This time, I will talk about studying in the UK, international marriage, and obtaining permanent residence. It’s often said that getting a visa in the UK is very difficult, but we have had the experience of being tricked with wrong information. I think that there are various cases for obtaining a visa, but I would like you to refer to the case that there are cases like us.
Encounter and marriage with husband
Friend introduction
I was planning to study abroad for half a year at that time, but I felt that the language alone was not enough, and then decided to study a holistic therapy course (such as aromatherapy and reflexology) for 9 months in a junior college. It was.
The introduction of the landlord who lived at that time allowed me to work at a beauty salon. And since the friend of the salon owner and the colleague of the master were acquainted, the master was introduced to the present master. I didn’t expect to introduce the opposite sex overseas, but I don’t know what would be fateful to get married.
A quick marriage decision from a romantic relationship
Even though I was introduced, I had already returned to Japan when he came to the salon. However, I knew each other’s contact information, so I continued to exchange emails for about a year. In that situation, I wanted to meet him and I went to England to play. Since I was talking to each other by email, I think that the feelings of love started to grow from the day I met.
After returning home, I talked to Skype almost every day and met again half a year later. At that time, they were proposed and decided to marry each other. Since both of them were working, it was difficult to go back and forth between England and Japan frequently due to financial reasons and schedules, so I got married and decided to go to England. Also, since we were both good ages, I think there were some decisions that were made very quickly.
Getting Spouse Visa
Collecting documents for obtaining visas
As soon as I decided to get married, I started collecting information such as collecting documents and English exams to obtain a British spouse visa. At that time, British spouse visas had a two-year route and a five-year route. The two-year route is a two-year waiting period before applying for permanent residence. 5 years route will be 5 years. Just when I applied, it was time to change from the 2-year route to the 5-year route. (Currently only the 5-year route)
If I was lucky, I thought I could get a two-year visa with a short waiting period, but unfortunately my English exam certificate was not in time for the date that the rules changed and it was a five-year route. I was prepared. Indeed, British visas are complex, the rules change frequently, and the costs are not cheap. In order to keep costs down even a little, I studied hard so that I could pass the English exam in one shot. We also gathered and submitted the necessary documents to be submitted to the authorities.
In the required documents, you will also need to submit an email exchange with him and a SKYPE conversation record, etc., to prove that you were dating him. This seems necessary to prove that it is not a fake marriage.
There was a happening, but …
TOEIC was selected for the English proficiency test. (At that time there were TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, etc., but TOEIC is currently disabled.) At that time, only a few days left until the change to the 5-year route, so call the TOEIC secretariat instead of mailing I asked for a personal certificate, but it was refused.
After that, I received a certificate and immediately submitted it to the authorities to get a visa. Even though it was a lot of work, I still remember that I was able to travel to England safely.
Applying for the citizenship
Sudden contact
After applying for a visa, I thought that it was a five-year route, but suddenly I was contacted by Home Office, and I was able to apply for permanent residence on a two-year route rather than a five-year route.
Is there such a thing?
In retrospect, I ask a visa application specialist in Japan when I get a visa, get the visa application online on the date before the rules change, and I submit the necessary documents to the visa application center at a later date Did.
As a precaution, I asked a Japanese expert before applying for a visa whether it would be a two-year route or a five-year route. In the case of, it was said that it would be a 5-year route. Therefore, I did not expect the online application date to be the visa application date.
According to Home Office, although we were able to apply for a 2-year route, we applied for a 5-year route. At this point, two and a half years have passed, and it was possible to apply for permanent residence at any time, so I immediately applied for permanent residence.
I should have really confirmed with Home Office, not Japanese experts. It is a bitter memory now.
What I think by now
There were a lot of things, but as long as I am very happy to be able to live a life without having to worry about a visa by acquiring a British permanent residence. I liked overseas since I was a student and experienced homestay and short-term study abroad, but I never thought of living abroad, so it was an international marriage.
Applying for a visa in the UK is really difficult because of the complexity of the rules and little information, but I think that working with two people and three legs deepened the bonds between them. International marriage really requires effort, but when I acquired permanent residence, I felt uncomfortable.
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