Please help :-)

[Ju321]

Hi, my situation at the moment is I am a British citizen, i met my filippino boyfriend on the cruise ships where we both were working. We have been together for 5 years, i have been to the Philippines 3 times and my boyfriend is now processing a visitor visa to come and stay in the UK with me for a holiday. Whilst working on the last ship together i fell pregnant and are both really happy. We both want to live here in the UK together, my boyfriend is wants to work here full time. Does anybody know what sort of visa we would need to get and how it is possible for him to get a working visa here? His job is electronics/communication/broadcasting. Thankyou for any advice :-)

[Arthur Little]

Mmm ... a Work Permit might be difficult to obtain at this stage, in the light of the present slump in the British Economy. Likewise, Visitor Visas - though relatively inexpensive - tend to be something of a lottery.

However, has your boyfriend ever explored the possibility of applying for a Fiance Visa - valid for 6 months - enabling you and he to get married here within that period?

[Arthur Little]

Meanwhile ... Congratulations on your pregnancy, Ju ... to our friendly site and do stay tuned for further [alternative] advice arising from your initial query.

[Terpe]

Hi Ju321, welcome here to the forum.

My friend and fellow forumer Arthur has given you sound advice.
Unfortunately it's not good on the working permit front at all. Especially don't pay any money to agencies who will promise work and a visa etc. They cannot.

Your best route is via the settlement Visa (either Fiance(e) or Spouse.
Take a look the latest threads here on Family Migration to understand what you will need to comply with.
Good luck

[Ju321]

Hi again, thankyou for your replies any advice you can offer me is great! yes this is the second time my boyfriend will be applying for his visitors visa as it got denied the first time, he needed more information so this time we have put together so much paperwork so hopefully this should be ok! Yeah i did think a fiance visa is probably the best way to go, does this mean after we get married in England that he is then eligible to stay permanently and work? Thanks again you have both been very helpful :-)

[Arthur Little]

Yeah i did think a fiance visa is probably the best way to go, does this mean after we get married in England that he is then eligible to stay permanently and work? Thanks again you have both been very helpful :-)

No ... . Once you're married, he would need to apply for Further Leave to Remain [FLR] - in effect a 2-year 'probationary period' - following which (up until now) a non-European spouse automatically became eligible to apply for Permanent Residence ... better known as Indefinite Leave to Remain [ILR].

However, this rule is about to change with effect from July 9. Under new legislation unveiled by the Government, all non-EEA spouses - and/or those who've entered into a civil partnership with a British subject - are required to live jointly in the UK for 5 years before qualifying for ILR.

[Arthur Little]

... and work?

Fortunately ... the new Rules do not affect the partner's eligibility to seek - and undertake - work of any kind ... as soon as FLR has been approved.

[Ju321]

Thank you, you're really helpful! :-) are you saying that even though we would be married, he would still not be allowed to work here in the UK for 5 years? How would they expect him to support himself financially here without a job for 5 years? would it make much difference that he will have a baby here? what do you think our best visa option to do is?

[Bluebirdjones]

No, you've misunderstood.

There's 2 options:
If you marry in the Philippines, and he arrives on a spouse visa (ie married visa), then he can effectively work immediately.

If you go for the fiance visa (which I assume will suit your circumstances better), then when it's awarded, he then arrives in the UK, then you've up to 6 mnths to get married.
During that time he is NOT allowed to work.
After you get married (ie conform to the visa stipulations), you then need to apply for the FLR (further leave to remain).
When, and only when, you receive this, he is then legally entitled to work.