Plans to move to UK, no clue where to start.

Do we both have to be 21 or older for the spousal thing to work?

I mean what if I just go over there on a visit and marry her can they still throw me out?

Like Gwen mentioned, I don't think they'll marry you in the UK on a visitor's visa, and even if they did, they would prolly throw you out so fast it'd make your head spin. The best (and legal) route to go for getting married would be either in the US where your girlfriend can come over and get married on a visitor's visa, or get a fiance visa so you have permission to marry in the UK. It definitely pays to play by the book, because things can come back to bite you if you try to shortcut certain things--a lot of people have learned that the hard way

Alright lol. Thanks this process is going to take a very, very long time. I feel stuck but I guess that story is for the "enduring the distance" board.

The best (and legal) route to go for getting married would be either in the US where your girlfriend can come over and get married on a visitor's visa, or get a fiance visa so you have permission to marry in the UK.

If the OP is under the age of 21, neither of those options will be open to them.

If the OP is under the age of 21, neither of those options will be open to them.

Of course I saw it was mentioned already before, so I figured I didn't need to mention it again since it's a pretty solid rule.

I think you need to slow way down and think through things a bit.  You definitely need to come to the UK for a visit before making any concrete plans. You may love it. You may HATE it and then what?  You've spent $1000 for the visa plus moving expenses and you're miserable.  Not really worth it in the long run. 

You didn't say how long you've known this girl or if you've met off-line but you've got a lot of work to do before you're ready to make any type of serious commitment. 

Just my 2p. Good luck.

I think you need to slow way down and think through things a bit.  You definitely need to come to the UK for a visit before making any concrete plans. You may love it. You may HATE it and then what?  You've spent $1000 for the visa plus moving expenses and you're miserable.  Not really worth it in the long run. 

I definitely agree with this - I moved to the US last year on a student visa (PhD) and absolutely hated it, despite the fact that I had already spent 18 months in the US previously! I have visited the US 7 times since 1984, spending almost a month there on each visit and also lived in the US for 10 months as an international student in 2003/04, yet my time there in 2008 made me realise that while America is a nice place to visit (I'm hoping to go to LA this summer for a couple of weeks), I don't think I could ever live there permanently .

I absolutely loved visiting and then living in the US the first time around (I had some amazingn friends there, who I still keep in touch with), but last year, I spent a miserable 7 months trying to settle in and be happy, but at the end of the day I was lonely with no friend and I missed the UK too much. So I decided to cancel my visa and move back home because I missed my family, I missed UK food, I missed UK TV (I can't even listen to a US TV commercial anymore - they completely grate on my nerves now !)... hell, I just missed everything about my life in the UK  .

If you come to the UK on a visa and get married without visiting first and then you find you absolutely hate it here, you will be stuck. You likely won't have the option to just move back home like I did, because you will have a British wife to consider as well and in order to get her a visa to move to the US, you would be looking at 6-12 months of waiting for a spousal visa to be granted before you could move. Plus, what if she doesn't want to live in the US - then you would be completely stuck!

Sorting out the practical stuffs - the visa - is very easy in comparison to the move.  The move takes it's toll on you emotionally.  My now DH and I had what we both felt was a very solid relationship, spent as much time together in each country as we could, and dated for three years before I moved to the UK.  It's not just moving over and living happily ever after.  It's finding a job (a several months long process for me to find one that paid enough to live on) and your first visa is a temporary one for two years.  If your relationship breaks down then it's usually bye-bye for you.

I know you said that your relationship is your business.  Fair enough.  But please consider that this move can effect you, your partner, your relationship, and in my case, my mental health.  I've been here for three years, I'm not yet where I want to be job-wise and location wise, and it's been very very hard for my British husband who has been forced to be my everything until I gain other sources and ways to settle into life here.

You can marry in the UK on a visit visa, with permission, and you wouldn't get booted out as a result of doing this.  But as the others have said, you wouldn't be able to switch to a spousal visa, even if you were over 21.

Vicky

Looks like everyone has hit on this well, but I thought I would add to the caution that a visit would be in your best interest before you just pack up and move. Before my husband and I were married we had several visits between us. Visiting will give you a better prospective on life here, but I must even admit that my 2-month visit last summer is a whole different ball of wax compared to my last 8 months actually living here. Consider the state of the economy as well. Jobs aren't easy to obtain at the moment.

England can seem like a fantastic place when you've never been, just based on what you have heard...and I'm not saying anything against it...but it's not for everyone and in the long run it could even negatively affect your relationship.

Keep a close eye on UKY posts and really make an informed decision. The last thing you want is an expensive bad decision for the sake of being less frustrated from the distance. We've all been there and we do empathize.

not much more i can say that others haven't hit on, but if you are really intent on going to school, it would be much, much cheaper for you to attend an in-state public university in ohio than it would to pay international tuition over in the uk.

Alright lol. Thanks this process is going to take a very, very long time. I feel stuck but I guess that story is for the "enduring the distance" board.

I am here in Scotland with my boyfriend that I have been with him for over a year (we met while traveling in Australia together). I looked at every possibility for us staying together and working in the same country (I am American and he is British). I thought I too could just go to school here. I met with a University and the most difficult part is the tuition. It cost £11,000 a year (which is like almost $20,000) + living expenses (even though you are living with her mom you still have to pay for some things). When you apply to study over here you have to prove you have 1 years tuition in the bank + 12 months of living cost at £600/month in order to get your student visa. I don't know about you, but I don't have $36,000 hanging around in my bank account.

In order to come to the UK and get married we would have to apply for a fiance visa which cost about $850 just for the visa and when I get to the UK I still couldn't work. Then after we got married I would have to pay another $850 to get a spousal visa.

We decided that since we are 100% committed to each other we are happy to get married. But the easiest option is for my partner to come to the US with me and we will get married there, apply for my spousal visa and come back to settle in the UK.

If you are under 21, I would highly suggest you and your girlfriend take a year and do the Australia working holiday scheme. It is a great way for you to live in the same place and work together and get to know each other on an every day basis. America and the UK now participate in this scheme and it is a very straight forward visa to get. Google Australia Working Holiday visa for more information.

All in all this is NOT an easy process and just because you want to be with someone doesn't mean you can when you are with someone from another country. I would also definitely recommend you come over for a visit. It is different over here and if you are going to go through this whole process you should see where you will be living at the end of it.

This is a great forum, and feel free to continue to ask questions, as we are all going or have gone through it. However, please be forewarned that it is hard and your relationship needs to be rock solid to go through the process

Wow.. I know this is none of my business, but have you met this girl in person before?  Have you traveled to the UK and spent any amount of time there?  I would HIGHLY recommend slowing down your plans a bit if you have not done both of these things.  

I just really felt this should be emphasized again! This isn't a small thing you are talking about. It's a major life thing!