Closing the distance = hitting a brick wall - country suggestions!?
Hi all,
Okay so this is complicated like most LDRs, so stick with me a bit!
I'm from the UK. I went to Mexico on a gap year in 2009 and met my bf, who's Mexican. We started dating, and then I returned to the UK to do my 4-year degree. During those 4 years we spent all possible time together either in Mexico or the UK, living with his family, or with mine (at least 1 month for Christmas, 1 month for Easter, and 2-4 months over Summer, depending on my course requirements).
He then went to the USA to work for 6 months, and I flew out to visit. From there we flew to New Zealand where we've been living for a year on Working Holiday Visas.
Our plan was just to stay in NZ - we've closed the gap, and are living together as we always wanted (granted after 4.5 years' distance!).
However, we're now in limbo waiting for his work visa to process, or for my work to offer me enough of a contract to get a work visa. Once one of us has a visa, the other can get a partnership visa, as here the requirement is for just 12 months living together.
However, we're starting to get anxious about getting a 'no' from immigration and need to make plans. We have to leave the country by 30th November if we're denied visas - and would need to buy flights to Mexico or the UK, as well as sell all our belongings (we have furnished our house from 2nd hand goods, and have a car).
Okay so that's basically it.
Now, my question is, what other options do we have?
In order for him to move to the UK we have to have lived together 'as a couple' for 2 years - a lawyer confirmed this to me last year.
For me to move to Mexico it's 5 years living together (crazy right!).
We're not married, and shouldn't have to consider marriage as an option for a visa.
Are there any countries where the requirement is for just 12 months living together?
He's unlikely to be able to secure a job in an English-speaking country, as his English isn't very advanced yet.
At the moment out plan is just to go back to Mexico or the UK for 6 months (no visa required for either of us) and figure things out, but I just don't even really know where to start!
I find it 100% unfair that somebody can marry after 1 year and suddenly their relationship has more weight than our 5.5 years. Immigration officials and governments are always talking about how they don't want false marriages but what do they expect when they don't give us any options!!!
I've even investigated the Surinder Singh route into the EU but you have to be married for this.
We're not particularly bothered where we live, as the whole point is to be together, but it would need to be English or Spanish speaking (i'm a languages grad so am more than happy to learn a new language, but my bf would struggle). Studies aren't really an option either as we don't have enough money for it.
Any suggestions appreciated!!!!!
Sarah
Okay so this is complicated like most LDRs, so stick with me a bit!
I'm from the UK. I went to Mexico on a gap year in 2009 and met my bf, who's Mexican. We started dating, and then I returned to the UK to do my 4-year degree. During those 4 years we spent all possible time together either in Mexico or the UK, living with his family, or with mine (at least 1 month for Christmas, 1 month for Easter, and 2-4 months over Summer, depending on my course requirements).
He then went to the USA to work for 6 months, and I flew out to visit. From there we flew to New Zealand where we've been living for a year on Working Holiday Visas.
Our plan was just to stay in NZ - we've closed the gap, and are living together as we always wanted (granted after 4.5 years' distance!).
However, we're now in limbo waiting for his work visa to process, or for my work to offer me enough of a contract to get a work visa. Once one of us has a visa, the other can get a partnership visa, as here the requirement is for just 12 months living together.
However, we're starting to get anxious about getting a 'no' from immigration and need to make plans. We have to leave the country by 30th November if we're denied visas - and would need to buy flights to Mexico or the UK, as well as sell all our belongings (we have furnished our house from 2nd hand goods, and have a car).
Okay so that's basically it.
Now, my question is, what other options do we have?
In order for him to move to the UK we have to have lived together 'as a couple' for 2 years - a lawyer confirmed this to me last year.
For me to move to Mexico it's 5 years living together (crazy right!).
We're not married, and shouldn't have to consider marriage as an option for a visa.
Are there any countries where the requirement is for just 12 months living together?
He's unlikely to be able to secure a job in an English-speaking country, as his English isn't very advanced yet.
At the moment out plan is just to go back to Mexico or the UK for 6 months (no visa required for either of us) and figure things out, but I just don't even really know where to start!
I find it 100% unfair that somebody can marry after 1 year and suddenly their relationship has more weight than our 5.5 years. Immigration officials and governments are always talking about how they don't want false marriages but what do they expect when they don't give us any options!!!
I've even investigated the Surinder Singh route into the EU but you have to be married for this.
We're not particularly bothered where we live, as the whole point is to be together, but it would need to be English or Spanish speaking (i'm a languages grad so am more than happy to learn a new language, but my bf would struggle). Studies aren't really an option either as we don't have enough money for it.
Any suggestions appreciated!!!!!
Sarah
). Hell to move to the USA you don't even have the option of a partner visa. If you're dead set against marriage, try a Latin American country. Easy to move to, he speaks the language, you could get a crappy English teaching job, and the immigration rules are slack. You could both work illegally without residency (getting paid very little) and make border runs every 3 months to renew your tourist visa.
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