Spouse Settlement Visa Expiry and Extensions

[Bretty]

Hi

I am a UK citizen who recently returned after living in South Africa for 20 years. My SA wife was granted a 2 year settlement visa (we have been married for 18 months) while I was still over there. For financial reasons I came over on my own first to get a job and get settled and she will follow. Is there a time limit by which she must enter the UK? Her visa became valid on the 01/07/2007. If it can expire how do I go about getting an extension?

Thanks.

[John]

The problem is not now, but in nearly 2 years time when your wife will need to apply for a further visa. Given that it appears she will not enter in to the UK, for the first time using that visa, during its first 28 days of validity, it will be a question of her applying for further leave to remain in the month of June 2009.

Then when she has been in the UK for 2 years (less 28 days) she will be able to apply for ILR.

Example .... she first uses that visa to enter the UK on 01.10.07 ... during June 2009 she will need to apply for FLR ... then (assuming by then she has passed the Life in the UK Citizenship Test) she can apply for ILR any time from 04.09.09.

Note that the current application fee for FLR is £395 by post or £595 in person .... and for ILR it is £750 by post or £950 in person. So the delay in your wife arriving is doing to cost at least £395, as well as the hassle of making an extra application.

[Bretty]

Hi John

What happens in 2009 I will deal with then, I was just worried that she will arrive at the airport and be refused entry.

Thank you very much.

[John]

No, she has a valid visa, no reason to think she will be refused entry.