FIANCE VISA APPROVED! Now just two quick questions:

Firstly, I am elated to have my visa in hand!  However, for as many hours as I spent on this forum, I somehow missed the part about expediting visas, or maybe just misunderstood it's meaning.  So, we did not expedite ours and sent it to the LA consulate on MAY 4th!!! Needless to say, I was going crazy with the wait.  As many of you have commented, the LA consulate is pretty bogged down.  On the 55th business day, we received our visa and we couldn't be happier!

So my advice to anyone new to the forums and looking to apply for a settlement visas: EXPEDITE IT!!!!!! Or at least know what can be done with them...the wait was very very hard for me.

So now that we have the beloved visa, my question is this: (and as usual one question with me means several wrapped up in a nice long explanatory story)

When we applied (In May), we figured it would take around 30 business days, so we set a wedding date for October 24th.  Although I have been making plans for the wedding in my head, I haven't really taken any concrete steps towards it (i.e. putting money down) other than buying my wedding dress. We were planning on having it at Fountains Abbey and inviting a 100 or so people, so the prospect of planning a big wedding in 2 MONTHS in a country that I haven't lived in all my life strikes a certain fear in my poor little heart!  My fiance and I both think we should move the wedding to January, which really works better for everyone involved, except that it may be frigid, but I was just wondering if this is even possible? My visa is valid for 6 months, so that takes me to February 3rd.  Do I need to notify the Consulate of my change in date? Or is it okay because it's still in the 6 month time frame? And what do I say at the border when I go over in 2 weeks? Will they ask what the wedding date is? If I say our new January date will they see that I said October on my application? I am probably overthinking this...

Another factor and the second question: I stage manage Ballet for a living, and have been hopping around doing many shows at many different companies here for the last several years.  Last winter, I worked on The Nutcracker with a certain wonderful ballet company that I loved very much.  They have asked me back this year.  I would really love to do it, and I know the fiance visa is multi-entry, so theoretically, it shouldn't be a problem, right?  Can I go to England from August-November, spend a few weeks working on the ballet in December whilst getting wedding-loose ends tied up (buying favors and having showers with my stateside family), come back at end of December, and marry end of January?  Is it okay for me to be paid by a US company during this time?  We could definitely use the income around that time too.

Again, will passport control mind? As long as I have proof that the wedding will be in January, I should be fine right?

Any help would be much appreciated! And thank you all so much for helping me through my application process, the approval was very much thanks to you!!!

 
xoxo

I am probably overthinking this...

Indeed you are.  The date you mentioned in your application is not carved in stone.  Stuff happens.  Your visa is valid for six months, that means you have six months in which to marry.  It's no more complicated than that. 

Can I go to England from August-November, spend a few weeks working on the ballet in December whilst getting wedding-loose ends tied up (buying favors and having showers with my stateside family), come back at end of December, and marry end of January? 

Yes, that's fine, as long as you leave and re-enter before your wedding. 

Is it okay for me to be paid by a US company during this time?

As long as the work you're doing is done in the US and not in the UK, that's fine. 

Again, will passport control mind?

How on earth would they even know?

As long as I have proof that the wedding will be in January, I should be fine right?

Your visa should be all you need.   If they ask when you're getting married, tell them January.  You have a valid visa, they can't keep you out of the country just because your plans have changed.

Thanks so much, historyenne!

I suspected I was overthinking it =D

Looks like you got perfect answers to all your questions..
just wanted to add my Congrats!!! Glad you have it all sorted-- I know the waiting is the worse part, and you had lots of it!

Just remember to take account of the requirement to give notice of your marriage at the registry office....

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Q: Is it okay for me to be paid by a US company during this time?

A: As long as the work you're doing is done in the US and not in the UK, that's fine. 

This is contrary to what others have been told on this forum (that no work *anywhere*) is allowed, so be careful.  On the other hand, people have stated that without any references to any rules or regulations - can anyone provide one?

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Q: Is it okay for me to be paid by a US company during this time?
This is contrary to what others have been told on this forum (that no work *anywhere*) is allowed, so be careful.  On the other hand, people have stated that without any references to any rules or regulations - can anyone provide one?

Not true...
Work of any sort cannot be perfromed whist IN the UK, however due to the fiancee visa being a multiple entry visa there is no problem with the OP going back to the States and working there and then returning to the UK.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ukresidency/eligibility/partnersandchildren/fianceeorproposedcivilpartner/

When your fiance, fiancee or proposed civil partner arrives in the United Kingdom, he or she will normally be granted permission to stay here for six months, but he/she must not work.

Please provide the thread where you state that no work anywhere is allowed. I believe that you are quite mistaken, and if you go back and read them carefully you'll see that no work of any type is allowed IN the UK as a visitor and on a fiancee visa, this includes working in the UK for a company based OUTSIDE the UK, volunteer work and any other work paid or unpaid while in the UK.

Of course anyone is free to leave the UK and go and work in their country of origin. It would be unbelievably draconian otherwise.

Okay- we are finally zeroing in on a better wedding date and I'm trying to find a balance between the 'giving notice to marry' residency requirements and the expiration date of my fiance visa.

Can I get confirmation that you can still apply for your FLR (after getting married in the UK on Fiance Visa) in person at (?)Croydon or Birmingham (or Liverpool?) if it is straightforward? And that must be done before your Fiance visa expires, right?  The whole applying in person thing is quite mysterious and I am running around in circles trying to find the answers.  Is it hard to get an appointment? I don't want to risk not getting an appointment before my visa expires, but I also don't want to mail it in because I hear that takes a long time and I'd like to be working as soon as I can.

Also what is the residency requirement before giving notice to marry? I've heard 7-12 days.  Can I book the officiant through the registry office in November for my January wedding, and still do my gig in the US, or does the residency requirement start over upon my 2nd entrance?

Sorry for so many questions again, hopefully you will all educate me and I'll be able to answer other peoples questions one day!

Thanks!

The best thing to do is call about 6 weeks before you'd like your appointment. So if you know your wedding date then call 6 weeks before it and schedule your appointment for as soon as you can afterwards. As once you are married your fiancee visa ceases to be valid for re-entry to the UK.

There are a few PEO Offices: Croydon, Solihull, Sheffield, Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast that you can schedule an appointment at. Normal, straightforward applications can be handled on the same day, however it will still take a couple of weeks to get your Biometric ID card which allows you to travel and work. Postal Applications are taking about 14-16 weeks to process. If you leave the UK once you've married, but BEFORE you receive your FLR(M) & the ID card you cannot re enter and must apply for a Spousal visa from the US before you can re-enter the UK.

For specific questions on regarding notice to marry it is best to contact the local Registry office that you'll be dealing with. Normally it is from the first time that you enter. I believe it is a 7 day residence period and then a 15 day notice period (but don't quote me on that as I got married in the US because we didn't want to deal with all the complications of a UK marriage ceremony) from what I recall reading from previous posters experiences, but it is still a good idea just to call the Registry office and ask for yourself.

Edited to amend 'Brimingham' to 'Solihull'.

Just me being a bit pedantic here.  But, anyone not up on their UK geography who reads the PEO list above and wonders why Birmingham isn't on it would be a bit lost.  The PEO isn't actually IN Birmingham.  It's in the nearby town of Solihull, which is not actually a part of Birmingham, but tends to get lumped in with Birmingham (which I understand Silhillians (people from Solihull) aren't too crazy about!)    I notice even the UKBA website makes the mistake of using Solihull, Birmingham as the address...the postcode is right, but it's a separate entity from it's bigger neighbour...

Just me being a bit pedantic here.  But, anyone not up on their UK geography who reads the PEO list above and wonders why Birmingham isn't on it would be a bit lost.  The PEO isn't actually IN Birmingham.  It's in the nearby town of Solihull, which is not actually a part of Birmingham, but tends to get lumped in with Birmingham (which I understand Silhillians (people from Solihull) aren't too crazy about!)    I notice even the UKBA website makes the mistake of using Solihull, Birmingham as the address...the postcode is right, but it's a separate entity from it's bigger neighbour...

Forgive me, my mistake. Previous post edited so not to offend anyone.

Can't imagine that it would OFFEND anyone (nor are you the only person who ever refers to Birmingham rather than Solihull, I'm sure I've done it myself) - I just think it could be confusing...