Hi all

i hope someone can advise me!

I am a uk citizen living in the uk and my fiance is a jamaican citizen living in usa (with green card). We are going to get married and the plan is for him to move and live in uk with me. We have known each other since 2001 and have been in a relationship albeit long distance for the majority of this time. We maintain regular phone, email, msn chat and video chat contact aswell as visiting each other when we can.

I am have read the uk visa site and border agency site loads and understand the following:

he could apply for a fiance visa to come to the uk and then we have to get married within 6 months. He would not be able to work until we had applied for married/spouse visa after the wedding.

Or if we were already married he could apply for spouse visa instead, which once granted would allow him to come to the uk and live with me and work.
I also understand that at approx two yrs down the line he applies for indefinate leave to remain/permanent residency.

I am keen to keep costs down and i'm thinking that getting married in the usa first may be the best option as it would allow us to go for the spouse visa straight away and also have a dream beach wedding! It would also cut out the extra expense of having to apply for another visa/change of visa after the wedding.

Would it affect or chances of getting his visa if we were to marry first, bearing in mind that we will have not lived together as a married couple before the application?

All helpful advice welcome!!

Thanks
claire :d