How can my Venezuelan girlfriend move to the UK?

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Hi thank you for replying. How could I sponsor her? With the company I work for? (I work for Zara/Inditex)

Hi and to echo SimCityAT's welcome.

A Tier 2 visa is a working visa and requires your girlfriend to find a job with a company who is willing to sponsor her.  However, to qualify, she will need to fill one of the published shortage occupation roles; this link will take you to the list.  If she does not qualify, then she will not be granted a Tier 2 visa.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

MariaZBar wrote:

Hi thank you for replying. How could I sponsor her? With the company I work for? (I work for Zara/Inditex)

Take no notice, I mistook your question. ^^^ Follow Cynic information.

Thank you very much. So she has to apply to one of the companies to be sponsored. Let's say she doesn't, what would be our alternatives? One of our alternatives is actually moving to Portugal, I'm half Portuguese half British I have both nationalities so for me Portugal would be fine and she doesn't need a Visa for Portugal.

MariaZBar wrote:

Thank you very much. So she has to apply to one of the companies to be sponsored. Let's say she doesn't, what would be our alternatives? One of our alternatives is actually moving to Portugal, I'm half Portuguese half British I have both nationalities so for me Portugal would be fine and she doesn't need a Visa for Portugal.

You would not have a problem with Portugal anyway as it's in the EU. Do you have dual citizenship?

Yes I have both English and Portuguese passport and we were talking, my girlfriend and I, that Portugal would be much easier for her to get in. We just want to know how can she get in the UK and live and work here because I already have a job and life here. Although I'd even move to Portugal just to be with her. But yes, we want to know the best option for her to get in the UK to live and work.

The UK Government have really tightened up on the requirements for non-EU citizens wishing to enter the UK.  As your girlfriend, she will only get in on some kind of work-visa and if she doesn't have a speciality shown on the skills list I posted a link to previously, then she has little to no chance of getting into the UK; that's the bottom line.

As your partner, or wife, then it gets a bit easier, in that it's possible, but only if you can meet the requirements; this link will take you to the UK Gov web-page that describes the whole process.

If you have any further specific questions, then please come back to us.

Hope this has helped.

Cynic
Expat Team

So there is possibility of her getting in the country as my partner? As long as we register in civil partnership she can come here?

Cynic will correct me if I am wrong, but you have to prove and show that you have been in a steady relationship for X amount of time with proof, Photographs, Emails, SMS's etc.....

You must have an income of over 18,600 GBP. Then there is health insurance you have to consider.

Just as Cynic said they are cracking down big time. Although I am British, I hate what the country has become even more so after the Brexit referendum.

That's hard. I've spoken to my girlfriend and we're going to try the tier 2 visa. We're going to try as hard as we can. If there's no other option guess we'll have to go to portugal. Thank you very much for your help. Guess the only way is tier 2 and maybe partner one. But it'll take a while.

On the bright side, Portugal has better weather 

That's true. Quick question can she come here and her and I register in a civil partnership? Is that possible?

That I don't know, so much has changed. Would have to look up possibilities.

I mean wouldn't that mean she could live here with me? And work here?

Hi,

SimCity is correct regarding the requirements to come in as your wife/partner; that information is all contained in the link I provided (post 9).  The killer about this is the requirement that your girlfriend can't apply until you have been married or in a legal partnership for at least 2 years!

However, there are 2 ways around this requirement; these being:

1.  There would be very significant difficulties for you and your partner if you lived together as a couple outside the UK that couldn't be overcome, or
2.  It would breach your human rights to stop you coming to the UK or make you leave.

But you would need to be in a legal partnership, or married to qualify.

If you are considering this, then you are now entering into a legal discussion that nobody on this Forum can advise you authoritatively, my advice would be to speak to a lawyer.

To get married in the UK, your girlfriend would need a Marriage Visitor visa; this link will take you to the UK Gov website that describes the process.  The good news is that she could stay in the UK for up to 6 months on this visa, then she would have to leave; perhaps go to Portugal until you qualify under the 2-year family visa rule above?  It would mean an 18-month long-range relationship.

For the Tier-2 work visa, then she would need to find a job with a company willing to sponsor her, but even then, these are time-limited visas and at the end, even though she can apply for permanent residence, there is no guarantee it will be granted and she may have to leave.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Thank you for the help. We've decided the best optuon is Portugal. We are gonna start fresh in Portugal then maybe who knows go to the UK. I explained to her all of this and thinking about it was stressing me so I proposed we go Portugal. As soon as she renews her passport and her and I have enough money for a couple of months in Portugal we're moving there. I just hate how horrible it is in the UK now. I would be easier for me if she came here but I'm willing to move to Portugal to be with her. Thank you guys so much for your help.

No problem.  If you (or your girlfriend) have any more specific questions, you can always come back to us,

Best of luck to you both in your journey.

Cynic
Expat Team

I recall when the put this penalty in place for MARRIED couples when one of the couples was from outside the EU it caused many problems there are a couple of stories about it in the Guardian newspaper.

I have in fact a couple of friends that it has cost them financially and in stress. Appling for visas, interviews with the home office. It's really quite unreal.

Anyway, my friend, I wish you all the best for the future. If its worth it, I think you have made the right choice. If you do get married I hope you invite all to the wedding

Hi. I have almost the same situacion. I would like to bring my girlfriend to UK. She is Venezolana but living in Argentina (Buenos Aires) for last 3 years... she finished study and now is an engineer but can't find a job becouse economy in Argentina recently is going down).
We met around 3 years ago in BA.
I would like to bring her here as a partner... can you explain to me step by step what should I do (as a sponsor) and what she needs to do. Please.
I have 2 nationalities (Polish and British) now. Can you help me? please

Noonelikesus wrote:

Hi. I have almost the same situacion. I would like to bring my girlfriend to UK. She is Venezolana but living in Argentina (Buenos Aires) for last 3 years... she finished study and now is an engineer but can't find a job becouse economy in Argentina recently is going down).
We met around 3 years ago in BA.
I would like to bring her here as a partner... can you explain to me step by step what should I do (as a sponsor) and what she needs to do. Please.
I have 2 nationalities (Polish and British) now. Can you help me? please

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

I suspect you may struggle; you need to have been living together in a meaningful relationship for at least 2 years before she will be able to apply; the entire process is described on the UK Gov website; this link will take you there.

It may be easier to bring her to Poland, once she has been granted a residence permit there, she will be able to come to the UK on an EEA visa.

Then again, Brexit may prove to be unhelpful.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

"you need to have been living together in a meaningful relationship for at least 2 years before she will be able to apply; the entire process is described on the UK Gov website"...

Is that mean we need to live together in the same place or I have to proof we are in relationship at least 2 years? We in relationship for almost 3 years... I was visiting her at least 2 times a year (5 weeks holidays together)... this year we was traveling together around Europe (Poland, Spain, Italy...). We have a lot of evidence about last 3 years relationship like (pictures and whatsapp)... we can't proof living together becouse we living in different countries... btw thx for welcome me and help

LOL - I do wish people would read the links I give them.

From the link:

Proof of relationship

If you're applying as a spouse or partner, you'll be asked about:

your relationship with your partner, for example how you met and how often you see each other
how long you've lived together - you'll need to send proof like council tax bills
things you pay for together
whether you're your partner's carer

If you're applying to join your partner in the UK, you'll need to send other proof, for example, WhatsApp messages, Skype history or photos of you together.

As I said, you may struggle to meet the requirements, but things like personal e-mails, Internet conversations, pictures of you together, with her family, or her with your family; anything really that ties the two of you together will help your cause.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Lol... sorry... I check hour link but can't find this 😮🤔 thanks for that info... with that proof of living together (council, bills... ) it will be a problem
Hope pictures, WhatsApp will be enough...
Who need to apply? She or me?
What do you reckon to who I should go to ask for legal advice and help... lawyer or immigration adviser? And will be good if not for millions £££.

Hi again,

As you're going to get some legal advice, I shall just refer you to the Service link at the top of this page; if you select that, you'll get our Business Directory.  I've just checked it and there are some Immigration Legal firms advertising their services in there.

As for costs; I honestly don't know, but having just used some for an unrelated matter, I can tell you they are not cheap.  The price of love I guess.

I wish you the best of luck; it would be useful if you could come back with some feedback once you have got your lady into the UK; we can then pass that onto the next person who asks.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Good luck
Patty