Trying to find Information on spousal visa

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

Enniskillen is in Northern Ireland, so part of the UK, so your wife is a UK citizen and has no problem; you need to apply for a family visa; the details on how to do this are on the UK Gov website; this link will take you there.

You can currently travel freely between Ireland and Northern Ireland to visit your wife's family, but Brexit may make this a bit of a problem.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi, hope all is well. Can anyone tell me the best way to get my papers to live in Northern Ireland? I have to pick up my Greek passport in Athens but I'm Canadian and would like to be with my soon to be husband ASAP he is Irish, thanks for any help have a great day!

n3ktaria wrote:

Hi, hope all is well. Can anyone tell me the best way to get my papers to live in Northern Ireland? I have to pick up my Greek passport in Athens but I'm Canadian and would like to be with my soon to be husband ASAP he is Irish, thanks for any help have a great day!

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

As it stands (Brexit notwithstanding) Greece is a part of the EU and an EU citizen has freedom of movement to Northern Ireland.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Thank you Cynic, sorry for the late response.

So I wasted thousands of dollars going to the Greek embassy in Athens because the Canadian Greek embassy said it would be faster to obtain my status and passport, so far they have been less then helpful. My paperwork is complete but Athens hasn't signed off and I've been waiting a year when it should have been a week. So my question is how do I get the most direct and legal way to be with my soon to be family in Ireland? Thanks in advance.

A perfect example of bureaucracy at its worse - have you asked them why this is taking an inordinate amount of time?  You're already on the fastest (if not the most competent) way; in other words, you need an EU passport.

A thought just crossed my mind; you're asking your question in our Northern Ireland forum, but you keep saying Ireland - they are 2 different countries - whereabouts are you intending to go and live?  If it's Northern Ireland, then time is running out - the UK leaves the EU in 19 days time.

I'm sorry, I meant Northern Ireland that's why I was very upset. Yesterday was my 9th time going to the Greek embassy in Toronto and all this over my fathers name being put in the incorrect order on the form when they were the ones copying everything down. When I asked in Athens for them to correct it they refused because they said it was up to the embassy in Toronto to correct.  I've been calling Greece to ask what's happening and no one answers, it's very stressful and feel slighted.

Toronto is a consular office - have you spoken to the Embassy in Ottowa?

The consular office was notified once after I got back and it's been a blame game between Athens and Toronto ever since but I suppose I'll have to call them again about this situation. I don't know what else to do, frustrated and getting angry. Any other way because I don't see this being resolved in a timely manner, thanks much for your time cynic!

So, I was at the consular office again this past week, the only solution they could think of was to take my father off the paperwork because they are saying that the whole problem is because they don't believe my father is my father... so from being called a bastard in Greece and all this stress and getting out of pocket, money's tight rn. And the thing is that my mother is the only thing that matters on the paperwork because they only recognize children of Greek women after a law made  after 1984 I think the office lady said in Patra, Greece which the consular in Toronto called me a liar. If this doesn't work idk, any advise Cynic? Embassy in Ottawa is my last resort but when I spoke with them, not much more helpful just like Greece and rarely ever answer the phone or emails.

Hi again.

Sometimes, if you've tried all the legitimate methods and are still faced with abject stupidity, the only way to achieve your target is to embarrass those officials into doing the right thing.  Write to politicians, newspapers and TV/Radio stations, name the people who are incompetent.

Failing the above.  Assuming your husband is an EU citizen, have you considered applying for a visa to come and join him?  This link will take you to the UK Gov website that has the details.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Thanks so much Cynic, you're always so helpful. I've also tried to get my British ancestral visa but don't know my fathers side and the uk embassy hasn't answered my calls or emails. Looks like my best bet is your links, have a great day, take care!

Still no Greek passport or cooperation from them in any form, I'm concerned with involving 3rd parties you've mentioned Cynic because what if they decide to make things more difficult? and now with Covid 19 it's gotten so much worse. Anger, depression and frustration, do I risk it and start talking to 3rd parties? I've been very patient with them, I even spoke with the person in charge of that location and it's the same thing, oh blah blah is my best employee he's doing everything for you, except he can't even call or email when a simple question is put to him as to why this has taken a year and a bit, but plays the blame game with others in his office and Athens?! I hope you and your loved ones are safe Cynic and continue to remain so, blessings.

Hi again.

Given the Greek government intransigence, you have nothing to lose.  However, at this stage, you may be better off applying for a UK family visa; you would qualify based on your marriage to a UK citizen.  It still won't get you your Greek passport but would enable you to accompany your husband to live in the UK.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team