Looking for most efficient process - US->UK - Lawyer recommendation?

Found this site while I was in the UK visiting my girlfriend. Definitely an abundance of information!

We want to get married. This would be the first time for both of us. I'm 29 and she is 26. I currently live in Miami, FL and she lives on Wirral. We met last year while she was on holiday in Miami and hit it off incredibly well. I just got back from spending 3 weeks in the UK with her, during which time we had several discussions about one of us moving so that we can be together permanently.

Looks like I'm the one to move, so we are going forward with our plans (no, I'm not bummed in the least about leaving Miami in the dust ). At this point I am trying to gather everything up so that I can go about the whole process of legalities and the move itself in the most efficient manner. We'd really like to be together by this summer.

Both of us have decent jobs. I make ~$80k here, live alone, and work in IT. I've had the same type of job title over the last 11 years with 3 different employers during that time. She makes about £35k and works in the health system and has been doing the same thing for the most part for about 4 years. Both of us have very good credit, but I'm guessing mine will mean nothing once we begin this process.

I guess the most important thing to us is to attack this in the quickest, most efficient way so that we can get everything squared away with minimal loss of income and sleep. I was looking to get some legal advice from someone who specializes in this type of thing and would be able to help along the way. So, if anyone has any suggestions in that regard it would be greatly appreciated. 

Thus far we have not applied for any paperwork or changed any legal statuses. I've done a decent amount of reading on here and gov.uk but there is a lot to learn in a big life change like this.. which brought me here.

Thank you in advance for any help or advice you can offer!

Welcome to the forum .

Both of us have decent jobs. I make ~$80k here, live alone, and work in IT. I've had the same type of job title over the last 11 years with 3 different employers during that time. She makes about £35k and works in the health system and has been doing the same thing for the most part for about 4 years. Both of us have very good credit, but I'm guessing mine will mean nothing once we begin this process.

In terms of getting a fiance or spousal visa, your US income is irrelevant and cannot be considered for the visa. In order to qualify for the visa, it's your girlfriend who has to meet an income requirement to prove she can support you in the UK. She needs to be making at least £18,600 per year, but it sounds like she has that covered .

Your US credit will not transfer to the UK, so you will have to start over to build UK credit after you move here.

I was looking to get some legal advice from someone who specializes in this type of thing and would be able to help along the way. So, if anyone has any suggestions in that regard it would be greatly appreciated. 

Unless you have serious reasons why you believe your visa could be refused - such as you have criminal convictions or a bad UK immigration history (refused visas/entry to the UK, illegal overstaying or illegal working in the UK), there is no need to get legal advice for the visa.

The application itself is straightforward - as long as you meet the requirements and provide all the documents, the visa will be granted - and all the information you need is available for free on the UKVI website. Plus, there's plenty of useful information and advice here on the forum - we can answer any questions you have for free without you needing to spend hundreds of pounds on a lawyer.

So, just ask your questions here on the forum, and we'll be happy to help .

Welcome to the forum .

Unless you have serious reasons why you believe your visa could be refused - such as you have criminal convictions or a bad UK immigration history (refused visas/entry to the UK, illegal overstaying or illegal working in the UK), there is no need to get legal advice for the visa.

Thank you!!

Neither of us have any legal issues to our name or criminal history, no.

She is coming to visit in March again since our birthdays fall right next to each other. We both want to get the marriage process started as soon as possible, so I'd assume our next step would be to begin applying for the spouse visa and for me to submit my fingerprints/photo and all that lovely stuff, correct?

Would it be best if we get legally married while she is here in the US in March or should I go over with the intention to got married when I move there?

Would it be best if we get legally married while she is here in the US in March or should I go over with the intention to got married when I move there?

It really depends on what is best for you.

It's much, much easier for you to marry in the US than in the UK, especially if she is visiting you anyway. She can get married on a tourist visa, as long as she will return to the UK after the wedding, and you should be able to marry within 24-48 hours.

To marry in the UK, you first have to apply for a visa that allows you to marry, then you have to be resident in the UK for 7 days before you can give notice, then you have to wait another 28 days from giving notice before you can marry... if you have a visa, your case may be referred to UK immigration, and if they decide to investigate you may have to wait 70 days before you can marry.

Marrying in the US means one less visa to apply for and you can work and qualify for the NHS right away.

Your different options:

Marry in the US
- she flies to the US in March
- you get married while she is there
- you apply for a spousal visa, which costs £1,195 + £600 NHS surcharge, and is valid for 33 months
- you move to the UK, where you can work, study and use the NHS immediately
- you won't have to apply for another visa until you have been in the UK for 2.5 years.

Total visa cost to move to the UK = £1,795

Marry in the UK on a Fiance Visa
- she flies to the US in March
- she returns to the UK
- you apply for a fiance visa, which costs £1,195 and is valid for 6 months
- you move to the UK and marry within the 6 months
- you cannot work or study on the fiance visa, and you will have no free NHS access, so you will need health insurance
- after the wedding, you apply to switch to FLR(M) (in-country spousal visa) which costs £811 + £500 NHS surcharge
- you cannot start working or using the NHS for free until you have the FLR(M) visa.

Total visa cost to move to the UK and get married = £1,195 + £1,311

ksand24, exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much for taking the time to write that out 

Just a note on the marrying part - you can get a marriage visitor visa if you plan on just getting married and returning to your life here for a time before applying for the settlement visa and moving. If she has UK family that need to be at the wedding (vs a blessing ceremony/reception in the future) you can consider that. My UK husband and I married in Scotland because you could do the notice piece by mail and his parents couldn't fly to the US. The marriage visitor visa is cheap and only takes a couple weeks to receive. It's still significantly easier & far more romantic to marry in the US though!


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Marry in the US.  It's a million billion times easier (my now-husband and I were both living and working in the UK - and living together) and we got married in the US due to all the rules and waits in the UK.  They do an excellent job of sucking any romance out of a marriage!   

Much easier to get married in the US. My wife was living in NYC, I went to visit her and we just went down to the city clerks office and within 36 hours we were married. She moved over three months later.

Whereabouts in the Wirral is your wife from? We live on the Wirral and if your wife needs help filling any of her stuff out I don't mind inviting her round ours for a helping hand.

As mentioned, providing you don't have any complication you really don't need a lawyer. This forum will help you with everything you need

Much easier to get married in the US. My wife was living in NYC, I went to visit her and we just went down to the city clerks office and within 36 hours we were married. She moved over three months later.

Whereabouts in the Wirral is your wife from? We live on the Wirral and if your wife needs help filling any of her stuff out I don't mind inviting her round ours for a helping hand.

Nice! She lives in Moreton but because of her job and being assigned as an overnight caretaker a lot she rarely gets any time at home lately. We greatly appreciate the offer and of course, all the advice

We did the FL premarital course last night and are pre-registered for marriage with Dade county.

Nice! She lives in Moreton but because of her job and being assigned as an overnight caretaker a lot she rarely gets any time at home lately. We greatly appreciate the offer and of course, all the advice

We did the FL premarital course last night and are pre-registered for marriage with Dade county.

No problem. Look forward to giving you guys help through the process and could maybe even meet up once you're over!