Can my Serbian girlfriend apply for a UK Standard Visitor visa and stay for the whole 6 months?
I am a UK national and have a girlfriend who was born and lives in Belgrade, Serbia. I have visited her over there for a period of 5 days, but now we see that for her to come to the UK she must acquire a Standard Visitor visa.
She owns her own apartment in Belgrade, also has a stable job there where she has worked for 4.5 years. We hoped that she could quit her job there and come and live with me for 6 months, with me as her "sponsor" (I live in rented accommodation earning £35,000 per annum), then have her return to Serbia to get a Marriage visa.
The problem is we cannot find any clarity online as to if we should apply for her to come to the UK specifying for a short visit, like for 2-3 weeks only, or if we should state that she is coming for the full 6 months to be with me?
The above linked page, summarising what a SVV is for, states:
You can’t [...] live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits.
- 1) Does this mean it would be ok for her to live with me for one long 6 month visit?
- 2) If so, is it sufficient for me to show payslips/bank statements showing my earnings, and that she would stay with me without her having to declare large amounts of funds in her own bank account?
- 3a) Is it best to have her just stay for a short 2-3 week vacation visit, go back to her job, then apply for a marriage visa later down the road for her to come here and marry me?
- 3b) If the answer to 3a is yes, can she safely return for a second 2-3 week visit to the UK within that 6 month visa period?
Best Answer
If your marriage is already decided, it would be better to keep it to the short visits until the marriage and bring your then-wife to UK afterwards. Even if your girlfriend manages to get a 6-months visitor visa to join you in the UK, she will not be able to work or study legally. What do you personally expect her to do during the 6 months? This is also the question that your girlfriend will likely be asked at the visa interview and at the immigration control, and unless she has a convincing answer, she likely won't get through.
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How long can you stay in the UK with a standard visitor visa?
You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities. You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months. You might be able to apply to stay for longer in certain circumstances, for example to get medical treatment.How long can foreign visitors stay in the UK?
You can stay in the UK for up to six months. You can also apply to extend your UK Visitor Visa, as long as the total time you spend in the UK is not more than 6 months. It is also possible to apply for long-term visit visas if you travel to the UK regularly. These visas are valid for 2, 5 or 10 years.Does Serbian citizen need visa for UK?
UK tourist visa is required for Serbian citizens. The stay is usually short with a period of 180 days and visa expires in 180 days. Applicant is required to be present when applying for UK tourist visa.Can I sponsor my girlfriend to come to UK?
Your partner can apply for a family visa to come and live with you if they're either: your husband, wife, civil partner, proposed civil partner or fianc\xe9(e) your partner who you've lived with for at least 2 years.UK VISIT VISA UPDATES 2022 FOR UK TOURISM AND FAMILY VISIT VISA 2022
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