Family Visa - Wife and Step Child

[strontiumdog74]

Ok quick question:

Does my step daughter need to have residence status in the country of application or can she apply from a country if she is there as a visit/tourist visa?

We plan on coming back to the UK next june, applying for Visa in April.

We will hopefully get step daughter in April and then apply for Visa for wife and her from UAE.

Applying for Visa for UAE for step child is actually quite a pain and not cheap so I was wondering if I can get step daughter to UAE on 3 month visit or tourist visa and then apply for UK visa from here?

I have it in my head however that she need resident status in country of application?

Can anyone confirm?

Thanks

[Casa]

Your step-daughter can only apply from a country where she is legally resident...not as a visitor.

[strontiumdog74]

Thanks Casa, thought you'd say that. Damn.

[strontiumdog74]

Sorry if this is a noob question. I tried a google search but wasn't able to find what I wanted so I thought it quicker to ask here.

Is there an express processing option for spouse visa for UK from here in Abu Dhabi, where can I find information and any ideas on the extra cost? Also how quick is it?

Thanks

[Casa]

I think the information in the VFS Global link (UKVI Agents in UAE) is what you're looking for:

http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/uae/user_pay_services.html#4

[strontiumdog74]

Thanks Casa

[strontiumdog74]

Just after an opinion I guess.

If I accept a job in Bristol but say that we will initially live in my family home with my mother in Sidmouth (90 minute commute) whilst looking for a place to live once we've relocated back to the UK do you think UKVI will accept this?

I can provide an inspection report and supporting documents for the family home.

I am hoping to get a job offer by January and then apply for wife visa (Jan or Feb), it's a little far ahead from Jan to April to have found a place to live as we won't relocate from UAE to UK until April 7th? Also trying to find somewhere to rent without seeing it isn't ideal.

Any thoughts welcomed, cheers.

[Casa]

There is a risk that the ECO may suspect that with a 180 mile round commute daily that either the accommodation or the job offer isn't genuine.

[strontiumdog74]

Thanks Casa.

We are applying for a Tourist Visa for Christmas, is it worth me mentioning the following:

We are aware of the requirements of the tourist visa and aren't trying to circumvent the settlement process in any way, our application for a tourist visa is for a visit to Christmas period and that our long term aim is to apply in January upon return to the UAE for a settlement visa for our resettlement to the UK from April 2017.


By the way she passed her IELTS B1 test, we just got the results today

[Casa]

Congratulations on the English test.

In order for a visitor visa application to stand any chance of success, your wife will have to submit evidence of strong ties to her country of residence.
Regrettably, this has become tougher due to family members entering the UK as a visitor and then deciding they don't want to leave.

The ECO will have to be convinced that your wife and step child are genuine visitors.

If you are able to meet the income level with previous 12 month earnings in the UAE and your UK employment commencing within 3 months of arrival, why aren't you applying until after Christmas for settlement in April?

[strontiumdog74]

Well I have a letter from my employer stating that I have leave for the Christmas period and will be returning to work on the 7th January. Will this be enough? Wife doesn't have a job so there is not much I can do to show that she has ties in UAE apart from the fact that I will be returning here and she would come with me?

Step child is still in Philippines and we have decided not to apply for her to join us until 2018 so it's just me and the wife for now.

I am including a copy of our tenancy contract in both names too.

Any suggestions?

For the tourist Visa I am including:
Employment Contract
Letter from employer stating still employed, salary and Christmas leave period
6 months salary slips
Copy of my passport
Copy of my UAE Visa
Sponsor letter from me
Invite letter from my mum (staying at her house)
Land Registry Entry showing house owned by mum
Copy of mum's passport
Copy of flight booking
Marriage certificate - attested by UAE and Philippines

As for return sooner than next year:

Well the company who may offer me a job want to interview me face to face before they are willing to offer employment so I have that pencilled in for Jan just before I go back to UAE.

Main reason for not moving sooner than April is that I have not been out of the UK for a full tax year until April 7th 2017, so I would be taxed on my salary dating back to October 2015. I worked this out and if I went home tomorrow it would mean I was liable for approx. £18k tax liability and increasing by £1k a month until April 6th when it vanishes entirely. As you can probably understand this isn't something I want.

[Casa]

The lack of ties to the UAE may be an issue. You can only try.

[strontiumdog74]

The lack of ties to the UAE may be an issue. You can only try.

Thanks Casa. Let's hope for the best. This system is ridiculous.

[Casa]

It's certainly not easy, but this is why I generally have little sympathy for those who decide to dig their heels in and refuse to return once they arrive on a visitor visa.

It makes it so more difficult for genuine visitors as in your wife's case. I do hope it works out well for you both.

[strontiumdog74]

It's certainly not easy, but this is why I generally have little sympathy for those who decide to dig their heels in and refuse to return once they arrive on a visitor visa.

It makes it so more difficult for genuine visitors as in your wife's case. I do hope it works out well for you both.

Thanks Casa, I intend to apply end of this week or next week.

We are just getting her on my UAE Visa as her sponsor since her work visa was just cancelled. The initial steps for this are complete, just waiting on blood test results and then the stamp will be issued in the passport - hope to get that on Wednesday.

If that goes as planned (ie happens on Wed or Thursday) I will submit the tourist visa application which I have already completed and then make the appointment to submit the docs. We have originals and copies.

I'll keep you updated what happens if you want?

[Casa]

Please do... and feel free to post any further questions if you get stuck with anything along the way.

[strontiumdog74]

Ok sorry I have some more questions.
I am ok with the application for wife to come to the UK, we will do that in January and go to UK in April all being well.

Ok so then we will apply for the Visa for her daughter, this is where I am confused and where I need help.

So daughter is in Philippines. I know there are issues about sole custody so lets ignore those as I have ideas about that side of things and that's outside my control to some extent.

So I need a TB test or approval from Manila Test centre, step-daughter is only 2 right now. She may not need an x-ray.

Ok so we make the application online like for my wife, but how does this work as wife will be in UK and daughter is with her family in the Philippines, do we need a special power of attorney for her sister or anything? Who signs the visa application document?

Do I need to provide all the same evidence again, ie 6 month pay slips. This worries me from a time perspective as I wanted to get step daughter in August 2017 but that means applying in May on standard application or I guess July on express. I will have only started work in April with UK company.

My wife is considering going to the Philippines to get all the necessary things done instead of relying on her family, ie travel to Manila for the TB test, travel to Cebu for the document submission and for daughter to do biometrics etc. This we think will mean she would be in Philippines for either 2 months or 4 months depending on whether we go for standard or priority service. Does being out of UK for this period of time affect her settlement visa in any way?



Finally, for our application for going home this Christmas... should we apply for Family Visit visa (as we are visiting my family so her in-laws) or a general visit visa?


I'm sure your answers will generate more questions, thanks in advance

[noajthan]

Ok sorry I have some more questions.
I am ok with the application for wife to come to the UK, we will do that in January and go to UK in April all being well.

Ok so then we will apply for the Visa for her daughter, this is where I am confused and where I need help.

So daughter is in Philippines. I know there are issues about sole custody so lets ignore those as I have ideas about that side of things and that's outside my control to some extent.

So I need a TB test or approval from Manila Test centre, step-daughter is only 2 right now. She may not need an x-ray.

Ok so we make the application online like for my wife, but how does this work as wife will be in UK and daughter is with her family in the Philippines, do we need a special power of attorney for her sister or anything? Who signs the visa application document?

Do I need to provide all the same evidence again, ie 6 month pay slips. This worries me from a time perspective as I wanted to get step daughter in August 2017 but that means applying in May on standard application or I guess July on express. I will have only started work in April with UK company.

My wife is considering going to the Philippines to get all the necessary things done instead of relying on her family, ie travel to Manila for the TB test, travel to Cebu for the document submission and for daughter to do biometrics etc. This we think will mean she would be in Philippines for either 2 months or 4 months depending on whether we go for standard or priority service. Does being out of UK for this period of time affect her settlement visa in any way?



Finally, for our application for going home this Christmas... should we apply for Family Visit visa (as we are visiting my family so her in-laws) or a general visit visa?


I'm sure your answers will generate more questions, thanks in advance

Suggest have wife do the paperwork rather than a SPOA.
(Using a SPOA tends to suggest independent life of daughter).
So send over a bunch of pre-signed forms. They can be dated later.
Before submitting application crosscheck the version of form has not changed.

It should not involve a 2 month stay in Philippines; I was working remotely and spent maybe 10 days at a time in-country sorting out 'issues'.
If you get the timings rights it should not involve a long stay for the Manila trip either.

Don't bank on getting the visit visa for Christmas. You may or may not.

Good luck.

[strontiumdog74]

Thank you for the reply, long time no speak.

So what do you think realistic time scales are, I mean for her to apply for the Visa and then return to UK with daughter if successful? I am trying to avoid paying for repeated trips to the Philippines if I can avoid it.


Yeah Casa warned me about the Christmas trip, I am hoping that because we are both travelling together that her compelling reason to return to the UAE is in fact that she will have family there, ie me cos I am returning. We can but hope.

Should it be family visit or tourist visa?

[noajthan]

Thank you for the reply, long time no speak.

So what do you think realistic time scales are, I mean for her to apply for the Visa and then return to UK with daughter if successful? I am trying to avoid paying for repeated trips to the Philippines if I can avoid it.

Yeah Casa warned me about the Christmas trip, I am hoping that because we are both travelling together that her compelling reason to return to the UAE is in fact that she will have family there, ie me cos I am returning. We can but hope.

Should it be family visit or tourist visa?

Hello.

Not sure, afaik its just a generic visit visa. Never had one.

To sort out my step-daughter's visa took 8 months or so, but I was in full employment and had the track record and all my documentation.
Fiance(/wife) and daughter had one 2 or 3-day trip to Manila/embassy in that time.
I had 2 trips to Cebu, no longer than about 10 days each (to gather evidence).

Most of that overall elapsed time was due to embassy and UKVI inaction/inertia.
This was for the reconsideration/appeal; fiance's process went smoothly and took much less time. (Can't remember exactly how many months).

A couple of trips may do it, or one extended trip if you prefer. (I was able to tag some of my trips as extensions to business trips to Asia).

[strontiumdog74]

Thanks, yeah I am hoping to do it as one extended trip for her to stay in the Philippines while everything gets sorted.

Does her being in Philippines and out of UK for 2-4 months affect her residency visa for UK?

Thanks

[strontiumdog74]

Me again,

So if I could get a job offer that was say based in Southampton but they had an office in Exeter, if the job offer said:

You will be based in Southampton but for the first 4 weeks you can work from the Exeter Office while you arrange suitable local accommodation in the Southampton area.

Would UKVI accept this? I have my mum's place near Exeter that I can use for that period and all the proof I need for that as being acceptable.

Thoughts?

[Casa]

To be honest, the ECO may want to see evidence of adequate accommodation that will be available in Southampton for when the 4 week period ends.

[strontiumdog74]

Just to update, last night someone from my current company back in Exeter sent me an e-mail offering me a good position back in the Exeter Office to start in April. Really good news and sorts all my issues.

So pleased.

[Casa]

Brilliant!