CourtyWilli

Hello,
My name is Courtney and I am an american, my fiance lives in the UK and we are so confused with the process of trying to figure out how to get me over to the UK permanately that we have sought out the advice of an immigration lawyer but even they have confused us more.

We got engaged last year, and are trying to move forward, and are planning on getting married next year in the UK but we dont honestly know how to go about doing this.

I was told that we could fly to the USA and get legally married, on a passport and then do the fun stuff in the UK

I was told that we need to apply for a fiance visa and then a marriage visa...

I was told since we're engaged I only need a marriage visa now...


ITS SO CONFUSING and we are starting to go crazy because we dont have any answers or directions.

Why is it so difficult? I just dont understand.

So if someone could lead us in the right direction I would appreciate it

Pulaski

You need a visa before you travel to the UK to live.

EITHER
You can get married in the US (your fiancé doesn't need a visa to get married in the US so long as he leaves again), then apply for a spouse visa,

OR
apply for a fiancée visa then get married in the UK. After getting married you file more papers to be allowed to stay.

Them's your choices.

So long as you can read and complete bureaucratic forms, and unless you have complications such as a criminal record, a lawyer isn't likely to be much help.

CourtyWilli

So its not illegal for him to travel with me to get legally married?
then why is it so hard for me to get married in the UK?

Pulaski

In the US? Correct, I did exactly that myself (I am British, my wife is American), then I left again, and my wife applied for a spouse visa to live in the UK.
Different country, different laws.

CourtyWilli

Okay, that helps a little bit. It was a subject of contention between us because we didnt know if he needed a special visa to come to the USA and get married with me. The lawyer told me that it would expidite and hop over the fiance visa process if we did that.

The whole process is so confusing and overwhelming.

I've been traveling to the UK on my passport to get the 2 years I need, this is the final three months on the 2 years. So thats helpful as well.

Um..

We will be meeting with the immigration lawyer soon to find direction and an angle to do this as quickly as possible.

We've never done this before and dont really know or understand what it entails.

Pulaski

Two years you "need" for what?

Skip the lawyer unless you have money to burn.

az2014

2 years of what needed for what?

CourtyWilli

We where told that I needed two years on my passport before I could even consider applying for a marriage or fiance visa.

az2014

2 years of what on your passport? Having it for 2 years? I dont know where you heard that but its complete rubbish.

Sounds like you are making this complicated for no reason.

Its a really easy process.

He comes to the US via the VWP (assuming he is eligible), get married, returns to the UK, then you apply for a spouse visa.

All the information is here: https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk/overview

Pulaski

Who told you that? ..... What utter nonsense!

No wonder your confused, it sounds like you have picked up a LOT of misinformation.

All you need to apply for a spouse visa is a passport and a marriage certificate (plus money for the fees, and a spouse with enough income or assets).

CourtyWilli

Okay so you're telling me he cant come on his passport and get married to me then correct?

CourtyWilli

But all of the websites say that we need to like prove a bunch of stuff like housing and whatnot. From what I am reading right now.

CourtyWilli

I'm not making it complicated, we've been studying the internet for years and cannot figure it out.

Secondly, SO to be clear you're telling me we CANNOT get married on a passport.

az2014

For years...?

Get married on a passport? What does that even mean?

christmasoompa

No, that's not correct. As a UK citizen, he should be eligible to use the Visa Waiver Program to visit the US - presumably what he's been using to visit you all this time. As the name of it implies, there is no visa required for it at all (the visa requirement is waived).

So he just visits as normal, and gets married whilst there, no visa is required for that at all. He can then come back and apply for your visa for the UK once you're married, hopefully others can point you in the right direction for that but I think it's fairly straightforward from what I've read.

Best of luck and congrats in advance for the wedding!