French National Marrying in Pakistan

[conference12]

Good evening all,

I have spend the past few days browsing the pages of this site for information and I've now come to the stage where I need to post my own thread for advice specific to my circumstances.

I am a 31 year old French citizen living in the UK; I have been in the UK for the past 21+ years (my parents and siblings are French citizens and they too live in the UK)

I am due to marry my fiancee in Pakistan in November this year (she is a Pakistani National).

The marriage will take place in Pakistan and my hope is to be able to bring her to the UK to live with me as soon as possible.

What are the choices available to me in order to bring her to the UK?

My understanding from reading various postings on this site is that there are only 2 options available to me:
1) Apply for EU Family Permit
2) Apply for a Spousal/Settlement visa
Is this correct or are there any other avenues I should be looking into?

Also it would seem from postings on this site that if I go through the EU Family Permit route it would be free and involve less hassle and paperwork, and that applying for a Spousal Visa is somewhat time consuming and rather expensive - is this correct?

Assuming the EU Family Permit is the best route to take, how do I go about starting this process?

Is there anything I should do here in the UK before heading out to Pakistan for the wedding? What kind of paperwork would I need to take to Pakistan with me?

When in Pakistan, I am presuming that any application will need to be submitted to the British High Commission in Islamabad as she will be coming to live with me to the UK - but do I need to involve the French authorities in any way, as I am a French citizen?

Do I need to obtain any documentation from the French authorities? Maybe something to certify that I am indeed a French citizen, or will my passport be sufficient?

Will I need to stay in the country whilst the application is being processed?

In terms of my personal situation, I was made redundant from my job a few months ago and have still not been able to land a job - will this be detrimental to the application? I am not receiving benefits as I am able to support myself financially with my savings and I own the house I live in (there is a small amount left to pay on the mortgage).
Is there a specific amount of funds I need to have in my account in order to show that I am financially stable even though I am currently unemployed at the moment?

A few people on this site have mentioned that if you apply for the EU Family Permit, you also need to have comprehensive health insurance - is this the case?
When I applied to go to university a few years ago, I was treated as a 'home student' and not a foreign student because I had been resident in the UK for a number of years - so similarly, I presume, I would be covered by the standard NHS cover which all British citizens have access to? Therefore not needing to take out a seperate health insurance policy?

Also, how long will I need to remain in Pakistan? Is it just a case of one visit to the British High Commission to submit the papers and then all queries and interviews will involve my wife? I say this because it is likely I will only be able to stay in Pakistan for about 2 weeks after the wedding as I have a couple of job interviews around the end of November.

Ultimatley I would want to do everything possible from my side in terms of adminstration and paperwork so that I do not have to make repeat visits to Pakistan, because if I am lucky enough to land a job it would be difficult to keep asking for time off to head out there.

Many thanks in advance!

[Ken G]

Hi, Yes your options are these two however the EA FP is easier option. For the process, your wife can apply for it herself once married. The British High Commission may want to see a notarised copy of your marriage certificate. As far as i am aware UK dosent recognise religious marriages.
The legislation states that the FP should be issued without delay and free of charge.

The form is available on the UKBA website and is pretty straight forward.

Paoperwork that be required for this application is your proof of nationality, proof that you are exercising treaty rights and that you can support your wife without being unresonble burden on public purse. They usually ask for 3 months pay slips, accomodation documents i.e land registry, tenancy agreement, lease etc. Any contract for your employment is there is any or tax return documents if you are self employed.


As far as your requirement to stay in Pakistan is concerned, you may leave a day after the wedding if you wish to do so, your wife's right to enter UK will exisit from the time you both sign your marrigae certificate, as long as you are exercising treaty rights.

Hope this helps.

[Jambo]

You are right that the EEA route is a lot easier (and cheaper). The downside is that it is likely that the British High Commission staff are less familiar with this route and might need some "help" from your side in convincing them that you are eligible for this route (I suggest you write a cover letter detailing on what basis the application is made).

There is no need to involve the French authorities in the application.

As you have been living in the UK for so long, you have probably gained Permanent Residence status. In this case, you don't need to provide evidence that you are exercising treaty rights in the UK (worker, self-sufficient, job seeker). You also don't need to show any finances at all (this is where they might need some "help" convincing as financial information is required if going via the UK route).

However, you will need to provide evidence that you have Permanent Residence status. As your marriage is just one or two months away, the easiest way to prove you have a PR status would be to provide P60's to cover 5 continuous years. Are you able to provide that?

Your wife could make the application without you but will need to provide evidence of your French nationality. If can make a one visit with her to present your documents, that would be the best.