TimeToApply

Good evening everyone, hope someone can offer some advice?
Being a UK citizen (based in the UK) and sponsor for my Ukrainian wife (based in Ukraine) we are concerned that her spouse visa application could be refused on the grounds of "marriage of convenience" even though our relationship is genuine. Background...

June 2016: met in person for the first time
Jan 2017: Visa for a genuine visit refused. Reasons given, lack of funds in her bank & lack of reasons to return home.
Sept 2017: Married (in Ukraine).

As far as I can understand, if you've recently married and subsequently apply for a spouse visa, it can be seen as a marriage of convenience.

Even though our relationship and marriage (which we entered into purely to show our commitment to each other) is genuine, our spouse visa application could be refused purely on these grounds?

I often read posts stating, "your marriage certificate is proof of your relationship" but i feel our situation is a little different.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

SanDiegogirl

It's up to you to prove that your relationship is genuine.

Prior to the marriage that you met over a period of time, spent time together, met one another's families, friends, planned a wedding together - you get the gist. Photos of the wedding etc, family gatherings etc.

TimeToApply

Hi SanDiegoGirl, thanks for your reply!
I understand what you've said and we can prove everything but will doing that actually overcome what I said about "marriage of convenience"? That is the key point I'm trying to understand at the moment...

Can a genuine couple be seen as entering into a marriage of convenience?

I'm interested to hear any more thoughts you/anyone else has.
Thanks!

spouse of scouse

It can't really be said any more clearly than SanDiegogirl has stated.

If, in the opinion of the assessing officer, a couple don't provide sufficient evidence that their relationship and marriage is genuine then the application for a spouse visa will be refused. Doesn't matter if the assessing officer thinks it's a marriage of convenience, or thinks the applicant hasn't understood the requirements, or thinks the applicant didn't bother to check the requirements, or thinks the applicant is a bit of a dunderhead, the end result is the same, a refusal.

Pulaski

I can't add much to what SDG said, but a marriage of convenience is inevitably superficial, and it can be difficult to "prove" that it is genuine, at least without careful preparation, as the marriage is typically very recent and the "couple" likely lack any common bonds or interests. So long as you know each other and have evidence of time spent together, and/or extensive communication records, you shouldn't have a problem.

FWIW my wife got a spouse visa to live in the UK about three weeks after we married, having never lived on the same continent as me, never mind any closer. I'd guess that the apparent risk of our marriage being seen as a "marriage of convenience" was lower as she is from the US, so not a country with a compelling need to leave for a "better life".