP for at least a month or so? Or do we have very little time after collecting the vignette to collect the BRP?

I really hope all of this is not too confusing but any help would be really, really helpful.

Regards,

Asif

christmasoompa

If you're using an agent (assuming they're properly registered with OISC) then they should be able to answer all of these questions, so best to ask them for advice.

Your vignette will be valid for 90 days now I believe (used to be 30 days, but was extended in Covid times and hasn't gone back to 30 yet), but again double check that with your solicitor.

Good luck.

yuugen

Thank you so much for the quick response and I'll follow your advice.

Regards,

Asif

BritInParis

The BRP will be issued and sent to the designated Post Office or the representative shortly after the application is approved. The Post Office should hold it until your wife arrives to collect it. Your concern should be ensuring your wife enters the UK before her vignette expires. If you don’t think 90 days is sufficient to arrange her departure from Japan then your plan is sound.

yuugen

Thanks very much for the quick reply. Much appreciated. So the designated post office will hold onto the BRP for at least 2 months. This gives us enough time for the 2 of us to fly to the UK, collect the BRP, return to Japan and make final arrangements to return to live in the UK(?).

Kind regards,

Asif

BritInParis

Yes, more than enough time. The Post Office will hold onto the BRP for at least the validity dates of your wife’s vignette. Do you expect 90 days to be insufficient time to make final arrangements for your wife’s departure from Japan?

yuugen

Sorry, I thought the vignette was for the sole purpose of entering the UK to collect the BRP?

We will go together to the UK to collect the BRP. Then both of us will return to Japan to make arrangements - we have a house in Japan so we want to make sure it's secure - and we will return to the UK. My wife is already searching out employment opportunities (I'm retired) but we will of course visit Japan for short holidays as she has family there.

After collecting the BRP doesn't the vignette become redundant?

Regards,

Asif

BritInParis

The vignette is for the sole purpose of initial entry to the UK - I was just wondering how much time you think you would require given you have 90 days and perhaps save you both the cost of the return trip to Japan.

yuugen

Thanks for your response and sorry for the delay. It's the 9 hour difference as I am in Japan. We are plannig to move back to the UK from 1st October 2023 and we know there are currently delays in the visa process so the plan was:

Apply for spouse visa - Feb 2023
Assume we will be successful and make plans in anticipation of the move in October 2023
Hopefully get a positive result around end of August 2023
Finalise plans and prepare for travel to UK October 2023

If the visa arrives much earlier, then it throws our plans up in the air as October 2023 is a key date for us. If the vignette expires before 1st Ocotber 2023 than we will have to go the UK just to collect the BRP, return to Japan to finish off all our arrangements and then to the UK in October 2023 to live. As I said. October 2023 is a key trigger date for us.

I hope all of this makes sense and your kindness is hugely appreciated.

Regards,

Asif