A Spouse Visa is very important whenever a spouse is going to join another spouse in any country. A Spouse Visa is simply an endorsement attached on a spouse’s valid passport, granting him or her permission to enter a country where his or her spouse lives.

For a Spouse Visa to be issued by the applied country, there are several requirements by the country’s immigration office. Even though they vary from one country to another, requirements can include a valid marriage certificate, which has been registered by an official registrar.

A Spouse Visa is only granted to a spouse who is in a subsisting marriage, meaning that the sponsoring spouse must indicate by showing letters that they have been keeping in touch with each other. This may even include submitting telephone bills to show that the sponsor and spouse are communicating on a regular basis.  

The sponsoring spouse must also prove that he or she is capable of providing shelter and food as well as showing that he or she is financially capable of catering to the spouse’s needs when the spouse joins him or her in the country as a resident. This can be done by showing financial proof, such as a bank statement, pay slips or business account if the sponsor is self-employed. All of these things help in the issuance of a Spouse Visa.

It is good for the spouse applicant to confirm everything with the sponsoring spouse before deciding to apply for a Spouse Visa. The most important thing when applying for a Spouse Visa is that, as an applicant, one should make sure that one is 18 years and above since someone who is under 18 years is considered a minor who is not allowed to sign an affidavit.

The UK immigration process has recently undergone some changes that make it easier to navigate and understand.  The previous system granted an HSMP Visa – the “Highly Skilled Migrant Programme”.  This system has now been replaced with the Tier System, which makes it more similar to the systems used globally. 

The Tier System provides for 5 different levels or tiers for visas.  Each tier provides for a different group of applicant.  The levels include Tier 1 – for “highly skilled workers” and professionals; Tier 2 – for “skilled workers” with a current job offer; Tier 3 – a temp visa for those with fewer skills; Tier 4 – a student visa and Tier 5 – a temp youth permit for temp workers. The Tier Visa uses a point system to determine eligibility.

The point system, used for Tier 1 Visas for UK immigration, uses several main factors.  Each factor has weighted points that are applied based on your skills or abilities in the area.  The total points necessary to be eligible for a Tier 1 Visa are 75.  The point system is commonly used throughout the country as a way of determining entry into the country on a permanent basis. 

The Tier 1 Visa uses education, age, previous employment, salary, English skills, and adaptability to assign points.  The applicant must submit all documentation to prove eligibility at the time of application.  The approval process may take anywhere up to about a year and a half.  It is important to submit all the information at once so that your application is not stalled. 

A UK tourist visa permits the holder to travel and stay in the United Kingdom for up to but no longer than six months, and covers people visiting the UK for both business or medical trips and those who are passing through the country en-route to another destination.

The UK Business Visitor Visa is normally the best option for temporary immigration for business individuals who wish to visit the UK for short periods of time. The visa will only be issued if the holder ensures that they will not be entering into any type of work. They will, however be permitted to attend meetings and conferences for the duration of their stay.

The Business Visitor Visa is a fast and efficient visa that permits people to visit the UK without a more formal visa, such as a work permit to be granted. There are two types of Business Visitor Visa, single entry, which permits the holder to visit the UK once, and multiple entries; this allows the person to visit the UK on several occasions during the visas life as long as it is no longer than six months at a time.

The UK Business Visitor Visa is usually valid for two years; this means that the individual does not have to re-apply for the visa when they wish to visit the UK on business.

The new UK immigration system requires that all sponsors of non-EU workers must be licensed if they want to bring a worker to the UK. The Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) regulates and issues PBS sponsorship licences, and conducts regular visits and audits on the companies to ensure that the immigration regulations are being followed.

All migrants, excluding those who are seeking family based immigration need to have a UK sponsor to be able to apply to live and work in the UK. A UK sponsor can be a company, a university or college or another establishment, but in all cases gaining sponsorship is the first step in applying for a PBS UK Visa.

The BIA rates sponsors in two grades, A or B and is based on its risk assessment of the company or establishment. Most of the sponsors will be rated A, but they can be demote to a B rating if the BIA feels that regulations aren’t being followed or that there is a risk to UK immigration. Sponsors that are downgraded to a B rating will be given the opportunity to appeal and be given a limited time plan to regain the A rating.