German partner moving to uk

Hello

My name is Rachel, I've lived in the uk most of my life, I have a German boyfriend who is a dentist. We have known each other for over a year, we have discussed him coming over to stay with me to live and work Permanently.

Just there are so many complications with all the information on the internet, what visa are needed etc. Being a dentist would he apply as a skilled worker? Or a better to apply for other visa?

I know he can visit for up-to 6 months, if he would live and work what would he need? We plan to get married at some point and start a family.

I just want to know what is ahead with the process, I appreciate any advice and help.

Rachel 🙂

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

I'll answer your questions and then be a bit more general:

Skilled worker - all UK work visas are now skilled worker visas.  It depends if he can tick all the boxes; this link on the UK Gov website lists them in the eligibility section.  To save you looking, Dentist does feature on the Skilled Worker list (2215: DENTAL PRACTITIONERS) and is also on the list of specific jobs that would qualify, so on the face of it, he could get a skilled work visa - so the first step must be the General Dental Council (GDC).  He would need to register with the GDC in order to practice anywhere in the UK; this link will take you straight to their website.    I'm assuming he speaks English (you don't have to tell me, you just need to be aware that it will probably be part of the GDC process).  You should note that all visas are by definition temporary in that they all have an expiry date, they are normally allied with a residence permit that assuming nothing untoward happens can be extended into permanent residence and thus no further need for a visa.

Just in case, the other visas - these are all listed on the same UK Gov website; if he gets a job with the NHS, then perhaps he could apply for a Health & Care Worker visa; this link will take you to that section of the UK Gov website.  Here is a further link to an NHS website with a few more details. 

Visitors visa - he can't work - there is a limit to how long (6 months) he can be here before he had to leave.

Marriage visa - is just that, he could come here to marry, then stay as a visitor, but not work; he would still need to apply for a work visa.  There are some variations on that theme; if you are seriously considering this route, it's all on the UK Gov website.

In general, my daughter's husband has just gone through the family visa route.  There are a few things worthy of note:

Relationship - they are looking for evidence that yours is a real relationship and not one embarked on for convenience.  So, evidence that proves your relationship together, such as invoices in both names, joint bank accounts, photos together, e-mail to each other - in general, they are looking for 2 years plus of evidence.

Income - for the family visa, you need at least £18,600 a year and be able to prove this from payslips or copies of bank accounts.

It seems to take for ages - I think her husbands family visa took 3 months.

One last point for your partner's job search - my advice would be for him to join LinkedIn, create his profile and then do a job search there.

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

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Thank you for coming back to me it's appreciated, your answers are a lot more clearly than online they don't give you a definitive answer to what is needed.

What if we don't have bank accounts in each other's name? Being together only a year would that make a difference. With coronavirus we get to meet but FaceTime, phone, regularly conversation via text.

Having a linked in profile I guess would make it easier to find work in the uk and secure a better chance of work.

We can get married in the uk but he would need to get a family visa or a work visa to permanently live in the uk?

What has the process been like for your daughter partner? What is it expensive for visa?

Rachel

Hi again.

In general, any evidence that they ask for, you need to find a way to provide it, they're ticking boxes; if you don't provide the evidence, then the box doesn't get ticked and you've just wasted a lot of money.  Do a screen dump of your phone records, then the same for him, the calls to his/your number are evidence.  Credit card receipts, you bought him a gift; be creative; any old e-mails, go through your e-mail bin.  If you genuinely cannot provide the evidence, then you will not qualify for any family visa, they are a requirement of all of them.  If you've never been together, then you are not going to get a family visa; his only option is the skilled migrant route.

A marriage visa is to get married, but he can stay on a visitors visa for up to 6 months, so; read the links I gave you on the UK Gov website.  You can apply for a family visa in that time, but they will need convincing it's not a marriage of convenience, so you will hit the same wall for the family visa, they want evidence.

Cost - it was very expensive; it's not something to do regularly, this is a life-changing event.  My daughter paid 2000 euro for his visa, then a further 4000 euro for his NHS cover for 33 months - it's non-negotiable, you pay upfront when you apply.  If it makes you feel any better, it's about the same hassle and cost if you did it the other way.

My advice would be for him to go the skilled migrant route, the country is crying out for Dentists, then all he has to do is find a job, once he's here you can worry about the rest of it.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Just to add.

I just spoke to my daughter; she says it's cheaper to apply from the UK (she's in Holland) and it doesn't take so long.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team