How to Apply First Time Spousal Visa

Hello all,

It doesn't seem like this should be as confusing as it seems.  I am a US citizen and hoping to travel to the UK to get married and then live with my fiancee afterwards.  I am starting to work on my visa and I determined from the gov.uk website that I would be applying to "Join Family Living in the UK."  When I begin the application, is this a "settlement" visa?

I'm also curious, what would be a long term visit visa?  Is that the visa for a visitor that would be valid for several years but only good for a visit up to 6 months at a time?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Hello all,

It doesn't seem like this should be as confusing as it seems.  I am a US citizen and hoping to travel to the UK to get married and then live with my fiancee afterwards.  I am starting to work on my visa and I determined from the gov.uk website that I would be applying to "Join Family Living in the UK."  When I begin the application, is this a "settlement" visa?

I'm also curious, what would be a long term visit visa?  Is that the visa for a visitor that would be valid for several years but only good for a visit up to 6 months at a time?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Hi!   Are you dead set on getting married in the UK? It's a whole lot easier to get married in the US first and apply directly for the spouse visa. There's one whole visa less to get and you'd be able to work and use the NHS as soon as you entered the country which you can't do as a fiance.

Well, we're considered the possibility, it would just require my fiancee to make the trip to the US.  I appreciate the input.

Either way, would I be applying for a "Settlement Visa"?

Thanks.

Well, we're considered the possibility, it would just require my fiancee to make the trip to the US.  I appreciate the input.

Either way, would I be applying for a "Settlement Visa"?

Thanks.

Yes, you would, sorry! 

Here's the link. https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/overview

Definitely give it some thought. Visa applications are expensive and incredibly stressful. If you can possibly avoid one of them as you would by marrying in the US, it would be a good thing!

A comparison between the two:

Fiance visa
- 6-month fiance visa, allows you to marry in the UK
- must be resident in the UK for 7 days before giving notice to marry
- must wait at least 28 days after giving notice before you can marry
- gives no access to the NHS
- no work allowed
- costs £1,464
- once you are married, you need to apply for an FLR(M) visa, which is valid 30 months and costs £993 + £500 NHS surcharge
- you cannot work or use the NHS (for free) until you have the FLR(M) visa

Total visa cost for the first 2.5 years
= £1,464 (+£551 for priority processing) + £1,493 (+ £590 to apply in person for a same-day decision)
= between £2,957 and £4,098

Spousal visa
- marry in the US (no waiting time)
- apply for spousal visa, which is valid 33 months
- costs £1464 + £600 NHS surcharge
- you can work immediately
- you can use the NHS for free immediately

Total visa cost for the first 2.5 years
= £1,464 £2,064 (+£551 priority processing)
= between £1,464 and £2,015 between £2,064 and £2,615

Edited because I forgot to add the NHS surcharge to the spousal visa cost

Thanks for all the information.  Visa applications are definitely stressful - I applied for a visit visa the first time around only to have them tell me at the border that I really didn't need one!