Partner visa, whole family lives in Pakistan with British father and kids

[Nasirnasir011]

Hi,
This forum helped me a lot in getting my kids British passports. Thanks for that first of all.
Now I have three kids from my second marriage, I left the Uk after an accident and mental health. I got married here in Pakistan without filling the divorce. I cancelled my British passport but 2020 when I got bit better I filed divorce and sent to my first wife and the UK embassy in Pakistan. In 2024 I got my British passport again. Last year I applied for my three kids British passports.
Now I don't know how to apply for my wife visa who is the mother of three British citizens and I have told you my marriage situation.
Thanks for help

[Casa]

The issue you have is that your second marriage won't be recognised under British law, as you were still married to your first wife.

In similar situations, the best (and possibly your only option) would be to apply for a fiance visa and marry in the UK within 6 months. Your wife would then be on the 5 year route to permanent settlement.

Have you checked that the divorce decree absolute has been issued by the Court?

[Nasirnasir011]

Thanks Casa,
I really don't know how to check that decree absolute is issued or not from Pakistan. I have proofs of sending divorce to my ex cousins as I couldn't locate her. I also sent that divorce to the UK embassy after which I got a call from the embassy. Rest I don't know what happened.

[Casa]

Thanks Casa,
I really don't know how to check that decree absolute is issued or not from Pakistan. I have proofs of sending divorce to my ex cousins as I couldn't locate her. I also sent that divorce to the UK embassy after which I got a call from the embassy. Rest I don't know what happened.

You will need to submit a copy of the divorce decree absolute when you apply for a fiance visa. I suggest you contact the UK Embassy to find out which UK court the divorce petition was registered. Hopefully the embassy has a record of the petition being submitted.

[Nasirnasir011]

I am not sure whether the UK Embassy forwarded my divorce documents to the relevant department or whether they were retained on file.

I am concerned because I had a similar experience during my passport renewal. HM Passport Office asked me to send my old passport to the UK Embassy in Pakistan, which I did. I received a call from the Embassy afterwards, but later, when I went to the visa centre to collect my new passport, they refused to hand it over because they wanted to see my old passport. The Embassy had no record of receiving it, despite me having proof of delivery. It took several days and significant effort to resolve the issue and obtain my new passport.

Given this previous experience, I am worried that if my divorce documents were not forwarded or recorded by the Embassy, they may not be available to the relevant department. However, I do have the original Pakistani court divorce order and the Union Council divorce certificate.

Could you please advise whether my Pakistani divorce documents would still be accepted as evidence of my legal divorce, even if the Embassy did not forward the documents internally?

[Casa]

Was your first wife aware that you were petitioning for a divorce in Pakistan? If not, the following requirement won't have been complied with.

Both spouses must be made aware of the divorce proceedings and have a reasonable opportunity to respond to the divorce petition.

[Nasirnasir011]

Thanks for replying,
I tried to locate her whereabouts, and it was in 2020, then I sent divorce papers to the UK embassy in Pakistan and also to my first wife cousin. Her cousin lives in USA but I meet him few times in the past and had regular contact with my ex wife.
I had health problems of my own, so I did try to locate her but I couldn't.