Confused between Marraige Visa & Fiance Visa

Hi!

First of all this forum has been very helpful to understand lot of aspects of Visa requirements. Great job ppl !!! I need some more clarity on the 2 types of visa and which one would be appropriate in my case.

I have met my girlfriend (she is a British citizen) couple of times in UK. Now we would like to take the next big step - marriage :-) I am in Indiana and finally planning to settle in UK sometime in future. I am planning to marry my girlfriend in UK and then comeback to US to complete my project assignment (which will take three months). After that I am planning to move to UK.
1) Should I then go for applying Marriage Visa or Fiancé Visa?
2) If on Fiancé visa and post marriage applied for spouse visa from UK (will use the one day service), can I go back to US and then come back after 2-3 months?

1) you'll need to apply for a marriage visitor visa and then the spouse visa stateside - if you want to get married in the UK and then return to apply in the US

2) you can return after you get your flr(m) but you need to make sure you are around enough to eventually qualify for ilr

1) Should I then go for applying Marriage Visa or Fiancé Visa?

Neither - a marriage visa is a fiance visa... the official name for a fiance visa is a 'marriage visa' (it costs £826 and is for people who wish to marry in the UK, then apply to stay without going back to the US).

However, if you wish to marry in the UK, then return to the US, you will need a 'marriage visitor visa' (cost £78, allows you to marry in the UK, but you must leave within 6 months and return to the US).

2) If on Fiancé visa and post marriage applied for spouse visa from UK (will use the one day service), can I go back to US and then come back after 2-3 months?

Yes, you can, but you need to be able to prove that you have lived together in the UK for the entire length of your spousal visa, so you would have to have a good reason for being apart for those 2-3 months (and prove it on your next visa application).

You'll need to decide which visa route you would prefer to take:

1) Marriage visitor visa (£78), marry in the UK as a visitor, return to the US for a few months, then apply for a spousal visa (£826) to move to the UK permanently and have permission to work right away.
Total cost: £78 + £826 + 3 flights

2) Fiance visa (£826), move to the UK and marry there, but you cannot work or study until after you have your FLR(M) visa (spouse visa applied for in the UK). The FLR(M) visa costs £867 if you do the in-person one day service.
Total cost: £826 + £867 + 1 flight

If you decided to get married in the US, your girlfriend wouldn't need a visa.  Seems like the US is much more lenient on the marriage process than the UK. 

Just a thought.    One less visa to apply for, even though it's only £78.

I would defiantly go for #2 if you want to end up in the UK. Because if you just come to the UK marry and leave then something happens to your visa app your stuck in the US during the month/months it takes to sort it out. Where as if your here the FLR application is pretty much the same but you can wait for the result together. For me that is much less stressful, as well as being able to do the in person appointment. I can't say enough good things about that just because I wasn't in suspense for 8 months.

From the US the process doesn't take months; even now during the slowest period we've seen for years they're still taking less than 2 months non-priority, and around a month priority. Only in the UK is it currently taking 8 months.