British immigration rules are a nightmare for all involved. Even lawyers who work in the field are often confused by the rules. So here is a guide to help you find your way through the minefield of UK immigration regulations.

This guide won't help everyone. It is only for people who are citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA), which is mainly EU countries plus a few others such as Switzerland, and their spouses or partners. I'm afraid I have no experience when it comes to the Tier 1 and Tier 2 migration rules and for that you will have to get immigration advice elsewhere. Also please note that I'm not an immigration lawyer. This advice is based on my own experience. If you need proper legal advice then I suggest you find a qualified immigration solicitor.

To avoid saying EEA citizen all the time I'm going to write this as if you are that person and that your spouse (husband, wife or same-sex partner) is from some other country that is not in the EU or EEA.
The EEA regulations are very clear. The first is that every EU citizen has a right to visit any EEA country for up to 3 months without any formalities. You can just arrive at the border and show your passport or identity card and they have to let you in for a visit. They can only refuse in exceptional circumstances such as if they think you represent a risk to security.

The other important element of this is that they also have to let your direct family members in with you, even if they are not citizens of an EEA country. So in my case, I'm Nigerian but lived in the UK with my polish wife. Every time we want to travel anywhere in Europe or to the UK they have to give Me a visa and they are not allowed to charge Me for it. This is really important because there is strictly speaking no other formality required. In theory you could step off a plane with nothing more than passports and a marriage certificate and get entrance to Britain.

In reality Britain wants the spouses or dependent children of EEA citizens to get a visa. In many cases too it is easier for us to travel around Europe. The law says that they can't demand them, but you try arguing that point with an airline check-in desk which is refusing to let you board the plane. So it is just much easier all around to get the visa. Now there are a couple to things to note about this. To get it you have to present both passports and a marriage certificate. If they have proof that your marriage is bogus then they can turn you down.
l shall be putting up here other writing concerning the above.