Entry Clearance for Spouse/Children

[JayGee]

I am about to apply for EC only for myself, with the intention of leaving for the UK in October 2004 and then to find accomodation and a job.

Once I have achieved this, I would like my wife and three children (aged 10 years, 7 years and 5 months) to join me in the UK.

Questions:

a) Is it wise for me to apply for my family EC now or must I wait?
b) What implications, besides costs, are there for applying for EC later
than rather now with me.

Many thanks

[afzalasm]

Helo,

I recon. first you go alone and arrange for job and accomodation. It is not wise to have you and all of your family memebers for EC as all of you have to enter in UK within 3 months. So if you wont get settled within 3 months, how can you bring your family on board.

There are no implications in applying for EC for your family without you. They will get the visa on your HSMP letter.

Hope this help.

[JayGee]

Thanks Afzal

Does this mean my wife don't have to go to British High Commission to be interviewed? Somewhere I saw someon'es wife was asked to come for interview on HSMP?

Tx

[Chess]

JG,

Stop stressing....Just complete the VAF and apply only for yourself (list all your depedants). At the section asking for any further information or in a covering letter say that your depedantrs will apply for EC at a later date when you have 'settled' in the UK.

List the details pertaining to your depedents in the VAF, including just copies of the front page of their ppts...

Dont panick - enjoy the African sun shine..as it is currently raining cats and dogs in the UK

[Ajay Kumar Singh]

JG,
One thing I learnt from my experience of applying EC for wife later. It was really a painful process. She was called for interview and we had to spent a fotrtune to go to another city and long painful waiting of 5 hours and then the dumb blonde Brit lady sitting behind the glass (in the interview room in HC they have this buletproof glass erected between candidate and a VISA officer - similar to those which u see in USA jails in Hollywood movies. I'm not sure whether such kind of things exist in another countries also ?) smiled and said that she just called for interview because of some confusion.

May be situation in ur country is better

And yes one more silly stupid funny thing. This was the same lady who by coincidence has corrected my HSMP EC from 2 years to 1 year, and after looking at my EC she just smiled.

And making situation more hilarious, she didn't know what does HSMP mean. My spouse had to explain the meaning of HSMP.

God save the queen and these dumb VISA officiers...

[JayGee]

God save us all!

[raoms]

ajay, it seems that in your opinion its not a good idea to apply for the spouse later. At least your wife faced an interview, I am not sure what might have been the situation if my wife was there .

[Ajay Kumar Singh]

Well i can't say it's good or not so good to apply for spouse's EC alongwith principle applicant. I just explained my experience. In my case i did mistake i would have applied earlier with my EC. That time DHC was not so crowded ,now a days Student VISA rush.

[aromated]

Hi Everybody
I am expecting my HSMP approval within 2-3 months. But I do feel that, If ur family is with u, then u r mentally, spiritually and physically in a better position than without ur family. So In my opinion, one must carry one's family initially.

[f2k]

i agree with the fact that it will probably be better to apply for dependents at the same time as oneself, but you will have to look at your financial situation at the time, if you dont have enough funds and secure accommodation it might create a problem for you. what i have seen though is that when at the high commision if you put in an application for yourself and your spouse/kids they dont seem to direct any questions to them but only to the principal applicant, infact i had from a friend of mine that when he went they told him that his wife and kids could take a sit while they asked him all the questions, it might differ from country to country though.