Hi all,

I am new in on this thread. Please, I need a candid advice. My wife was born British, but she had spent all her life in Nigeria. We have been married six years now. Recently, she has been issued her first Adult British Passport in August 2015. The passport bear her married names (my names). She seriously considering relocating to the UK with me. However, the UK financial requirement of £18,600 for a spousal visa will be a significant obstacle as she still with me in Nigeria. I will, therefore, appreciate all the advice in the house. We have just returned from the a visit to the UK last month with her British Passport and my UK visit visa which will expire in April 2017. Thank you.

Lexusgs430:


You do not need your birth certificate, a passport is mainly required for spousal visa.
Best to rectify the birth certificate issue before you travel(you might require your BC for other things in the uk, and a contradiction would not be beneficial).

Thank you

ekpotek:
Hi all,

I am new in on this thread. Please, I need a candid advice. My wife was born British, but she had spent all her life in Nigeria. We have been married six years now. Recently, she has been issued her first Adult British Passport in August 2015. The passport bear her married names (my names). She seriously considering relocating to the UK with me. However, the UK financial requirement of £18,600 for a spousal visa will be a significant obstacle as she still with me in Nigeria. I will, therefore, appreciate all the advice in the house. We have just returned from the a visit to the UK last month with her British Passport and my UK visit visa which will expire in April 2017. Thank you.

There is no other way apart from her going to the UK and earning more than £18,600

justwise:


Birth certificate is not needed

Thank you

ekpotek:
Hi all,

I am new in on this thread. Please, I need a candid advice. My wife was born British, but she had spent all her life in Nigeria. We have been married six years now. Recently, she has been issued her first Adult British Passport in August 2015. The passport bear her married names (my names). She seriously considering relocating to the UK with me. However, the UK financial requirement of £18,600 for a spousal visa will be a significant obstacle as she still with me in Nigeria. I will, therefore, appreciate all the advice in the house. We have just returned from the a visit to the UK last month with her British Passport and my UK visit visa which will expire in April 2017. Thank you.

Your best way forward. She returns to the uk initially. Start getting herself settled and meeting all the requirements. Then sending you all the documentations, for your application.
All this process should not exceed 10 months, so start planning!!!
NB : Assuming she gets to the uk and gets a job almost immediately. She would also need to rent a house or flat etc etc etc(so get your pen and paper and start calculating cost and length of time).

jangolo:


There is no other way apart from her going to the UK and earning more than £18,600

That not entirely correct. I also know of the Surinder Singh route that involve a British Citizen and a non-EU spouse moving to EU country and staying there for up to 6 months and then apply for EEA family permit to enter the non EU spouse.

Lexusgs430:



Your best way forward. She returns to the uk initially. Start getting herself settled and meeting all the requirements. Then sending you all the documentations, for your application.
All this process should not exceed 10 months, so start planning!!!
NB : Assuming she gets to the uk and gets a job almost immediately. She would also need to rent a house or flat etc etc etc(so get your pen and paper and start calculating cost and length of time).

Thanks. We are planing for that. She has applied for NI, and registered with a GP when we visited last month.

ekpotek:


Thanks. We are planing for that. She has applied for NI, and registered with a GP when we visited last month.

The aforementioned steps are good, but probably the easiest of numerous!!!

plz i want to make enqiry on ow d uk spouse visa is been applied. wat re d steps to tk.

antiaqueen:
plz i want to make enqiry on ow d uk spouse visa is been applied. wat re d steps to tk.

1st step, dating someone living in the United Kingdom.
2nd step, getting married to the person living in the United Kingdom.
Then all other steps shall be added unto you!!!

I am told UKBA have changed English requirements for certain applications in Novemver 2015z

Can I please ask what the English test required for spousal application from Nigeria is now called.

I am bemused to hear that highly educated Nigerians are required to prove proficiency in English

From my findings it's seems it's ietls A1 but don't know if this is right , can anyone that is aware of this change or recently applied after the change or about to please confirm .

Many thanks

Lexusgs430:


1st step, dating someone living in the United Kingdom.
2nd step, getting married to the person living in the United Kingdom.
Then all other steps shall be added unto you!!!

You are soo funny man. I couldn't stop laughing . It's nice to see people who devote themselves in helping others without charges and still do it in such a fun happy way.

blza:


You are soo funny man. I couldn't stop laughing . It's nice to see people who devote themselves in helping others without charges and still do it in such a fun happy way.

Thank you. At times when humour is attached to a message. I feel it increases or drills the understanding better.
NB: I also have a serious side!!!

blza:
I am told UKBA have changed English requirements for certain applications in Novemver 2015z

Can I please ask what the English test required for spousal application from Nigeria is now called.

I am bemused to hear that highly educated Nigerians are required to prove proficiency in English

From my findings it's seems it's ietls A1 but don't know if this is right , can anyone that is aware of this change or recently applied after the change or about to please confirm .

Many thanks

NB: Updated November 2015

jangolo:


There is no other way apart from her going to the UK and earning more than £18,600

if you are both living in Nigeria why dont you do the Surinder Singh route first?

girlfio:


It is my understanding that you need to prove that in the previous 12 months the sponsor earned a total of the threshold amount, this includes overtime. All you have to do is prove (from the bank statements over12 months) that your wife earned the 21k from the company she is employed with.

nope they can you just apply under the variable income option i think its cat B

im sure @Justwise will confirm

Bisiniji:
Pls i need help asap,my wife earns 16thousand pounds but after some overtime she earns up to 20thousand five hundred per annum. Her p60 shows 21k,i want to know if we meet d financial requiremen
ts or not?

how long has your wife been with the comapny, if longer then 6 months prior to the application then you can apply under the variable income option cat B I think it is @Justwise can clarify this

justwise:


Since you haven't paid for the application you can start another one if you made a mistake, the health sur charge should be about £500 because it's £200 per year multiplied by number of years visa you will be given..you will be given two and the half years visa
All payments are made online. All the info you need is here just take your time and read current posts.

I was charged £600(plus non sterling fees etc), I think its because they give an additional 30 days to leave, which takes it over the 2.5 yrs

Davdar:
@ Jangolo

I will advice you to print more of the whatsapp chat if you got them. My hubby applied in July this year and we thought it was too much so we printed just two months of the chat, added money transfer receipt and printed the calls we made to each other. He was refused cus they said the chat wasn't enough so the relationship is not genuine. I posted the refusal letter on my page so you can go through. It was just minor things so we have appealed. And with the questions It depends on the person interviewing you. All the questions here came but the funny question he asked my hubby was: Has he had body contact with me before? When was the last time? Hahahaha

I would have recommended you to have printed a couple of pages from each month(beginning mid and end), not just 2 months only, is there no other way you communicate, i call hubby on Rebtel

ekpotek:
Hi all,

I am new in on this thread. Please, I need a candid advice. My wife was born British, but she had spent all her life in Nigeria. We have been married six years now. Recently, she has been issued her first Adult British Passport in August 2015. The passport bear her married names (my names). She seriously considering relocating to the UK with me. However, the UK financial requirement of £18,600 for a spousal visa will be a significant obstacle as she still with me in Nigeria. I will, therefore, appreciate all the advice in the house. We have just returned from the a visit to the UK last month with her British Passport and my UK visit visa which will expire in April 2017. Thank you.

Have you thought about going to another EU member state so your wife can use her EU treaty rights under the Surinder Singh route, you can go to Waterford in Southern Ireland, it has a Nigerian community there (im going there if my husbands visa is refused )

your wife only needs to be working for about 12 weeks plus you can go with her from here

@Portsmouth86, I see your hubby did apply recently. My husband and I are peeping our application. I am the sponsor here in the UK.

Can I ask you please. How did you prove the sufficient accommodation stuff requirement to show there won't be over crowding.

I read HO wants to see property inspection report. ? The surveyor I contacted said it will cost £185 which sounds ridiculous to me

Portsmouth86:


Have you thought about going to another EU member state so your wife can use her EU treaty rights under the Surinder Singh route, you can go to Waterford in Southern Ireland, it has a Nigerian community there (im going there if my husbands visa is refused )

your wife only needs to be working for about 12 weeks plus you can go with her from here

@Portmouth86. Yes we are also considering the Surinder Singh route options as this seem the way to go considering that we are both residing in Nigeria. Do you know of any Nigerian who has used this route? Please PM me so that we can discuss more as the Surinder Singh route is not popular on Nairaland.

blza:
@Portsmouth86, I see your hubby did apply recently. My husband and I are peeping our application. I am the sponsor here in the UK.

Can I ask you please. How did you prove the sufficient accommodation stuff requirement to show there won't be over crowding.

I read HO wants to see property inspection report. ? The surveyor I contacted said it will cost £185 which sounds ridiculous to me

I rent privately and for my accommodation evidence I supplied the following:

• Letter from landlady- confirming spouse can reside at the property which she owns, and stated the rent will remain the same.
• Tenancy agreement
• Council tax bills
• Electricity bills 3 months
• BT bills 6 months
• TV licence up to date licence printout from online
• Water bills x2 (fresh & waste)
• Photos and birds eye view floor planner which I designed myself on http://www.floorplanner.com/

The property inspection report is not a requirement, its an option, and used if the sponsor owns the house, but again it's your choice if you want to have the report done.

as you will see form the snippet I have attached it states 'You may wish to submit any of the following documents to provide us with evidence of your accommodation' and in the table of examples 'This could include' So its definitely not mandatory

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270197/sup-docs-settlement.pdf

ekpotek:


@Portmouth86. Yes we are also considering the Surinder Singh route options as this seem the way to go considering that we are both residing in Nigeria. Do you know of any Nigerian who has used this route? Please PM me so that we can discuss more as the Surinder Singh route is not popular on Nairaland.

I think really there needs to be a group on here, i know of a friend who lives in the UK his wife is Polish so they did that route in the UK as she moved EU state from Poland to UK, hes Nigerian, hes about to apply for his ILR now

Portsmouth86:


I rent privately and for my accommodation evidence I supplied the following:

Hi,
How many pages was your whatsapp messages? I am trying to print mine and seeing 800 pages hahaha.

Portsmouth86:


I think really there needs to be a group on here, i know of a friend who lives in the UK his wife is Polish so they did that route in the UK as she moved EU state from Poland to UK, hes Nigerian, hes about to apply for his ILR now

I totally agree with you. We plan to visit the UK next April. We have a lawyer there how will be able to put us through the whole process and what to expect. Our lawyer have suggested the SS route immediately he was told that my wife British passport has been issued.

ekpotek:


I totally agree with you. We plan to visit the UK next April. We have a lawyer there how will be able to put us through the whole process and what to expect. Our lawyer have suggested the SS route immediately he was told that my wife British passport has been issued.

Great news! All the best. Make sure you also double check with your own research whenever your lawyer suggest any steps. Best to start preparing because this Naija, the country is finished!

ekpotek:


I totally agree with you. We plan to visit the UK next April. We have a lawyer there how will be able to put us through the whole process and what to expect. Our lawyer have suggested the SS route immediately he was told that my wife British passport has been issued.

Hello ekpotek,

I found you when I was looking for information about relocating to the UK.

I sent you a PM. Thanks.

weaseloo:


Hello ekpotek,

I found you when I was looking for information about relocating to the UK.

I sent you a PM. Thanks.

Weaseloo, I have checked my email and responded.

jangolo:


Great news! All the best. Make sure you also double check with your own research whenever your lawyer suggest any steps. Best to start preparing because this Naija, the country is finished!

@jangolo. Thanks I have done extensive research on the SS route. I discovered many British Citizen have been using this options to bring their non-EU spouse into the UK. Many of them use Ireland or Malta. I have ltaly in mind as I have stayed there before. If I know someone in Ireland then we will use that route.

ekpotek:


I totally agree with you. We plan to visit the UK next April. We have a lawyer there how will be able to put us through the whole process and what to expect. Our lawyer have suggested the SS route immediately he was told that my wife British passport has been issued.

Personally i think you can do it all on your own without a solicitor, they have been to known to not even know the basics of Spouse visa exemptions etc, unless your happy to spend the money on a lawyer then that is entirely up to you, but i suggest maybe joining the SS for newbies on FB there are loads of people there who have done it and that can advise

jangolo:

Hi,
How many pages was your whatsapp messages? I am trying to print mine and seeing 800 pages hahaha.

I filtered them I only had from July till date though as I changed mobiles, I forgot to back them up, however i added my full itemised call history from Rebtel, which shows calls everyday from June 2014 til date, then some FB inbox messages.

For your 800 pages you could add a few pages from each month, another idea is if you are on FB you can go to the 'see friendship' and screenshot some of your activity with each other over the years.