Activating spouse visa after arriving in UK

[samuelchai]

Hi,

My wife is a Hong Kong citizen and also has a valid UK spouse visa.

However, her UK spouse visa isn't valid for activation until after a while.

If she arrives in UK on her Hong Kong passport, can she activate her spouse visa from within the UK?

For example, can she go past immigration at the airport, as if boarding a plane, but then come back to activate the visa?

Thanks for help.

[CR001]

She needs to enter the UK on or after the valid date on her spouse visa so that it can be stamped in arrival. This is key to future applications in the UK including ilr and citizenship.

By entering on her Hong Kong passport, she will be admitted as a visitor for 6 months (no work or recourse to public funds) which can invalidate and cancel her spouse visa. A person cannot hold two visa statuses at the same time, ie visitor and spouse visa

[samuelchai]

Thanks for the reply.

But is there any way she can go past immigration as if boarding a plane (to "leave" the UK), but not actually board the plane, and then just go through immigration again (to "enter the UK), to activate the visa?

[CR001]

Unlikely.

It doesn't change the fact that if she is admitted to the UK as a visitor on a hong Kong passport, her spouse visa can be cancelled/superceded, ie doesn't exist anymore.

[Casa]

Thanks for the reply.

But is there any way she can go past immigration as if boarding a plane (to "leave" the UK), but not actually board the plane, and then just go through immigration again (to "enter the UK), to activate the visa?

Further to Char's good advice, the landside area from which you exit the UK is open to the public, while access to the airside area where you enter the UK is security controlled. You will be unable to move freely between the two areas to carry out your plan.