# Re: Visa



## AJT10

*Re: Visa*

Hi,
This is the first time I've posted, I'm not even sure if this is the right section, but I cant find an alternative.

My girlfriend is Brazilian and lives in Recife. I'm english and live in London. We met in london when she was a student in 2010, we were together for a few years. She went back to Brazil in april 2013 before her student visa expired.

I went to brazil for a few weeks in september 2013 and we got engaged. We plan to get her back to the UK on a fiance visa and then get married and then change the visa to a spouse visa.

I must of called UKBA at least 20 times, I've got nowhere. I've been told that because my fiance has to apply from Brazil, then its an out of country application, so i was told by UKBA to contact the British embassy in Rio de Janeiro. When I called the British embassy in Rio de Janeiro, I was told that they don't deal with this, and that I have to contact a company called Worldbridge. I've emailed Worldbridge 4/5 times, and have been referred to the UKBA website everytime.

I cannot find any section on the UKBA website that specifically says, if your fiance is applying from outside the UK, this is what both of you need to provide.

So, I also havent found anybody that seems to know the process, even after months of phone calls, research, emails etc etc.

I'm extremely worried, as is my fiance, as we cannot find this, we don't know what the exact rules are and what documents are required for her to apply from Brazil. We don't know if the British Embassy in Brazil has their own set of rules and requirements. Nobody seems to know.

Why on earth there isn't a section that says very simply " if you are applying from outside the UK for a fiance visa, this is what you need to provide" I really dont know. I cant find anything that explains which forms we have to fill in, in which order etc.

Who exactly starts the process ? is it me in London, or my fiance in Recife ?
Who does what first ?
What exact documentation does my fiance need to provide and and does it need to be translated ?
Apparently, we need to go to the visa4uk website. Who fills it out, me or her ? 
Does she need to take an english test first ? If yes, which one exactly ?
Would I be right in guessing that the rules for applying outside of the UK are the same rules as applying in country (inside the UK) ? 
If my fiance has to apply from Brazil first, what happens from my side, will someone ring me ? or write to me ? or do i post everything, bank statements, passport, date of birth certificate etc to Brazil ?

If anybody can help, or advise, or point me in the right direction, I will be really really really grateful.

Thankyou in advance.


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## AnthonyRMC

Blimey how things must have changed from when I married my first wife?
In 1986, I simply went with my fiancee to the British Consulate in São Paulo, where a letter was written saying that she was entering the UK to get married. - This was for imigration control, but she told me they didn't even bother to give it attention.

She came in as a tourist, we got married (all was needed was her birth certificate,) then off we went to Paris.

When we came back in, I passed with her, explaining that we had married. I showed the marraige certificate, and the imigration officer stamped her passport "right to stay and work". Then she got her Social Security and Health Care numbers the following week. (Whatever they are called. - I can't remember.)

I guess some politicians & beaurocrats are getting paranoid these days? 

I'm quite sure that no English test is required, as the UK has many non English speaking residents.

My suggestion would be to have her go to the British Consulate and enquire. I'm guessing there is one in Recife?

Sorry for not being able to help better, with more update information.


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## MrsBF

Hi, my husband and I went through this process in 2008. I think things have changed a bit since then (e.g. how much you have to have in savings to prove you can support your partner, proof that your partner can speak English, etc). 

My husband had to apply for a fiance visa in Brazil, he had to go specifically to the British Consulate in Rio de Janeiro for this. We put the application together, including finances and proof of our relationship (photos, personal emails translated by an official translator into English, plane tickets, etc). The visa arrived pretty quickly after that - just a few weeks I think, and once he was in the UK we married ASAP (couldn't work on the fiance visa), and then got his spouse visa in one day (more expensive option than sending it by post, but meant that he could start looking for work sooner rather than later). 

It was a lot of effort, but the information was quite clear back then. Not sure how much this helps! I do know a friend who has battled for a long time to get his partner to enter the UK - he definitely had it much harder than we did. Would it be easier if you married in Brazil and then applied for a spouse visa?


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