Same with my brother's Russian fiancee, a Music Teacher at an Academy in St Petersburg.(and formerly my penpal before she was introduced to my brother!)

She currently holds a Russian passport as well as an EU passport, due to her many trips with the Academy Orchestra visiting other European countries. But this does not cover the UK obviously.

So far, planning to marry, and applying under a spouse visa, they have paid thousands of pounds , with her having to travel hundreds of miles on two separate occasions back home to have medical examinations.
Then she had to travel again to Moscow to take exams in English language and knowledge of England, go through a daunting personal interview with an English Embassy official to ensure she had vast general knowledge of the UK and our way of living.
Thankfully, she passed with flying colours, but that was just the easiest part.

First, she had to provide evidence that she was able to support herself over in the UK. Her bank account was asked for so they could see she was able to support herself over here.(Fortunately, she and her family also have a successful property business so she is classed as a wealthy woman in her own right according to Russian standards.

All of the above procedures were carried out at the offices of a British Embassy This has been going on for several months and still continues. Along with this extremely strict procedure, (it is Russia and the UK after all) there are large payments each time she needs her temporary visa processed, being paid to official offices in Russia who deal with the Visa application side of everything for her between the Russian authorities and the British Authorities. If she didn't do it this way, she would be waiting forever each time for her temporary visa to even be processed. Nothing is cheap over there.

But with regard to her permanent application to live here as a spouse, they are doing everything legal and strictly by the book, even though it seems to be an endless task.

Also, when she first came over to the UK each time on a 6 month visa (and returned on the allotted date each time) she is now trusted to travel to the UK as many times as she wishes on a 12-month visa. Before that, when they wanted to see each other, they were both having to travel to European countries such as Germany, Venice, Italy, Czech Republic etc as there are no restrictions with her EU passport.

It is an uphilll struggle though, but hopefully, they will get there eventually.

Let's hope so SG.

It should be one rule for everyone.

In the words of Buddy Holly, "That'll be the day"

Don't you think it's a bit racist to favour EU citizens over the rest of the world?

77
Hi

We have more Non EU Immigration than EU immigration.

Look at the Stats, the Non EU Immigration are those who kill us.

77
Hi

We have more Non EU Immigration than EU immigration.

Look at the Stats, the Non EU Immigration are those who kill us.

Beg to differ Swims, look at this.

fullfact.org/immigration/eu-immigration-uk-has-been-bigger-we-thought/

(copied exactly but but not acting like a press link)

In case you can't locate it it says:

"Basically, there are apparently more EU citizens living in the UK than can be accounted for by the figures on EU immigration. And by contrast, there are fewer non-EU citizens living here than the non-EU immigration figures suggest (by a roughly similar amount)"