Spouse visa?

Hi Guys,

Here is my story!

I live in Belfast and have an Irish Passport. I also have a UK passport.

I am getting married to my girlfriend who is from Vietnam next year and was wondering what would be the better route to take to bring her back home? Would it be better coming through UK or Ireland immigration?
As in costs and length of time it will take?

Thanks

J

Well depends.

You wanna get her to Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland?

If you live in Belfast, you apply to the UK Government.

The question is whether your spouse can apply under UK domestic law or under EU Treaty Rights. Apparently EU Treaty Rights are much easier and give your spouse more freedom in terms of visa-free travel to other EU countries.

As you are a dual national, you can only exercise your EU Treaty Rights if you only acquired UK citizenship recently, and you have been living in Belfast using your Irish passport only and have been exercising EU Treaty Rights (meaning you are working/studying/self-sufficient).

I merely recall UK is more expensive if you are applying under domestic law.

I want to bring her to Northern Ireland.

I have been a UK citizen from birth and was not sure if having an Irish passport and bringing her through this way would be cheaper and quicker/

Also that's depending a lot on the Brexit outcome. As your plan of marriage is next year the situation will more then likely be different then.

Belfastbowler wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 25, 2019 9:06 am

I want to bring her to Northern Ireland.

I have been a UK citizen from birth and was not sure if having an Irish passport and bringing her through this way would be cheaper and quicker/

Well in this case you cannot use your Irish passport to exercise your EU Treaty Rights. The UK domestic law applies.

Hi, I'm in a similar position so I'd like to ask- can he move to the Republic of Ireland and exercise his treaty rights there even though he is both an Irish and a UK citizen, as he has only ever lived and worked in the UK?

MonicaHam wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 11, 2019 9:43 am

Hi, I'm in a similar position so I'd like to ask- can he move to the Republic of Ireland and exercise his treaty rights there even though he is both an Irish and a UK citizen, as he has only ever lived and worked in the UK?

No