Tier 4 of my partner is almost over? I am a student too

[kerdan]

Hello everybody

I have a question, hope you can help me. My partner (civil partner) and I are both overseas postgraduate students, we start our programs this last September (2012). My partner is on a 1 year masters course at Nottingham, meanwhile I am on a 4 year doctorate program in London. My visa ends at the beginning of 2017 but my partner's visa is going to be over this next January (2014). So my question is: It is possible to extend her visa till 2017? The plan is after she finishes the masters she is going to come and live with me in London. What is the normal procedure for this type of cases?

Thank you very much for your help

I

[sheraz7]

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... ts/family/

[kerdan]

[quote="sheraz7"] http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... nts/family [/quote]

Thank you for the link Sheraz7, but how I interpret this paragraph:

" If your dependants are already in the UK with permission, they will be allowed to extend their stay provided they apply at the same time as you apply to undertake a course of study lasting more than 6 months."

I know she needs to apply again, but I need to apply again too?, I am a little confused about this part. I mean, we have two complete different visas. I think the real question is :

she can apply by herself stating that her partner is already in the UK with a visa?

Thank you for your help

I

[Greenie]

you need to read the sentence above the one you are quoting. Assuming you are studying a postgraduate course at a university you are able to sponsor Dependants without having to apply at the same time however as your partner is here on a student visa she would not be able to apply from within the UK. She would have to apply from her home country.

You say that you are civil partners. Do you mean you are a same gender couple in a formal legal civil partnership or do you mean you are an unmarried couple? As one of you is studying in London and the other in Nottingham i assume you are not currently living together?

[kerdan]

Hi, yes we are an unmarried couple, we lived together for a year and a half in our home country but the last seven months we only see each other on weekends. We are planning to get married this summer, i don't know how that can change the process, but another option, a difficult one i think, is that she can get a job an apply for a tier 2 visa. Maybe like you said, the safer choice is that she goes back and apply at our country, but that means around 3 months of being separated and spending a lot of money in plane tickets. For me the perfect situation would be to apply from the UK but maybe that is not an option. Thank you for your help.

[Greenie]

A civil partnership is a legal union between a same gender couple, so you are not civil partners. To apply as your unmarried partner she would have to show that you had been living together for at least two years prior to the application. If you are getting married she won't have to show this but you will have to marry before she applies. It is not possible for her to switch from tier 4 to tier 4 dependant from within the UK. She will need to apply from her home country. Switching to tier 2 might be a possibility but that depends on whether she is able to secure employment with a employer willing and able to sponsor her for a job that meets the requirements for tier 2.

[kerdan]

Sheraz7 and Greenie, thank you very much for taking your time and helping me to understand the whole situation. I think the best option would be return to my country and apply from there, although i am going to encourage her to get a proper job. Let see what happens, thank you guys, take care.

I

[KAJI]

Sheraz7 and Greenie, thank you very much for taking your time and helping me to understand the whole situation. I think the best option would be return to my country and apply from there, although i am going to encourage her to get a proper job. Let see what happens, thank you guys, take care.

I

Hi kordan
Can you please tell me where are u studying doctorate program i also have to join soon. Thanks