Switching Visas

I am currently on a student visa until june 2003..we want to marry sooner like in feb/march of 2003...will then switch to a spouse visa..has anyone done this....here in england...and if so what was the process like...thanks people...

As far as I know...
Unfortunately, visas are not transferrable. would be great if they were, but I suspect you're going to have to go through all of the paperwork from the very beginning. Yes, by all means get married. You might even be able to stay on your student visa up to your June 2003 expiration (unless you're no longer a student). You can get married here, too, if you want. But at some stage, before your student visa expires or becomes 'void' you will have to return to the US and apply for a spouse visa. Do this after you get married.

Tristan said that he checked with immigration and we are going to marry at the local registrar and then fill out the FLR(M) to switch my visa...at croydon

You can switch your status in country...You do not have to go back to the states to get a spousal visa its sometimes easier to do the paperwork in the states but its your call...You can switch from visitor to student to work permit holder to spouse in any number of different combinations...The only things you can't do IN COUNTRY in switch to a fiancee visa...

I came over as a visitor and switched to student and in March will switch to a spousal visa...It just makes the paperwork a bit more lengthy but its totally do-able...

Thats one of the reasons that the Home Office has an in-country decision team...

Whoa...really? ! ?
Blondshania, please please let us know how this works as you go through it, okay? Sounds like a much easier process!

You can switch your visa while in country, but there will be more scrutiny when you go for your spousal visa.

You will have to show mainly that you did not intend *at all* to get married once you got here.  From what I understand, it is a bit risky.  I know of two people who did indeed get sent back after getting married in the UK....and they'll check everything!

But then, I'm sure there are plenty that do things this way and are fine.  Wench for example didn't have too much trouble, right?

why did those folks get sent back..do you know the reason why...if that happens to me then it would be allright becz we plan on visiting the US soon after getting married in February....

I know someone who got sent back for having sent invitations to people for a wedding before leaving the US.....and even making plans like calling florists, and registrars offices are no, no's.....just for example.

I dont understand...were they married here or there?...we are planning on marrying here and then applying for a spousal visa here....i am a student rite now so i will have made calls and plans for a wedding ..and how could someone find out that information????how did immigration or whoever know that she had made certain calls or even sent invitations

They were married here in the UK.

She had come over on a tourist visa, knowing full well she was going to stay for three or four months and plan her wedding.  When immigration asked about the wedding (who came, what sort of wedding was it) she innocently said she had 75-100 guests, blah, blah....and it was glaringly obvious that the whole thing was not a 'spur of the moment' sort of thing.  And that got them into trouble.

I guess if you know what they are going to question you can plan to lie to them about calls, etc., but immigration can be tricky.  I sure wouldn't risk it, but that's just me.

Probably a totally different thing if you're here on a student visa, though.  I'm not sure what the rules are there.

Okies.  I can only tell you what happened with me.  First off, I came over on a visitor's visa....but was NOT planning on getting married....I was planning to go back after 5 months for a friend's wedding in the states (I was supposed to be a bridesmaid), and then either off to Georgia for art school, OR if I found a school over here that I liked, looking into attending here.  

I flew over on the 1st of November, 2000.  David and I were engaged on the 19th.  When ya know, ya know.    So okay, we needed to see about keeping me in the country.  We called to ask about possibly changing over to a school visa...as I did want to take classes, and that way we'd have longer before we had to get married.  Well.  I got lied to by immigration.  I was told that if I wanted a school visa, then I could only study in England for a year, and then I had to leave the country and couldn't come back for at least 5 years.  Screw that.  So we asked if I could go home at the original planned time (which was only 5 months, so totally covered by my 6 months visitor visa), and then come back a few months later to get married.  Nope.  If I left the country they might not let me back in the country for a minimum of 6 months, maximum of 2 years  Again, screw that.  So David and I ended up getting married 9th February 2001 (a month before I had planned to go to my friend's wedding) and set about applying for the marriage visa.  In the end we got it, but honestly, if I'd known then what I know now, I'd have flown home got married there and applied for spousal visa while still in the states.  As it was, I now have my indefinite leave to remain, but missed my friend's wedding while waiting on paperwork and will only be visiting home for the first time in over 2 years next month.  

Hopefully with actual sane advice from the people on this list, your experience won't be, hmmm...nearly so interesting.

lol
but it all worked out in the end, promise!
wench