Where to start

I am a UK resident living in London and i want to help my American girlfriend move over here. I just need some information as to where to start the whole process. She works in Graphic design - which i doubt is one of those high-skilled/essential jobs...what do i do? How long will it all take? Where do i start? Anything else i need to know

many thanks

Have you and your girlfriend co-habitated for 2+ years - and if so have you proof of this?  If so, try searching on this board about an Unmarried Partners Visa.

Does your girlfriend hold an EU passport as well as her American one?  Or is she a dual national of a Commonwealth country?  If she has an EU passport, she can come over and live and work w/no need to apply for a permit as such.  If she is a Commonwealth citizen, she may be qualify as a Working Holidaymaker - a 2 year visa.  A Commonwealth citizen who can show proof of a British grandparent can also come to the UK on a Right of Abode visa (afraid this doesn't apply to US-only nationals w/British grandparents). 

If she's a recent graduate, she may be able to come to the UK for 6 months and work on a BUNAC visa.

Or, she can come and pursue university education here and work part-time during term and full-time at holidays - this may be an expensive option as international student fees may apply.

Other than those options, she'll need an employer-sponsored work permit to come here to work and live. 

The other option is marriage.

Unfortunately, immigration laws are not set up for girlfriends or boyfriends in unestablished (haven't cohabited enough to qualify for unmarried partners) to come over and live or try out their relationship unless they have another means of staying here - work permit, Right of Abode, EU passport, etc.

Thanks for the information - we're screwed arent we??!!

we're screwed arent we??!!

U'm, that all depends on how serious you are about her.

I know how you feel, it appears that marrying the girl is the only route.  I have been with my American girlfriend for over a year, and I  am in the same boat, the only realistic option is a wedding!  Best of luck fella
LP

I know how you feel, it appears that marrying the girl is the only route.  I have been with my American girlfriend for over a year, and I  am in the same boat, the only realistic option is a wedding!  Best of luck fella
LP

Well, we all have to remember that international relationships bring extra challenges.  Many of us married after having gone out with our partners for less than a year - successfully, I might add  ! Sometimes, life puts challenges in our road in order to raise our own standard of faith in ourselves and our partner - I'm glad my husband and I rose to ours  - we've now been married for a little over 3 years and are expecting our second child.

Yeah, they seem to rush us international couples into marriage because there really is no other option to stay legally with the one you love for as long as you want if you don't fit the other requirements. We probably would have gotten married recently too if I wasn't able to get my student visa renewed, which would have felt sooo rushed... even though we've been together 2 years.

Many of us married after having gone out with our partners for less than a year - successfully, I might add  !

It's really nice that so many of these US/UK marriages work out so well. It definitely gives me hope for the future! Just out of pure curiosity, does anyone know of any case where it hasn't been successful and the couple realise too late that they're not right for each other?  I'm sure it must happen at least some of the time, although it's probably unusual.

Yeah, they seem to rush us international couples into marriage because there really is no other option to stay legally with the one you love for as long as you want if you don't fit the other requirements. We probably would have gotten married recently too if I wasn't able to get my student visa renewed, which would have felt sooo rushed... even though we've been together 2 years.

It's really nice that so many of these US/UK marriages work out so well. It definitely gives me hope for the future! Just out of pure curiosity, does anyone know of any case where it hasn't been successful and the couple realise too late that they're not right for each other?  I'm sure it must happen at least some of the time, although it's probably unusual.

IME it honestly hasn't happened any more than I've seen it happen under 'normal' circumstances.  At least not once it got the marriage point.

For me, as I got older, I didn't need as long to go out to realise whether or not someone was marriage material.  Maybe it's an age thing, but perhaps not b/c my husband is 6.5 years younger than I am and he felt ready for marriage and family from the get go - my dream man! 

Some people need longer, I suppose.  Some people don't want marriage at all.  Unfortunately, however, immigration has to operate to strict standards. 

But IME, when you know, you know.

Just out of pure curiosity, does anyone know of any case where it hasn't been successful and the couple realise too late that they're not right for each other?  I'm sure it must happen at least some of the time, although it's probably unusual.

It happens enough to keep at least me busy.  It's called "Curtailment", and it is generally a personal disaster for the immigrant spouse - who may not even be at fault.  In fact I haven't seen a recent case where the immigrant spouse could be blamed for anything - ...except for picking an absolute twit for a husband. 

I have one coming up where the wife and her child by a former have to be gone by the 23rd of July, and there's absolutely NOTHING at all that can be done about it.  The Brit husband decided he liked someone else better and reported it to the Home Office before anything could be done from the advocacy side.  I thought it is distasteful that the Moscow consulate is processing his 2nd application there when his 1st wife is still in the country, and I plan on writing a caustic complaint about it.  And it's heart-breaking to see a kid's life jerked around like that anyway.

In the last one, the spouse came in as a fiance, they got married, and then decided to split after 7 months.  Then she started living with another guy.  And when her visa was due to expire, they were 10 months short for unmarried partners, but I managed to get her switched into a 1 year volunteer visa.  It's for a local authority, and she was taken on as a (heaven help us) HR Strategist    So that's a happy ending, and they are madly in love with each other anyway - I expect they will get married after she gets her UP.  Another time I got one switched into a journalist, and she makes ends meet by doubling as a house-minder, and the last time I talked to her she was booked up until next year and happy as a clam.

The rule of thumb in curtailment is:  if you think it's going to happen, get to an advisor FAST!  It's something you can't do alone.

I definitely feel for you michael127. I'm in roughly the same situation. Have been having a "relationship" for 18 months now, the marriage angle is a big "no no" and the chance of him getting a work sponsored visa is looking less and less likely (I mean how does someone go about that anyway? - honestly, any help would be appreciated)

But we're madly in love and we're gonna stick with it ... something has to give, right?

I came as a student to do my MA and then got sponsored for a work permit.  If I can be so nosey, why is marriage a big 'no-no'?  If your options are limited and you want to stay together, why not get married?  It sure makes the visa situation much easier.    

You can try applying for jobs from the US but the chances of that working well are slim. 

Marriage is a "no no" for the moment because divorce proceedings take so long (around 5 years) and to be honest, we don't really want to have to wait that long!!  We know it's the easiest option (because friends have already taken this route)

We know the applying for jobs from the US is a slim chance .... we're getting pretty desperate tbh!!

Marriage is a "no no" for the moment because divorce proceedings take so long (around 5 years) and to be honest, we don't really want to have to wait that long!!  We know it's the easiest option (because friends have already taken this route)

We know the applying for jobs from the US is a slim chance .... we're getting pretty desperate tbh!!

5 years!  I thought it was only 2.5 for a UK divorce at the most.   

As I've read it, that's for uncontested!

Anyway another 2 1/2 years apart ... 

As I've read it, that's for uncontested!

Anyway another 2 1/2 years apart ... 

Might as well get the proceedings started at least.. I mean, if the marriage is over, it's over.