Have a read at the following link

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/lawand ... ules/part8

 

Expedited LEave to Remain after marrying my UK Fiance

I'm american. I'm set to apply for my fiance visa 30 Jan 07. I will be marrying ASAP upon entering the UK (after approval of course) and will then immediately apply for settlement. I have been told I can do this faster for an extra cost. Does anyone know anything about this?! I've scoured this website they gave me and can't find anything. Thanks!! Alecia

This is from the email that I received from indpublicenquiries@ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

"A person entering the UK as a spouse may take up employment immediately, but a person who enters the UK as a fiancé(e) will not be allowed to work, whether paid or unpaid, until after the marriage has taken place - which must be within the six months validity of the visa - and his/her immigration status has been changed by my colleagues in the Home Office. (It can take several weeks to effect this change of immigration status but there is a premium fast-track service at extra cost (see www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk))."

 

You can pay £500 if you apply for further leave to remain in person at the Home Office or £335 to do it by post.

98% of in-person interviews are decided within 24 hrs
70% of mail applications are decided within 4 weeks, 90% within 12 weeks

You can only apply in-person if you have a 'straightforward' application

 

what steps do i take to marry my american fiance in the UK

The most important thing to do is get your american fiance to apply for a fiance visa whilst still in America. This will then allow her to come and live in the UK for up to 6 months before you get married- make sure when you apply she has plenty of evidence of your relationship and also that you have proof of your wedding date (ie letter from church/ registry office, venue etc).

Once that visa is issued she will be able to travel to the UK and live- but not work. When we did this we applied in November- yet my fiance at the time did not come over until February and we married in March- this was due to finance reasons, it was easier for both of us to work- but they were happy to date the visa in the future.

Once you are married you will have to make an appointment (if you want the visa processed that day) or make the postal application for your fiance to have tempoary residency in the UK- this will be issued for 2 years and they will be able to work but not have access to public funds

after two years of marriage you can reapply for perment residency- just make sure that you keep all your bills etc to show you've been living together

If you want any more information please email me on rebecca.bettencourt@hilton.com myself and my husband have just completed the final stage of him being able to stay indefiently so we are old hands at this! Good luck

 

Hi Keith, My American fiance and I are in the midst of applying for him to come here and marry me here in Scotland and ultimately settle here. we have been going through this process in a time when they have changed the type of settlement visa from 'fiance' to 'marriage'. This was a bit confusing but the US consulate have assured us this is the correct visa under the new system. Check out the US consulate @ britainusa.com for further details (google it if I have put the wrong ending, sorry).

It should be pretty straight forward if you have all the documents they ask for although we have come across a very frustrating 'technical hitch' with the visa4uk website where your fiance will have to apply for her visa online (no paper applications allowed). In one of the sections it asks you to put the date of your marriage (if you are already married) or your intended date of marriage (if you are a fiance). However, when you do this it says you have to put a date before todays! Impossible if you are not even married yet!!! And it won't let us progress with the form until this section is filled in. Very frustrating especially since he is due here in 5 weeks. We have been waiting a week to hear back from the enquiries hotline but will call them again today. I'm sure these teething problems will be smoothed out by the time your fiance applies and I wish you all the best.

Has anyone else experienced this problem with not being able to put a date in the future when applying for the marriage visa for a fiance through visa4uk?? Any tips you have would be much appreciated!

Kirsty

 

That sounds like a typical web service designed in the UK. The system has been around for at least a year, I thought, so maybe these are not teething problems? Anyway, just document what the computer says, enter a date it likes, and then file a separate statement with the correct date in the comment field if there is one (if not, that would be plain incompetency).

We had the same problem with an apostrophe in the name, it just would not accept it. I just checked, and they still have the same problem, over a year later. So no, no teething problems, just an abundance of incompetency.

 

Yeah typical technology is supposed to make things easier! apparently. I don't mind the odd technical hitch now and then but not when it's something this important. Anyway, visa4uk have now posted a note on their website saying they know about the technical problems and are trying to fix them but if you can't wait just put in something the computer likes, print it out then fill in the correct info by hand. At least that's some flexibilty on their part. Good luck to everyone battling their way through online applications....and all the best!!

 

Still wonky...

I used that website just an hour ago and the same glitches are there. Surprisingly, since the website has been down close to a week for updates and maintenance. Can't put a future date in that box and it also doesn't allow for your sponsor NOT having a passport. According to everything I've found online, a UK passport isn't necessary, just an original long-form birth certificate.