Irin

Hi!

I'd like to get an advice about from where from should I apply for Spouse visa (family visa of settled person in UK). On gov.uk under Eligibility stated that "You can apply to extend or switch in any of these routes if you’re eligible, except if you have permission to be in the UK:

*as a visitor
*for less than 6 months - unless you got your visa to get married or become civil partners or you got your visa to wait for the outcome of a family court or divorce"

So the question is can I also apply from UK if I have this visa to get married (Marriage visitor visa)? I planned to do it from outside the UK, but actually would prefer to do it from UK if thats an option

quiltman

Hopefully Brit in Paris, our resident guru, will pop along with advice, but I thought if you got a marriage visa it was valid for up to 6 months BUT you had to have the intention to NOT settle in the UK. That's my reading from this: https://www.gov.uk/marriage-visa/overview.
So as I understand it, if you get a marriage visa, you get married then your non Brit other half has to leave after the 6 months and you apply for a spouse visa - either from overseas or from the UK. Hopefully I do not know the intricacies and have missed something. BIP will put me straight i'm sure!

Irin

thank you for your reply! I actually thought the same - that Marriage visitor visa is for those who dont plan to settle in future in UK. But that paragraph which I mentioned confused a bit and mixed all my understanding of process

quiltman

Yes, I can see why the confusion!

BritInParis

quiltman is correct. A fiancé(e) visa would allow you to marry and apply for Further Leave to Remain in the UK, but a marriage visitor visa, as the name suggests, only allows you to visit the UK to marry. You would need to leave again to apply for a spouse visa.

Irin

understood. thank you