Visa Issue: Not married...yet

Please Help!

I'll be moving to the UK in January '09 with my wife-to-be (getting married in December 2008). I don't want to apply for a fiance settlement visa for her because then she'll have a 6 month period where she can't work.

I have a Certificate to Entitlement of Right of Abode, which is how I'm personally heading over and am thinking we'll just have her follow me over as a visitor and once on the ground in the UK apply for her settlement visa as my wife from inside the UK?

Does anyone know if there are any complications to that plan we should know about?

Thanks for your help

Does anyone know if there are any complications to that plan we should know about?

yes ! If she is a visitor to the UK , she cannot apply for a visa from within the UK. She will have to apply from Canada.

If you are getting married before moving to the UK, just apply for the spouse visa, then if you have to move first once she gets her visa she can move with you and start working straight away.

Thanks Joanne, appreciate you taking the time to help.

Have you looked up what the criteria is for your fiance applying for settlement as your spouse? I know that one cannot apply for citizenship in the UK (even as a spouse) until one has lived in the UK for a minimum of 3 years. So, personally, I don't know how the settlement works.

I'd recommend (as Joanne did) that she apply for the spouse visa, because that would probably be the easiest route for both of you.

Sorry I can't give much more help than that.