No UK Visa needed for non-eu members of EU citizens families

[King Herald]

unrepentant said:

King Herald said:

unrepentant said:

Seems perfectly sensible. She's married to an EU national so of course she should travel freely in Europe.

So marrying some Russian pen pal I met last week entitles her to a UK passport/visa/access then?

Obviously not. I don't think anyone is suggesting that any non UK national should be issued with a UK passport.

Well, that is the way the article paints it. She is not a European but they state she is entitled to access to enter and remain in the UK. In my book that is as good as having a UK passport or a visa.

the judges in Luxembourg said:

the Colombian wife of Sean McCarthy, a dual British and Irish national living in Spain, did not need a UK visa or family permit to visit Britain"

When I brought my wife to the UK, from the Philippines, (not Russia, not a pen friend, sorry) she had to go through a long and drawn out visa process, and it took three years before she got a passport. And we had been married five years before we decided to move back to the UK.

Now the Yooman Rights people say all that goes out the window, anybody I marry, from anywhere, can just waltz right in.......

[Eric Mc]

What happens if you and the Mrs want to visit Spain - or the Republic of Ireland - or any other EU country?

Does she need a visa for each and every EU country every time you go on a trip like that?

That is what the UK are saying about this Colombian woman.

[unrepentant]

King Herald said:

When I brought my wife to the UK, from the Philippines, (not Russia, not a pen friend, sorry) she had to go through a long and drawn out visa process, and it took three years before she got a passport. And we had been married five years before we decided to move back to the UK.

Now the Yooman Rights people say all that goes out the window, anybody I marry, from anywhere, can just waltz right in.......

What makes you think that the Columbian wife didn't go through exactly the same process in Spain as your Filipino wife? Having done that she, just like your own good lady, should be free to travel wherever she likes in the EU.

[Eric Mc]

unrepentant said:

What makes you think that the Columbian wife didn't go through exactly the same process in Spain as your Filipino wife? Having done that she, just like your own good lady, should be free to travel wherever she likes in the EU.

Precisely.

Methinks that behind such thinking is an assumption that the UK's vetting of foreign individuals is far more robust than the vetting carried out by "Johnny Foreigner". Based on what was revealed a few weeks ago, I would think that the UK is just as sloppy as any other country.

Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 19th December 13:09

[s2art]

Eric Mc said:

unrepentant said:

What makes you think that the Columbian wife didn't go through exactly the same process in Spain as your Filipino wife? Having done that she, just like your own good lady, should be free to travel wherever she likes in the EU.

Precisely.

Methinks that behind such thinking is an assumption that the UK's vetting of foreign individuals is far more robust than the vetting carried out by "Johnny Foreigner". Based on what was revealed a few weeks ago, I would think that the UK is just as sloppy as any other country.

Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 19th December 13:09

But that is precisely the case. Many EU countries do have much easier residency procedures than the UK. Its a race to the bottom.

[Eric Mc]

I bet you will find the regulations are quite tough in most EU countries. It's how the regulations are applied (or ignored) that matters. Only last week the UK Home Office was roundly criticised by a Parliamentary Committee for failing to prevent people with criminal records getting UK citizenship - so we are the last country to be criticising others.

[Mrr T]

s2art said:

But that is precisely the case. Many EU countries do have much easier residency procedures than the UK. Its a race to the bottom.

I think you will find this is nothing to do with residency but with visa entry. I assume she could only have entered Spain and lived there on a spouse visa.

I doubt there are significant difference between the UK and Spanish visa requirement because this aspect of visa entry is largely dictated by ECHR rulings.

[King Herald]

unrepentant said:

What makes you think that the Columbian wife didn't go through exactly the same process in Spain as your Filipino wife? Having done that she, just like your own good lady, should be free to travel wherever she likes in the EU.

So she has a Spanish passport then? So she can visit any country that lets Spanish passport holders in visa free I guess.

Or does she just have a Spanish visa, ie, Schengen visa, in which case it doesn't apply to the UK because it is not in the Schengen states.

There is no 'European' visa, or passport, so she has to abide by the local laws, which the powers that be obviously seek to change.

When my wife had permanent residency in the UK, but not yet a passport, she could not visit Europe without applying for a visa, to whichever specific country she wanted to go to, but which in turn gave her a visa to use in all of Schengen Europe, 26 countries. So this thing works both ways round.

[wc98]

Eric Mc said:

In these cases, all that should matter isn showing that the mariage is -

a) legal

b) genuine

agreed,current situation is ridiculous.

[Eric Mc]

Blimey - apologies for the appalling spelling. I obviously didn't check that post very well.