Enquiries re Spouse Visa

ozzie11 wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:31 pm

Dear all,

Will be grateful for some advice.

I am a UK citizen. I am interested in marrying a Pakistani woman aged 21. She has just graduated from university. She does not have any income or savings and her family is not wealthy. She doesn't have to work or come from a rich family. Not a requirement. You as the sponsor however, needs to be working and worked with the same employer earning £18,600 or more for 6 months or longer.

The option of Spouse Visa seems the most suitable in terms of her entitlement to live with me in the UK. Your only reasonable choice. You can try fiancée visa, but it's just extra cost for just 6 months and it doesn't count towards her stay here on Spouse visa when you switch.

I have read about the requirements on the internet but there are a few points which are confusing me:

1. The guidance states that the couple need to have met at least once before the marriage. I have communicated with the woman over video call a few times and we have generally been messaging each other for some time. My plan is to travel to Pakistan with my family and then if we like her and vice versa we will have a religious Muslim marriage which results in a the formation of a religious marriage decree.
a) Do I need to have physically met the woman before the trip to Pakistan with the potential intention to get married (i.e. does the process require more than one trip)?The more times you've met, the better. It shows it a true and subsisting relationship.
b) Is the religious marriage decree sufficient for English law purposes?
c) How does this marriage get registered in the UK? Will this happen after the woman comes to the UK assuming the visa application is successful? It doesn't need to be registered here if you have a marriage certificate form anywhere in the world.

2. I believe there is an immigration surcharge around £1824 which is for the 2.5 years of the duration of the visa. After this period ILR can be applied for. Is there an immigration surcharge for ILR too?£624 per year main rate for visa and immigration applications x 2.5 plus SET M visa fees of £1,538. This expires after 2.5 years. You then need to pay this again for another 2.5 years (prices could easily have gone up then). Then £2,404 for ILR no health surcharge for this. Naturalisation if you want would be £1,250

3. It looks like the ILR application is also quite expensive and costs over £1000. Is there any other expense of say over £500, apart from the spouse visa, immigration NHS surcharge and ILR? It's never a cheap venture mate!

4. Is it bad for her spouse visa application that her financial situation is not strong? Please note my income is over the required threshold and I also have a decent amount of savings.You're all that matters as the sponsor and she your dependant!

5. In relation to the accommodation plan, our preference is for her to live with me and my parents. We have a decent sized 4 bedroom house. If she lives with us there will be 4 people living in this house. It is adverse to her application that this is the proposed arrangement? Or is it more beneficial that the couple live separately?Parents is fine. Parents would need to confirm that it's okay for her or you guys to live with them in writing.

6. The guidance states that the visa is for 2.5 years and can be extended. As ILR can be applied for after 5 years does this mean the visa will definitely need to be extended after 2.5 years? If so does the same fee and NHS immigration surcharge apply?Yes as written above

Thank you for your help

Ticktack wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 06, 2022 10:20 am

ozzie11 wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:31 pm

2. I believe there is an immigration surcharge around £1824 which is for the 2.5 years of the duration of the visa. After this period ILR can be applied for. Is there an immigration surcharge for ILR too?£624 per year main rate for visa and immigration applications x 2.5 plus SET M visa fees of £1,538.