UK De Facto Visa advice
Dec 7th 2015, 2:57 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: NZ
Posts: 102
UK De Facto Visa advice
Hello everyone,
I'm currently in NZ on a working holiday visa with my Canadian partner. I am a permanent resident of the UK and we're both over 21. We are considering applying for her to get a UK De Facto visa and are getting our heads around the application process.
We are NOT considering applying for a UK working holiday visa because we're currently in NZ and we ideally want to have a second year here (she will be too old to apply for a UK WH visa at the end of 2 years here).
So, we would have to show 2 years worth of documentary evidence proving that we have been cohabiting. Issues are these:
1. By the time we arrive we will have been together for 3.5 years (1.5 years non-cohabiting in Canada, 1 year travelling around NZ and 1 year living in a house together in NZ). Any idea whether these latter two years would be acceptable? We can evidence that we have been together (e.g. joint car ownership, joint plane tickets, joint bank account).
2. Any idea how long this process would take? I can't find anything for this online.
3. Has anyone on here been through this before? Any suggestions or useful advice?
4. I am somewhat confused by info I've found on the same visa application pages saying that "to sponsor a partner to come and live with you in the UK, you will need an income of at least £18,600." My professional job in the UK pays me over this amount, and I will be returning to it once I get back. Would I need to be in the UK - and back in the job - before my partner can apply? Or can she evidence that she has this money herself via her savings?
Thank you for any and all responses.
I'm currently in NZ on a working holiday visa with my Canadian partner. I am a permanent resident of the UK and we're both over 21. We are considering applying for her to get a UK De Facto visa and are getting our heads around the application process.
We are NOT considering applying for a UK working holiday visa because we're currently in NZ and we ideally want to have a second year here (she will be too old to apply for a UK WH visa at the end of 2 years here).
So, we would have to show 2 years worth of documentary evidence proving that we have been cohabiting. Issues are these:
1. By the time we arrive we will have been together for 3.5 years (1.5 years non-cohabiting in Canada, 1 year travelling around NZ and 1 year living in a house together in NZ). Any idea whether these latter two years would be acceptable? We can evidence that we have been together (e.g. joint car ownership, joint plane tickets, joint bank account).
2. Any idea how long this process would take? I can't find anything for this online.
3. Has anyone on here been through this before? Any suggestions or useful advice?
4. I am somewhat confused by info I've found on the same visa application pages saying that "to sponsor a partner to come and live with you in the UK, you will need an income of at least £18,600." My professional job in the UK pays me over this amount, and I will be returning to it once I get back. Would I need to be in the UK - and back in the job - before my partner can apply? Or can she evidence that she has this money herself via her savings?
Thank you for any and all responses.
Dec 7th 2015, 3:16 am
#2
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: UK De Facto Visa advice
The amounts are £18,600 in income evidenced by six months of pay slips, or £62,500 in savings. Lower income (but not a shorter period) can be offset by a lesser amount of savings, though that doesn't appear to be applicable in your case.
Dec 7th 2015, 6:07 am
#3
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,214
Re: UK De Facto Visa advice
By UK permanent resident do you mean citizen?
It's the UK citizen who has to be earning the money, but I suspect you might have a bit of a problem as the payslips have to be current when you apply, so unless you are still being paid by the UK company while you are in NZ, then you will have to be back in the UK and earning for 6 months before you can apply, unless, of course, you are currently earning more than that in NZ and will have a permanent job in the UK to return to paying that amount and strting within 3 months of arriving.
It's the UK citizen who has to be earning the money, but I suspect you might have a bit of a problem as the payslips have to be current when you apply, so unless you are still being paid by the UK company while you are in NZ, then you will have to be back in the UK and earning for 6 months before you can apply, unless, of course, you are currently earning more than that in NZ and will have a permanent job in the UK to return to paying that amount and strting within 3 months of arriving.
Dec 7th 2015, 5:55 pm
#4
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: NZ
Posts: 102
Re: UK De Facto Visa advice
By UK permanent resident do you mean citizen?
It's the UK citizen who has to be earning the money, but I suspect you might have a bit of a problem as the payslips have to be current when you apply, so unless you are still being paid by the UK company while you are in NZ, then you will have to be back in the UK and earning for 6 months before you can apply, unless, of course, you are currently earning more than that in NZ and will have a permanent job in the UK to return to paying that amount and strting within 3 months of arriving.
It's the UK citizen who has to be earning the money, but I suspect you might have a bit of a problem as the payslips have to be current when you apply, so unless you are still being paid by the UK company while you are in NZ, then you will have to be back in the UK and earning for 6 months before you can apply, unless, of course, you are currently earning more than that in NZ and will have a permanent job in the UK to return to paying that amount and strting within 3 months of arriving.
Yeah, that's the rub - I'm not still being paid by the job and definitely not earning it while here in NZ. Looks like I'd have to be in the UK and earning before she could join me. It's either that or get her a WH visa while missing out on a second year in NZ as a result.
Thanks for your reply.
My bad for putting this in the wrong forum, thanks for moving it Mods.
