Fiancée Moving to the UK from US - Help!

Hi all,

My partner has just been issued a Fiancée Visa and she is due to arrive on 1st February. I have a number of questions that I am finding extremely hard to answer. Any help would be most appreciated. By the way, she is currently a few months into the process of making her pets ready and legal to enter the UK (we will be bringing them back in March).

These are the questions I currently have:

1. Will she get frisked and questioned when she gets here? How long could it take and what documents does she need to get in?
2. Can she leave the UK in March on the Fiancée visa and will there be a problem re-entering the UK?
3. How is Duty paid on goods - including things like a computer, monitor, accessories? How is the duty calculated, how is it paid and does it affect items that are shipped and sent FedEx?
4. Is Duty paid on items in hand luggage or just in large luggage (if any)?
5. If Duty is calculated using a system of "declared value", how does one prove this or calculate it?
6. Is it possible to take out insurance on items being shipped to the UK?
7. What Duty needs to be paid for pets?
8. How soon can she get a NI number and does that allow her to visit the Doctor and get such things as contraception, painkillers etc?
9. What is the next process to go through on arrival - is it to obtain an FLR?
10. How soon can she legally obtain paid work?

We are booked to get married in May and so as soon as she arrives we need to register the wedding formally with a Registrar. I guess we are both just very confused about so many things and want to make sure everything goes well. I was just down in London at the American Embassy getting my B1/2 Visa to enter the States on holiday and I am fully aware of how strict the paperwork process can be.
We have worked so hard to get to this point, we just want to make sure there are as few problems as possible. If you have any other useful information you can provide it would be great to hear it.

I will post this in at least one other board on here if that is ok because of the nature of some of these questions.

Please help if you can.
Many thanks,
Seamus

Hi

In response to the immigration questions:

1. Will she get frisked and questioned when she gets here? How long could it take and what documents does she need to get in?

It is possible that she will get questioned further when she comes into the UK.  The Immigration Officers reserve the right to do this, although if she is a US national with no prior immigration history it is unlikely that the questioning will be too intense.

2. Can she leave the UK in March on the Fiancée visa and will there be a problem re-entering the UK?

The fiancee visa is multiple entry, so she can come and go whilst on this.

8. How soon can she get a NI number and does that allow her to visit the Doctor and get such things as contraception, painkillers etc?

NI numbers are not issued until she starts work, but with a fiancee visa she should be able to register with a doctor and will be entitled to use the NHS.  There are prescription charges for most things, unless she has an illness which gives her exemption, but the doctor will be able to advise her of this.  Contraception is free on the NHS.

9. What is the next process to go through on arrival - is it to obtain an FLR?

Once you are married, she will then need to change her status to being the Spouse of a UK national.

10. How soon can she legally obtain paid work?

As soon as her status has been changed to spouse.

Regards

Victoria

In regards to duty - as long as it is previously owned stuff then she doesn't need to pay duty.  I brought over a laptop and all sorts of thing (shipped) and never paid an ounce of duty - I just put on the customs form that it was all previously owned.  And yes, I did insure my laptop as well...