ukgranny

I apologise in advance if queries have already been answered in this forum, have tried to research. Applying for Uk spouse visa for Australian husband (now retired), using verifyable savings.

Main 3 queries.

Is it acceptable that sponsor (ie wife) currently lives in Australia and will only be relocating to Uk with applicant on same flight? We will be living in elderly mothers house as carers. Or must wife relocate to Uk first?

Application has to be submitted, and then we will be given appointment time for Hobart, as we live in Tasmania. Does anyone have any experience with Hobart appointment timeline?

Once application has been submitted (and hopefully appt in Hobart completed), can we then fly to Uk, status at that stage being we assume awaiting visa approval? Asking this as current Uk carer leaving end October, and we need to be in Uk by beginning of November.


Simple 2 queries on application form.
Assume for spouse /sponsor Uk passport details both 'place of issue' and 'issuing authority' are IPS, as passport was renewed in Australia?
Assume English Language Requirement answers for husband are: No, not exempt from requirement. And then Meet requirement, Australian citizen, born and educated in Australia?

Very many thanks in advance.

SanDiegogirl

If you have the necessary savings then, once your visa is issued, you can fly together from your home country.

Your husband cannot enter the UK to live until such time as he has the visa.

YOU, the sponsor, can return to the UK prior to your husband.

Husband is exempt from English language requirements.

Put whatever is in stated in passport for place of issue etc

Sorry, can't help with Hobart visa times, but will say that current settlement visas are taking far longer than is stated on websites - around 12 weeks or more.

You might want to think about priority service (even that does not reduce the wait by much)

BritInParis

SanDiegogirl has given excellent advice as always but I will nitpick this one small point because the terminology is important - the OP's husband won't be exempt from the English language requirement unless he is over 65 or has a mental or physical disability that prevents him from meeting the requirement. He will meet the requirement automatically however as he is an Australian citizen. So 'Meet requirement - Australian citizen' is correct unless he is over 65 in which case 'Exempt - over 65'. Either way it's nothing to worry about.

As for place of issue for the sponsor's passport, 'IPS' is correct.

cdfergus

San Diego Girl, may I ask for clarification? Obviously, my husbands spouse visa (US) is going to take much longer than we anticipated, based on current timetables. WHY can he not "visit" with me when I go home on just his regular passport and await the decision from there? I realize I must be missing something here

SanDiegogirl

Couple of issues if I understand your question correctly:

1. Your hubby's passport is with the UK immigration folks while his application is being processed. You can ask for it back - usually done if emergency travel is required - there is a procedure for doing this.

2. You hubby is likely to be denied entry to the UK without a return ticket to his home country (he can't enter the UK indefinitely with status of visitor and so needs a return ticket and other proof that he will leave) and b) his application for spouse visa is likely to be picked up and therefore make him a risk for overstaying.

There have been cases of sponsors (who have had to return to UK in order to work for 6 months prior to applying for a spouse visa) entering the UK, prior to application, with their spouse on visitor status.

However, when it comes to then applying for the visa the spouse has to return to the home country.

cdfergus

You understood correctly, thanks!
We both have return tickets to US because it was cheaper than buying a one way! Stupidly, I booked flights months ago when the visas were being handle promptly! Wondering now if we should just cancel the flights; so frustrating

HKG3

If you want to travel to the UK together with your husband, you can satisfy the spouse visa financial requirement by having £62,500 worth of cash savings for at lease six months before applying. You will be exempted from the six months rule if the money comes from a house sale.

Does your Australian husband got a grandparent born in the UK? If so, he can try the UK Ancestry visa instead. Please see link below for details -

https://www.gov.uk/ancestry-visa/overview

SanDiegogirl

When did you apply for the visa?

You can always change the flight dates - with a change charge. Better than cancelling them (one does not get a refund if one cancells?)

cdfergus

August 1 application for travel November 8th.

SanDiegogirl

You are still well within the 'standard' 12 weeks for processing. Yes, there are current delays but that might improve .......

As I remember you are applying by meeting financial requirements with ongoing pensions income? Pretty straightforward.

Personally I would plan for changing my flight nearer the time if I had not heard anything by late October.

cdfergus

Good advice, thank you That makes sense. We purchased the (cheap) flights months ago before all these delays started, so have been getting a bit anxious!

diane1982

Hello Sandiegogirl, would you mind telling how to go about getting the passport back just in case you are in a country wherein working visa is nearly expiring and the application submitted still undecided after 60 working days, can pls you tell me procedure. Thnks

SanDiegogirl

https://www.gov.uk/visa-documents-returned

cdfergus

So, was thinking last night......if I do need to change the flights at the end of October how far do you think I should push it out? With no way of knowing do I go for a month, 2 months????