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I have married to a British citizen in December 2018. He left after 10 days and applied to work in Saudi Arabia. His plan was to apply for my spouse visa from Saudi Arabia rather than the UK because both government agencies need passports for the visa and he needs the job first.

Saudi government took his passport January and took ages to arrange a visa. Anyhow he got the visa at the end of the March and went to Saudi Arabia. He couldn't apply for my spouse or visit visa because he didn't get his Saudi National ID.

He got the Saudi ID before he left to the UK (summer holidays) in May. He arranged the appointment from the home officers. I guess they both told him you shouldn't apply because you don't work in the UK. For spouse visa you need to work in the UK. If I ask him to apply for visit visa he sometimes forgets to ask lawyers and sometime lawyer didn't reply back. I don't understand what is wrong, is he deliberately delaying things or

Q1: Is it really a rule of the UK government that you need to work in the UK if you apply for the spouse visa?

Q2: I don't work, if I apply for a visit visa they need my bank statement or can my husband sponsor me?

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    Your husband has a job in Saudi. Is the intention that he will continue to work in Saudi? If so, you will struggle to get a spouse visa, since that is only applicable if you are living together in the UK. Also, you said that he "left after 10 days". Does this mean you haven't been living together since your wedding? Have you seen your husband since then? I think you will really struggle to prove you have a genuine relationship.
    – MJeffryes
    Jun 6, 2019 at 10:54
  • he has a 1-year contract, when he came in Saudi we lived there for 6 days then he had to go for some work also he is vice principal so summer vacation started is Saudi, we will be together in July again.
    – Simi
    Jun 6, 2019 at 13:30
  • So your husband will be in the UK only over the summer holidays?
    – MJeffryes
    Jun 6, 2019 at 13:34
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    Yes, I think a spouse visa is impossible in this situation. Indeed, you can apply for a visit visa. It's OK that you don't work, since you can apply on the basis that since your husband will return to Saudi, you will go with him. You may need to include evidence of his finances to demonstrate he's supporting both of you adequately (but I would guess his job pays quite well, so this shouldn't be a problem).
    – MJeffryes
    Jun 6, 2019 at 13:49
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    @DJClayworth done
    – MJeffryes
    Jun 12, 2019 at 12:41

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It is not necessary for a British citizen to work in the UK in order for their spouse's visa application to be successful. But as I'm sure you've observed, the financial requirements on family visa applications mean that a job, or significant savings, is almost always required.

However, your circumstances are a bit different, and actually fall outside the intention of the family visas. Since your husband is working and living in Saudi Arabia for the majority of the year, his summer holiday in the UK would be more accurately described as a visit. That is, he isn't resident in the UK and therefore your spouse visa application couldn't be successful.

But you don't actually need a spouse visa to spend time with your husband in the UK during the summer holidays, you need a standard visit visa. In this case, you don't need to prove that you're working, only that you have a genuine relationship with your husband and therefore you have strong "ties" to him which means that you will leave the UK at the end of the summer holidays when he does. And since you will be relying on his finances over the summer, you will need to show evidence of his financial stability. In these circumstances, a visit visa will have a good chance of success.

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