Advice for starting a life in the UK with my Mexican GF

[forzajuve_27]

Hi all, first post here and I would much appreciate some advice on this topic.

I'm a UK citizen and I have a girlfriend who I met in Mexico last year, she came over in January for two weeks and is going to return in a couple of months to spend some time here. We want to make something more serious happen rather than keeping it long distance so are exploring all of our options.

She's quitting her job just before she comes as she has had enough there so we are looking at doing a long visit, where she will live with me and I will be financially responsible for her with my earnings meeting above the threshold for a salary for a marriage visa for instance. Currently we haven't booked a return flight for her which I've been informed is a big no-no so I will be correcting that in due course however the problem lies with the fact that we haven't yet decided what she is going to do here, we are looking at jobs for her to come on a work visa and also going down the path of a student visa but time is against us and they are proving difficult so far. So the other option was for her to have a long visit, the permitted 6 months and improve her english and apply for jobs and uni whilst here and if she is successful then go back home and return on a work or study visa.

However I'm worried that if we go down the long stay option even though we are not breaking the rules they are going to be suspicious about letting her into the country, so I was thinking of potential switching it to a 4 month stay and then extending it if we both want to. I was going to give her as much evidence as possible for her visit for instance, it's my dad's wedding shortly after she gets here so I was going to send her a picture of the invite, also I was going to give her my bank statement and also a online declaration that I will support her here and I was considering putting some money into her bank account and also signing her up for a GCSE English exam which I don't think she can take until July and will probably need if she goes down the study route anyway.

I would really appreciate some advice on the situation and if you think that with that plan I have covered all my bases because it's getting to the point where I'm worrying about her getting into the country even obeying the rules and doing everything legally.

[Wanderer]

Visit visas are 6 months VALIDITY, not for residency for extended periods, aim for 2/3 week visits a few times over the course of the validity of visa. The full six months will set bells off at UKVI..

For a work visa she'd need to be highly educated or possess a sought-after skill, not an easy route.

Study visa route is very expensive, you'd need to spend about £10-20k on uni fees, per year.

For a visit visa the crux is to show reasons to return, you plan seems to show that the intention is not to return, definite refusal.

The only way forward is earn some cash, sorry to be blunt but the UKVI know all the tricks...

[forzajuve_27]

Thanks for the advice, as I said I will be booking a return flight for her and was looking at 3/4 month stay for her as opposed the full 6 months.

I got advice at work from a now settled American that booking an exam for her would be a good idea because it would show that she has reason to stay for the length of time of the trip and then could show that she will return after it is completed. My dad's wedding would be the reason for her arrival when she gets here as it is literally a few days after.

I will provide details of my address and number for her to pass on to show that I am able to support her for this length of time.

[Frontier Mole]

Some points to consider:
As soon as you become known as the Sponsor of her trip the obvious question will be who are you to her. Answer boyfriend.
Boyfriend then gets you down a route of why are you coming to UK... wedding, study etc etc... which then leads to how long ... 3/4 months, job? Leaving it...
Suddenly the whole thing turns on its head... ties to home country? No property, no job, lack of funds - ok reason to return home... none really. Visa refusal....
If you want a less risky route and a better possibility of a visa grant then keep the visit to a period of a month or less and she gets a letter from her employer saying job is kept open.
Good luck