Advice for Preparing for Zimbabwean Spouse to join me in UK

Phillip999 · Post by **Phillip999** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:41 pm

Hey I am I need of some advice!

I was living in South Africa for 9 months last year where I met my Zimbabwean girlfriend. I was given a job offer at the school I was volunteering and and believed I would be given a Visa but was unfortunately unsuccessful. I have an undergraduate degree but not a PGCE (teacher training qualification).

Since being unsuccessful in my application to return over the last few months we have been discussing where we will be going in the future and we are both relatively sure that we want to get married. I am planning on visiting her in South Africa in the summer for a few months for us to work out if that is definitely what we both want. If it is, we were thinking of getting married over Christmas and for us to both return together in the beginning of the New Year.

I am fully aware of the complications that Visas can give and therefore want to be ahead of the game in preparing material that we would need to prove our relationship and to successfully get the Spousal Visa.

I am currently a waiter with just under Â£10,000 in savings (don't ask how!) and hope to have a bit more before I go to visit in a few months. I have just been given a place for my teacher training in Sept, although in the first year I will be given Â£800 a month to train. I am aware that me being student will affect my ability to prove that I am an able sponsor and therefore would like advice regarding that.

My girlfriend will finish her degree in accounting in November and her and her family are in the process of obtaining South African citizenship after moving from Zimbabwe over 6 years ago. I was also wondering whether her Zimbabwean nationality would count against us, I would have thought not?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Phill

Phillip999 · Post by **Phillip999** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 5:52 pm

any advice?

Post by **John** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:06 pm

I was also wondering whether her Zimbabwean nationality would count against us, I would have thought not?

No, but there might be an issue. That is, is she legally living in South Africa? If the answer to that is yes, the application can be made at a British Mission in South Africa.

But if she is "an illegal" in South Africa, she might encounter problems applying there.

Phillip999 · Post by **Phillip999** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:12 pm

Her and her family all are living in South Africa legally. They have either Temporary or Permanent residency can't remember which.

Will that fact that I am studying and not having a full-time affect my ability to the fulfil the sponsor requirement? As long the government decides not to take away funding for my first year of study I will get paid Â£800 a month and not have to pay any study fees. Could this and my savings offset not having a full time job?

Would our case be made stronger if she was applying for jobs here in the UK?

Post by **John** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:45 pm

Presumably the visa will be applied for after she has finished her course in November. Armed with that qualification she should be able to show earning capacity in the UK, but realistically it would not help her applying for jobs until she gets to the UK.

Can I just mention ... accommodation? How will you try to pass the accommodation test? Where will the two of you live, assuming the spouse visa is granted?

Phillip999 · Post by **Phillip999** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 10:25 am

When I move to Brighton I would either be renting a house with friends or get a single occupancy flat with the few to her moving in with me. I think it would be unlikely that I would rent a house with friends as there would be no-where for her to life and we don't want to be married and living with other folks!

Yes she will complete her course in November. She has been given an internship at Deloitte when she finishes her studies in South Africa and we are looking into the possibility of that being transferred to the UK which would obviously help prove her earning capacity.

If she can prove her own earnings capacity would that decrease my financial requirements as the sponsor? Or is it how they view the application of the whole?

Thanks for all the advice so far, it is really valuable!

Phillip999 · Post by **Phillip999** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 10:34 am

Just to clarify, if we do get married then obviously she would not be doing the Deloitte internship in SA!

Post by **Greenie** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 10:48 am

Phillip999 wrote:When I move to Brighton I would either be renting a house with friends or get a single occupancy flat with the few to her moving in with me. I think it would be unlikely that I would rent a house with friends as there would be no-where for her to life and we don't want to be married and living with other folks!

!

Havent got time to comment on all of your post at the moment but just bear in mind that it is very expensive living in Brighton compared to other parts of the country. If you want a one bedroom flat for the two of you then on average you will need around Â£700 per month. Make sure you budget properly for this.

Phillip999 · Post by **Phillip999** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:11 pm

Yeh I am aware of the cost of living in Brighton as I lived there during my undergraduate degree and have married friends there who I have looked over there monthly outgoings.

Does anyone have any more advice concerning my status as a student and how that would affect my ability to be a sponsor?

Also what evidence can you start to be collecting to proof our relationship? I am keeping a record of all of facebook messages and in the process of getting a print out of all my calls to her of date.

SoHopeful · Post by **SoHopeful** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:11 pm

Hi Phillip

I am currently on a degree (final year) and decided it was better i waited until i completed the course. This was because i felt they would question the potential gap between study and work and how we would all manage (i have a son too). Hubby and i married in Oct 2010 and decided to wait until i have gained employment and able to produce 3 payslips. Bearing in mind you will need to pay rent/bills/course costs, you need to work out if you have atleast Â£106 i believe each week to support your wife.This after rent, any loan payments (credit cards, debt, etc) and council tax i think (although as a student that wont apply to you). Once you are sure what you will be getting, i would suggest you compile a budgeting sheet showing your income and outgoings and if you feel you will have enough then go for the application. I think your savings will be a bonus, i spent all mine visiting hubby but hey swings and roundabouts.

With regards to evidence you need proof of contact: emails, pictures, letters, proof of calls, greeting cards and it would help to have supporting statements from friends/family to confirm the relationship. Also any wedding planning evidence: receipts, emails contacting anyone to do with the wedding...

Phillip999 · Post by **Phillip999** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:39 pm

Yeah I think we may be heading in that direction and waiting until after we have finished some more or all of our studies.

Seeing as you as been visiting your husband abroad, has he ever come to the UK to visit you and where from? If so was it easy enough in obtaining a Visitors Visa?

I have looked all over the Border Agency website and it seems relatively straight forward but was wondering if you have any first hand experience! I to well know that Visa's are never straight forward!

I also couldn't find the cost of the Visitor's visa.

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Advice for Preparing for Zimbabwean Spouse to join me in UK

Advice for Preparing for Zimbabwean Spouse to join me in UK