Immigration Advice

[Timbergiant]

The recent coronavirus lockdowns and a lack of international travel have brought an annoying problem for my girlfriend and I, She is south African but living and working in the middle east, I'm English and lived here all my life, flights on aeroplanes made this life so much easier but since the world has stopped, WhatsApp video calls have fallen very much short.

We were beginning to look into arranging a visa to allow her to travel over here but since coronavirus, the flights have been cancelled and visa arrangements have stopped.

The question is, can I apply for a visa for her, and can it be done from here in the UK?
What options are available? obviously in full understanding that nothing is going to be flying anywhere anytime soon.

[theboss]

I should think you’re looking at a standard visit visa. Do you envisage she will genuinely come here for short visits from time to time or something that more resembles cohabitation? Ultimately the home office will need convincing of the former. If she lives and works and is self sufficient in the ME that shouldn’t be too difficult to prove.

There wouldn’t be much point in obtaining this just yet as you wouldn’t get much use out of it, but it’s certainly worth doing the research and preparation so you’re ready to move ahead when things change.

Edited by theboss on Thursday 23 April 12:12

[wisbech]

You normally need to apply in the country of residence. The U.K. outsources visas to VFS

https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk

If you have copies of her passports/ bank accounts etc you can do a lot of the application on line work for her

[4rephill]

Timbergiant said:

......The question is, can I apply for a visa for her, and can it be done from here in the UK?....

From: https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk/prepare...

Applying for someone else

You can apply for a visa for someone else. For example, a relative overseas who does not have access to a computer or your child, if they cannot apply for themselves.

You must get permission from the person you’re applying for, or written permission from their parent or guardian if the applicant is under 18.

Enter the applicant’s details into the form, not your own.

[Timbergiant]

Thanks people, the current lockdown has put the idea of long-distance into focus, one of us is going to have to move.

Hopefully, the oil price recovers and I can get a job over there.

[theboss]

Unfortunately the visa system doesn’t really help people in established unmarried relationships. It’s kinda all or nothing!

If you do apply for a visit visa as an interim measure before either of you commit to a move it’s best to disclose everything so far as your relationship is concerned but evidence the fact that she is totally self sufficient in her home country and would only be coming for the purpose of short term visits.

They try to catch people out who misstate the purpose of the visit and who are likely to overstay, so saying she wants a holiday here when she is intending to visit a partner is generally not a good idea, even if successful initially it can come back to bite you later.