Spouse and child visa question

[wizardofoz2012]

Hi everyone,

I'd just like to say that this forum has been FAR more beneficial than the UKBA website at helping deduce whats what.

Anyhow, I was hoping some of the wiser heads here could help me with my query.

I am a British citizen living in the UK, and my wife is Indian (living in India). She is due with our first very soon javascript:emoticon(':D')

I have decided to apply for an Indian passport for the baby, as this takes around 2~ weeks (rather than apply for a British passport which can take between 12-16 weeks in India). I then plan on bringing the misses and baby to the UK, and getting the baby a British passport.

For my misses I will be applying for a spouse visa with the following:

1 - 2 photos with her name on the back
2 - Her passport, and a photocopy of my passport (or do I need to submit my original passport?)
3 - Mine and her Birth certificates
4 - Our marriage certificate
5 - Approx. 8 photos of us together (2 from the wedding and 6 from various places thereafter, including our honeymoon), with a date and description on the back of each.
6 - 5 sets of tickets of various flights back and forth I have made before, during and after getting married (and another set of tickets showing our honeymoon tickets, hotels bookings etc).
7 - Some email transcripts of our conversations (I make phone calls using O2 international favourites on a Pay-as-you-Go sim so can't really show this).

Forgot to mention, her pregnancy reports!

8 - IF possible - Orange phone bills showing text messages sent from my phone to hers
9 - Her english lang test
10 - 6-7 months of my personal statements, 6-7 months of my business account statements
11 - I work as an IT contractor, so I will include a letter from accountant (with his phone no.) explaining my finances and that I am the sole shareholder and MD of my Co., my dividend vouchers, my business registration certificate, my vat cerificate and my last 3 quarterly vats returns. I may also get a letter from my business account manager to confirm that I and the owner of my account (and also his phone no.)

Forgot to add, I will also include my recent contract contracts, and the invoices for the work done, going back for the last 6 months, as proof of work.

12 - My tenancy agreement, a letter from my landlord with his phone no., and a printout from the land registry website showing my landlord owns the property.

All of this will be preceeded with a covering letter explaining things in detail. Is this enough do you reckon? Or am I missing something blindingly obvious?

Also, for my newborn, I know I fill in the same application form as I do for my spouse, but what documentation would I require, as I cannot for the life of me seem to find this listed anywhere?

I will be submitting both applications together, but does this mean I will have to re-submit all the above listed docs for the baby (if they are required), or is the baby's birth certificate and passport going to be enough?

A huge thanks in advance to everyone who replies!!

[vinny]

A British child may apply for a British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode.

[wizardofoz2012]

Thanks for your reply.

Any ideas on how long it would take me to apply for and actually receive a certificate of entitlement? Anyone had any experience of this in Hyderabad/India?

Also, do you know if once I receive the CoE for my child, would the child then require an exit permit of any sort to leave India, or would immigration simply view the CoE as a 'permanent visa' of sorts?

Thanks again.

[pennylessinindia]

Thanks for your reply.

Any ideas on how long it would take me to apply for and actually receive a certificate of entitlement? Anyone had any experience of this in Hyderabad/India?

Also, do you know if once I receive the CoE for my child, would the child then require an exit permit of any sort to leave India, or would immigration simply view the CoE as a 'permanent visa' of sorts?

Thanks again.

Would not take any longer than a settlement visa

Child only needs exit stamp if has British Passport as this is in lieu of the Indian visa

[wizardofoz2012]

Thanks again.

I phoned the UKBA today, and they stated that *if* I were to apply in the UK then it would take 8 weeks, which seems strange as the time given for a new passport (first time) is around 3-6 weeks (or a week using the fast-track service).

I would have thought that a CoE would have taken far less than 8 weeks especially here in the UK (not that it applies to me of course). I guess I'll have to call VFS in Hyderabad tomorrow to double check, although checking the link below indicates it could take upto 60 days:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/count ... ableAnchor

Any ideas on if I've got everything for my wife's application?

Thanks

[wizardofoz2012]

Just to update everyone, I did phone VFS, and they stated 3 months to obtain a CoE (this was after the agent confirmed with one of his colleagues/manager) - if this is really the case, it does seem an awfully long time - the same amount of time it would take to obtain a British passport. Does anyone have any experience of getting a CoE?

Also, I was abit unsure with regards to whether I would have to obtain a seperate certificate of citizenship for my child first, or could I simply apply for the CoE immediately?

Many thanks again