Hi KingKid, sorry for the long delay in replying - it took me a little while to check up on my facts here:

With the moderators' forebearance, I will also have my wife translate the following into Chinese so as to ensure that your friend is able to understand the answer directly. We'll try to get that done tonight.

1. The Green Card gives you Lawful Permanent Residency to the United States of America. This is different from the UK, in which you are granted Indefinite Leave to Remain. The conditions upon which you may reside in each country are different. It is important not to confuse the two.

2. If your friend has settled in England to work, and can prove that he has a good income and lives in a house that is not overcrowded, and can prove this, then he should provide evidence of this (in the form of bank statements, council tax bills, pay slips and utility bills) to his fiancée, so that she may apply for entry as a fiancée. I don't know if not having 6 months financial history causes him a problem: so far as I'm aware, the government are looking for his future ability to support himself and his wife.

3. Your friend would probably find it quicker and easier to marry in China. So far as I understand, in order for him to marry in England, his English must be of a reasonable standard. With respect, the fact that he is relying on you to translate and relay his messages suggests that his English is inadequate for this.

4. If he married in China, then the process would be broadly similar to mine, except that he would have to be very careful to prove that he has permanent residence in the UK.

 

For everyone else, a short update: we've just started to try to get my wife a Schengen visa sorted so that we can have a few Continental holidays, visit my parents in Germany, that kind of thing...

So far so good, the appointment is booked. Waiting times are a bit long