What is the position of a merchant seaman as regards UK residence?

I was chatting to my son (who has dual nationality) and to a couple of his friends (who do not) at Warsash Nautical College last Friday and the following thought occurred to us. Given that quite a few Anglo-Pinoy couples meet on cruise ships, it may not be hypothetical:

Suppose a Filipino seafarer meets and falls in love with a UK citizen. Let us further suppose that the Filipino partner does not want to abandon their career at sea. How can the "residence requirement" be satisfied?

( I idly wonder - "what if the seafarer is serving on board a British flag vessel - would that make a difference?)

( I think I have managed to make that question gender and sexual orientation neutral! Waaaay!)

It is an interesting scenario which I can not answer personally, the only thing I would say is that on the FLR(M) form which I filled in myself last week it does ask the following;

"Please provide details of any periods when you have not lived with your sponsor since your last grant of limited leave to remain and reasons why you have not done so."

I am guessing that it would be fine if you have a legitimate reason (as in your job) and it could be evidenced by the seafarer by means of his/her logs or whatever system is used to document the time spent aboard ship.

An interesting one Andrew

Thanks Timmers. Yes, all seafarers - including cruise ship staff - carry a Discharge Book which records their sea time accurately and is an internationally accepted document.

(Come to think of it seafarers can even travel on their Seaman's Identity Card - which in the case of the British is a magnificent thing like an old black passport with the Royal Coat of Arms embossed and gilded but pillar box red in place of black! Filipinos and others just get a card like a driving license...)

Oddly enough I was having a slightly similar thought at the weekend about if we wanted to go on a cruise say a four stop affair in the Med, how would you progress a visa for Juby,would it be the airport she lands at to join the cruise, what if we sailed from the UK would it be the country of the first port of call.

I hope someone can answer that as it is another interesting one. I would like to think there is a special dispensation because normally you only disembark for the day when you are on a cruise and the cruise ship can vouch for you returning to the vessel.

Another good one

after a days thought on the above we will probably holiday in Margate lol

Then I think they may well have difficulties. If you apply for a settlement visa then ipso facto you should settle, not use the country as a rest-stop or staging-post. If you're not physically in the country then you're not truly residing - although that can be a bit of a 'moveable feast' as far as taxation is concerned.

Yes to both questions

Fair point but there are as so often two sides to it:

One can argue that seafarers, who of course pay no income tax, are none the less benefitting the UK economy by spending their earnings here, through allotments to their partners or spouses, and through their own spending when on leave and on housing.

Better an employed seafarer than someone doing nothing....

Are you sure - even on a British-registered vessel?

Recent changes to the law, here.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/seafarers-earnings-deduction-tax-relief-if-you-work-on-a-ship