lexelf

Hi all!!

This is my situation:

I am an American citizen who is engaged to a British citizen. I'm planning on moving to England late June to go to school and be with him. We are planning a wedding for June 20th in the United States, but aren't sure whether to make it a legal celebration or wait until later.

Ideally we'd like to wed in the USA and then go back to England about a week later. I'm planning on filling out a Spouse visa to remain in the UK, but I have a few questions on this:

1--Is it easier to marry in the US and then move to the UK, or move to the UK on a student or spouse visa and marry there?

2--For the spouse visa (if we do marry in the USA) should I check fiancee for our relationship now, or wife for what our situation will be when I move??

3--If we choose to get married in England, should I bother with the spouse visa since I can go on the waiver program to attend college??

Please help....sorry for all the questions but I REALLY don't want to mess things up for us I've read a lot of heartbreaking stories about couples needing to spend months or years apart because of messing up applications or misunderstanding qualifications, and I've had to spend enough time without my honey (as I'm sure is the same reaction to a lot of people in these forums )

Good luck to everyone who's trying to get through this (in my mind) rediculous length of papers and confusion!!

-alexis

NC Penguin

Your post would probably be better off in one or more of the Immigration newsgroups.

Much of the info you are looking for as regards to marrying in the UK can be found in the US Marriage Based Visas newsgroup on britishexpats.com.

If you enter the UK unmarried and on a student visa and then later marry in the UK, with the intent to return as a married couple to the US, you will be ineligible for DCF at the US Embassy in London. You need to be a legal resident of the UK in order to be eligible for DCF (it's the fastest route to getting a British spouse into the US).

I don't believe you can study in the UK on the visa waiver. It's not for that purpose. I think you'd be required to get a student visa to study in the UK.

Best of luck,



NC Penguin

lexelf

i wrote in the us based visas newsgroup and nobody responded to my other questions, and one person told me to go to the forum misc.immigration.misc which i can't seem to find anywhere.

HELP!!!!!!!!

lexelf

all i need to do is show my letter of acceptance from the school and a bank statement saying i have enough money to support myself. I don't need a special visa, i just have to tell the person trying to keep me out of the country that i have these things and am enrolled in a full time course.

NC Penguin

I checked the following Home Office page-
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Fr...=1006977149962

Based on you currently living in the US and being American, this is copied directly from the reply after selecting the aforementioned data:

"You asked if a national of United States would require a visa to study in the United Kingdom.

NO - based upon the information provided, prior entry clearance will not be required in this case. However, if there is any doubt about the requirements of the UK Immigration Rules, you should contact your nearest UK mission that offers a visa service.


People applying from United States should make their application to the British mission in Chicago; Los Angeles, or New York. If you have any further questions, please contact Chicago; Los Angeles, or New York directly."

Have you looked at the Home Office website?



NC Penguin

lexelf

yes, i have used that website regularly, hense one of the things saying "no, you don't need a student visa"

but other people were saying "that's wrong, you do need a visa" henseforth my confusion.