General Advice sought re immigration from non-EU country

[twothreeeight]

Hi,

Rather than go into huge detail at this point, can someone who has been through the experience of the following please get in touch with me to help - I have been on the http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ website for about 3 hours and my eyes are going round in circles, as is that website.

I have had a relationship with someone from a European country (which is not in the EU) for the last couple of years, and we want to live together - preferably here in the UK. She is married with kids, and wants to bring them (the kids, not the husband!), although if that's not possible initially so be it. She is well qualified and speaks pretty good English.

It doesn't seem she qualifies under any points-scoring or work permit scheme, but she wants to work here. We want her to come as my partner, and after her divorce, wife.

She will, of course, contact her local UK Embassy, but neither of us have a lot of money and I am loathe to contact an immigration lawyer, at least at this stage, and am hoping someone who has been through this can give us some advice.

many many thanks

[sakura]

She should apply for jobs and find out if any employer will sponsor her for a work permit. What sector does she work? If she is highly skilled, maybe look at the criteria for the Highly Skilled visa (tier 1).

If you have not lived together for at least two years, she cannot come under the unmarried partner's visa. This leaves only the fiancee visa (6 month validity, and, of course, she should be at the final stages of her divorce) or the spouse visa - where you are already married.

If she has not yet started divorce proceedings, then you probably wouldn't be successful with the fiancee visa application.

The best thing would be to try to get a work permit sponsorship - start looking for jobs that she qualifies for. Otherwise Tier 1.

She can also come to study, but that would be quite expensive.

By the way, how old are her children?

[Wanderer]

It's gonna take a fair old wedge to import one person let alone several, how many kids?

International relationships are not cheap mate, take it from one who knows and it doesn't end with the visas, there's flights home, shipping stuff from home, sending stuff home, if I knew then what I know now, I'd bin mine and get a copy of Razzle.

Driving lessons, new clothes, gym membership.....

I love her really!

Anyway, I think the initial visa cost is gonna shock you, £500 per person.....