Expat Community > England

carlaz
Joined 2002
Posts: 1

US expat with non-US/non-UK partner

22 years ago

I am US expat working in the UK with a work visa. My girlfriend is from Colombia, and is currently in the UK on a short term tourist visa, but we are hoping to find a way that she can stay for more than a few months. She holds law degrees and I've got a high tech job that nets enough for me to support us both in the UK, but the system seems stacked against us.

Perhaps she can get an extension to her tourist visa, or perhaps she can get a student visa (she has been to the UK previously as an English language student, but she is also potentially interested in pursuing a masters degree at a UK university). But I am not sure what the restrictions on either of these types of visa would be, such as whether she would have to leave and then re-enter the UK.

As far as I can tell, she can't stay in the UK as the fiancee of a work permit holder, but she could stay if we were married. However, we're both reluctant to take such a step prematurely in order to acquire legal permission for her to remain in the UK.

Does anyone have any ideas?

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