Wife visiting UK. Can she work long-distance for US employer

Hello. I am a British citizen and my wife is from the USA. She is planning to come to the UK as a visitor in March, to visit me for six months. We hope for her to eventually immigrate to the UK, but this is not possible at this time because I don't meet the income threshold of £18,600.

My wife is currently working in the USA as an admin assistant for an Early Childhood center over there. She recently informed her boss of her plans to resign from her job in order to come to the UK to visit me for six months. Her boss said that she does not have to quit her job, as most of her work can be done over long-distance via the internet. He said that she could continue with her job while she’s in the UK (and thereafter when she returns to the USA), working over long-distance during her time in this country, and that she would continue getting paid as usual into her American bank account.

Is my wife allowed to do this according to the UK’s immigration rules for people visiting the UK? I know my wife isn’t allowed to work for a British employer, but is she allowed to work over long-distance via the internet for her American employer? Her employer is entirely American and has no links to the UK or other countries.

It is very important that we find out the answer to this, as we need to know whether she is required to quit her job or whether she can continue working over long-distance from the UK.

If anybody is able to answer this for us, we would be most grateful. Thank you.

She can... it like working during vacation / holidays...
though she can't stay in UK more than 181 days in any one calendar year on visitor visa (hope you are already aware of)..

Thanks for your reply, and for reassuring me that she is allowed to work from the UK for her US employer. Are you absolutely certain that it is okay for her to do this?

Yes I'm aware that a person shouldn't be present in the UK on visitor status for more than 6 months out of every 12. Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, this is more of a general guideline to work from rather than a concrete rule, so long as each individual stay does not exceed 180 days.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... iew=Binary

And see this about working in the UK on a visitor's visa:

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=70129.0;all

The other poster is incorrect, she CANNOT do what is proposed.

She could tell the immigration officer at the desk when she lands that she will be doing this and she will be on a return flight within hours.

PaperPusher wrote:http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... iew=Binary

And see this about working in the UK on a visitor's visa:

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=70129.0;all

The other poster is incorrect, she CANNOT do what is proposed.

She could tell the immigration officer at the desk when she lands that she will be doing this and she will be on a return flight within hours.

Or even if they find any work-related paraphernalia in her luggage or anything that makes her appear not to be a genuine visitor. Even visiting a husband raises eyebrows, how come she's not on a Spouse visa, is she attempting to live here on a visit visa?

Those are the questions that will cross the Immigration Officer's limited mind.

Thanks for your answers guys, and thanks for giving me the link to the thread on the other website that addressed this issue. I now have a clear answer that my wife isn't allowed to do any paid work at all whilst visiting the UK.

The reason I can't apply for a spouse visa for my wife at this time is because I am unable to meet the £18,600 income requirement to sponsor her. I have disabilities, and I have discovered that a person in receipt of PIP (Personal Independence Payment) is given an exemption from the £18,600 income requirement. However, in order to be eligible for PIP, a person must have lived in the UK for the previous 24 months. I returned to the UK 14 months ago after a three-year period abroad, and thus will meet this PIP residency condition in 10 months' time, at which point I will apply for PIP. If awarded, this disability benefit will enable me to apply for my wife's spouse visa without having to meet the £18,600 income threshold. In the meantime (before that time comes), I still want to spend some time with my wife, and so this is why we have decided for her to come to visit for six months.

I just have one more question which I'd be grateful if somebody could answer: Should my wife explain the situation I described above to the immigration officer when she arrives, so that he/she has an explanation as to why my wife is coming for six months to visit me instead of being on a spouse visa? I am going to write an invitation/supporting letter for her to show to the immigration officer. Should I include details of the situation in this letter?

Thanks for your replies.