getting married in US move to UK shortly after

I've been following this forum and I can't find answers to a few questions I have.  Wondering if any of you can help.  I am an American and my fiance is British.  We are planning on getting married fall of next year (2006) in the US.  After a honeymoon probably to the Caribbean, we want to relocate to London.

So here goes:

1.)  When applying for the spousal visa in person (I understand that it's valid for two years), I found on the following web site that I can get it the same day in most cases which is great.

http://www.britainusa.com/visas/other_show.asp?SarticleType=25&Other_ID=322

(Could probably do this the very next week before the honeymoon)  However, my US passport would not be ammended to reflect my new last name.  Is this a problem?  Could I get my US passport ammended once I arrived in the UK and got settled?  I saw on this website that you have to show a marriage certificate for the visa, so I'm guessing that the US passport does not have to be ammended for a name change before getting a spouse visa.  I just want to get all the paperwork right and I'm trying to figure out the smoothest way to do things.  Has anyone had an experience like this?  Thanks!

2.) Also, is it necessary to pay the $169 (around?) to get a US finace visa for my guy to come over to the US so we can get married?  Can't he just come over as a tourist as long as it's not more than 90 days? 

Just wanted to note that I'm not really asking about the honeymoon because I know we would probably just have to carry the marriage certificate to the honeymoon location and from traveling to the Caribbean many times, I know they are very relaxed about tourists.  Not worried about that, but I will check first.

Thanks! 

I'm pretty sure the answer to 2) is yes, he can come over as a visitor to get married if you guys are going back to the UK....the US fiance visa is only for those who are coming to settle in the US.

Um, keep searching the site.  Those questions have been answered, really.  More than once...

Right, OK, well most people seem to be getting married in the UK.  I haven't seen anyone else ask about the amended US passport.  Sorry to ask the same questions over again, I just wanted to know if anyone else has done the same thing.

1.  Yes, you can get your spousal visa in one day, provided you have all of the correct documentation (click the little world symbol under my name for a list of what we took).  Your passport doesn't have to be amended with your new name when you apply.  You can have your name changed in your passport (if you want) when you get to the UK by sending it to the US embassy in London.  When boarding the plane for your honeymoon, the airline will want to see your passport (obviously) and your marriage certificate if the ticket is booked in your married name.

Make sure you ask how long it'll take to get your marriage certificate following the wedding -- we got ours the next working day, but some people have to wait a couple of weeks.

2.  Yes, your fiance can enter the US to marry you without a US fiance visa.  If he says he's getting married at immigration, he'll probably be asked to prove that he's leaving the country following the wedding -- a return ticket and proof of the appointment for your spousal visa should be enough.

Thanks a bunch!    btw, your link didn't work to your website?!

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "getting married at immigration."  It will be like a traditional wedding, church, etc.  What if he just doesn't tell them anything as in he just says he's here to visit? 

I've read in this forum that in the UK if you are planning to marry you must have a fiance visa if you are settling there, as in the wedding was planned before coming to the UK. 

Well, we wouldn't be settling in the US, but we might want to some day so we don't want to break the law.  Is it the same where if it's not a spur of the moment thing, they must have a fiance visa?  The wedding would definitely be planned in advance, so my question is - do you have to tell them that at immigration?  Maybe I should just call the US visa office or something.  The US website is so much more confusing than the UKs!!!

my husband told the immigration guy he was getting married.  first the guy said 'are you sure you want me to let you in' (what a joker! ) then the guy said 'you're leaving right after?' and he said 'yes my wife and i are going to hawaii for our honeymoon and then she is going to the NYC consulate and coming over on a UK spouse visa on Sept 11th'.

You're not breaking the law doing what you're doing.  Now if you were planning on staying in the US after the wedding, that's a toally different story.  We're doing the same-living here for a few years then settling in the US.  You're fine!

Also we booked the honeymoon tickets in my maiden name-so much easier.  Actually i haven't ammended my passport yet!  I keep forgetting to!

Thanks a bunch!    btw, your link didn't work to your website?!

Seems to be working okay now. 

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "getting married at immigration."  It will be like a traditional wedding, church, etc.  What if he just doesn't tell them anything as in he just says he's here to visit?

Some people don't tell immigration that they're in the US to get married because that can open up a whole other can of worms.  My point was that your fiance needs to be able to prove that he's leaving the US after the wedding...that he doesn't intend to settle there.

I've read in this forum that in the UK if you are planning to marry you must have a fiance visa if you are settling there, as in the wedding was planned before coming to the UK. 

If you are going to marry in the UK and settle in the UK, you would need a fiancee' visa.  Since you're marrying in the US and your fiance doesn't intend to settle in the US following the wedding, he does NOT need a fiance visa.  If the two of you were going to live in the US following the wedding, he would need a fiance visa.

Well, we wouldn't be settling in the US, but we might want to some day so we don't want to break the law.  Is it the same where if it's not a spur of the moment thing, they must have a fiance visa?  The wedding would definitely be planned in advance, so my question is - do you have to tell them that at immigration?  Maybe I should just call the US visa office or something.  The US website is so much more confusing than the UKs!!!

You're not breaking the law.  My DH went to the US to marry me without a fiance visa. We got married on a Saturday, picked up the marriage certificate on Monday, and flew to NYC to get my spousal visa on Thursday.  No problemo!   

Just wanted to note that I'm not really asking about the honeymoon because I know we would probably just have to carry the marriage certificate to the honeymoon location and from traveling to the Caribbean many times, I know they are very relaxed about tourists. Not worried about that, but I will check first.

Travel requirements for US citizens in the Caribbean will change by the time you go on your honeymoon.  Here is a whole discussion on is.

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=15723.0