Can I get a UK passport for my Filipina wife?

[zzm9980]

In fact it just got worse, I had not visited the UK Border agency web site for a while. This is an exert from changes which the Government announced would be effective from 9th July 2012:

'extending the minimum probationary period for settlement for non-EEA spouses and partners from two years to five years, to test the genuineness of the relationship'

'abolishing immediate settlement for the migrant spouses and partner where a couple have been living together overseas for at least 4 years, and requiring them to complete a 5 year probationary period'

It's pretty much what every other country in the world requires. No one gets a passport for free, unless it is for some shit hole you wouldn't want a passport from.

[JayCee]

My wife is from China but we don't live there so I don't expect to be given a Chinese passport, why would anyone expect differently?

Those illegal immigrants you mention in the UK are just that - illegal. They don't have a British passport either.

[Steve1960]

I don't live in the Philippines yet I could apply for Philippines residency by virtue of marriage.

It bothers me that my daughter cannot easily reside in the UK, as she is entitled to do as a British citizen, because my wife does not qualify for residency.

So if I get hit by a bus tomorrow where does my wife go? She has no family in the Philippines her only family support would be from my family in the UK.

Just seems wrong.

[zzm9980]

I don't live in the Philippines yet I could apply for Philippines residency by virtue of marriage.

It bothers me that my daughter cannot easily reside in the UK, as she is entitled to do as a British citizen, because my wife does not qualify for residency.

So if I get hit by a bus tomorrow where does my wife go? She has no family in the Philippines her only family support would be from my family in the UK.

Just seems wrong.

Is your daughter a British citizen? If not, why? She's entitled to British Citizenship by descent, unless you were also a British Citizen by descent (born outside the UK).

Your wife is then entitled to an immigration visa to the UK as long as your daughter is under the age of 18 and your wife is the sole parent or the two of you are separated and your daughter lives in the UK. If you're not separated, your wife can apply for a visa on the basis if being your wife.

I figured this out in two minutes and two Google searches. I'm struggling to see why you're being so dramatic about this situation. It seems to me you expect like you should be able to buy a set of one-way tickets and have Prince Harry waiting at Heathrow to personally hand a passport to your wife.

The reason you're entitled to such easy residency in the Philippines is because people aren't breaking laws to immigrate there. They likely see your marriage and residency as a GDP boost.

[nakatago]

The reason you're entitled to such easy residency in the Philippines is because people aren't breaking laws to immigrate there. They likely see your marriage and residency as a GDP boost.

FYI, we have illegal immigrants there. They're mostly from China involved in shady businesses aside from narcotics. Well at least, they're the ones busted by the cops and hung out to try in the media.

[Saint]

I don't live in the Philippines yet I could apply for Philippines residency by virtue of marriage.

It bothers me that my daughter cannot easily reside in the UK, as she is entitled to do as a British citizen, because my wife does not qualify for residency.

So if I get hit by a bus tomorrow where does my wife go? She has no family in the Philippines her only family support would be from my family in the UK.

Just seems wrong.

I don't understand why you think your wife can't get UK residency? If the both of you meet the requirements she will get an initial 30 month visa which can be extended for a further 30 months. After 5 years you can then apply for an indefinite stay visa. So I can't see what the problem is?

[Steve1960]

Is your daughter a British citizen? If not, why? She's entitled to British Citizenship by descent, unless you were also a British Citizen by descent (born outside the UK).

Your wife is then entitled to an immigration visa to the UK as long as your daughter is under the age of 18 and your wife is the sole parent or the two of you are separated and your daughter lives in the UK. If you're not separated, your wife can apply for a visa on the basis if being your wife.

I figured this out in two minutes and two Google searches. I'm struggling to see why you're being so dramatic about this situation. It seems to me you expect like you should be able to buy a set of one-way tickets and have Prince Harry waiting at Heathrow to personally hand a passport to your wife.

The reason you're entitled to such easy residency in the Philippines is because people aren't breaking laws to immigrate there. They likely see your marriage and residency as a GDP boost.

The Internet and Google are a wonderful thing but not always accurate and often open to interpretation. The official answer from the UK Border Agency says you are wrong.

Of course that's what I expect If the illegal immigrants can fiddle the state benefit system and get UK tax payers money at the very least I expect a prince to turn out for my wife's arrival!

[JayCee]

Is your daughter a British citizen? If not, why? She's entitled to British Citizenship by descent, unless you were also a British Citizen by descent (born outside the UK).

Your wife is then entitled to an immigration visa to the UK as long as your daughter is under the age of 18 and your wife is the sole parent or the two of you are separated and your daughter lives in the UK. If you're not separated, your wife can apply for a visa on the basis if being your wife.

I figured this out in two minutes and two Google searches. I'm struggling to see why you're being so dramatic about this situation. It seems to me you expect like you should be able to buy a set of one-way tickets and have Prince Harry waiting at Heathrow to personally hand a passport to your wife.

The reason you're entitled to such easy residency in the Philippines is because people aren't breaking laws to immigrate there. They likely see your marriage and residency as a GDP boost.

The Internet and Google are a wonderful thing but not always accurate and often open to interpretation. The official answer from the UK Border Agency says you are wrong.

Of course that's what I expect If the illegal immigrants can fiddle the state benefit system and get UK tax payers money at the very least I expect a prince to turn out for my wife's arrival!

I think you're confusing illegal immigrants with people who have applied for asylum, illegal immigrants generally don't want the authorities to know anything about them for obvious reasons.

If it's so important to you that your wife can live in the UK if something happens to you, why aren't you living there now and racking up the months/years so that she can get indefinite leave to remain instead of living in Singapore?

[zzm9980]

Is your daughter a British citizen? If not, why? She's entitled to British Citizenship by descent, unless you were also a British Citizen by descent (born outside the UK).

Your wife is then entitled to an immigration visa to the UK as long as your daughter is under the age of 18 and your wife is the sole parent or the two of you are separated and your daughter lives in the UK. If you're not separated, your wife can apply for a visa on the basis if being your wife.

I figured this out in two minutes and two Google searches. I'm struggling to see why you're being so dramatic about this situation. It seems to me you expect like you should be able to buy a set of one-way tickets and have Prince Harry waiting at Heathrow to personally hand a passport to your wife.

The reason you're entitled to such easy residency in the Philippines is because people aren't breaking laws to immigrate there. They likely see your marriage and residency as a GDP boost.

The Internet and Google are a wonderful thing but not always accurate and often open to interpretation. The official answer from the UK Border Agency says you are wrong.

Of course that's what I expect If the illegal immigrants can fiddle the state benefit system and get UK tax payers money at the very least I expect a prince to turn out for my wife's arrival!

"The internet and Google" brought me to the official UK gov web sites for these matters, so I'm curious what they said. 'Zzm9980 on the Internet is wrong!'? They told you your wife has no option to come to enter the UK temporarily and she's freak forever? Perhaps you phrased your question to them wrong, asking for immediate citizenship or a passport for your wife like you did here initially, they just said 'No', instead of explaining why and what you needed to do for that to happen? Oh well, sucks to be you.

[Steve1960]

My wife can enter the UK with me and our daughter on a visa and have that visa renewed as necessary. After 5 years (used to be 3) she can apply for citizenship. The condition of course is that she meets the 5 year residency criteria which restricts how often she can leave the UK during the 5 years.

I think its understandable in many ways. The increase from 3 years to 5 years is apparently 'to ensure the marriage is genuine and sustainable'. I have had many UK friends over the years who's marriages have not lasted 5 years maybe they should have been kicked out of the country for failing

[zzm9980]

My wife can enter the UK with me and our daughter on a visa and have that visa renewed as necessary. After 5 years (used to be 3) she can apply for citizenship. The condition of course is that she meets the 5 year residency criteria which restricts how often she can leave the UK during the 5 years.

I think its understandable in many ways. The increase from 3 years to 5 years is apparently 'to ensure the marriage is genuine and sustainable'. I have had many UK friends over the years who's marriages have not lasted 5 years maybe they should have been kicked out of the country for failing

If one of the failing partners weren't a citizen at the start, then yeah basically they should have been.

[Steve1960]

Maybe.

What if the foreign partner remained faithful and true for 4 1/2 years then the UK partner runs off with the postman. Is it fair to then deport the foreigner?

Anyway lots of different opinions on this and I don't want to raise anyones blood pressure so just ignore my obvious bias on the subject

[Zeenit]

If my memory serves me correctly your wife will have to live in the UK for two before she can gain Permanent Residence.


Once permanent residence (properly known as indefinite leave to remain) has been granted, there are no longer any immigration related restrictions on the work or business you may do in the UK, and no time limits on your stay in the UK.

You should note that to keep your permanent residence you should not spend longer than two years outside the UK. You should maintain ties to the UK and should consider the UK as your home. If you continue to only spend short periods of time in the UK over many years it is likely that there will come a time when you will lose your indefinite leave to remain in the UK. It is therefore beneficial in most cases to apply for UK citizenship. You can normally apply for naturalisation as an UK citizen one year after being granted indefinite leave to remain and as long as you meet the residence requirements.


This is what happened to me and once I got my British Passport ( I was there for 5 yrs) then applied and now I dont need to be living in the UK to hold a passport. BTW, lived and worked there for 19 yrs.


The Red text I took off the website.

[Zeenit]

Just doing the Life in the UK test which you must pass before you get a UK passport. Not sure I will pass the test as its very difficult even when you live there.

[Mi Amigo]

I'm not someone who normally sticks up for the UK authorities on subjects like this (there's a first time for everything), but there is a bit of 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation here. If they make it too easy for spouses to reside in the UK and obtain citizenship, they are criticised because it leaves the system open to abuse. If they make it too hard, then they get criticised from the other direction, as in this thread.

When we got married, my (Spanish) wife and I had to fly up to Madrid from another part of the country after our wedding to attend an interview at the British Consulate there. This was becuase Spain was not yet a full member of the European Community (as it was then called), so we had to get approval for her to come and live with me in the UK. I was furious that I had to ask for permission from a bureaurat (who turned out to be a racist bigot, making the situation even more irritating). But that was the way things were in those days, and for all I know there are still similar processes in place for people coming fron outside the EU. The funniest part of the story was when the request was approved and they gave my wife a little booklet, which included a statement that she would be able to apply for UK citizenship after a number of years living in the country. Her face was a picture when she read that part and then she said "why on earth would I want to do that?"

At the end of the day there has to be a balance and there will always be people who believe that the balance point is too far in one direction or another.