Visa for my pregnant wife

[adil1980]

My wife is pregnant with my second baby abroad due to deliver in August.

I hold valid ILR and moving back to UK in April. I know i have to work and collect six months wage slips before i can apply for her spouse visa. So we decided that we can apply for visit visa for her and my first baby so they can live with me while i am in the UK. They can then come back for a month and apply for spouse visa to rejoin me in the UK.

the issue is that she is 4 months pregnant and we may have to get the second baby delivered in the UK. I am not 100% about these issues. Can some one help me understand.

1 - she will get visit visa for six months and my son as well. Will she have to come back to apply for spouse visa or can this be done from the UK when her visit visa finishes?

2 - can she give birth in NHS? what would be the charges or would it be free considering that me (her husband) holds legal ILR and works in the UK? If not free then how much are we looking for a c-section?

3 - my first son who is 2 years old will also travel with us on visit visa. Can he get his visa status transferred there or will he has to travel back with my wife after visit visa expires? I heard that kids whose parent hold ILR gets passport in 3 months. Any one heard of it?

Thanks..

[CR001]

1. Unlikely. What evidence and proof will she show UKVI that she will leave the UK and what her ties are to home country. HO have become aware of this trick used by spouses. She cannot switch into any other visa if she is lucky enough to get visitor visa. She will have to return to home country to apply, your children too.

2. No she cannot. She is not entitled to any free NHS if she is on a visitor visa. She will have to pay 150% of the costs. Your status is irrelevant in this regards. Visitors cannot use the free NHS. A normal birth is roughly £3000, a C-section will likely be triple that.

3. No, see point 1 about no switching on visitor visas.

I heard that kids whose parent hold ILR gets passport in 3 months. Any one heard of it?

Where was your son born? If he was born abroad, he is not British and his immigration route will be the same as your wife's.

[Casa]

My wife is pregnant with my second baby abroad due to deliver in August.

I hold valid ILR and moving back to UK in April. I know i have to work and collect six months wage slips before i can apply for her spouse visa. So we decided that we can apply for visit visa for her and my first baby so they can live with me while i am in the UK. They can then come back for a month and apply for spouse visa to rejoin me in the UK.

the issue is that she is 4 months pregnant and we may have to get the second baby delivered in the UK. I am not 100% about these issues. Can some one help me understand.

1 - she will get visit visa for six months and my son as well. Will she have to come back to apply for spouse visa or can this be done from the UK when her visit visa finishes? In order for a visitor visa application to stand any chance of success, your wife would have to submit evidence of strong ties to her home country. With you in the UK this may be extremely difficult.
No, it's not possible to switch from visitor to a spouse visa from within the UK.

2 - can she give birth in NHS? what would be the charges or would it be free considering that me (her husband) holds legal ILR and works in the UK? If not free then how much are we looking for a c-section? No, she won't have free access to the NHS. The birth alone would cost several thousand pounds, even more for a c-section. NHS fees are charged @ 150% of the cost.

3 - my first son who is 2 years old will also travel with us on visit visa. Can he get his visa status transferred there or will he has to travel back with my wife after visit visa expires? I heard that kids whose parent hold ILR gets passport in 3 months. Any one heard of it? I'll leave someone else to answer this.

How long have you been living outside of the UK on your ILR?

Thanks..

Edit: Beaten by Miss Speedy Fingers, CR001

[adil1980]

Thank you for your reply. It seems more sensible that my wife stays here and gives birth in that case.

If i am on ILR and she will apply for spouse visa after six months of my work (i will have to provide 6 months of wage slips). She will probably get spouse visa with my both kids then. In that case i will have to move to UK and work for six months. Right?

I work as web developer and my employer is based in UK. He is happy for me to pay my wages in my UK account (rather than contractual at the moment) even while i am in Pakistan. Would that be sufficient that i provide six months of wage slips and valid ILR status when applying for my wife/son spouse visa after six months? Do i have to be in the UK for that case?

I prefer to live here for another six months, get six months wage slips from UK employers who pays taxes as well and i will then travel with my family easily. My family then don't have to travel on visit visas. Please advice.

[adil1980]

@Miss Speedy Fingers

last time i went to UK on ILR was Oct 2014. I have the ILR since Nov 2009 then i traveled but kept coming back to UK every year to keep my ILR active that i guess is 2 years max period.

[secret.simon]

Short trips do not maintain ILR status.

ILR status suggests that you are "settled" in the UK. If the Immigration Officer at the airport gets the impression (from your travel history, for instance) that you are not settled and resident in the UK, he can cancel the ILR on the spot at the airport. I would suggest that you return to the UK and stay here for a while before leaving again.

Any children born to you abroad will have the same status in the UK as the less-privileged parent (in this case, your wife). They will get ILR when your wife does and citizenship when the second parent naturalises.

Any children born to you in the UK while you have ILR are British citizens automatically at birth.

[Casa]

Also, if the Immigration Officer flags up your periods of absence and endorses your passport with entry as a visitor, it will invalidate your ILR. As secret.simon has advised, short visits to the UK during the 2 year period don't retain your ILR. It would be wise to carry evidence of employment overseas with your UK employer (which appears to be the case). This might help to fight your cause if you are questioned on re-entry.

[ouflak1]

@Miss Speedy Fingers

last time i went to UK on ILR was Oct 2014. I have the ILR since Nov 2009 then i traveled but kept coming back to UK every year to keep my ILR active that i guess is 2 years max period.

Keep in mind that the UK are now doing exit checks starting last year. They are aware of the maintain-ILR-with-visits trick and don't like it. Those days are gone now.

[adil1980]

yes, I will get that letter from my current contractual employer that he is offering me full time role in office now. I have planned to stay longer (at least 5-6 years) until i and my family (wife and kids) get British passport and then may move to Dubai.

I am moving back in April. I am just trying that my wife and son my join me during those first six months while i'm working and collecting six months of wage slips that will help them to get their spouse visas.

My wife is medical doctor and she can get her visit visa (not depending on me) from other sources like her brother lives in the UK with British passport. So visit visa is not a problem. Also that is not a problem that she has to come back and apply for spouse visa with my son.

The issue is that she is pregnant and i may have to incur huge charges for her delivery. Some forum users indicated that to be between 9-15k depending on the case (most probably c-section as first child was born the same way)

If there is a way that i can live with them for six months, get the delivery sorted here and apply their spouse visa to take them with me together then that would be great. any advice?

[Casa]

You could if you are able to show that you have been earning the equivalent of £24,800 for the 12 month period prior to submitting the settlement visa applications for your wife and two children and have a confirmed job offer to start within 3 months of arrival, again meeting the £24,800 p.a. minimum income level.
If so, you could all return to the UK together after the birth of your new baby.

[adil1980]

Thank you everyone for advice.

As freelancer software engineer i am earning around 80K GBP that is from UK companies and paid in my UK bank account for the last 12 months. There are no wage slips but invoices for clients and bank statement to show the funds in my UK bank account.

I read on the application form that i can apply for my partner spouse visa even i am living abroad and hold a valid ILR. It stays that i have to show that i an non-employed in the UK but employed overseas and earned over 28k GBP.

Do you think i should show my UK bank statement to prove that and apply for my wife and son on that basis? Then we can all travel to UK together. Is that a good case?

[Casa]

I can't see why that wouldn't meet the income rule. You would need a letter from your UK employer on Company letterhead, confirming the terms of your employment, including the level of salary. You'll also have to submit evidence of suitable accommodation in the UK available on your arrival.

[adil1980]

@casa thank you dear.

""You'll also have to submit evidence of suitable accommodation in the UK available on your arrival.""

What does that mean? Do i have to update the British embassy about my accommodation when i arrive in the UK? Currently i don't have any accommodation in the UK. I will probably book a hotel for first week while i search for a flat or house in Manchester.

Do i have to book accommodation first and attach letter of tenancy with the application? is that what you meant? Please clarify that point for me.

[CR001]

You have to provide proof of suitable accommodation with the all the other documents when submitting the application for the spouse/child settlement visa.

[adil1980]

thank you for your replies.

i have collected all paperwork and we have TB test on tuesday next week then i will submit the applications by wednesday. it may take 4-6 weeks to process and if everything goes well we shall be flying before 10th may.
our second baby is due by 10th august. so that is about 3 months time while we will be in the uk before our second baby is delivered.
a friend told me that my wife has to be at least six months in the uk to get free treatment on the delivery. any idea about it?
we are paying health insurance as well that is now must for all spouse applicants - including my fist son.

could someone confirm the total cost for the visa for spouse 2.5 years of period.
wife spouse visa fees ? baby dependent fee? health insurance for both? what would be total for all process?

[O_Relly]

The visa fee for dependant partner is £1195 plus £1195 for your dependant son. See,
https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk

Your partner and son need to pay Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which is £200 per year of visa granted. So for 3 years it will be £600. In your case for 2.5 years should be £500 per dependant. See,
https://www.immigration-health-surcharg ... ment/start

Some GPs in UK impose a wait time before registering you in the NHS. This also depends on if this is the first time you are ever arriving in the UK and registering with the NHS. Also depends on how busy the GP practics is and if they are able to accept new patients.

I waited 3 months to be registered to the NHS when I first arrived in 2011 in London. Again this was not the case in Scotland at the same time. So depends on where you are going? Again this might have changed now. Get in touch with the NHS you are most likely to register with and find out.

[Casa]

The initial NHS surcharge payment will be £600 each as the term of the visas will be slightly longer. Your wife and son will have to enter the UK within 30 days of the visa issue date in order to collect their BRPs at a designated Post Office within 10 days of arrival.

Be assured that as your wife is pregnant she should be able to register with a GP without any delay.

[adil1980]

thank you both.

just one question, if we arrive in uk before 3 months of the delivery on spouse visa and staying in dewsbury, west yorkshire. i studied at huddersfield and leeds so i am familiar with that area. so do i still have to pay for my wife delivery like others pay on visit visa? one my friend said that my wife may have to be in the uk for six months before she gets the delivery free of charge. i never read that anywhere so not sure about it.

[Casa]

No. Your wife will have full access to the NHS with the payment of the NHS surcharge submitted with the spouse visa application.

[adil1980]

thank you casa for your time and reply.

[adil1980]

i am a bit confused again with my wife case. i got this from one of the UK immigration officer.

-------------------------------
Furthermore in relation to healthcare there is now a immigration healthcare surcharge which needs to be paid as part of immigration applications depending on which application is submitted a charge will need to be paid. Please however note Basic medical insurance will generally not cover the full range of treatment offered by the NHS, including pre-existing and chronic conditions and treatment for pregnancy. Furthermore, in the case of a medical emergency, it is still the NHS which will be providing treatment so private healthcare insurance maybe a solution however this is up to you.
------------------------------

So the health surcharge does not cover treatment for pregnancy? Any one had this experience?

[Casa]

Does your wife hold ILR as the title of your thread suggests? If so, she is entitled to full access to the NHS. I believe the passage you've posted has been taken from guidance for visitors. If you wife has ILR the NHS surcharge doesn't apply to her either.

Edit: Trawling back through your thread, I can see that your wife doesn't have ILR. The NHS surcharge has been explained to you. This will cover NHS treatment for the birth and full access to NHS facilities.

[adil1980]

No, my wife does not have ILR. I Do and i am applying for her spouse visa. I know you guys mentioned that once we pay NHS (500-600) during the application process, then delivery could be free.

I am just concerned that we don't have to pay for the baby delivery in the UK. I don't have 10-15k GBP for that purpose. So i need to make sure the NHS charges we are paying on the visa4uk.fco.gov.uk is sufficient to get the free delivery in the UK.

[Casa]

Does your wife hold ILR as the title of your thread suggests? If so, she is entitled to full access to the NHS. I believe the passage you've posted has been taken from guidance for visitors. If you wife has ILR the NHS surcharge doesn't apply to her either.

Edit: Trawling back through your thread, I can see that your wife doesn't have ILR. The NHS surcharge has been explained to you. This will cover NHS treatment for the birth and full access to NHS facilities.

I've already advised you in my reply above that they do.

[adil1980]

Finally i have made the application for my wife and son today on visa4uk website.

The application was done, payment for both applications were successful with my UK visa card and also i can see in my internet banking that charges has been made. Finally i have got the final printable stage and got the application downloaded. Now we have booking for biometric next week in our local center. Seem OK.

But not, there is some confusion with the NHS surchage. All websites says i have to pay 1200 GBP for my wife and son on this settlement visa type and when i try the surcharge online form https://www.immigration-health-surcharg ... ecker/Type it also says i have to pay 1200 GBP. I was expecting that but when the IHS green button on my application took me to other website and dynamically pulled information from the visa4uk, the basket showed 0 value and i clicked next on it and in both applications the system gave me IHS reference numbers (as we are exempt) and took me to next visa processing fees stage that went OK.

Now i am confused, i was not charged for IHS and given IHS numbers. Is that ok or something went wrong? I was expecting to pay and have the funds arranged for that surcharge. What shall i do now? I have printed application with IHS numbers on both and i have to send them to Sheffield office next week. I don't want them to tell me later on it had to be paid and visa is delayed for it. I was expecting the system to take me step by step to process it but this IHS zero charges is confusing me. Any help please?