A man and woman due to marry at the end of the month have claimed that the UK spouse visa system is set to create a difficult start to their marriage.
Reports from the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard have revealed that Cirencester resident Maurice McKee and his Macedonian bride to be Tatjana Novkoski are finding the spouse visa regulations troublesome.
Mr McKee explained to the paper that after their wedding, Tatjana will be required to return to Macedonia in order to apply for her spouse visa. He said: "The fact that she can only come here on a visitor’s passport and then has to return to Macedonia is diabolical."
He added that some of the questions and statements included in the paperwork are 'ridiculous', suggesting that the fact that they are so open to interpretation could mean that people risk inadvertently putting an answer that may count against their application.
It pays to be careful when making UK spouse visa applications and in many cases a UK immigration lawyer can provide the peace of mind when filing an application. One of the main causes of stress around the process is the fact that should the application be rejected, another cannot be made for the next decade.
Applicants can increase their likelihood of being accepted by ensuring that they meet all the minimum requirements. The biggest one of these is the minimum financial requirement for sponsoring a foreign spouse; the UK half of a couple must be able to prove that they meet the minimum income threshold of £18,600 for sponsoring a foreign spouse, this rises to £22,400 if the couple are supporting children.