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Hi,

We are filling out AN for my wife but we are stuck at 2.1 "Date of first arrival in the UK"

The notes say this should be the date you arrive "with a view to staying in the UK on a long-term basis."

My wife first arrived as a student in 1994 via Dover on a six month visa. Obviously at this point she was not planning on staying in the UK on a long-term basis. She renewed visas until we got married in 1998 when she got a spouse visa. She got ILR in 2000. Both of these visa were on-shore. So which date do we give as first arrival "with a view to staying on a long-term basis"? Her actual first arrival in 1994, or the first arrival after we were married or her first arrival after getting ILR?

The first UK stamp was as a student in 1994 via Dover

The first stamp in the passport after the spouse visa grant was July 1999 through the Channel Tunnel.

And the first stamp after ILR was granted in 2000 was August 2000, again through the Channel Tunnel

So... do we give, the original Dover entry stamp in 1994, the July 1999 through the Channel Tunnel or the August 2000?

Thanks, as ever, for your replies

Marc

Its not a serious matter. Just put any date. This has no effect on the application.

averagejoe wrote: I also queries this with ncs. she rang them up in front of us and they said its very first day present in the UK so 1994

Hi Average Joe,

Thanks for the reply.

My only concern is that when she arrived in 1994 it was not with a view to staying in the UK on a long-term basis. It was only after our marriage, when she transferred from a time restricted student visa to a long-term ILR via a the "probationary" spouse visa, that her intentions had changed. Maybe we are worrying too much?

Thanks though

Marc

PrestonLancs wrote:Its not a serious matter. Just put any date. This has no effect on the application.

Hi PrestonLancs,

I wish I could be as confident as that. Unfortunately our past dealings with the Border Agency and before that the IND have made it clear that if they can find anything odd about your application it will cause problems. We have all the correct information to hand. old passports etc, so just wish to conform to the instructions 100% correctly.

Best wishes

Marc

averagejoe wrote: I know what it says in the guidance notes but the ncs lady put it on loudspeaker and the guy clearly said its the first day physically present in the UK

Cool. That's 31 years ago! Funny given that, as we are applying as spouse of BC, they only look at the last three years on the form.

Best wishes

Marc

averagejoe wrote:Not anymore they dont..... They now look at the applicants immigration history for 10 years prior to
Bc application regardless of what category youre applying under. So for your wife, its better to put 1994. It appears your wifes case is pretty straightforward so Good Luck with it

Let's hope so Average Joe. The only complication we can see is, as my wife is from an A10, there is the whole question of whether - from 2004 onwards - she has been free from immigration controls via her ILR or via her EEA free-movement rights. No entry stamps in her passport since the A10 countries ascended to the EEA. She has been a housewife since the birth of our first son (2001), was a student before that. So she never registered on the WRS.

Fingers crossed it is all fine.

Marc

PrestonLancs wrote:Its not a serious matter. Just put any date. This has no effect on the application.

The date should be only when you decided to stay in the UK indefinitely.
As a student, were the intentions to stay in the UK indefinitely??? if yes, then by all means put that date and if not, put the date when you did decide

it has an effect as this is the date they look that you were present in the UK 5 years (if making the application on residence) OR 3 years (on spouse) from the date of application received?

see this post

http://www.immigrationboards.com/britis ... l#p1205391