Possibilities

I met my Brazilian girlfriend in Rio last August and we lived together there until January when I came back to start a job in the UK. I was in Brazil trying to improve my Portuguese in between a Masters and starting the job. She joined me at the start of February on a tourist visa and is able to stay here until the start of August.

I would like her to carry on living with me post August and I would like her to have as normal a life as possible i.e. permission to work, be able to freely enter and leave the country, etc. I would prefer to avoid marriage.

However I believe that my options for her staying are as follows:

1. Get Married in Brazil in August and apply for a Spouse Visa there
2. Go to Brazil in August and apply for a Student Visa
3. Go to Brazil and apply for a Fiance Visa (although I believe she will only be able to stay for 6 months on this visa and will not be able to work. After getting married we will have to apply for a Spouse Visa)

Are there any other options?

I believe option 2 is the most feasible. I have been told that the Student Visa should be for an undergraduate level course, is this right?

Further relevant information

I work for a large internationally-respected firm, have university level degrees and can show sufficient earnings to support my girlfriend. She has lived in the UK twice before 1997-1999 (2 years) and 2002-2003 (1 year) during which time she studied English and did a number of waitressing jobs. In Brazil post 2003 she was working as an English teacher. She has a high standard of English (Cambridge Advanced, presently studying for Cambridge Proficiency). She does not have a university degree.
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Thank you for any help with this query.

you need to have a longterm plan -option 2 seems Ok...

at the end of the day its up to you but marriage would solve problems

Degree Level course of two years or more AIUI. Bloody expensive, belive me!

Live together on that and apply for Unmarried Partners Visa after two years co-hab.

HTH

Steve

Wanderer wrote:Degree Level course of two years or more AIUI. Bloody expensive, belive me!

Live together on that and apply for Unmarried Partners Visa after two years co-hab.

HTH

Steve

thanks for the prompt reply

Are there no other options then?

So that is yes to degree level course? (in particular she couldn't do a yoga course then?). What does AIUI mean?


cheers

I did that with my partner (Im British now, but am Brazilian, and I was on a work permit before, so I was the sponsoring one) - 2 years co-hab on student visa, then unmarried partner visa.... very expensive, but worth it in the end.

Other option is settling in Brazil as a student (yourself) for 2 years.... and come back here with her. The studying over there will be much cheaper.

Mattski wrote:

Wanderer wrote:Degree Level course of two years or more AIUI. Bloody expensive, belive me!

Live together on that and apply for Unmarried Partners Visa after two years co-hab.

HTH

Steve

thanks for the prompt reply

Are there no other options then?

So that is yes to degree level course? (in particular she couldn't do a yoga course then?). What does AIUI mean?


cheers

Yep degree level is fine. Ours is around 8k pa, London they are more - we saw one at 16k pa! She has to show she's been accepted and can afford it and to live without using public funds.

It's ok for u to sponsor her so u'd need to prove ur income, accomodation etc, and do it properly, so many don't....

She can work 20hrs a week on student visa (not short term student visas tho - the langauge course type ones)

After that you can apply for FLR on basis of Unmarried Partner living together for two years.

AIUI = As I Understand It

On point I noticed you said she was in UK working before - let's hope not illegally or at least there;s no record.

Other options? Maybe Work Permit? Tricky usually need a degree and/or a unique hard to find skill and ad emand for it.

HMSP? English teacher? UK gov says it's a shortage job but my teacher friend says it was - not now. Typical UK Gov reaction - too late like the IT fasttrack visa thing.

Student visa by far easiest.

Steve

It would be good if she doesn't have to do a degree level course as she would prefer to do a beauty therapy and Spammy Spammer course.

An online search doesn't provide the level of clarity I would like. The following doesn't seem to apply here:

"The maximum time individuals are allowed in the UK to successive short courses below degree level are two years"

She has been here legally as an English student before (for a total of three years as detailed in my first post) but that was a while ago. It would seem that the window is open for her to apply for non-degree level course. Thoughts?