Apply for tourist and spouse visas at same time using 2 different passports

[Everest-15]

Can my Russian wife apply for tourist and spouse visas at the same time using her 2 Russian passports?

Wanna quickly say my heartfelt thanks to the moderators and super-posters on this forum who tirelessly spend their time helping people like us without really any recompense. You are earning awesome karma for the next life and we totally appreciate what you're doing here!

Situation is: we paid for advice session from XXXXXX lawyers and who neglected to inform us of a vital fact, that you can't apply for spouse visa in the UK whilst on tourist visa. So lost 4 months of precious time and don't want to have to spend 3 months apart from each other while my wife waits in Russia for spouse visa to be processed.

Interestingly - the Russian's can have 2 or more (international) passports at the same time, so they can apply for one visa (eg: schengen) in one passport whilst at the same time applying for another visa (UK/US whatever) in their other passport, or use the other passport to be off travelling.

Anyone have an opinion on whether the UK govt would allow her to apply for another tourist visa in one passport, so she could be visiting me in the UK, whilst they have her other passport for the spouse visa application (which takes 10 to 12 weeks). And there are no priority services available in Russia either((

Thanks for any info on this! (I did search these forums, but found no info).

[CR001]

You cannot have two visa applications with UKVI at the same time.

If you submit both, UKVI will pick up that there is another application and cancel/reject/refuse the other.

that you can't apply for spouse visa in the UK whilst on tourist visa.

This has always been the case and has always been clearly stated on UKVI's website.

https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa

When you cannot get a family visa
In some circumstances you cannot apply for, or switch to, a family visa.

You have a visitor visa or a visa for 6 months or less
You’ll usually need to leave the UK to apply for a family visa if either:

you have permission to be in the UK as a visitor
your visa is for 6 months or less

[Everest-15]

Thankyou very much CR001 for your helpful advice!

[Everest-15]

Hi again,
Please could one of you wonderful moderators take another minute of time on one further query....

Any opinion on the chances that my wife would be cleared at uk border if she re-enters on her (2nd) 6 months tourist visa with the following immigration history:

2018: visited uk for 1 month on a UK tourist visa (and returned to Russia).

entry 15th nov 2024 (tourist visa)
exit 19th Feb 2025
total: 3 months and 1 week

entry 4th Mar 2025 (same tourist visa)
exit 8th Apr 2025
total: 1 month

Entry 2nd June 2025 (new tourist visa which commenced 18th Apr)
exit 2nd August 2025 (planned exit)
total: would be 2 months

entry 2nd Sep 2025 (planned entry. same new tourist visa, expires 18th Oct)
exit: 17th Oct 2025 (planned exit).
total: would be 1.5 months

Yes, we understand that you're not allowed to stay more than 6 months total during a 1 year period and that the plan above would mean she effectively would have stayed about 7.5 months in an 11 month period and would mean they wouldn't let her back in on further tourist visas, or even issue further tourist visas to her.

But we are figuring that the spouse visa will be issued to her at start of Dec 2025 so no further tourist visas will be necessary anyhow. So then she would just need to wait 6 weeks or so in Russia from 17th Oct exit until passport is returned with spouse visa. (she has 2 passports, one contains tourist visa, other will be submitted for spouse visa whilst she is traveling back to uk to visit me on the tourist visa in the other passport).

Just really need to know, what are the chances that she will be allowed entry on 2nd sep to spend another 6 weeks with me in the UK? Don't really want to spend money/time flying to UK, only to get refused entry and have to buy tickets and fly straight back to Russia to wait out all the months until the spouse visa is ready. Thanks for any advice or info on other peoples experiences on this.

[Ticktack]

That's a total of 7 months 3 weeks. She could get flagged at the Border and she could still get lucky and pass through without any problems. There really isn't a crystal ball to forecast the future.

Is this the right thing to do? No
Has it been done before successfully? Probably Yes
Would her nationality expect extra scrutiny? Most def
Is it advisable to gamble? No

But like everything else, we just advise, you're free to make your choices.