Spouse visa - wife refusing to divorce

[Rnaz]

Hi dear forum users
I posted about this situation with my friend few days ago but now the situation has changed. Kindly offer some advice.
He has spent 8 years in UK, 6 under student and PSW, and 2 under spouse. Now when it is time for his ILR, his wife suddenly decided she did not want to live with him anymore. There are no kids and the marriage is not salvagable since she wont elaborate what is the problem or her demands etc.
Now his visa runs out in 2 months. She has taken a silent approach - she has not started divorce proceedings, but does not talk to him at all.
My friend has invested a lot of money in buying a house for them, and it is his understanding that she is waiting till his visa expires, he has to leave the country, so she can take over the house.
He has contacted a lawyer, but I was hoping anyone here could give a few pointers as to any other visa he can change to, or what?
Thank you

[MPH80]

If the marriage is not salvageable - then he will need to switch into one of the tier visas - e.g. sponsored work or student.

He needs to see if he can qualify for either very quickly. He can find that out from the UKBA website.

However, the point about 'taking over the house' is not necessarily valid. If his name is on the land registry docs alone - then it is HIS house. If it's jointly owned - it's a slightly different matter - but it would still require his permission to sell.

If I were him - I'd read this: http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/public/property-fraud#m3

M.

[Rnaz]

Thanks for the link - I will forward it to him.
The deed is joint in both their names.
Do you know if he can switch to student visa while staying in uk? I looked on ukba website but it seems that one has to leave the country to make the studen visa application.
Cheers!

[MPH80]

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... inside-uk/