Hello everyone!!Ive never actually posted a thread on here before but I will explain my story. I married a filipina and she has been here in the UK for sometime now on a spouse visa however I have a friend who is also married to a filipina but her route into the UK was not via a spouse visa or fiance visa.
I have no idea how he managed to do this but he married his wife and then she applied for a dependent family visit via. I think thats what it said on his wifes passport. He paid £80 for the visa fee. It might even have been a tourist visa. I am not sure but on the passport it said dependent family visa. His wife never got an interview at the British embassy and was granted a 6months visa. (Just to add they didnt provide much evidence of relationship, just a few photographs, he did not have any savings at all and there was no evidence of regular communication but the visa was still granted as it was not a spouse visa that was granted or fiance)
She arrived to the UK and began working in the UK in a simple job. She then applied for the national insurance number and it was granted after supplying a few wage slips. She opened a bank account also. Now even though I think she was not allowed to work she managed to get into the system possibly due to the employer not knowing the rules about immigration.
My friend told the employer that they where married and she was therefore allowed to work so managed to persuad the employer as he was friends with her boss already. Towards the end of the visa running out they contacted the home office. The home office advised that they had the wrong visa and that his wife should return to Philippines. They then argued this with them that she was settled here, had a job, had an NI number and that it would be impossible to return there to apply for the right visa.
The home office asked them to send all their papers and both their passports to them to see what they could do but they said that it would take 6 months to sort out.
6 months later his wife received her Indefinate Leave to Remain and now she can stay here in the UK for 5 years without them having to pay anything for this.
So all in all it cost them £80 for the visa and nothing for the ILR.
I think that the courier that took the initial form to them made a mistake and didnt give them the form for spouse visa and gave them a different one some how. (his wife didnt go directly to the embassy it was all done by courier).
Just thought I would share that with you all so that you can see the bizarre route my friend managed to get his wife into the UK without a spouse or fiance visa!
