Hi all, we shall be applying for a UK settlement visa next year, just getting my ducks in a row at the moment. We would like to travel at the same time as the visa starts but would like to post date the start of the visa, I understand you can do this by 3 months but looking on here it seems that settlement visas can take up to 3 months to be processed anyway, so could we in effect submit the application with a start date of 4/5/6 months later as it will take a few months to get an answer??

I'm officially an expat and haven't been on the electoral role for years, I will be registering when we get back but will this make a difference to our application?

Thanks

Jimmy

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How do you propose to meet the financial requirements if you're an expat?

I mean that I officially left the UK 11 years ago and have had expat status since, I work offshore and can meet the requirements, Mrs E had has had visit visas for years, so now we're taking the next step.

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Processing times vary depending on how busy the entry clearance section is; i.e. how many applications, of all categories, they have to process at the time.

Recently we have had reports here of settlement visas being processed in as little as 10 working days; but not that long ago they were taking an average of 3 months!

As you say, your wife can ask for the start date to be post dated for up to 3 months. The visa will be valid from the date it is issued or the requested date; whichever is the later.

Therefore, if you have a specific date you wish to travel my advice is to submit the application 3 months in advance and ask for that date.

Your wife should enter the required date in the appropriate part of her application form, and you should to ask for it in your sponsor's letter as well. Then, when she receives her visa, your wife must check it; mistakes are made on this and cannot be rectified later.

In addition; her visa will be valid for 33 months, but she only need to live in the UK for 30 months to be time qualified for the next stage. So she will have 3 months from the start of her visa in which to settle her affairs in Thailand and move to the UK.

This means she could actually submit her application up to 6 months in advance of travelling.

You not being on the electoral register will make absolutely no difference to her application.

You may find UK settlement visa basics helpful.

Thanks, that's great.

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