Young couple...

[Aleksas]

Hi,

Me and my parter have been in a long term relationship for a year now. He is British, and I am South African.

We would like to move together as soon as possible, which will be as soon as we both finish with our A levels (In my case, an equivalent exam done by the university of Cambridge, for students outside of Britain wishing to do have a British end of school qualification).

Then, the problem comes down to how much money is concidered "enough to support yourselves" and what accomodation is "suitable". Bearing in mind we will both just have finished school it shouldnt be all to easy to find loads of money. My BF would get a job first, before we try to apply for any visa or entry clearance, but even having a job, he wont be earning megabucks, seeing he just finished with school. He would also get his own place, that would eventually (hopefully) become our place. But will all of this be 'enough'? His parents have offered to help us in the beginning but if I read the fine print on the forms right, it said that the couple must have a home occupied exclusively by themselves, meaning we need to live in our own, and therefor cannot have his parents helping us out in the beginning.

My father would be willing to send me money to start off with, until I can probably find a job too (provided I am granted a partner visa... )

We have plenty of proof of having been in a close relationship over the last year in the form of phone bills, visa stamps, plane tickets, photos, and letters. Altogether, we have seen crossed half the globe 6 times to see each other. Im assuming that would be enough to convince them that we are sincere about our realtionship.

I have checked that I dont qualify for a UK ancestery visa, or anything else, except a working holidaymaker. But again, it states clearly that I must intend to leave the UK at the end of my stay, and this would obveously not be happening. I simply dont want immigration to slap me over the wrist for not applying for the right visa in the first place (If I were to apply for a certificate of aproval...)

Anyhow, Thanks very much for your time and effort, and any help would be greatly appriciated

Lex.

[Kayalami]

The immigration rules require unmarried partners to have been in a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years so you don't qualify. There is the option of a spouse visa but see my next comment. I would suggest you apply for the WHV which provides an opportunity to work in the UK over a 2 year period and more crucially enables you and your b/f to spend some more time together prior to making any long term commitment given that you are still relatively young.

Good luck

[Aleksas]

Sorry, I didnt explain myself clearly. We do intend to marry, but my problem is more about what is condidered acceptable as accommodation and enough money to support yourself, as we wouldnt want to make an application and have it refused, then go through the whole apeal process. We would prefer it goes as quickly and painlessly as possible.

I would firstly apply for a fiancee, then for a spouse, but the requirements are very vague in terms of money and accommodation...

Thanks for your help, its greatly appriciated

Lex.

[Kayalami]

There is no stated minimum amount of money that you require but it would have to be enough for you to subsist in what is a very expensive country. Likewise your accomodation must be such that there is no overcrowding. Your needs will be to an extent determined by where you live e.g. London is more expensive than the Midlands. I suggest you read this forum for examples of other people's experience. Also review the BHC, Pretoria site on www.ukvisas.gov.uk which will provide more details of requirements. From initial impressions I believe your chances of success would be significantly increased after your b/f has a minimum of six months employment income prior to your application being submitted. I still think that as admirable as your intentions are to get married the WHV approach is better by giving you acess to the labour market sooner (and hence funds) and to give you time to decide whether marriage is the right path at such a young age. Regardless the choice is yours and I wish you the best.

Good luck

[Aleksas]

Thanks for the advice!

Its true, its a little early to decide about marriage, as it is a thing that you can be stuck with for life, and that can be very difficult to end. Most young relationships dont last all too long, because both of the partners are busy changing, and when they have finished their changes, they arent what they use to be anymore. What use to hold them together is gone.

But then again, it would be stupid to give it up just because statistics say we should. If we dont marry, then neither of us can go to the others countrys to live... so game over really.

There are other alternatives, like I could visit him (being able to enter the UK for 6 months without a visa) and then just leave, and come back again after a week (after having gone on holiday or something in Paris), but this would all be most inconvinient, because it would be him supporting me fully, and his first job isnt likely to make him have enough money to do that easily.

Either way, we talked it over a few times and he agreed that it would be best to start out somewhere where property, and living costs in general arent so expensive. I.E not london. I guess we would go wherever he finds a job first... really.

P.S Does it help saying we have a fallback plan, that if we couldnt cover ourselves anymore and had to move out of where we lived that we could go to his parents place till we could sort us ourselves out?

P.S(2) So, if we submit the following evidence will we be fine?

Proof that he can support us both, without public funds
" " " Acommodate " " "
Proof of our relationship being sincere (letters, photos, phone bills etc etc..)
Then ofcourse the forms, passports, etc etc...

Thanks

Lex.

[John]

Aleksas, you did mention a fiancée visa. Do you appreciate those are 6 months long and the idea is that the marriage takes place within that period. Is that the plan? If not forget that type of visa.

Kayalami has mentioned WHV. Good idea .. use that to move to the UK .... build up your living with your partner time to exceed two years ... then apply for an UPV .... unmarried partners visa.

That way there is no pressure on an early marriage .... and no need to leave the UK every six months ... with a worry about getting back in.

[sophiedb]

Aleksas, there is another factor - non-visa related - why going through something as time-consuming as a fiancée visa may not be the best choice just yet.

Basically, moving to a new country is a bit of a shock even when the culture is similar. Weather, distance from family (even when transport is relatively simple these days!), language differences that start off as cute and work their way up to irritating *lol* even not being able to get your favourite chocolate bar without paying a premium.

My Kiwi husband came to the UK on a WHV, but after two years he still wasn't sure about staying and neither of us were certain about marriage (at the time we were 23 & 29, both with a failed relationship of 3+ years). As a result I got a WHV for Australia, followed by an unmarried partner visa, and eventually we did decide to get married. The fact that we've settled in the UK rather than Australia or NZ is due to my homesickness: I knew before we left that I was probably going to be away for a long time, but I don't think I really understood what it meant day-to-day. That said, we've both had a go at it now and are planning to move to NZ in a few years, but one of us will always have the potential for homesickness.

Personally I'm glad that we started out with WHV-juggling. They're quick and easy compared to relationship visas, let you work from day one and they're a lot cheaper. That and it helps to prove that your relationship is tried and tested by the time you get hitched, along with giving you (in your case) time to prove you're employable.

[Aleksas]

I see what you are trying to say about getting homesick, however I dont think I am likely to get very homesick. I dont really have a place where i feel perticularly at home, seeing Ive had to change countries every four years anyhow.

Furthermore, is a Fiancee visa really that difficult to obtain? I wouldnt really know, seeing I have been travelling on a dipolmatic passport all my life, and still continue to do so. The difference would be that when I apply to marry I would no longer be one of my fathers dependants, thus no longer be on official business for the governement and my diplomatic passport will be cancelled perminantly.

There are other things too, within the relationship which favor getting married over getting a working holiday visa. In adition to those, I would be doing distance studies through a South African university, so my job would only be part time anyhow. He would be the main person supporting me, but I would manage to cover atleast my own food costs and expenses for travel etc, and in general i get the impression that for a working holidaymaker you must be able to:

Support yourself (but then again, he would be supporting me... mainly, and my support would be subject to our relationship which would make me dependant on him)
Being single(which is linked to the above, because it means I can support myself without being dependant on a partner...)
Have my main purpose to the UK being an extended holiday (which it blatently wouldnt be, so wont I get told off for abusing my visa or something?)

Either way, we think that the fiancee visa path would be the best, unless our chances were next to nothing, in which case I would take a gap year and apply for a working holdiaymaker, which is something I would prefer not to do. I want to study and get it over with.

So my question remains, would it be possible, in our circumstances, to get a fiancee visa?

Thanks for all the replies and opinions/suggestions! Greatly appriciated!!

Lex.

[Naiad]

I guess someone has already mentioned this but are you aware that when you are on the fiancee visa you are not allowed to work until after you get married and convert to a spouse visa?

I am here in the UK now on a fiancee visa and I can tell you it does take time to make the arrangements (even for a quick registry wedding) - I would work on a practical minimum of three weeks (you have to wait at least 15 days after you give notice until you can be married).

Also, remember that there is a steep application fee associated with the fiancee visa then another when you change it over to a spouse visa, making it a costly option.

Honestly, if I were you I would go with the WHV. I would certainly have done that had it been an option for us.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

[Aleksas]

Would it then really be cheaper if I were to apply for a WHM visa and then get a CoA when I arrive? That way it should theoretically be cheaper... or is getting a CoA an expensive thing?

So would the following plan be easier/cheaper

Apply for a working holidaymaker -- get visa

Arrive in England and then wait three or so weeks to settle, and then apply for a CoA

Then... do I change my visa or what after we are married...?

Thanks for the help.

Lex.

[disappointedandconfused]

Hi, I came across your post looking for some advice myself, but it reminded the stage I was at a couple of years ago

I met my boyf, now husband, when I was 21 and a student, he was 25 and a student.

Due to our own circumstances WHV was not an option and as we knew that eventually we would always be together we opted for fiancee visa and now he is on def leave to remain, the initial 2 year marriage visa

Let me say from someone who has been down this road,well at least the beginning of it, that it is possible to get a fiancee visa (which correct me please if I'm wrong normally has to be done outside the UK) with little funds. Our situation was this and we were sucessful. I still hadn't sorted out term time accomodation, was living on student loans and holiday jobs and of course my husband at this time also didnt have accomodation or work in the UK as previously he was staying over at mine on a temporary basis. However we were accepted as we had my parents full support in writing. including a statement giving us a room in their house until we could find something together, and the guy we were interviewed by to get the fiancee visa seemed sympathetic to our money situation as my parents had written they would treat my boyf as they do me and therefore he would not become destitute and in need of public funds. Also I had saved up approx £3000 before to show I could help him before he started work (let me tell you that went quickly and I ended up borrowing more).

I think they do it by a case by case basis, and also this was last summer, so I'm not sure if its the same attitude now, and maybe different attitudes to different nationalities although in our case his parents had no funds to help us at all. I have a feeling that we were lucky that the person interviewing us was sympathetic to our case.

But with hindsight, although I have no regrets getting married so young and as a student, as I wouldnt be without him, if there was another way than the fiancee and marriage route for us to be able to be together I would now take it, this is because our route was
a) very expensive
b) stressful
c) having the added burden of knowing you have to live with each other as you are changing, growing etc or else you wont get your next visa and have extra problems with immigration, even if you are a strong couple, it has tested our relationship. Just the feeling of the choice being taken away from you to cool things down if you wish by moving seperately, once its not there (because that then risks getting the next visa, and although you want things to cool down, you dont want it to end), small tensions which wouldn't normally grow, do, just because an escape route is blocked. There are so many little things which you never would imagine being a problem that then do become more difficult because of the marriage immigration requirements being imposed, especially in a young relationship, even for couples like ourselves which are stable.

I would advise you to think about the unneeded stress which you might not forsee of how immigration matters hang over you, even when your relationship is genuine and all you want to be is together. I never anticipated it would be as hard as it has been, as money became a little stressful as well before he got settled in the UK working, which takes time, infact a lot of time to sort out 100% with tax codes and insurance numbers qualifications not being recognised etc. If you can happily be together without going through this route, be together that way is my advice. It would be a shame to loose your relationship because it got too serious too quickly, and I know that we came close to that point a couple of times.

Then again, I have no regrets, cos if I hadn't of gone through this we wouldn't be together now, which I'm very thankful for.

So best of luck...
x