Confused about Spouse Visa

Hello, I am a British Citizen that has lived in the US for the past 5 years, I've now got dual US/UK Citizenship, I have been working in my current job for 4 years now and earn 34,000USD a year, I am looking to move home with my US Citizen wife but am very confused.

I understand that I need a job offer beforehand that pays over 18,000 (I don't satisfy the alternative savings route), now I understand that once I get he job offer I need to apply for the visa online, and this can take 3 months or longer, now I wondered if there was any way I could move to the UK beforehand, and then apply using this same route after being in the UK for a month, I do understand there is an alternative that requires me to show 6 month of UK pay slips but I want to avoid this if possible...

Is there any way I could get a job offer, apply for the visa online using my current pay stubs and the new job offer, then fly to the UK to start the job and then my wife follows?

No is the reply to your both expectations. You either need to have saving or job offer otherwise you need to stay in job for 6 months.

Thanks for the help, but now I'm talking about if I DO actually have a job offer, if I send off for the visa using the job offer and then fly out to start the job, will my wife be able to follow me say 1 month later (From what I've read she does have 30 days from receiving the visa to the time she has to enter the UK)

I suppose the easiest way to word it, I apply for the Spouse visa using a job offer combined with the fact I've worked for the past 5 years here earning well over the required amount, once we apply, I fly to the UK to start the job and she follows a month later once the visa is in hand, is this possible or do I have to remain here until the visa is in her hand and then we enter the UK together.

You can enter uk alone and apply visa for her and once she will get that then she can enter within 30 days to activate her visa.

snacksaloon wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 14, 2018 8:11 pm

Thanks for the help, but now I'm talking about if I DO actually have a job offer, if I send off for the visa using the job offer and then fly out to start the job, will my wife be able to follow me say 1 month later (From what I've read she does have 30 days from receiving the visa to the time she has to enter the UK)

You can apply using your US income if it meets the £18,600pa requirement AND you have a confirmed job offer at the required salary to start within 3 months. Note that the job offer must be genuine. She would apply BEFORE you come to the UK.


If you come first and start working, you cannot use the US income as far as I am aware and you would have to wait 6 month in the job before you can apply.

CR001 wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 15, 2018 9:23 am

If you come first and start working, you cannot use the US income as far as I am aware and you would have to wait 6 month in the job before you can apply.

Category B - as long as you have earned above £18,600 in the previous 12 months (does not have to be continuous employment) and will continue to meet that requirement through a job, your wife can apply from the US to join you at any time. Once her visa has been issued, she will need to enter the UK within 30 days.

She can apply before you move (using Category B and the job offer) or after you move (using Cat B - previous income earned and continuing earnings). There would be a problem if you were not working for long enough that your income in the previous 12 months slipped below the £18600 threshold or if you did not start employment earning above £18,600.