Unmarried partner to spouse visa?

Hi everyone!

I have a question about transitioning from an unmarried partner visa to a spouse visa.  If a person comes over on an unmarried partner visa, is it legal to get married in the UK?

I was reading through the schedules on the civil partnership bill and came across some stuff about immigration control.  It stated that a person subject to immigration control could not form a civil partnership unless on what sounded like the equivalent of a fiancee visa, or if one has some specific kind of visa that allows partnership.  I figure these rules that they are making will parallel the rules for marriage.

An unmarried partner visa is actually a FLR(M), which is is exactly the same as a spouse visa, right?  Which means that going from unmarried partner to spouse (or civil partner) would not be a change of visa.  So it seems like marriage (or partnership) on an UP visa should be allowed.

I ask because my gf and I will come over as unmarried partners, at which time the civil partnership bill will probably not have been enacted.  Once it is enacted, we would want to form a civil partnership.  But I'd hate for her to have to leave the UK first to apply for another visa.

Those rules will be formulated after it goes to consultation, so the answer is just wait and see.  It's likely (just my guess) they will grandfather everyone who entered before a given date OR they will give a deadline date for those who are already entered.  I wouldn't worry about it, puting a new rule in that inconveniences people who entered legally would cause an unacceptable uproar in the in the gay community; and is improbable anyway - to put it bluntly:  they wouldn't dare.

It doesn't mean that you shouldn't pay attention to the consultation tho'...

Sorry, I guess my actual question got lost in all my rambling.

Is it currently allowed for a person who is in the UK on an unmarried partner visa (with an opposite sex partner) to get married to that partner without having to leave the UK to change visa status?

Balmerhon has done just that - she's on her honeymoon, though!

Is it currently allowed for a person who is in the UK on an unmarried partner visa (with an opposite sex partner) to get married to that partner without having to leave the UK to change visa status?

I'm resurrecting this for some clarification.  I thought I saw somewhere that people under immigration control (excl. on fiance(e) visas) may not be able to get married in the UK.  Might this include those on FLR(M)?

I'm back from my honeymoon!! 

I was on a student visa, applied for my unmarried partner visa, and then married about 3 months after I got that. This was for personal sanity reasons - my student visa expired too close to our wedding date and since we also met the unmarried partner visa requirements, it was easier to do it that way. As far as I am aware, it makes no difference if you marry or not after getting an FLR(M). You are still eligible to apply for ILR 2 years later.

I certainly hope no one can tell me otherwise!

Ah, so when you married, you didn't file any kind of visa forms.  You just kept your FLR(M)?  That makes sense, because your kind of visa wouldn't change.

And a belated congratulations!

Ah, so when you married, you didn't file any kind of visa forms. You just kept your FLR(M)? That makes sense, because your kind of visa wouldn't change.

You might want to PM Garry since he hasn't checked in on this thread, but yes, if you have FLR as an UMP you don't need to change your visa just because you got married later. If anything it will only help your ILR application later I would think.

And a belated congratulations!

Thanks! 

As a related point, how do the new Feb. 1st rules regarding marriage registration affect those on UP visas who decide to marry?  Would they have to apply for "permission to marry" (and pay the extra 130 squids?!)?