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UK Visa Help
Hi there,
I've never posted before but really need some help!
I moved to London last year to be with my boyfriend (after two years of long distance) and attend a graduate program.
The graduate program does not qualify for the post-study work visa, I have not lived with him long enough for the partnership visa and we have no intention of getting engaged or married anytime soon.
When my student visa expired, I left the country and went back to the States for a few weeks and then came back to the UK. I know I can legally be here as a visitor for at least 3 months... but then what? If I go back to the States can I come back into the UK for another 3 months?
Ideally, I'm trying to find a job and get sponsored but am curious if I can't do that right away what my options are.
Any help is HUGELY appreciated - thank you!!
Re: UK Visa Help
I know with Hungary and Norway it's 90 days within a 180 day period, so it's not as if leaving the country and coming back re-starts your 90 days. I'd check that carefully before assuming you can just continue leaving and coming back.
Perhaps someone more familiar with the UK system can help you, but I thought I'd give you a heads up as a lot of people think that leaving will reset the 90 day period and that's not always the case.
Can I ask what you do? With the increasingly difficult immigration rules here, it's quite difficult to find a company to sponsor you.
I don't know the exact rule, but as Jetur said I'd look into going out and coming back in. There are several ladies on this board who have tried to return on a visitors visa and have been sent straight back home.
I hate to tell you this, but honestly with all the rules and regulations that are now in place, there are very few options. Could you study again? I think your only chance of staying here would be if you got engagement visa (but that's only 6 months and you cannot work) or get married unfortunately.
I work in Project/Event Management... but am looking at options with the company I worked for in the US... they are willing to sponsor me if the right position opens up, it just may take a little bit.
I'm also looking at opening a branch of my father's business over here.. but again, it may take a little longer than 3 months to get everything arranged.
I also heard something recently about having a UK citizen write a letter to extend my visitor's visa... is this something anyone has heard of?
Thanks for the help... I really appreciate it!
I found that out in 2007 when I was studying abroad in Hungary for a semester. I think I was there for a total of 94 days, but spent enough time outside of the Schengen area to JUST make it. I remember knowing that I couldn't leave stuff there while I traveled and then pick it up on the way home because I would have run out of time.
As for Norway, I have a friend who just got married to a Swiss citizen living in Norway, but moved to Norway before they got married. She assumed the 90 days restarted when she left, but found out that it wasn't the case. She is applying for everything the right way now, but immigration definitely had a go at her for being illegally in Europe and overstaying her visa.
My graduate program was considered a professional diploma and not a masters/full degree. I wish I would've known that before I chose that program... haha...
It's too bad this whole process is so difficult...I feel for anyone in a similar position!
My fiance is "visiting" me in the UK on a tourist visa. The stamp in his passport says that it's good for 6 months. So you might actually check yours and see what the date is.
Honestly, I have no idea what the rules are for leaving after 6 months, then coming straight back.....by the end of his 6 months we'll be married and the military (I'm active duty) will get him a spouse visa.
Eh, I was here 11 months before they gave me a visa when I first moved here. The trick is don't leave. They're not going to deport you (hopefully...) so tell her to just wait it out!
I'm sure Tofu will pick this up (she's our resident expert) but until then... Honestly, there are very few options to stay in the UK legally. They keep changing the rules and making them more proscriptive. We were originally in the UK on a work visa under my husband's name and we managed to stay here long enough to apply for permanent residency (which we have now) and plan to apply for citizenship next year to make this all easier. Unfortunately, the visa we had to get in no longer exists and I know very few Americans who have been able to get sponsored recently.
Unless you have a really specialised career (my husband is in computing) and can find a company to sponsor you, the options (I think?) are marriage, engagement or going to school. You'd have to pay international student rates though and there's tons of rules about working though so I don't know if that's even an option for you. It's just really hard right now.
Good luck!
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
I am fairly certain it is 6 months (if that is what it is) in a 12 month period, you can't stay for 6 months and then leave for a week and come back and stay six more.
OP - check out uk-yankee.com, they are very knowledgeable and should be able to help.
If you head to www.talk.uk-yankee.com, you'll be able to ask more about this there, but I believe it's now 3 months in a year total and no longer six months in a year total. And that they have been bouncing more and more American women as they feel that the person will not return to the US as they don't have anything keeping them there (American women are amongst the highest over-stayers).
Oy.
I see what you're trying to do re: Sole Rep. However, I'm not sure that's going to work out for you, as you'll need to provide significant evidence that you are involved in the senior operations of the company and have been involved as a senior employee for some time - which needs to be shown on at least 2 forms of independent evidence ie: payslips, which can be made, and bank statements highlighted to show your salary entries, which can't be made. You will also need to show a plan for the business in the UK including development plans, though they cannot include developing to the point of hiring additional in-country staff, among other things.
Here are your options as I see it:
1. Tier 1 - the only route open now is PSW. Can you top-up your PgDip with a dissertation for a Masters with dissertation submission prior to March 2012? If so, you can qualify for PSW. You would need to apply from N. America for this.
2. Tier 2 - Find a job, get sponsored. However, for this to work you will now need to be making more than ?30K/year just to get a certificate, and yours would be an entry-clearance application, so you would need to apply from outside of the UK.
3. Tier 4 - you would need to leave the UK and re-apply for a Masters top up programme ( must be more than 6 months ) which would give you more time to find a Tier 2 sponsor, or choose to get married.
4. Tier 5 - Any chance your Canadian? Aussie? Japanese?
5. Marriage or Fiancee visa (again, this would have to be via Entry Clearance)
6. Your tourist visa is valid for 6 months. At the end of this, you need to be out of the UK for 6 months before you can return.
As for the UK Citizen writing a heartfelt letter to the UKBA to extend your tourist visa - baaaaaaaaaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I don't know who told you that, but I highly doubt you will qualify for discretionary leave to remain as a visitor, as any extension would be based on human rights grounds, which sadly don't include "because I'm in love" or "I'm a big fan or grey rainy weather". Article 8 right to family and private life applications need to be SIGNIFICANT, or you could do it based on Article 3 rights, which is a right of access to medical care not available in your home country, and that you are paying privately for.
If you were stamped for 3 you could either apply for 6 or re-enter under a new 3.
Good luck in your decision, but these are some of your options as I see them. Though I fully admit I'm getting a tad rusty.
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk
Everyone else has covered everything, but I'll chime in since I was you 9 years ago - went on a tourist visa, left, returned, left again and got a new passport and entered the UK on a student visa, student visa expired, I left, I returned, DH(then BF) and I moved to Canada.
At the time I didn't realize our time living together in San Francisco would have qualified me as his common-law spouse, but oh well.
Now we're married and live in the US. It sounds cruel, but Tofu is wise and I see no way for you to stay as things are now. Really wanting to stay and being in love means fvck all to immigration.
Sorry. My previous post sounded really b!tchy. Wasn't my intention.
Good luck!
Hey!
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk
Are you an immigration attorney? Can I hire you? Haha..
I guess I am pretty familiar with all of the basic options, I'm looking for the loop holes and lesser known routes.
I'm American, have been living with my American boyfriend for a year in London (he is on contract with his job for the next three years here), but we have been together (long distance partially) for a little over two years, we have joint bank accounts, a lease agreement with both of our names, a puppy, etc...
Maybe more specifically, do you know any loop holes with the Partnership Visa or anything of that nature other than marriage?
Well, if you're in London you're more than welcome to come by my W.London office and we can go over your options. It would be a good training case for some of my newly registered staff to dwell on.
I'll PM you my details if you're interested.
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk
And to the OP, I learned more about living in the UK as a common law spouse by looking into living in Canada as a common law spouse, so I really only have my own lame experience to draw from.
Once again, good luck!