I am in the process of trying to get my (Mexican) wife and (British passport holding) kids over here to join me in the UK. Long story short, they came over here on a tourist visa in 2009, I contacted the UKBA to try and change her visa status from tourist to settlement spouse visa, and was basically told that this was impossible to do while she was in the UK - she had to return to Mexico and apply from there. So, she went back a year ago and has lived there ever since while I save up for the visa/flights etc.
So, now I have the money, and I am looking in to applying, and it seems to me that she in fact can come over here and apply for the FLR (M) from within this country. It seems to be much cheaper for her to apply from here than in Mexico - in Mexico the cost is around £800 for the visa plus a trip to Mexico city (total cost - around a grand), but from here, the cost is £550.
So, (sorry for the long winded life story), could anyone please confirm whether it is possible for my wife to fly over here, enter the UK on a tourist visa, and then apply for an FLR (M) visa whilst here? Has anyone done this successfully?
Many thanks
