Extending the Spouse Visa - Starting questions

Civil does imply that there was a legal person doing the service and it was held in a place registered for a civil ceremony and there was none of that. Also it does have self written on the cert.

Civil does imply that there was a legal person doing the service and it was held in a place registered for a civil ceremony and there was none of that. Also it does have self written on the cert.

I think they're looking for either civil or religious for the ceremony type. If it wasn't religious, in a church, then I'd just go with civil.

What did you put for the spousal visa when you filled out Appendix 2? There are no guidance notes on how to fill out this question for FLR(M), but there are guidance notes for the Appendix 2 questions.

On Appendix 2 for the spousal visa, question 1.11, it says:

1.11 When and where did you marry/enter into a civil partnership?
Please give the date and location of the ceremony and provide documentary evidence of this e.g. marriage certificate. Please state if this was a religious or civil ceremony. If you are a fiancé(e)/ proposed civil partner please provide details of any plans that are in place for your marriage/civil partnership ceremony.

Civil does imply that there was a legal person doing the service and it was held in a place registered for a civil ceremony and there was none of that. Also it does have self written on the cert.

It's really only the UK that has places registered for civil services.  I've been to a fair share of backyard weddings in the US, still 100% legal.  So long as the marriage is registered through the local official channels (courthouse), it's legal.  I'd mark civil as it wasn't a religious ceremony.  No need to overthink it.  It's likely they won't even look at the response (as it doesn't hold weight for the application).

OK I see what you are saying!

Thank you 

In response to your question ksand24...

When we applied the first time this question wasnt on there. Or at least I cant find it.

It was a seperate form before VAf 4A

In response to your question ksand24...

When we applied the first time this question wasnt on there. Or at least I cant find it.

It was a seperate form before VAf 4A

The forms haven't changed since July 2012 - for a spousal visa, it's the online form plus VAF4a Appendix 2 (the paper version of the online form is simply VAF4a, but that isn't accepted anywhere except North Korea).

Appendix 2, question 1.11 asks 'When and where did you marry/enter into a civil partnership?' and then in the notes it says you have to state whether it was a civil or religious ceremony. I just found the Appendix 2 form from December 2013, and the question was definitely on it then, so you would have filled it out.

Ah yeah that's right he did fill out a form online and then submitted that one.

I've looked at it again and we didn't write what type of ceremony. Just when and where. Ooops.  They can't be that bothered if they didn't call us up for it. I mist read through notes better next time!

Ah yeah that's right he did fill out a form online and then submitted that one.

I've looked at it again and we didn't write what type of ceremony. Just when and where. Ooops.  They can't be that bothered if they didn't call us up for it. I mist read through notes better next time!

Yeah, exactly . I was gonna say to just put what you wrote last time .

As KFDancer said, I'd just go with civil ceremony... since the only options they seem to suggest are civil and religious. Ultimately, it's not gonna matter anyway, as long as the marriage is legal and valid .

Oh goodness I'm glad I've started this now!!!

Next question .....

So when we applied last time we applied with my name as my maiden name even though we were married. This was because my passport and bank stuff was all in my maiden name as we hadn't been married long. Fast forward to now. My passport is still in my maiden name, my bank is too where I get child benefit paid into. My drivers license is in my married name and I have my account with the rental income in my married name.

They want me to send my passport as the spouse but it's not in the married name. On my kids birth certs it's my married name too and I think I have to send those in.

The only reason I still retain my maiden name is my passport doesn't expire until 2018 and I refuse to pay 90 before then to change it. But am I going to have to?

Also I started an application online tonight and I am already noticing differences from the paper one. Like the paper one is only interested in when he left the country for more than six months at a time and the online wants to know every trip outside the UK.

The online one says I must log in before 10 weeks is up to keep the application. If I start it online now can I keep logging in to make it last until we submit it mid may?

They want me to send my passport as the spouse but it's not in the married name. On my kids birth certs it's my married name too and I think I have to send those in.

The only reason I still retain my maiden name is my passport doesn't expire until 2018 and I refuse to pay 90 before then to change it. But am I going to have to?

No, you aren't.

It's perfectly fine to have the visa in your maiden name and everything else in your married name.

However, do be aware that if you change your name in your passport in 2018, then you will have to pay £223 to change it on your BRP card as well, and you'll need to send off your passport and BRP, which can take a few months. Plus you only have 90 days to change it on your BRP card or you can be fined £1,000 and have your visa cancelled.

So, if there's any chance you might want to change your name on your passport in the next 2.5 years, do it now, before you apply for your FLR(M)... then your visa will be in your married name too.

Also I started an application online tonight and I am already noticing differences from the paper one. Like the paper one is only interested in when he left the country for more than six months at a time and the online wants to know every trip outside the UK.

The online one says I must log in before 10 weeks is up to keep the application. If I start it online now can I keep logging in to make it last until we submit it mid may?

My advice: don't apply online, just apply using the paper form instead.

The online form is a brand new service, only introduced a few weeks ago, and from what I can tell from other posts here, it seems to have some glitches in it. Plus some of the questions appear to be different, but we can't really help you with them, since we can't see what the online form looks like.

OK noted. I will keep going with the paper one!

Sorry I am the British citizen. I'm doing it all for husband as I'm just more thorough with paperwork 

So it's my name that's all a mess. He's got my maiden name on his spouse visa at the moment.

Sorry I am the British citizen. I'm doing it all for husband as I'm just more thorough with paperwork 

So it's my name that's all a mess. He's got my maiden name on his spouse visa at the moment.

Oh, in that case, the name on your passport is not really relevant.

I'm not sure whether the BRP card will have your name on it or not though - that may just be encoded into the chip rather than being printed on the card.

So if we applied and all through the application I put my married name but then sent my passport in with maiden name this would be ok?