Moving to UK from Honduras

[leecito]

Hi All,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice as I am unsure as to how it all works.

I am English, a friend of mine who I met whilst travelling is Honduran and wants to move here due to the political situation in her country and just due the fact it is very dangerous there and I would like to help her.

How does someone from Honduras (or any other latin american country) go about moving here?

I have been advised by some friends from Ecuador that she should just come here as a tourist, she will not need to apply for a tourist visa and will be given 6 months on arrival, and then when she is here can apply for residency.

IS that the best way to do it? What are the chances that she will be granted residency?

[CR001]

A person in the UK cannot switch to another visa because they would like to stay.

When you say 'friend', what exactly do you mean, friend, girlfriend.........??

[leecito]

Girlfriend.

So if she was to come here as a tourist, she couldn't apply for residency whilst here?

[CR001]

As the 'girlfriend' of an EU citizen, you would have to produce evidence of 2 years cohabitation 'in a relationship akin to marriage' for her to apply for an Extended Family Member residence card.

She has no 'automatic' rights as your 'girlfriend'.

[Casa]

Char, it seems the OP is English so will be under the UK Immigration Rules.

It's not permitted to switch to any other category of visa while here as a visitor.

There is no girlfriend/boyfriend visa and you won't qualify as unmarried partners as you haven't lived together for the mandatory 2 year period.

Unless you intend to marry, her only option would be a Points Based visa, as a student which requires substantial funds, or a Tier 2 employment visa if she has skills and has an offer from an employer on the Home Office approved sponsor list.

[leecito]

Ok thanks for your answers.

She doesn't speak English so highly unlikely with the employment /student visa. She has savings as it's too dangerous to go out in the evenings most of the time over there but I don't know how much.

I'm not trying to get her a visa as my girlfriend as I know it won't work like that. My friend is married to someone from Hong Kong and they have lived over there together for about 3 years and they're still finding it difficult to bring her over here.

If she was to come over here, on her own, with the intention of staying, what would she do? Isn't there some sort of 5 year residency application?

Then if we co-habited for that time she could apply for indefinite leave to remain after?

I do appreciate your replies, and please excuse my ignorance about some of this as it is something I have never looked in to before.

[Casa]

Ok thanks for your answers.

She doesn't speak English so highly unlikely with the employment /student visa. She has savings as it's too dangerous to go out in the evenings most of the time over there but I don't know how much.

I'm not trying to get her a visa as my girlfriend as I know it won't work like that. My friend is married to someone from Hong Kong and they have lived over there together for about 3 years and they're still finding it difficult to bring her over here. Living with her husband in Honduras or Hong Kong ?

If she was to come over here, on her own, with the intention of staying, what would she do? Isn't there some sort of 5 year residency application? I've already explained her option for residency in the UK. The Tier 2 employment visa is a 5 year route to settlement (which you say she doesn't qualify for), or Tier 4 Student visa which requires around £10,000 per year in student fees and doesn't lead to settlement.

Then if we co-habited for that time she could apply for indefinite leave to remain after? Not if she's still married to her husband. If her marriage ended you would have to live together outside of the UK for at least 2 years in a relationship 'akin to marriage', with documented evidence of shared finances, joint tenancy etc.

Also the initial unmarried partner or spouse visa is only issued for a period of 33 months, and requires as further 2.5 year extension before qualifying for ILR (assuming the relationship is still subsisting at that time). You would also need very deep pockets for the visa fees of several thousand pounds over the 5 year qualifying period.

I do appreciate your replies, and please excuse my ignorance about some of this as it is something I have never looked in to before.

[leecito]

I was talking about a different friend of mine (English guy who lived in Hong Kong with his wife) sorry if I didn't make that clear.

I was just using that as an example of how I understand it is difficult for someone to move to the UK even if they are married to a British national, and therefore just trying to get the Honduran girl over here as my girlfriend would not be an option.

[Casa]

I was talking about a different friend of mine (English guy who lived in Hong Kong with his wife) sorry if I didn't make that clear.

In which case ignore the remarks about existing marriage but all the other advice is relevant.

I can see why you misled my fellow moderator, CR001 into believing you are an EEA national as you've chosen the flag of Andorra (although you've said you are English)

[leecito]

I just clicked any flag, no intention of misleading. Doesn't seem to let me change it.

I am British.

[Wanderer]

Hi All,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice as I am unsure as to how it all works.

I am English, a friend of mine who I met whilst travelling is Honduran and wants to move here due to the political situation in her country and just due the fact it is very dangerous there and I would like to help her.

How does someone from Honduras (or any other latin american country) go about moving here?

I have been advised by some friends from Ecuador that she should just come here as a tourist, she will not need to apply for a tourist visa and will be given 6 months on arrival, and then when she is here can apply for residency.

IS that the best way to do it? What are the chances that she will be granted residency?

They'd be bounced right back.

Honduras doesn't seem the nicest place on earth to live but neither is Moss Side, Manchester. I can't see any reasonable reason why the UK should grant residency for every person in the World who lives in a dodgy place. You just have to deal with the hand you were dealt with I'm afraid and that's how the Home Office view it.

Coming to UK as a tourist with intent to remain is effectively lying to the UKVI on day one, I'm sure that's not the intention hopefully in the case.

[leecito]

Hi All,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice as I am unsure as to how it all works.

I am English, a friend of mine who I met whilst travelling is Honduran and wants to move here due to the political situation in her country and just due the fact it is very dangerous there and I would like to help her.

How does someone from Honduras (or any other latin american country) go about moving here?

I have been advised by some friends from Ecuador that she should just come here as a tourist, she will not need to apply for a tourist visa and will be given 6 months on arrival, and then when she is here can apply for residency.

IS that the best way to do it? What are the chances that she will be granted residency?

They'd be bounced right back.

Honduras doesn't seem the nicest place on earth to live but neither is Moss Side, Manchester. I can't see any reasonable reason why the UK should grant residency for every person in the World who lives in a dodgy place. You just have to deal with the hand you were dealt with I'm afraid and that's how the Home Office view it.

Coming to UK as a tourist with intent to remain is effectively lying to the UKVI on day one, I'm sure that's not the intention hopefully in the case.

Thanks for your response.

Yes I appreciate that obviously we cannot accept everyone. I am just hoping to help out someone who I care about. And seeing as London is a city of many migrants, of whom I'm sure plenty have come over on their own from latin american countries, was just hoping for some info on how it could be done when student/working visas probably are not an option.

If she were to fly here she wouldn't be bounced back as she is allowed to visit for up to 6 months without a visa. Her intention would be not to return to Honduras so essentially would be lying to the UKVI from day one.

[Casa]

Although she may be non-visa national, she will still be expected to submit evidence on entry to the Immigration Officer at UK Border Control to convince them that she will return to her home country. The IO won't simply take her word that she has no intention of overstaying (when in fact she does).
Note for non-visa nationals:
"However, you should bring the same documents you’d need to apply for a visa, to show to officers at the UK border."

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... ersion.pdf

How is she going to stay here illegally once her permitted time as a visitor expires? She will be unable to work, will have no access to NHS treatment, no bank account or driving licence, will be unable to rent somewhere to live and will constantly be trying to avoid the UK Border Police.

Not much of a life.

[leecito]

How is she going to stay here illegally once her permitted time as a visitor expires? She will be unable to work, will have no access to NHS treatment, no bank account or driving licence, will be unable to rent somewhere to live and will constantly be trying to avoid the UK Border Police.

Not much of a life.

Exactly, and this is what I have also said to her. She would want a normal life and to be able to work and eventually travel within Europe and elsewhere.

As mentioned previously, friends I have from Ecuador have said for her just to come as a tourist then apply for residency whilst in the UK. Obviously I was sceptical that it is that easy, hence signing up to this forum and starting this thread. As I wouldn't want her to come over then have to leave after 6 months having spent all her money to return to the exact same situation as before.

[Casa]

As has already been explained, she will NOT be able to apply for residency in the UK under ANY category while here as a visitor.