Pulaski

If you already have a job in the UK paying at least £18,600, it is quite straightforward, or if you have cash savings of £62,500. But without a job in the UK (or an offer of a job in the UK, in writing, AND are currently earning at least £18,600 outside the UK), things become more of a challenge, with the prospect of a lengthy period apart before you can apply for a visa for your spouse.

Novocastrian

Believe it or not, you and your future wife simply can't skip back and forth between living in the US/UK without going through something along the lines of the lengthy, expensive, risky, process outlined by robin above.

Do a little of your own research rather than seeking to be spoon fed by others.

Start by reading the Wiki (on the blue bar at the top).

You haven't said how old you both are (other paths my be open if you're both young enough).

spouse of scouse

Eh? The amount required to meet the cash savings financial requirement for a spouse (no kids) is 62,500, not 79,000.

Pulaski

I thought I heard the forst £16,000 doesn't count ..... or is the £16,000 included in the £62,500?

Pollyana

Yeah, I'm still puzzling over that one - since when did the first £16,000 not count?

SanDiegogirl

It's included in the 62,500

SanDiegogirl

It is not included if you are going the income and savings route.

i.e. you earn 15K so you are 3,600 short of the 18,600 necessary.

So the sum is 3.6 x 2.5 = 9K PLUS 16,000 = 25K savings to make up shortfall.

In other words if you have 16,000 in savings just can't use just the savings to make up shortfall.

usanomad

Thanks everyone except novo I knew about the income requirement but maybe you guys know more details. As far as I know, the British citizen's income is the only thing that matters--if I had a job offer in the UK making over 19000 pounds (contingent on my being allowed to work in the UK), but my husband was making under 18000, I couldn't get the spouse visa, right?

holly_1948

As a British national formerly resident overseas you qualify for NHS from day one if it is your intention to be settled in the UK.
You won't qualify if you openly admit (or demonstrate by your actions) that your stay in Britain is intended to be temporary.

As to six months, that is effective in that you are deemed to be settled after six months continuous physical presence even if you claim you are not settled and plan to move on ASAP.
In other words, if the authorities say "You don't seemed to be settled to me, you are a dual citizen, you have a house and a business in New York and a return ticket to New York, so you clearly are not settled" - well they can't say that after six months physical presence even if you continue owning a profitable business in New York.

usanomad

Thanks so much, Holly! What length of time do you think would be considered "settled"? I have a heck of a time with these vague legal things. I would imagine that a planned stay of over 6 months would be considered settled, since they have the 6 month rule?

Pulaski

Thx. I corrected my earlier post.
Here, about the seventh paragraph.

holly_1948

If (as a British national) you openly plan to stay for (example) nine months you are not settled (though the six month rule will kick in). But if you claim you have moved permanently and then change your mind after nine months and leave, well that is entirely different.

The UK national is settled immediately if
1. He or she says he or she has come back on a permanent basis.
2. Has an address in UK and is actually staying there, even a temporary address.
3. Does not do things that suggest not being settled, such as having valid travel tickets for onward or return. Not including things like a fortnight's holiday on the Costa del Sol.
A foreign national needs a proper residence visa or other comparable paperwork.

Pulaski

It's "intention" that is the key word. If you have a return ticket out of the UK 25 weeks later you would presumably intend to stay less than six months. If you arrive and take a one year lease on a flat, you would be covered on day one even if you abandoned the lease and left the the UK after only one month.

robin1234

I was simply trying to set up the "big picture" framework, confident that others would be along to fill in some details (£62,500 etc. etc.) As Novocastrian suggested in an earlier post, healthcare is an issue but a lot of other things need to be worked out before NHS eligibility becomes the next agenda item