So we finally have the answer we wanted to hear. Nicole spent a good half hour on the phone with Jessica from the UK Border Agency and she was able to confirm that we will be considered under the old rules.
This comes as a huge relief as you can imagine and Nicole and I can finally focus on the next stage of our journey. What's next for us? Well now we must fill out the FLR(M) form, gather all of our information together and get the Spouse visa application sent off.
What I find difficult to understand is how someone at the UKBA managed to misinform first Nicole and then after that a local newspaper the East Lothian Courier, a national newspaper the Daily Express and an MP's office. We were also misinformed by the Citizen's Advice Bureau and worst of all the Home Office!!!
The kind of distress this has caused Nicole and I was absolutely the last thing we needed right after our wedding. Hopefully our story can help others avoid such a situation.
I'll continue to update regarding our application and hopefully in the near future I will be able to report that we were successful.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us so far and thank you for reading.
John
Finally this put a smile on my face. I was going mad here.
ReplyDeleteThis whole saga needs to be shared and I think your MP and the media should demand answers. This is a perfect thing for the Home Affairs Select Committee, who monitor UKBA's performance, to pick up on. I'll drop you a line on Facebook if that's ok to discuss. - steve