Marraige in the UK - please help me ;)

Hi,

This is my first post here at the UK-Yankee forums, though myself and my fiancee have been using the site for a while now.

I am a British male, and my fiancee is American.

Our situation is this:

We both met online last year, and after meeting in America, we decided that we wanted to try and live together in the UK.

Last christmas, she came over to stay as a 'visitor'  - which means she has a 6 months visa.

We decided that we really wanted to get married, even though we haven't had that long a relationship, it's just one of those you just know will be 'the one'. And I proposed to her earlier this week.

Now what we would like to know, is about getting married in the UK in this situation, what's the best route to go?

Do we *have* to leave the country again at all? And what for?

Is it possible to marry, or get a marraige visa with a sponsor?

Please help me with these queries

Thanks,

Damien.

I think your best bet is for your fiancee to go to the US, get her fiance visa, and then come back to get married. If I'm not mistaken, you can no longer marry on a visitor's visa.

I think your best bet is for your fiancee to go to the US, get her fiance visa, and then come back to get married. If I'm not mistaken, you can no longer marry on a visitor's visa.

Is it possible to get a Fiancee visa with a sponsorship?

I heard you need to be earning nearly 20k (gbp) a year to technically be able to 'afford' a fiancee (which is utter crap imo) - but anyway, I dont earn that much, but I have a willing sponsor if that's available.

Thanks again,

Damien.

I think you can marry on a visitor's visa, but you have to have a special application and go to a bigger registrar's office to apply; there's also a fee involved (£100+ ?).  I suspect you'd still have to go back to the States and apply for the spousal visa after marriage tho.

In the long run, it's probably easiest to just go get the fianceé visa.


Later edit:

My husband earned about £18k at the time we applied for the fianceé visa and I had less than $1000 in savings.

You can find information on the new marriage rules at:

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/news/press_releases/getting_married_in/new_rules_for_getting.html

Or you could return to the US with her, get married there, and apply for the spousal visa from the US.

There is no set amount for how much you need to be making to be able to "afford" a fiancee.  More important questions will be asked, such as:

1.  Do you have somewhere to live?
2.  Are you recieving benefits?
3.  Does your fiancee have any savings?
4.  Can she work once you are married?

You needn't be rich to get the fiancee visa.  You can get co-sponsors to send letters of support, but they can't be full sponsors.  Your application will be primarily based on your income and abilty to live together, in your own accomodation, without recourse to public funds.  If you can prove that, you'll be fine!

All very good advice, thank you.

I think we're going to go with the travel to the US and get a Fiancee visa. It works out the best for us

-Damien.

Mine hasn't been approved yet, so take this advice with a grain of salt, but I included a copy of our monthly budget with the paperwork to show that we can live on his income until I can work.  From what I read on the Home Office site, there is no set figure for how much you need to be making.  Obviously a couple can live cheaper in Dover than in London, and any dependants you have makes the burden of proof higher.  The rules say (sorry, don't have the link) that the couple merely needs to show that their plans are realistic when taking into account the area where they live and their job qualifications.