a way to get my Russian girlfriend to live with me in the UK

[Penetensiagite]

I am currently in a relationship with a Russian girl for over one year. We see each other during holidays and keep in touch daily (almost hourly).
I have a good job and own my own house.

We really would like her to move in with me, perhaps not indefinite but at least for 3 months/ half a year to see if we can stand living with each other.

She has been an au-pair in Germany and has studied English in her hometown in Russia. She is fluent in both languages (I myself am Dutch, living in the UK for six years, and my German is worse than hers). She works as an accountant for a big Chinese firm. When she does come over she most definitely want to go to work, or at least continue her language studies.

When looking at types of visas I was overwhelmed, can someone comment if I see this is correct:

-I can't apply for a partner visa (INF 4) because we have not been in a relationship for more than two years.

-Applying for a work permit (INF 13) requires a letter of invitation from a company and we need to prove that her skills are not readily available in the UK. Usually companies want to see applicants for an interview though and this is not possible when my girlfriend is in Russia.

-A visitors visa then? Valid for a maximum of six months, My girlfriend needs to quit her (good) job in order to come to the UK and live with me. She can not work here during this period, which is not really an option; she will be bored silly, since I have a full time job.

What would be the best way forward here? I can't see any ideal solution. Perhaps it might be possible to get her here on a visitors visa, she can then go to interviews for translation roles (speaking three languages should most def. be a bonus). If she gets a job she might be able to swap visa's, from visiting to working, but I am not at all sure about this....

Thanks for reading all this and I hope I can get some fresh options, since I seem to be running out....

[Wanderer]

For partner visa you have to have lived together for two years, not just known each other.

I doubt she'll be sucessfully in finding a translating/intepreting job either, it's an art in itself, it's what my (Russian) gf is training to do, believe me it's more than speaking a language even fluently. You don't mention her level of English but it would need to be phenomonal.

Also you can't switch from a visitor visa from almost anything really - it's a trip home.

Visitor visa. Between us and the gf's friends we've had 100% success rate, but they all had jobs/uni/flats/babies to return to, without any of this it's almost a certain denial.

Short Term Student visa is ur best bet, only downsides are she really need not to quit her job, she needs to show why she need to study in UK and not Russia and she can't work. She'll need to show funds too. Be wary that sudden deposits into newly-opened bank accounts look dodgy, and you sponsoring her can backfire.

I think u will need to go for STS visa, a two week or month course where she returns immediately after, no need to quit job so still ties to home,

Or, the same only a VV, short, ie a few weeks. I know this is not ideal but it's gets that all important first visa success under your belt, the next ones will be formalities.

[Penetensiagite]

Thanks for the quick reply, you think a student visa is the way forward? I wasn't aware that when you got your first visa in the bag the rest will be a lot easyer. Why is that?

Cheers!

[Wanderer]

Thanks for the quick reply, you think a student visa is the way forward? I wasn't aware that when you got your first visa in the bag the rest will be a lot easyer. Why is that?

Cheers!

Cos they see a successful return in the applicants passport whne they consider the next app. Reason to Return, the ECO's mantra....

[mr brightside]

Guys, i seem to be in a similar situation. Looking at ways my Russian girlfriend, who i met when on business in siberia can come here to be with me.
She finishes university in June and will have a English and French degree/diploma. She's keen to study here and i wondered whether it's best to get her enrolled in a univeristy here and go straight for the student visa.
The alternative would be to get a tourist visa first of all, but she's no home, full-time job or assets of any kind in Russia. Seems according to the posts i've read that without this, they won't issue a tourist visa. Is this right? She's travelled to US twice before, will this help in her application? She's of the belief that the best way to get a tourist visa is for her to get a 'tour' organised for her, as if i sponsor her the authorities will think she's not going to return to Russia. She also believes that if she then trys to get a student visa the fact shes had a tourist visa will count aganist her. Any thoughts?
In a right quandry here and advice would be much appreciated.

[Penetensiagite]

mr brightside, keep me informed of your plans.

Me and my girlfriend have talked tonight, and our general plan is for her to try and get a sensable study in the UK. She will then start a half year course in Russia (yes that will be hard on us). This course gives her the final certificate to be an official Russian / English interpreter.

I never thought it would be this difficult... I just got on a plane six years ago for a job interview in the UK and was offered it on the spot, I've been to Qatar and to get a business visa there that will allow you to work there takes five minutes of filling in information on a website...

But lets look on the bright side...

[Wanderer]

mr brightside, keep me informed of your plans.

Me and my girlfriend have talked tonight, and our general plan is for her to try and get a sensable study in the UK. She will then start a half year course in Russia (yes that will be hard on us). This course gives her the final certificate to be an official Russian / English interpreter.

What's her goal with this, IMO six month course is not long enough to become an interpreter, it takes years, plus a degree. Is she hoping to get a job here with that?

Why not consider a degree course here? Three years, she can work, then switch to EEA FP? Expensive tho, like about 15k pa.......

[Penetensiagite]

She already has a degree/qualification in English (not sure how it translates from Russian to English), and its not a flimsy little paper, she studied for four years. Her English is fluent, she comes out with words that even I don't know... This final six month course will be the final leg to become an official interpreter, companies like Cheveron and BP won't take anyone one without this certificate.

The plan would be that this course would start in Russia in September. If she signs up she will be able to show that she has reason to go back to Russia. She can then come to the UK as soon as possible for a course.

Its the type of course that is the next thing to find out, it should be beneficial and not too long / too short.

[Wanderer]

Mate, I don't want to disillusion you but a Russian degree/diploma is worth very little in the UK, I know, my gf got one year exemption for hers when she came here off a UK four year degree course. Why? The Head of Languages told me, you can never be sure of the provenance of any Russian diploma/degree, my gf's bro bought his, never attended a lesson....

The whole country is rife with corruption - a friend of mine has a Russian wife, she's been driving on her Russian driving licence here for twelve months and she's had two accidents, one a write off. Why? Cos she bought her Russian licence before she left, never had a lesson....

Sorry, ranting, still love the place and not saying ur gf bought hers, mine didn't either, not everyone is immoral.

If I were you I'd try and get her Russian degree rated by NARIC and convert it to a UK degree in interpreting and translating on a full time student visa in the UK.

Or, more in line with ur original plan, I'd get her to enrol at a school in the UK for a short English course, two/four weeks. Now the ECO will say 'you can do that in Russia, why UK?'. The answer is there are few native English teachers in Russia and she needs to learn idiomatic and dialectical English and to hear English native tones. I remember when I first spoke to my gf, she'd been studying English since she was 7 and she's grammatically perfect. But she couldn't understand a word I said. We just don't speak like she was taught. That's how she first came here to study - to 'tune in' to native speakers for her job. We arranged all this via and agency who guaranteed the visa. They didn't disappoint.

Still gonna struggle with reason to return, the course in Russia isn't much of a reason in the grand scheme of things to the ECO...

I'm the same as you but a bit further ahead, she's been here three years now so we've been there and done it....

Udachi!

[Penetensiagite]

Once again thanks for your information, most definitly food for thought. You said you used an agancy, are they worth the money?

[Wanderer]

Once again thanks for your information, most definitly food for thought. You said you used an agancy, are they worth the money?

Deffo, adding together the cost of school, board, flights and visa, the charge from the agency was only about 80 quid more, they must get discounts and more importantly, 'contacts' in the consulate.....

Think the Soviet term was 'blat'....

Po blatu! - ask ur gf, but she or her parents remember!

I can give u the name of the agency we used off list, adverts frowned on, they were based in Ekaterinburg tho, dunno where ur gf is from....

[Penetensiagite]

Right, a new update. We have enrolled my girlfriend for an English study at Manchester university. The course will take a month and she will not quit her regular job in Russia.
A quick question then about visa applications, she University has sent a scanned in letter /invitation via email to her, will the UK visa office be ok with this copy, or will they want to have the official one?

Fingers crossed we can get everything done before the 28th of June...

[Wanderer]

Right, a new update. We have enrolled my girlfriend for an English study at Manchester university. The course will take a month and she will not quit her regular job in Russia.
A quick question then about visa applications, she University has sent a scanned in letter /invitation via email to her, will the UK visa office be ok with this copy, or will they want to have the official one?

Fingers crossed we can get everything done before the 28th of June...

We are in Manchester area too!

My gf's classmate did exactly the same as you, he's Czech at uni here, she Russian. He enrolled her at an approved English Language School in Manchester (must be on DfES register) and she was refused. However he won the appeal but his timeframes slipped.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=17284