In-Person Marriage Visa - NYC advice!

Just to let you know it doesn't cost $494 to get the spousal visa in the UK, it costs £335 by post and £500 in person.

Just to let you know it doesn't cost $494 to get the spousal visa in the UK, it costs £335 by post and £500 in person.

  insert more expressions of shock and horror here!

Even more reason for doing it in the US!  that's almost double what we'd be paying (as we wouldn't hve the time to wait for them to approve it by post)

katie.mo - you haven't quite got this right.

If you are getting married in the US you just need to apply for the spousal visa, after you are married and before you leave, and then you can work as soon as you get to the UK.

Or have I misunderstood your situation?

Victoria

katie.mo - you haven't quite got this right.

If you are getting married in the US you just need to apply for the spousal visa, after you are married and before you leave, and then you can work as soon as you get to the UK.

Or have I misunderstood your situation?

Victoria

nope - that's the correct situation - the deal is do we get married here or wait and get married in the UK? it seems now that with scheduling (and the fees - yikes!) we'll be getting married in the US, applying for the spousal visa, then going to the UK the next day.  This allows me to seek work as soon as we arrive in the UK, which is great

That is the best option.  Your post read as if you thought you needed to apply for a fiancee visa and then a spousal visa, even if you were marrying in the US!


Victoria

That is the best option.  Your post read as if you thought you needed to apply for a fiancee visa and then a spousal visa, even if you were marrying in the US!


Victoria

originally the plan was to get a fiancee visa, then marry in the UK and get the spousal visa once in the UK.

THEN it was get the fiancee visa, get married here, goto the UK, get the certificate about a week after we arrived, and get the spousal visa once in the UK.

THEN it was screw the fiancee visa, we're able to get the spousal via here - yay! Lets do that, save 500 quid, and have 2 days in NYC (we both LOVE NYC) as a celebration (and to visit friends of ours  ). 

So you were correct in all accounts, we had exam planning and timing issues in the beginning (until last weds actually, when he FINALLY found out his exam schedule)

my only concern was applying in person for the spousal visa and leaving NYC the next day - heaven forbid anything go wrong!  I was wanting advice on that aspect of it as well, we'd be arriving in NYC on the 7th and applying then (around 10:00-11:00AM probably, flight would get in at 7:35AM) - and then spending the rest of the 7th and the 8th having fun (flight would leave at 8:55PM on the 8th). Since it's such a short time I was wondering if that looked bad or wasn't adviseable, but it seems like from people's experiences - it was fine to do exactly what we were planning. 

It shouldn't be a problem unless you have some outstanding circumstances, like having been previously denied entry into the UK, that the consulate would want to look further into before issuing your visa.  The "valid from" date on my visa was the day after my appointment at the NY consulate.

I didn't apply in NYC but in person in Chicago.  The lady at the consulates office basically asked me when I was going over and what day I was landing and said ok, I'll make the visa valid for the day you land! (Which was just a week later) So I would assume they would do the same thing in NYC. Even if they didn't you could still come to the UK.    BTW  will your name have changed in your passport or are you keeping your maiden name?  I sent my passport off right after we got married to have my name changed and had it expediated right back to me within a week for $100.  I am not sure if you have to do this but it just meant I had a new passport with a new 10 year limit on it instead of the 4 I had left on my old one.

I didn't apply in NYC but in person in Chicago.  The lady at the consulates office basically asked me when I was going over and what day I was landing and said ok, I'll make the visa valid for the day you land! (Which was just a week later) So I would assume they would do the same thing in NYC. Even if they didn't you could still come to the UK.    BTW  will your name have changed in your passport or are you keeping your maiden name?  I sent my passport off right after we got married to have my name changed and had it expediated right back to me within a week for $100.  I am not sure if you have to do this but it just meant I had a new passport with a new 10 year limit on it instead of the 4 I had left on my old one.

keeping my maiden name until we have the church ceremony, i've got about 8 years left on my passport so that's not a problem, it'll be changed to my married name way before it expires (as far as I know, you can change your married name whenever, there's no time limit on it?)

just curios - but i'm fine booking a one-way ticket right? I think i'm fine, but I wouldn't want ot assume (I am going to settle after all - why would i be planning on leaving?)

Should be fine.  That's what I did.  You'll get flagged for all of the extra airport security checks, but no problem with immigration if you have the visa.

keeping my maiden name until we have the church ceremony, i've got about 8 years left on my passport so that's not a problem, it'll be changed to my married name way before it expires (as far as I know, you can change your married name whenever, there's no time limit on it?)

just curios - but i'm fine booking a one-way ticket right? I think i'm fine, but I wouldn't want ot assume (I am going to settle after all - why would i be planning on leaving?)

booking a one-way is outrageously expensive. we just booked our flights on ba to go back to birmingham after the wedding in chicago in may, and they wanted $500 more for a one-way than for a round trip! i don't think so

booking a one-way is outrageously expensive. we just booked our flights on ba to go back to birmingham after the wedding in chicago in may, and they wanted $500 more for a one-way than for a round trip! i don't think so

i've checked prices, and it turns out to be cheaper just to do a one-way (i'm still a student so I can get tickets through studentuniverse.com) becuase we want to fly into Bristol.  It doesn't make a difference if we flew into Heathrow either actually, same price for one-way or round-trip - I thought that was odd but hey i'm not arguing!

Either way, if I book a round trip ticket it will have to be refundable, OR i'll have to keep booking round trip tickets until I eventually book a one-way ticket. 

I still find it odd that it's about the same price (like $50 difference) - but whatever, like I said i'm not arguing!

   BTW  will your name have changed in your passport or are you keeping your maiden name?  I sent my passport off right after we got married to have my name changed and had it expediated right back to me within a week for $100.  I am not sure if you have to do this but it just meant I had a new passport with a new 10 year limit on it instead of the 4 I had left on my old one.

We're planning on doing the same thing, i.e. marrying in the US, applying for the spousal visa and then going to the UK. I am going to take my husband's name, but won't have time to change my passport before we go.  Does anyone know if that will be a problem?  Thanks. 

Not a problem at all.  The visa gets issued in your maiden name.  I did the same thing.  We were married in the US and I had no time to change my passport.  I used my married name on the application and everything but the visa was issued in my maiden name (presumably to match my passport).

Thanks Gwen666.  Seems like everytime I read this forum, another question comes to mind.