United Kingdom Border Agency Website

[Robertt S]

Here is a list of links to the UK border agency, it should have all needed information required to successfully apply for a visa for your spouse, fiancee, and children. This site also provides instructions and required forms to apply for permanent settlement when you are eligible. 

Married already-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/

Can you apply-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/can-you-apply/

Fiancees-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/fiancee-proposed-cp/

Can you apply-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/fiancee-proposed-cp/can-you-apply/

Bringing Children-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/children/

Applying from outside the U.K.-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/apply-outside-uk/

Applying from inside the U.K.-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/applying-in-uk/

Documents required-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/documents/

Photographs and Passport requirements-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/documents/photo-passport/

English Language Requirement-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/documents/english-language/

Financial Requirements-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/can-you-apply/financial/

Specified Evidence Requirements-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/immigrationlaw/immigrationrules/appendix-fmse/

Apply On-line-https://apply.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/iapply.portal

Visa Application Fees and How to pay them-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/fees/

How to apply to settle permanently-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/settlement/

U.K. Immigration News ( China )-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-and-updates/?area=China

*You will notice that the required forms for each application opened will be shown to the right of the screen under " Related Documents or Application Forms "*

Example of the Biometric Residence Permit for the U.K.




Willy, I hope this helps. The UK Border Agency site looks pretty well organized and fairly easy to navigate ( if you speak the King's English ).

[David K]

Great skills Robert   
I had a look thru the site, and with the changes mid 2012, its now substantially
more difficult to get a partner into the UK than into NZ.

Seems UK now have financial and language requirements for spousal entry
that are not required in NZ. However, this may change - one of the INZ guys here
told me the immigration departments of the old "commonwealth" regularly coordinate,
and also exchange case studies of scams used to beat the system e.g.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/scams/

With the world polarising into Haves and Have nots I expect the spousal criteria to be
progressively tightened by the former to keep out the latter 

[David K]

More on those changes:
=======
A Nobel prize-winning scientist whose discovery at a British university will help the UK economy become more competitive launched a blistering attack yesterday on the Government's "stupid" immigration policy.

Russian-born physicist Professor Sir Andre Geim said new restrictions on non-European Union immigrants, including minimum salary requirements of at least £31,000 and tighter student visa rules, are blocking the brightest academics from working at British institutions. He told The Independent on Sunday that the restrictions would have prevented him and his team from identifying the revolutionary "super-material" graphene, which earned him the Nobel Prize in physics in 2010.
=======
Full story at
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nobel-winner-slates-britains-stupid-immigration-reforms-8433324.html
There are also 491 comments that make for interesting reading 

[Willy The Londoner]

Thanks Robbertt

But I was more interested in reading about members own personal experience.

Willy