Marrying Macedonian Citizen

[SBrown86]

Hi All, I'm due to marry my Macedonian girlfriend of 2 years next week. I'm trying to find out the correct visa to apply for. I have heard it should be a spouse visa, but I cannot find this on the gov.uk website. I've tried calling their helpline but they keep trying to put me through to an advisor at 1.50 per minute! Surely this is just basic information.

I am a UK citizen and she is a citizen of Macedonia. Macedonia is outside the EU/EEA which is why we need a visa for her to come over. I think the correct visa is EEA Family Visa, but the website is so confusing and keeps taking me in circles.

Does anyone else have a recent experience of this and know the correct visa to apply for?

Many thanks

[Casa]

If the marriage will take place in Macedonia and assuming you don't hold an EU nationality (apart from British) and your fiancee is not currently in the UK, you need to apply for a spouse settlement visa. Here's the link
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... form-vaf4a

Your fiancee will also have to pay the new NHS Surcharge before submitting the application. This will be £600 to cover the initial 33 months probationary period in addition to the visa fee of £1491.00

[WR1]

The spouse visa fee applied from outside the UK is £956, plus the additional £600 health surcharge, so total is £1,556.

[Casa]

My error. The local fee will be 1358 euros (£956) + the NHS surcharge

[SBrown86]

Thanks guys, I've started the Visa application. So far the application looks fine. However, one part that concerns me is the English Language requirement.

It's saying you need to have a recognised qualification in english language or you need to pass an A1 test in english. She learned English in high school but doesn't have a diploma for this. Her spoken english is fine, although she struggles with grammar in some places.

Is this qualification absolutely necessary? I've been at the IETLS test centre in Skopje but their first available appointment seems to be in May! If it's necessary then obviously we can book the test no problem, but it seems a bit over the top IMO.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Many thanks

[CR001]

All applicants for a spouse visa have to provide the test certificate from one of the approved test providers meeting English level A1. High school will not be sufficient and if you do not submit the A1 test certificate, the application will likely be refused.

[SBrown86]

Okay I'm struggling with this. I don't have an option for Macedonia when searching for the test centre?

https://ieltsukvisas.britishcouncil.org ... ct-country

I'm guessing there isn't an online test she can take? Obviously that would make it easy to cheat unless you have a live video exam or something along those lines.

We want to make sure everything is 100% correct so the application is not rejected. Is there a consultant agency in the UK where I can go to meet with someone to help with the application?

[CR001]

She would need to look if there is a test centre in a neighbouring country. Nothing available online unfortunately.

If you want someone to help you with the application, they will charge you some silly money and it still does not guarantee approval of the visa.

You would need to search for an OISC registered advisor in your area.

Of course, we offer help for free on the forum.

[SBrown86]

Thanks CR001, I appreciate your advice. I've found the number for the British council in Skopje but they're closed today. I will try to speak with them tomorrow to see if they can book us a test.

Fingers crossed

[CR001]

Good luck and keep us updated

[SBrown86]

Hi guys, they told me the earliest appointment is 27th June but it's not confirmed as it's a new test they require now. I spoke with the UK Visa advice phone service and they suggested that I can apply for a Family Vistor Visa for 6 months to get her into the UK. Then once in the UK she can take the English test here and apply for the settlement Visa.

I've created a new application for a family visitors Visa now, and it says I need to make an appointment for my wife to have an interview in Skopje.

Can anyone advise which documents will she need for this interview? I am her sponsor, so do I need to give her my documents (bank statements, payslips) for her to take to Skopje?

Sorry to ask so many questions, it's just I'm not familiar with the process.

Many thanks

[CR001]

You have been given the wrong advice by UKVI advice line. Are you saying they advised that she can switch to the spouse visa once she is here on a visit visa??? The rules do not allow visitors to switch to any other category. She will have to return to Kosovo to apply for a settlement/spouse visa from there.

The chances of a successful visit visa will depend on her proving (with evidence) her strong ties to her home country and proving her intent to leave the UK after her 'visit'. Many married people try this route and a lot get refused because obviously the spouse in the UK is a strong tie in the UK.

[ouflak1]

I spoke with the UK Visa advice phone service and they suggested that I can apply for a Family Vistor Visa for 6 months to get her into the UK. Then once in the UK she can take the English test here and apply for the settlement Visa.

Just to be clear here, as this part is very important. I believe what they meant here was that she could come on the Family Visitor Visa, take the test, then go back to her home country and apply for the Spouse Visa with the requirement fulfilled. This is the only route that is legally possible with that scenario. It's important that this is clear to you (sometimes the help line people can get confused themselves).

[WR1]

I spoke with the UK Visa advice phone service and they suggested that I can apply for a Family Vistor Visa for 6 months to get her into the UK. Then once in the UK she can take the English test here and apply for the settlement Visa.

Just to be clear here, as this part is very important. I believe what they meant here was that she could come on the Family Visitor Visa, take the test, then go back to her home country and apply for the Spouse Visa with the requirement fulfilled. This is the only route that is legally possible with that scenario. It's important that this is clear to you (sometimes the help line people can get confused themselves).

It's a possibility, but the Home Office can take the view that the English test can easily be taken in the home country or a neighboring country just as easily. There is no valid reason to come to the UK and take the test.

As CR001 has mentioned, for a visit visa, the applicant must demonstrate strong ties with their home country and have all intentions of returning, which is going to be difficult considering they are a spouse of a settled person in the UK.

[SBrown86]

Thanks guys, I see now that the visitor visa is going to complicate the situation too much. We have decided to wait and get her the English test so she can come with the proper settlement visa. It's just a little frustrating that we need to wait 2 months for the test to be available in Skopje. I don't see how they expect my wife to travel alone to Albania just to take an English test (Albania is the closest country to have the tests every month). The tests in Croatia, Bulgaria and Serbia are also a 2 month wait.

I understand that people going to England need to understand English, but at the end of the day she is my wife and I think it's unfair to separate us for so long.

[SBrown86]

Hi guys, sorry another question.

Instead of having to wait 2 months and coughing up £1500 for the spouse Visa. Could I not just apply for an EEA Family Permit? She is a non EU citizen joining myself (I'm British, which is certainly within the EEA).

As far as I can see, there's no difference between the Visa's other than cost and the language requirements.

Thoughts?

[CR001]

No, unfortunately as a British citizen with a spouse joining you in the UK, the EEA route is not available to you as you are not able to 'exercise treaty rights' in the UK as a British citizen. You can only bring her to the UK through the UK Immigration rules.

If you were working in any other EU state and she joined you there, then the EU routes would be an option for you.