# UK visa for Croatian



## Casypeia (Jun 13, 2011)

Hello,

My partner is a UK citizen, and after a year of relationship we started planning our life together in UK. We are 35 and 38 y.o.

We have been visiting each other 8 times in the last year, with average stay of 7 days, whenever our jobs would allows us to. In the last few months, due to recession I lost my incomes, and we agreed to make things faster and move in together. I am still the owner of a company, but have to close it down now. My partner has a good job in UK and can provide enough for both of us, but I do want to work in time, as well as have a family with him.

The questions I have are many. I've been reading this forum for a while, but haven't seen anyone from Croatia with similar situation. 

So… In a month or two I will go visit my partner again, but this time I intend to stay longer than a week, maybe 6-8 weeks to see how things work and then apply for a visa to stay and live with him. We are aware that getting married would make things much easier, but we want to do it for us, not for the papers, once we feel is the right time for us. 

What is the right procedure? To stay as long as possible and go back to Croatia after 6 months (which is the longest I can stay without a visa), and apply for fiancee visa? Can I work in UK with that one? How long can I stay having that visa?

Or can I apply for a visa from UK within these 6 months while living with my partner? Which visa then?

We agreed that in case of any serious complications we will get married, although that is the last option of solving the settlement problem.

Can the closing of my company be a problem to get a visa due to lack of money in few months time?

Can anyone with similar experience please let me know what I should pay more attention now, while still here in Croatia?

Thank you for your help.

C.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

You can not change from a visitor visa to any other visa from within the UK. You must apply for a fiance visa from your home country. A fiance visa gives you 6 months to get married during which time you are *not* allowed to work or even volunteer. You can not engage in any paid or unpaid work. After you are married (can be anytime within the 6 month period) you apply for a spouse visa.

Here is a link to the UKBA website which should help:

Settlement - visa application guide

If you intend to stay for an extended period of time on a visitor visa you need to make sure that you can prove that you are going to leave by having amply documentation including a return ticket, enough funds to last you for the period of time you intend to stay, ties to your home country like a job to go back to , a lease or mortgage etc.


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## ClaytonP (Apr 15, 2011)

Here is a link to the UK border agency site:

UK Border Agency | Unmarried/same-sex partners

It seems that you can apply as an unmarried partner without the intention of getting married, but must have lived together for at least 2 years as if you were married.

You can work under either the fiancee or the unmarried partner settlement visa.

On the border agency site, they have links to help you determine whether you need to be in the country or out. In general, if you are already in the UK under a different visa category, you can switch into a fiancee/partner category; otherwise you need to apply from your home country.

Finally, I don't think the closure of your business should effect your visa application as long as you can prove that you both have savings enough and your partner can afford to support you as a dependent until you get work.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

ClaytonP said:


> You can work under either the fiancee or the unmarried partner settlement visa.



*WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.* You *CANNOT* do any work, paid or unpaid under a fiancee visa which is NOT a settlement visa. You can only work once you have received a spouse visa or unmarried partner visa whichever applies in your case.


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## Casypeia (Jun 13, 2011)

Thank you for your answers so far. I did check the links, and will have to see with my partner about the best option, but a fiance visa does not look like it, unfortunately. Because it does not give me option to work and the cost of it is very high considering we have to switch to spouse one within 6 months, if I understood it right.

I don't really understand "unmarried partner" visa, guess it is for same sex partners, which is not our case. 

Lots of time left so we will see what next, but I will keep an eye on this forum and hopefully find more answers around. I will post the news if anyone will find it helpful.

Just these days Croatia got approval to join EU, it would be great if it would happen anytime soon, but is not expected before 7/2013, that is too long to wait...


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Casypeia said:


> Thank you for your answers so far. I did check the links, and will have to see with my partner about the best option, but a fiance visa does not look like it, unfortunately. Because it does not give me option to work and the cost of it is very high considering we have to switch to spouse one within 6 months, if I understood it right.


This is so, but you can avoid the cost of a second leave to remain by getting married first, perhaps in Croatia.



> I don't really understand "unmarried partner" visa, guess it is for same sex partners, which is not our case.


Unmarried partner means someone who is living together (cohabiting or zajedno žive) with a member of opposite sex without getting married, but in a long-term relationship. 



> Lots of time left so we will see what next, but I will keep an eye on this forum and hopefully find more answers around. I will post the news if anyone will find it helpful.
> 
> Just these days Croatia got approval to join EU, it would be great if it would happen anytime soon, but is not expected before 7/2013, that is too long to wait...


And don't hold your breath for Croatia's accession. It's almost certain that UK, and a lot of other EU countries, will impose restriction on Croatian nationals' access to their labour market by requiring a work permit etc, for several years, as it has happened with Bulgaria and Romania, last two to join EU.

I think that short of getting married, you have limited options for living and working in UK. If your UK partner can get a job in another EU country and you live together as a married couple there, then you can apply under the simplified EU regulations for an EEA family permit, which is issued free and enables you to live and work in UK. After moving you can apply for a residence card as proof of your legal status, valid 5 years, after which you will get indefinite leave to remain.


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