I have heard many people ask this question, and I've been fervently researching the subject.

I was married on March 23, 2006 to a UK citizen in Illinois, USA. While I was there, I took the time to consult the..Consulate, and I didnt receive a straight answer out of them either.

As far as I can tell. You could take a day trip to Chicago Illinois, stand in line all morning, and be issued your visa sometime after midday. I have also heard horror stories about people waiting for three entire months to get their visas through.

Most visa websites state that "Not all visas are issued same day" and that you "should give yourself ample time to receive" it.

If anybody can shed more light on this, I'm sure that many of us will appreciate it!! ^_^

~On a side note~
When I got married last week, there was no hassle at all. My fiance and I flew in from Manchester to O'Hare, spent a few days in Chicago, then went to my birthplace, obtained a marriage license, (they didnt even ask for identification or birth certs or anything!) and 24 hours later, my sister's best friend's dad married us in a civil ceremony. The whole thing cost us less than $30, as we spent $15 on the license and we purchased copies of the marriage certificate for $14. Copies of your marriage certificate are vital in the visa application process, and if you ask for them at the time of your marriage, you can obtain them instantly, but if you wait, you'll have to send off for them in a long, drawn out, complicated process that could take up to 4-6 weeks.

So, if you aren't willing to fly all the way to Vegas from the UK to get married, I'd highly reccomend Chicago. You can find fares usually less than £350 round trip, nonstop. I like to use American Airlines. Their flights are normally quite comfortable. I have terrible ear problems, and on American Airlines, my ears tend to cope better. I've flown Delta and US Airways and the like, but I've always ended up with popping ears for weeks after I travel.

Also, whilst in Chicago, we researched cab companies, and found that American Taxi had the cheapest rates for our purposes. We went out one night to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, the cab we took there (american taxi) cost us less than $30, we snatched a different cab back to the hotel and it cost us nearly double that!

Another little amusement, food wise. My husband could not get over the fact that practically everyone delivered straight to your hotel room. No matter what you were in the mood for. Italian, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Burgers & Fries..anything!! He literally stood there sputtering when the delivery man knocked on the hotel room door. I've been told that you wont find a single hotel in the UK that'll let you order food and have it delivered

*nods* I'd like to thank everyone who helped me out, 'specially TripleH, nicest forum mod I've ever talked to ^^ You made this experiance so much easier on us ^_^ <33 thank you!!!

 

I haven't been to get the k1 visa yet. My husband wanted me to come back to the UK with him to help him look for a place to live. When going through customs, I was given stamps onto my passport, stating that I did in fact know that I'm not allowed to get the visa here. If I were to apply while I am in the UK, my visa application would automatically be rejected.

I'm flying back to the USA on June 3rd to apply for my visa. I then have tickets back to the UK on June 30th. Giving me ample time to work out the visa ^_^

 

UPDATE:

As of June 9th, 2006 I received my Settlement visa with no problems whatsoever. I arrived at the Chicago Consulate at 9:30am then waited for a hour and took the time to enjoy the city. At 10:30, I was signed in and rushed up to the Consulate office, where I waited approximately 10 minutes before having my number called.

Presenting my case took 15 minutes tops, and I was out the door with a card that stated that I was to come back at 2:30pm to collect my passport. I decided to make a day of it and I went off in search of something to eat.

There's two absolutely amazing staples in the USA, foodwise. Portillo's Hotdogs, and Red Lobster. They are both located approximately a 10 minute walk away from the Wrigley Building where the chicago consulate is located.

You will definitely have plenty of time to relax, so I'd suggest taking in a bit of shopping or having a meal while you wait. Get up and go do something!

Upon my arrival back at the Consulate, we signed in again, and went straight back upstairs to the Office, where we stood in a single file line to collect our passports.

All in all, I was back on my way to the place I was staying by 3:00pm, visa in tow.

NOTE: This is just how my scenario went, this may not be the case for every person in attendance to an appointment. The consulate reccomends; be it an online application and an appointment at the consulate or an application made through the post, that you apply at least 2 weeks before you scheduled date of departure.

I am currently writing a guide on how my process went. I hope this guide will make it easier for people applying for settlement visas from the USA to the UK a lot easier!

A big thank you to everyone who helped me out!! ^___^

 

Nope, hun!! ^_^ I kept my maiden name and still have it. I dont plan on changing it either.

You're allowed to change it whenever you feel like changing it even once you're resident in the UK.

I was told when we were married, that it would take a few weeks. They didnt offer specifics, but you can grab up the forms at a county clerks office where you're from if from the USA.

 

You should phone whichever consulate you sent the forms to. If they do not process your application and get back to you within 10 working days, you have the right to inquire them about your application.

 

For now, I think you should stick to what they say. Do you have flight plans? If so, when were you hoping to fly out?

That could be your only problem. The britainusa website and many others suggest that you submit your application at *least* 14 days before your scheduled date of departure. There could be a number of things gone wrong, or the system could be backed up.

Are you sure that you submitted everything you possibly could?
Could you list perhaps, what you sent?

 

I'd call and ask if they need any more specific information. Any documents they may require. It could be possible that they are missing some vital documents. if that's the case, you'd have to get those in to them asap.