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As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

Old Apr 9th 2014, 11:18 am
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Default As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

Hello,

I'm a UK citizen and have been a student for the past four years, including a year's study in France. My wife is a US citizen and would like to come here to live with me. I'm starting to get desperate, she recently visited for 6 months on a tourist visa but we can't stand being apart. Is there any way that she can apply to come here, realistically? Does the £18,600 income threshold apply to me, and if so could I in theory get a job with that as the annual salary rather than having to earn that salary for six months? Is there any other way?

Thank-you all for any help.
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Old Apr 9th 2014, 12:01 pm
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

Hi Cal,
Read the wiki below:
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Spouse_Immigration-UK_

You can sponsor you wife either by having a job making £18,600 per year OR by having a staggering £62500 in savings. Since you are a student I doubt you have that kind of money. If you have a family member or friend with that amount lying around they can 'gift' it to you. There is a formula for a combination of both.

I know others on here will ask about possible EU ancestry for you wife? And if so the possibility of her getting a EU country passport? If so she can live in the UK with no paperwork needed. And also there is some sort of ancestry route for getting UK passports I think. Browse around this forum and you will find more on these topics. Others will chime in with more knowledge than me on these matters.

Could your wife get into a college or Uni? She may be able to get a student visa?

If she could get a professional type job then it may be possible for the company to sponsor her for some sort of work visa?

One other route is to move to another EU country and set up residence there for 3-12 months and then move back to the UK under some EU treaty rights. This is known as the Surinder Singh route. Google it and there are plenty of threads on here about it.

Good luck.
Cheers
Nigel

Last edited by ncoomber; Apr 9th 2014 at 12:03 pm. Reason: add
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Old Apr 9th 2014, 12:07 pm
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

Thanks so much for your help!
I guess all that can be done is either live and work in France and 'exercise my treaty rights' (My degree is in French) or hope for the £18,600. Does that sum have to have been earned for six months, or could I get a job that forecasts earning that much? I think that would be possible, but six months is a long time...
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Old Apr 9th 2014, 12:15 pm
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

Originally Posted by CallumBarker
Thanks so much for your help!
I guess all that can be done is either live and work in France and 'exercise my treaty rights' (My degree is in French) or hope for the £18,600. Does that sum have to have been earned for six months, or could I get a job that forecasts earning that much? I think that would be possible, but six months is a long time...
As I understand the rules, yes you have to earn it for six months, sorry.

Perhaps France might be a good choice for you? But read about the singh route as I have read the UK gov has tightened the rules recently.

Good luck
Cheers
Nigel
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Old Apr 9th 2014, 3:07 pm
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

The law treats us all equally. It is an offence for both rich and poor alike to steal bread and to sleep under bridges.
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Old Apr 9th 2014, 4:27 pm
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

Originally Posted by ncoomber
One other route is to move to another EU country and set up residence there for 3-12 months and then move back to the UK under some EU treaty rights. This is known as the Surinder Singh route. Google it and there are plenty of threads on here about it.
Originally Posted by ncoomber
Perhaps France might be a good choice for you? But read about the singh route as I have read the UK gov has tightened the rules recently.
The Home Office has indeed tightened the Surinder Singh Family Reunification Route rules, at the beginning of this year.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...t=New+rules+SS

It is not at all clear how long the couple must live in the EU country to successfully use this route to the UK, but probably 3 months is no longer possible. The couple must "transfer the centre of their lives to the EU country" under the new rules. And I would guess this would take even longer than 6 months, especially if a new language must be learned by the non-EEA spouse, however others' opinion may differ. At any rate, the more you and your wife can integrate...and prove the integration...into the local culture, the better. So it will not be a 'quick' fix to your dilemma, Cal, but at least you'll be together.

I know a couple who are planning to stay a minimum of one year for SS.

Last edited by WEBlue; Apr 9th 2014 at 4:30 pm.
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Old Apr 9th 2014, 7:46 pm
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

Echo ncoomber's suggestion about your wife's ancestry. Getting her a British/Irish/EEA passport is the quickest and easiest way to get her into the UK. Rule that out completely before looking at any of the other expensive/difficult options.
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Old Apr 9th 2014, 8:28 pm
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

Originally Posted by ncoomber
As I understand the rules, yes you have to earn it for six months, sorry.

Perhaps France might be a good choice for you? But read about the singh route as I have read the UK gov has tightened the rules recently.

Good luck
Cheers
Nigel
You have to have a job which earns you 18,600 GBP per annum.

So for salaried employment and applying under Cat A each payslip you submit for the past 6 months must not be below 1,550 GBP.
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Old Apr 10th 2014, 8:57 pm
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

I've looked into ancestry, and while she is originally from Ireland, it's from before her grandparents' time. I've got one last question though. With the £60,200 or whatever it is that one has to have in savings for six months, could my wife's mum just put her as a joint account holder with herself for six months, her savings being hundreds of thousands? In theory she could transfer the money and leave it untouched, but having a joint account would be a lot less pressure....
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Old Apr 10th 2014, 10:43 pm
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

Right now the savings need to be in your name (sponsor) or jointly with your wife and the min. 62,500 UK Pounds needs to have been there for at least six months prior to application. It needs to have been originally saved by you, or gifted but you'd need to show where it came from. It CANNOT be a loan or in a joint account with a parent etc. as you need to prove you have control of it. Look through the Spouse visa wiki for more detailed info. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but arm yourself with the info on the requirements and perhaps a solution will arise. Good luck!
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Old Apr 11th 2014, 6:00 am
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Default Re: As a UK citizen and student, can my US wife feasibly apply to live in the UK?

If you're fluent in French and don't have any barriers to movement overseas, why not go to French (or another EU country) to work ('exercise treaty rights') and then apply to go back to the UK in the future, e.g. after a year or so under Surinder Singh as has been mentioned above?

This is what I would do if I were just out of university with a degree in languages and really wanted to be with my partner, whilst, at the same time, not having to comply with the UK immigration rules. The financial side of the rules can be a killer and you will have to wait for the funds to be in your possession for 6 months anyway! Or you will need to work for 6 months before she can apply...

Use the EU law while it still exists!

Search on: www.immigrationboards.com. There is a full section on EEA-route applications.
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