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I am an Irish national living in Ireland and will be moving to the UK for work, spouse is non-EU and does not require visa to enter the UK if she is staying less than 6 months.

Should my spouse apply for the family visa while we are still in Ireland or should she apply after entering the UK?

When going through immigration, can both of us use the special Common Travel Area lane or will she need to stamp her passport first?

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Should my spouse apply for the family visa while we are still in Ireland or should she apply after entering the UK?

In general it's not permitted to apply inside the UK if you have entered the UK as a visitor, which would be her status if she enters from Ireland without a visa. See https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa:

When you cannot get a family visa

In some circumstances you cannot apply for, or switch to, a family visa.

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You have a visitor visa or a visa for 6 months or less

You’ll usually need to leave the UK to apply for a family visa if either:

  • you have permission to be in the UK as a visitor
  • your visa is for 6 months or less

When you enter the UK, she should get her passport stamped. You can accompany her, and it's probably better if you do.

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  • When arriving in UK from within the Common Travel Area (such as the Republic of Ireland), getting the passport stamped may not be possible. You should then retain your ticket or first hotel bill as proof when you arrived.
    – Mark Johnson
    Feb 4, 2022 at 15:18

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