Changing the valid from date on U.K. spouse visa

[deano1217]

My wife has just been granted a spouse visa. The good news was submitted 27th May. Passport and visa returned to her 8th June. Bad news is that I was expecting the application process to take much longer, so when filling out the application form I said we would be travelling 30th August. So now the visa says valid from 30th August. Can i asked for this date to be brought forward or does she now have to wait until that date. many thanks for any advise given.

[theoldgit]

As you are aware your wife cannot enter the UK before the start of the visa, whilst they will extend the date in exceptional circumstances they will not change the "valid from" date.

I don't know if it's still the case but they used to say that you would need to reapply, and pay again, if you wanted to change the date.

Looks like you're a victim of improved performance by the UKBA.

If were in your position I would send them an email, via VFS asking them to forward it, you have nothing to lose but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Congratulations on the visa though.

[deano1217]

thanks for the reply. could i apply for a family visit visa for her.

[theoldgit]

Yes you could, but I don't think she would be able to remain on that and she might find difficult to convince the ECO of her reasons to return.

[deano1217]

Yes you could, but I don't think she would be able to remain on that and she might find difficult to convince the ECO of her reasons to return.

hi. would she have to go back to thailand or could she go to turkey for say a holiday and then enter on her spouse visa. i think the only way i could try and convince the eco she wouldn't remain on the family visit visa is that this would be her sixth visit visa and as never overstayed before.

[theoldgit]

I'm not sure of the technicalities of getting a visit visa when there is a settlement visa already in the passport.

I'm not sure also about the Turkey option.

Maybe someone from Thai Visa Express may pick up and give accurate advice.

I would fire off an email to the UKBA, you have nothing to lose.

[deano1217]

I'm not sure of the technicalities of getting a visit visa when there is a settlement visa already in the passport.

I'm not sure also about the Turkey option.

Maybe someone from Thai Visa Express may pick up and give accurate advice.

I would fire off an email to the UKBA, you have nothing to lose.

email sent. fingers crossed.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

As far as I am aware, it's still possible to hold two visas ( in different categories) in a passport. I have heard arguments for and against ! Logically, it must be possible - if someone holds a 10-year multiple visit visa, and qualifies, for instance, as a student for a couple of years, then why should the 10 year visit visa have to be cancelled ? This is taken from the LSE website :

The UK Border Agency and UKCISA (the UK Council for International Student Affairs) have confirmed to us that it is possible to hold two different visas in your passport at the same time. When you apply for your Student Visitor visa, you must clarify that you wish to retain your General Visitor visa or your Business Visitor visa. Some students have experienced difficulty doing this, but we have been advised that this is possible to obtain. When you arrive in the UK with two different types of immigration permission in your passport, you explain the purpose of your current visit to the UK and the immigration officer will place a date stamp next to the visa that you are using.

The circumstances here are obviously very different, though, and I can see some obvious difficulties in actually persuading an ECO that only a short visit is intended, and that the applicant will return to Thailand to then take up the settlement visa. But that will depend on the circumstances, and how persuasive the application is.

Tony M