splatacus

Hi Everyone!

I'm a British Citizen living and working in the UK and I'm engaged to my American partner of 3 years, who is currently living and working in the US.
We have a wedding planned for the UK in June, and want her to move in with me afterwards. I've tried reading the Visa advice on GOV.UK as well as other websites and I always end up thoroughly confused.

We have previously lived together, but not for a period of 2 years, and don't have the required utility bills/bank statements to prove it, so am I right in thinking that we are not eligible for a Marriage Visa? As far as I can tell we do meet every other requirement without any issues.

There's also a Marriage Visitor Visa, which would allow my fiancee to come to the UK to get married, which I'm pretty sure we are eligible for. The advice seems to be inconsistent as to whether or not she would have to return to the US afterwards? Can anybody clarify this?
If we were to get the Marriage Visitor Visa, are we then able to apply for a Family Visa in order to live together in the UK without worrying about the 2 years of living together requirement for the Marriage Visa?

Any help is much appreciated, thank you!

SanDiegogirl

If you intend to marry in the UK and then live in the UK, you must apply for a visa firstly for your fiance (to enable you to marry in the UK) and then, once married, a spouse settlement visa for your wife. For this second visa your, then, wife does not need to leave the UK.

Would suggest you read the following website carefully to see how to apply for the visas. This route is the most expensive because you pay for an initial fiance visa and then another spouse visa (2 x visa costs) Some people have a simple weddings outside of the UK and then are able to just apply for the spouse visa.

https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa.

There are financial, accommodation and relationship criteria; the financial are below:

https://assets.publishing.service.go...ment_Final.pdf

The two year criteria you are referring to is only relevant if applying for an Unmarried partner visa.

The Marriage Visitor visa allows you to marry in the UK, but the non Brit spouse then returns to home country to apply for the spouse visa.

Pulaski

Per SDG, you don't need any cohabitation if you have a marriage certificate. Mrs P applied for her visa to live in the UK about a month after we married, having only previously spent about 6-7 weeks on the same continent, and all of those only on holidays/ visits, not in an "established domestic arrangement."