I'm currently in the UK on a 2yr spouse visa which is due to expire 1 May 2008 and then I will need to apply for ILR. I had a look at the form, which seems to be SET[M]. There doesn't seem to be a box for native English speakers? Seriously, as a citizen of a Commonwealth country who doesn't speak an...

Ok. I'll answer my own question just in case anyone is wondering about this in the future. I presented my new passport, open at the photo page and my old passport open at the spouse visa stamped page. No problems at all, straight through. I did not have to produce my marriage certificate or my birth...

Please help... does no one have any experience of this?!

Hi All, I changed my name after our marriage and my stamp is in my old passport. At the time it was issued I asked the officer about this and he said it was ok to use the new passport but have the old passport showing the stamp to show at the same time. However, I can't remember if there was anythin...

I am living here in the UK on a spouse visa (granted late April after my marriage to my British husband). My mother is coming to visit us from Australia for a month in mid September. I do not want her to encounter any difficulties at the airport when she arrives. She is an Australian citizen with he...

Excellent, thanks for that! Where did you find that excerpt so I can read up on it fully?

I seem to remember something about if a couple has been married for more than 4 years outside the UK the non-UK partner can apply for ILR immediately, rather than waiting the 2years. Can anyone confirm this and point to the place on UKVisas or the Home Office website where I can show him? Thanks in ...

Anybody know about the parking situation at the PEO Croydon?
Trying to decide if it's better to drive or take the train.

Oh well yeah, obviously you need the marriage certificate, obviously you need your passport but these things and a few others are loud and clear in the list which comes with the form. I thought it went without saying....

Congratulations, yes - it is exciting! I got mine not long ago too. Going through immigration control at Heathrow is a breeze with this visa. I couldn't believe how much friendlier they were than when I went through on a tourist visa. To answer your questions as best I can; 1. I guess Croydon would ...

.... Did you hear any complaints from BC's? No, because the majority are not interested in laws that don't affect them. Actually, immigration laws do affect the citizens of the country concerned so they certainly should take an interest. I notice that Britain (like Australia and a few European coun...

I think immigration laws are entirely up to the citizens of the country concerned. It's a bit like deciding who you want to invite into your house and on what terms. I don't like a lot of aspects of it either but I respect that this is the way the people of Britain want it. Being a democracy there a...

Sorry to hear your bad news. You have my sympathies. I know this is probably not very encouraging right now but a lot of other countries with skilled migration programs are crying out for people of your skills (eg. Australia). Perhaps you could apply to one of these countries then have your partner ...

Congratulations Shimil!!

And I'd like to add my voice to yours in a big thank you to John for all the helpful and spot-on advice he gives to all of us on here! John rocks!!

I guess someone has already mentioned this but are you aware that when you are on the fiancee visa you are not allowed to work until after you get married and convert to a spouse visa? I am here in the UK now on a fiancee visa and I can tell you it does take time to make the arrangements (even for a...

Thanks to everyone who has answered questions and helped us with this process (especially you, John!). I got my fiancée visa from the BHC in Australia the day before yesterday and it proved to be a lot less painful than expected. I'll post our experiences here for others to reference. We had been wa...

Wow, that is really useful to know for future reference. Thanks, John!

....because clearly you have not been visiting per se as you have 'extended' your visitors visa (6mnths and agin 6 mths) and as such you dont really have very strong ties with Oz otherwise you wouldnt have been away for such a long time - Yes exactly. And that's exactly the reason we have chosen to...

Thanks, John - we will definitely check out those jeweller's shops you mention. Maybe we'll find our wedding rings there! One last question (really! LOL); I have been in the UK for 8 months on visitor visas. I originally came into the country intending to visit friends and then travel around for a f...

Thanks for the reassurance, John. Your advice is, as always, rational and balanced. We've known each other since July, have spent every single weekend together since then, have travelled overseas together and at the end of September we moved in together. We have emails sent between us, my 'weblog' p...

We're planning to lodge our fiancee visa application in Australia next week and are getting a little nervous as the time draws closer, terrified that we've forgotten something or that some piece of evidence won't be enough. A post in a forum on another site said we need 'witness statements' from fam...

To deal with this comprehensively I think you need :- A letter from them confirming the ability for you and your wife to stay in the house rent-free at least until you find somewhere else. Confirmation of ownership ... for an extremely low cost it is possible to download a record from the Land Regi...

Thanks John. We did plan to put in a financial summary as you suggested but it's reassuring to know it all helps.

Forgot to add;

I have a lot of savings of my own but does this count for anything or are they only interested in the UK citizen's savings.

Do his assets or equity in his house count for anything?

The time is fast approaching when we will put in our fiancee visa application. We think we have everything well in order but are wondering how important savings are? My fiance has a mortgage and for this reason doesn't have much savings (if he did, he'd use them to pay more off the mortgage). He has...