Uk Citizenship / Recipricol Healthcare / Spousal 457 Spousal Visa

[lolpeters]

My wife has been living and working in the UK for 9 years, she is a polish citizen. We are moving to Australia on a 457 visa with our UK citizen / child. I understand I am entitled to recipricol healthcare and my daughter is however my wife isn't , is this correct even though she has been a resident in the UK for so long ? The solution to this is for her to apply for her UK Citizenship but unfortunately we are going in 6 weeks. Is there anyway around this and is she able to apply for UK Citizenship whilst away with us?

[boxtops]

Your wife has been in the UK more more than a year, she should get free NHS healthcare in theUK. Why does she think she doesn't? http://www.monetos.co.uk/insurance/health-insurance/nhs/entitlement/

[black_cat51]

how long will you be living there for?

[black_cat51]

did you read the question - they are moving to australia

[boxtops]

Yes I did - he doesn't mention in which country he currently gets healthcare FOC - I assumed he was checking his current basis in order to reflect it on the Australian application.

[black_cat51]

i think you are getting a bit mixed up boxtops. UK citizens are entitled to "some" healthcare in australia, whereas polish citizens are not. When they move to australia in six weeks, this means the wife will not be able to get any healthcare free.
How long have you been married for peters?

[boxtops]

Not mixed up, just not fully understanding the question. Thank you :-)

[lolpeters]

Apologies if any confusion in the questions> The visa is an initial 4 year visa and she receives free NHS care in the UK as a resident. We have been married for 27 months and together for 8 years in total.

[black_cat51]

to governemt site is not all that clear on whether you have to be resident in the uk after you apply, however, they will need to contact her at some point over the six odd months it takes, plus she'll have to go for an interview and so on, and that's going to be hard if you don't have a uk address. i would also imagine she'll have to send her passport off - not great if you want to move abroad!, plus even if she does apply, there will be at least six monhs before she'll have any cover. Travel insurance?

[EDDIE51]

I would get the ball rolling by applying for UK citizenship now, then she can at least say the application is in the pipeline. I think she may also have to renounce her Polish citizenship once the UK citizenship comes through so there can be no question about dual citizenship.

[black_cat51]

according to this forum http://www.immigrationboards.com/british-citizenship/intention-to-live-in-the-uk-t47810.html you have to live in the uk while the application goes through

[lolpeters]

i agree she will need to send her polish passport off during that process which will limit any travel whilst away. We will have a UK address for postage. Will she physically have to interview face to face for the citizenship given she is an EU Citizen, lived in UK over 5, married to a UK Citizen and has a UK child? Looking at the UK government website I couldn't really see any clarification apart from stating that you should have the intention to stay in the UK....we do but will aim to be away for an extended period of time which could be up to 4 years but may be less.

[black_cat51]

you may have to interview. You also have to attend a ceremony, without which you cant become a citizen

[black_cat51]

it's seriously not worth lying on any forms though about living in the uk if you are living in australia

[EDDIE51]

I think that you can apply for UK citizenship through the British High Commission in OZ , or at least do the interview there.
This was possible when I lived in Zambia, a British expat I knew got married to a Zambian citizen and they got her British citizenship via the High Commission in Lusaka.