Can my pregnant US wife having her child in the UK?

[Casa]

A medical visitor visa (as with any visitor visa) grants a stay of no more than 6 months (from the date of issue).
You will need a letter from the doctor or consultant confirming the reason for the 'treatment' (in this case a birth) and as also a shown in my previous post:
(b) the estimated costs and likely duration of any treatment which must be of a finite duration; and
(c) where the consultation or treatment will take place.

You'll see in the link I posted to the other member's thread that the OPs wife was expected to leave the UK 6 weeks after the birth. However, this limitation on her stay appears to be due to her entering without a medical visitor visa. There may be a point of argument with this restriction as like your wife she was also a non-visa national, but she also arrived without the mandatory paperwork as evidence from the consultant/doctor of pre-booked private treatment.

[abrock]

A medical visitor visa (as with any visitor visa) grants a stay of no more than 6 months (from the date of issue).
You will need a letter from the doctor or consultant confirming the reason for the 'treatment' (in this case a birth) and as also a shown in my previous post:
(b) the estimated costs and likely duration of any treatment which must be of a finite duration; and
(c) where the consultation or treatment will take place.

Thank you, Casa. Sorry if I'm being stupid.

If the birth is in October and she arrives around July 31st, will they permit her to stay 6 months, or just until the child is born?

[Casa]

I added to my post, but our posts crossed!

[abrock]

I added to my post, but our posts crossed!

Oops !

I am ever so sorry for the silly questions.

When we apply for the visa, does it allow you to specify how long you want to stay, or is it 6 months by default?

[Casa]

More than 6 months is unlikely to be granted as it will be obvious that your wife won't require medical treatment for a longer period if she is entering for the birth of your baby as stated in the application. Be wary of requesting a period in excess of the 6 months as it may flag up as an indication that she has no real reason to return to the US.
Note the point: and likely duration of any treatment which must be of a finite duration which the consultant or doctor is required to state in the submitted letter.

No questions = no forum

[abrock]

No questions = no forum

A fair point!

Okay, so if we apply for 6 months just so the baby and mother can take some maternity rest before going back to the US, we should be okay. Then we'll apply to bring her here on the spouse visa once I hit the 18,600 requirement.

Sounds good?

[Casa]

Sounds like a good plan. You'll need evidence of 6 months of employment meeting the £18,600 p.a minimum income level before your wife submits her spouse visa application.

[abrock]

https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y/usa/medical

According to the website, if I'm coming for "private medical treatment", we don't need a visa. However based on that other post, it seems entirely wrong.

[Casa]

I would err on the side of caution and apply for a visa before travelling. This would avoid the situation the other member found themselves in, which narrowly escaped the wife being refused entry and resulted in a limited stay to 6 weeks after the birth. You'll note from posts in the thread that she arrived in the later stages of pregnancy and was given less than 3 months to remain in the UK.
There may or may not have been an error in judgement by the Border Officer, but difficult to challenge in the circumstances.

[abrock]

Thank you, Casa.

I might be getting a temp job for 2 months soon, but it would take me above the 18,600 threshold if I got it. It is 40 hours a week at £8.50 minimum. I know it's only 2 months, but I think calculating it as salary is fine...

Code: Select all

52.14*40*8.50 = 17727.6
+
52.14*12*8.80 = 5505.99
=
23233.59

I might not start a placement until September though, so my question is, if I'm only earning the weekend pay for a few weeks, does it matter towards the 18,600? Or is it just a case of earning 9,300 in that time?

I'm also assuming overtime on my weekend job doesn't count as it is not salary?

[ohara]

Be aware also that for a straightforward birth in an NHS hospital you are probably looking at a minimum of £6000 or so. If there are complications, you can double that.

The Portland Hospital in London is a private maternity hospital and they offer packages from about £10000 which you can completely tailor depending on what you want.

[abrock]

Thank you, Casa.

I might be getting a temp job for 2 months soon, but it would take me above the 18,600 threshold if I got it. It is 40 hours a week at £8.50 minimum. I know it's only 2 months, but I think calculating it as salary is fine...

Code: Select all

52.14*40*8.50 = 17727.6
+
52.14*12*8.80 = 5505.99
=
23233.59

I might not start a placement until September though, so my question is, if I'm only earning the weekend pay for a few weeks, does it matter towards the 18,600? Or is it just a case of earning 9,300 in that time?

I'm also assuming overtime on my weekend job doesn't count as it is not salary?

I've been quoted £2500 for regular birth and £3500 by one hospital, plus some other costs.

Can anyone answer the above question, please?

[Wanderer]

Thank you, Casa.

I might be getting a temp job for 2 months soon, but it would take me above the 18,600 threshold if I got it. It is 40 hours a week at £8.50 minimum. I know it's only 2 months, but I think calculating it as salary is fine...

Code: Select all

52.14*40*8.50 = 17727.6
+
52.14*12*8.80 = 5505.99
=
23233.59

I might not start a placement until September though, so my question is, if I'm only earning the weekend pay for a few weeks, does it matter towards the 18,600? Or is it just a case of earning 9,300 in that time?

I'm also assuming overtime on my weekend job doesn't count as it is not salary?

I've been quoted £2500 for regular birth and £3500 by one hospital, plus some other costs.

Can anyone answer the above question, please?

I can't make sense of the figures, you say 2 months job but you calculate it as a full year.

[abrock]

My apologies. I guess my question is if I can show I've earned 9,300 in the past 6 months when applying for the spouse visa, even if the employment has been 2 months with one company, and then 3 months with another?

[Richard W]

My apologies. I guess my question is if I can show I've earned 9,300 in the past 6 months when applying for the spouse visa, even if the employment has been 2 months with one company, and then 3 months with another?

My understanding is that one may choose whether to do the calculation on the basis of regular income (salary) or irregular income ('non-salary'). In the latter case, the lesser of the income over the preceding 12 months and twice the income over the preceding 6 months is used. This may also be useful for those with a significant irregular addition to their basic salary, such as commission, bonuses and overtime.

[abrock]

Hello all,

Just a quick question.

We are soon to apply for the visitors visa and I was wondering if we have to provide evidence from the hospital that we have booked to give birth and discussed fees when applying for the visa, OR whether that is only necessary when going through customs?

[Casa]

Hello all,

Just a quick question.

We are soon to apply for the visitors visa and I was wondering if we have to provide evidence from the hospital that we have booked to give birth and discussed fees when applying for the visa, OR whether that is only necessary when going through customs?

Evidence of booking from the hospital/consultant when submitting the application. Ensure you're applying within the medical visitor visa subcategory.

[abrock]

The application type I have chosen is...

Visit
Visit - private medical - 6 months

... sounds about right to me.

The hospital should be getting a letter to me very soon and flights will be booked once the visa application is in. Hopefully the visa goes through without issue.

[abrock]

When filling out the information for the visa, do I have to specify exact amounts spent on travel?

We are a pushing it for time at the moment and I was hoping I could give a rough figure for these values rather than an exact...

[abrock]

Okay, so we have completed the application and received this email:

Supporting Documents – A guide to the documents required to support your visa application can be found by selecting your visa type at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration and following the link to documents you must provide.

Next Steps–- You must now take your printed application, appointment confirmation, supporting documents and the appropriate fee (unless already paid online) to the address shown below on the date and time of your appointment.

<< address of office >>

If you are in the United States of America, you must send these documents to the visa issuing office as detailed in the information provided at the Application Support Centre and on your Appointment Confirmation email/letter. No personal callers will be admitted to the visa office location and your application will not be accepted at any other location. Failure to submit the required documents will result in a delay and/or lead to the refusal of your application.

Non-settlement, EEA and Returning Resident Applications - UK Visas and Immigration, British Consulate General, 845 Third Avenue, New York, 10022
Settlement (Family Migration) Applications - International Operations and Visas, 6 Millsands, Vulcan House, Sheffield, United Kingdom, S3 8NU

IMPORTANT – Please ensure that you submit a full printed copy of your online application which must be signed and dated and contain a bar code on the first page - if no bar code is present you will need to change the security settings on your computer.

The printed application can only be used ONCE to support a visa application and should not be photocopied or submitted to support any other visa application.

Completed Application – Please log in to your account at http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome and select ‘View My Applications’ to view your application and application history

We are a little bit unsure how to proceed. The email seems to contradict itself, and we don't want to do the wrong thing. One line mentions taking the documents to the appointment, another line states to mail them to another office in New York.

We are also unsure what would need to be sent to the NY office anyway, whether that is just the supporting documents, or the signed application form, or the passport too. I also believe the passport has to come with us to the bio-metric appointment, which is on the 20th of July.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[abrock]

https://ukvi-international.faq-help.com/

I have spoken to these people recently, and they have advised me that I DO NOT need a visa.

These were the emails I received about it.





https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration ... pendix-v-v

I arrive Monday, and we have a biometric appointment booked next Wednesday. I'm really confused what to do.

[Casa]

Of course it's your call, but did you explain that your wife would be entering to give birth? Do you recall the thread I posted the link to earlier, where the non-visa national experienced a problem on entry as they had failed to apply for a medical visa for the birth in the UK?
http://www.immigrationboards.com/immigr ... 10183.html

Much will depend on the Immigration Office at UK Border Control.

[abrock]

I explained fully to both Sergio and Ingrid the scenario that my wife would be giving birth in the UK, and both still advised that I would not need a visa.

Sergio advised me to call the Gatwick Border Control numbers to ask them, and the lady I spoke to was not impressed that Sergio had given their number to me, as it isn't a public line and isn't to be used as one. She referred to herself as the "Chief Immigration Officer" and said that we do need a visa in order to prove we have appointments booked and relevant funds.

My wife thinks we should ask at the USCIS ASC Seattle Application Support Center, but I believe that this is purely an appointment for biometrics, and they will have no advice on our application.

I'm really not too sure what to do.

[Casa]

Take the advice of the CIO at Gatwick Border Control, which is in line with the experience of the couple in the thread I linked. It's the CIO who has the decision on whether to let your wife enter visa free or not. Why risk her being refused entry or issued with a reporting order?

[abrock]

Take the advice of the CIO at Gatwick Border Control, which is in line with the experience of the couple in the thread I linked. It's the CIO who has the decision on whether to let your wife enter visa free or not. Why risk her being refused entry or issued with a reporting order?

A fair point. I just don't understand why this GOV advice line is telling me that I don't need a visa, when it has a high chance of causing me major trouble.