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Topic: Visa for school - does getting married change this?  (Read 653 times)

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Visa for school - does getting married change this?
« on: January 09, 2013, 03:30:40 AM »
My fiance (UK) and I (US) are getting married in June of 2014, and moving to the UK.

I would love to go to school for my Masters degree, ideally in the fall of 2014, which will be a few months after we're married.

I know that I need to apply way in advance (most schools seem to take applications a year ahead), but I'm unsure how to do it in this situation. If I apply as an international student, and then get married and go to the UK on a spouse visa, how does that work exactly? Do I need to say I'm getting married to a Brit when I apply to the school? Or when I apply for spouse visa/permission to live in UK, do I have to say that I was accepted to a school too? Does that change my status?

Am I even allowed to go to school there so soon after marrying?
So confused :(


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Re: Visa for school - does getting married change this?
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2013, 03:51:01 AM »
Of course you are 'allowed' to go to school.  You will be paying international student fees regardless of whether or not you are married to a British citizen.  Your easiest bet is to get married, apply for your spousal visa, and then enroll in school.  The only difference between you and a single person who is not a UK citizen is that you won't need a student visa. You going to school won't affect your application for a spousal visa.


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Re: Visa for school - does getting married change this?
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2013, 04:06:12 AM »
If I wait until after we're married/have spouse visa then I think I'd need to wait until 2015 for school, which I'd really rather not do. Would it be too confusing to apply to school before we're married? Does getting married afterward change my standing?


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Re: Visa for school - does getting married change this?
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2013, 04:27:43 AM »
I didn't say apply after marriage; enroll after marriage so that you don't need a student visa. You can apply before you are married. Getting married won't change anything.


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Re: Visa for school - does getting married change this?
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2013, 04:38:33 AM »
I might be confused... but...are you asking about applying for two visas (student and spousal) or just the spousal?

Applying for school and applying for a student/any visa are different things. You don't apply for your visa as soon as you apply for uni. Before your course begins, send an email to the international student office and inform them that since you have a spousal visa, you will not need a student visa. The school does not directly interfere with your visa application, all they do is send you a letter stating to the UKBA that they will sponsor you for a student visa. If you're applying for a spousal visa, it won't matter in your case.

Since you're marrying and getting a spousal visa you will not apply for a student visa. When you officially enroll at the university, physically go in, they will ask to see your visa, you then show them your spousal visa. That's it.
09/29/09--Visa Approved!
10/05/09--Leave for the UK!!!
06/15/12--Back in the US indefinitely...


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Re: Visa for school - does getting married change this?
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2013, 09:52:27 PM »
Ohh sorry I misunderstood! I thought I would have to apply for a student visa before/during the application for university. So you don't need to apply (normally) for a student visa until after you're officially accepted?

So if I were married then that would take care of it? I'm a little confused about how moving there works, we're still in the early research stages. Once you are officially married (ceremony is in US in June 2014) then am I allowed to go right over there? Or do you apply for a spouse visa after the wedding/wait however long/then move to the UK?

Basically I'm just worried that I won't be legally allowed to live in the UK as a spouse before school begins in Sept 2014!


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Re: Visa for school - does getting married change this?
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2013, 09:56:19 PM »
You must apply for the spousal visa once you are married. You are not allowed to move to the UK until you receive the visa. Your husband will need to make at least 18,600 pounds per year to be able to sponsor you. 

If you are successful obtaining the spousal visa, you do not need to worry about getting a student visa.  You cannot apply for a student visa until you've been accepted to a school. 


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Re: Visa for school - does getting married change this?
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2013, 10:20:46 PM »
So you don't need to apply (normally) for a student visa until after you're officially accepted?

Actually, you are not allowed to apply for a student visa before you have been officially accepted...and you cannot apply for the visa more than 3 months before your course begins, so typically, you can't apply until June or July if you will be starting the course in September.

Before you can apply for a student visa, first the university needs to accept you, then they need to issue you with an official Tier 4 Certificate of Sponsorship (this is usually issued a few months after you have been accepted, generally in June or July). Then you need to make sure your finances are sorted out (your loans are approved etc.) and then finally, after all of that has been sorted out, you can apply for a student visa.

Or if you apply for a spousal visa, you just need the acceptance to the university, and won't have to get a Certificate of Sponsorship, finances sorted out or apply for a student visa.

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So if I were married then that would take care of it? I'm a little confused about how moving there works, we're still in the early research stages. Once you are officially married (ceremony is in US in June 2014) then am I allowed to go right over there? Or do you apply for a spouse visa after the wedding/wait however long/then move to the UK?

Basically I'm just worried that I won't be legally allowed to live in the UK as a spouse before school begins in Sept 2014!

First you get married, then you apply for a spousal visa and then you can move to the UK.

You can't apply for the spousal visa until after you are married and have the marriage certificate, but you can prepare your application documents and start filling out the online application form before the wedding.

For the visa, you will need to gather all the supporting documents (your husband could bring his documents to the US with him when you marry), then fill out the online form, submit and pay for the visa, and book a biometrics appointment. Then you attend the biometrics appointment (usually just a few days after submitting the online application), and mail your documents to the NYC consulate. You can pay $300 for a priority processing service which shouldget your visa processed in 15 working days (sometimes this can be as fast as 48 hours, but it's been taking a bit longer than 15 days at the moment, due to a backlog of applications). They will mail you the visa and your documents back when it has been processed.

When you have your visa, you can move to the UK. If you are organised and get the application basically ready so you can apply soon after the wedding, you could probably have the visa and be able to move to the UK sometime in July or August, ready to start school in September.


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