No Fee for CoAs

[John]

Those thinking of applying for a CoA ... Certificate of Approval to Marry (or Register a Civil Partnership) .... will be delighted to read .... this UKBA webpage.

Amazing!

[joe777]

yes amazing another freebie

when is the house of lords going to help the brit who's married to a non european? who has to pay for a settlement visa, FLR, ILR, life in the uk test, citizenship ???

when are the lords going to rule to make it free , or when can brits apply for a family permit ?

[John]

Joe, with regret, I think that the answer to your question is indicated by some things that would need to happen first ..... the sky inhabited by flying pigs .... and hell freezing over .... would need to happen first!

In short .... no chance!

[joe777]

i know when pigs fly ..

for the misses and step kids, its cost me upto now, 3 settlement visa's (3 * £360?) forgot the cost 4yrs ago, flr (£325) i think, 2* life in the uk £70, ilr (£750*2), citizenship (£750) + another (£750+) in a few years, stepson over 18yrs old = nearly £5,000 !

problem doesn't end there, seeing my IMG wife is married to a brit and not a european excerising their treaty rights, the GMC demand she takes ielts exam, 2 plab exams before she can work as a doctor here..

ielts cost (£105) *2 as it only last 2yrs, = £210
plab1 exam £125+train to london+hotel = 275 * 2 (didn't pass first time) =£550.
plab2 course (sending her on a 10 days course, so hopefully pass first time ) £400
plab2 exam £430 !!, hotel + train = £580.

another £1,750


total of nearly £7000 to bring my wife and kids here, and so she can work here, none of this would have to be paid if she was married to a european in the uk

it pays to be british , sorry you pay if your british

[Ben]

total of nearly £7000 to bring my wife and kids here

I agree Joe, it's extortionate.

Seven grand's a lot of dough. Almost makes it worth moving to another Member State and working there for six months, then moving back again.

Gotta be cheaper than seven k, all things considered.

[John]

total of nearly £7000 to bring my wife and kids here, and so she can work here, none of this would have to be paid if she was married to a european in the uk

Well not quite. Even an EU Citizen, or their family member, applying for British Citizenship would need to pay. And pass the Life in the UK Citizenship test before making that application.

As for plab, I take the point. But standards of medical training around the world do vary considerably, and personally I am very happy that there are provisions in place to ensure that those trained outside the EU are subjected to tests of their medical competence. After all there are already standards as regards all medical training facilities in the EU, so no need to further test that in the UK.

And having passed plab, and been granted permission to work in the UK, your wife will be earning well above the average salary, and possibly much more in her home country?

[Swan]

Those thinking of applying for a CoA ... Certificate of Approval to Marry (or Register a Civil Partnership) .... will be delighted to read .... this UKBA webpage.

Amazing!

thanks for the news, only so unfortunate that me and my husband just paid almost 600 £ for both our COA's
i hope they will do something about that ..

[Ben]

only so unfortunate that me and my husband just paid almost 600 £ for both our COA's
i hope they will do something about that ..

Hopefully they will:-

The UK Border Agency is carefully considering the implications for those who have already paid a fee and will shortly announce its policy in this respect.

[hamid84]

Wow.......... I was planning to apply for COA next week..

[Swan]

Wow.......... I was planning to apply for COA next week..

hamid I don't think you need to apply for COA if you have ILR , double check the COA guidance


Benifa yes thanks i hope they will, i will keep watching and may be contact the home office in few weeks...

[hamid84]

Swan, My partner does not have ILR.. She is overseas student.

[Swan]

Swan, My partner does not have ILR.. She is overseas student.

ok then congratulations on saving 295£ and good luck with the application

[joe777]

As for plab, I take the point. But standards of medical training around the world do vary considerably, and personally I am very happy that there are provisions in place to ensure that those trained outside the EU are subjected to tests of their medical competence. After all there are already standards as regards all medical training facilities in the EU, so no need to further test that in the UK.

And having passed plab, and been granted permission to work in the UK, your wife will be earning well above the average salary, and possibly much more in her home country?

thats my point, if i was a european exercising my treaty rights in the uk and brought the wife here on a family permit, she wouldn't have to take the plab test, as she would have EC rights.

as for the european docs, they should take ielts, and european standards i don't know about that, but what i do know the university has to be listed on the world health authority Directory of medical schools and it has to be a recognised medical degree,

oh yes she would earn more here than in her own country, but why should she have to do ielts/plab because she is married to a brit, but wouldn't have to if married to a european, its discrimination.. is the uk not in europe ?

[John]

.... but why should she have to do ielts/plab because she is married to a brit, but wouldn't have to if married to a european, its discrimination.. is the uk not in europe ?

If that is indeed true, and I shall check in a quieter moment,I am worried that (and obviously I am not referring to your wife here) potentially under-trained doctors are allowed to practice in the UK.

[Plum70]

only so unfortunate that me and my husband just paid almost 600 £ for both our COA's
i hope they will do something about that ..

Hopefully they will:-

The UK Border Agency is carefully considering the implications for those who have already paid a fee and will shortly announce its policy in this respect.

If the UKBA decides to issue refunds to those who had applied prior to the current fee suspension, I wonder how far back they would be willing to go? I doubt that August '07 (when I applied) would make the mark!

[fysicus]

.... but why should she have to do ielts/plab because she is married to a brit, but wouldn't have to if married to a european, its discrimination.. is the uk not in europe ?

If that is indeed true, and I shall check in a quieter moment,I am worried that (and obviously I am not referring to your wife here) potentially under-trained doctors are allowed to practice in the UK.

My wife got a few years ago also Full Registration granted by GMC while being exempted from IELTS and PLAB requirements on the basis of my EU rights. Even though one can be exempted from these exams, there is still the requirement (and the GMC checked it very thoroughly in my experience) that your medical education outside EU is equivalent to the current UK training of doctors.
So the fear that potentially under-trained doctors are allowed to practice in the UK is not justified. I am sure that every employer will want to be satisfied that a doctor can communicate with patients without problems before giving them a job.

[John]

fysicus, thank you for confirming that. That is certainly my understanding.

Thankfully that is the situation.

[Fairtrade]

Can people that paid the £295 for a COA claim compensation now? Surely the COA is discriminating seeing you have to ask Home Office permission to marry. Surely you should be allowed to marry who you want to?

[John]

As mentioned earlier :-

The UK Border Agency is carefully considering the implications for those who have already paid a fee and will shortly announce its policy in this respect.

[freon21]

I would do with £295

[navtop]

as anyone can apply and no payment required, so the homeoffice basically waste time and money for producing the unlawful paper, I believe soon COA will be cancelled and no COA required for register marriage.

Another thing I am considering, for people who under 21 but over 18, if they can demonstrate that their marriage is not forced marriage then they can argue with ECO or HO for the settlement visa. Can they? We need someone to have similar case but under 21 and get a judgement form court. Don’t give up your right!

[congpine]

I agree!
Check out my thread here:
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=37633

I will apply to change my visa status from student to marriage visa in 10 months time.

Can anyone help me? How and what should I get all evidence?