Newbie Questions about UK settlement visa

Hi everyone! I'm a US citizen married to a Brit. We live in NYC and we're planning to move to the UK next year. I've been researching the spousal settlement visa, and it seems pretty straightforward EXCEPT...i visited my husband in the UK (when he was my boyfriend) and overstayed. Will this cause a problem for my spousal settlement visa application? Would they even be able to find out about it? We've been through the hellish US visa process, so I guess I'm just a little suspicious of the UK process seeming so simple and straightforward. Thanks for the advice!

The UK visa process IS very simple and straight foward if you follow all the rules. How did you get out of the UK without them noticing you over stayed? Could you give us more detail about your situation? What US visa process are you going through? Is your husband there on a tourist visa?

I originally came to stay in the UK with my husband (then boyfriend) for 6 months to visit and to help him with the US visa process (we went through the fiance visa application process and married in the US). However, I didn't realize how long the US visa process took! So I ended up staying for an extra 6 months. In my naivete, I thought that the maximum of 6 months to visit meant 6 months in any given year (January to December) not any given 12 months. I'm sure it was a subconsciously willfull misunderstanding on my part. So to recap...my husband is living with me legitimately in the US based on his marriage to me. The only hiccup is that I did overstay in the UK. When I left the UK to fly to the US, they didn't stop me or ask any questions. When I entered US customs, I went through the line with my husband. They were so busy dealing with all of his documents that they actually forgot to stamp my passport! I know that the UK Home Office probably couldn't find out that I overstayed unless they investigated, but I know that when I apply for my National Insurance number, they'll ask me to give details of all my entries and exits from the UK, and I can't afford to deceive them then. My question is (sorry for the long-windedness of this response) will my overstay be a problem and how can I overcome it? Thanks!!!

You mentioned US customs forgot to stamp your passport? Did they ask to see your passport or your flight ticket stubs? When I came back in November after spending 2 weeks with my fiance, US customs only asked to see my passport then waved me through. I asked why they didn't stamp my passport and they said I'm "in the system" and there was no need to. They might have your return to the US in the system as well.You might want to consult with an immigration attorney or advisor before you try to apply for the visa. Maybe  you didn't know about the rules when you over stayed but that's very illegal and if you don't know what rights you have (if any) when you apply or go back over you could be putting yourself in a very scary situation. There's others here who may be able to lead you in the right direction as far as advice goes. I'd sit tight for now though until you know what you can do about your situation.