Not a happy bunny at the moment.
I got my passport and visa application back today. I have just pissed away 350 quid, as visa has been denied. Well, not so much denied as me being told that I don't qualify for it as I'm currently under a pseudo-diplomatic visa. Reading between the legalese, it means that as long as I work for the EBI, I need the clearance exception visa that I currently have. As long as I have that visa, I cannot qualify for a spousal visa. As long as I can't get the spousal visa, I can't start the citizenship process.
What's even worse though is that when my contract runs its course, I'll need to apply for a spousal visa to stay in the UK. I'll have been there 9 years, but none of those will count for anything, immigration-wise. I will not have a job anymore, but I won't be able to apply for any until I get the spousal visa. Having a job will go a long way to being able to get a spousal visa. Anybody see the nice catch-22 in the making?
On the plus side, a job is not really a requirement, as long as we can show that we have means to support ourselves. That's a strong incentive to start saving; and the golden handshake I get from the EBI should help with that as well.
Still, I do not need this aggravation now.