Spouse of Tier 2 General Holder

[eniss]

Hi guys,

I am currently in the stages of getting a Tier 2 General visa and hopefully will be moving to UK in the following months.

Me and mygirlfriend have been thinking about taking the next step but with this relocation to the UK things will get a little complicated. I am curious if we get engaged will she be able to get a spouse visa being my dependent and come to the UK until we get married?

The Home Office page (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... igibility/) states that a dependent is:

* your husband, wife or civil partner; or
* your unmarried or same-sex partner; or
* your child aged under 18 years old.

A spouse is not listed but there is a "civil partner" clause next to wife. Now, as far as I know a civil partner is your partner of the same sex, but the same sex partnership is listed in the second bullet and the civil partner is listed in the first bullet along with husband and wife. Moreover somewhere on the internet I read that civil-partners have the same rights as spouses so if civil-partners can be dependents can my fiance be my dependent and get a visa to come to the UK?

[Greenie]

She is not your 'spouse' until you are married. If you have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for 2 years she may qualify as your unmarried partner. Otherwise you will need to wait until you are married for her to apply for a visa as your dependent.

A 'civil partnership' is a legally recognised union between a same gender couple. A same gender partner is the equivalent of an unmarried partner-i.e. The couple need to have lived together for two years to qualify.