Need information on fiance visa

Thank you, EY. I was rather afraid of that.

Another question: how soon will I be able to work after we're married?

Does anyone have the website address that explains all these rules? I'm a bit tired after dealing with DEFRA and airlines and can't seem to find anything beyond the actual OBTAINING of the visa -- what I need to know is what happens once I'm over there.

If you get a UK fiance visa, you have to get married in the UK. If you plan on getting married in the US then your fiance needs a US fiance visa.

You only need a US fiance visa if you're going to live in the US after you get married.  If you're going to live in the UK after getting married in the US you can get married in the US and your then husband will go back to the UK while you get a spouse visa to join him in the UK.   

Okay, right, got that. But is it correct that after I get the fiance visa and enter the UK with it, I MUST have my wedding there? There's no question we intend to live in the UK. It's just the actual wedding I'm concerned about. What if we wanted to get married in Paris but live afterwards in the UK? Can we not leave for the wedding once I've been admitted on the fiance visa?

Okay, right, got that. But is it correct that after I get the fiance visa and enter the UK with it, I MUST have my wedding there? There's no question we intend to live in the UK. It's just the actual wedding I'm concerned about. What if we wanted to get married in Paris but live afterwards in the UK? Can we not leave for the wedding once I've been admitted on the fiance visa?

If you get your UK fiance visa and not get married here you are just wasting your money, if you are getting married in the UK you need the visa. If you plan on getting married anywhere besides the UK, don't get the UK visa.
Your fiance visa is good for multiple entries. So you can leave/enter the UK with it.
 I'm not sure of Frances rules on getting married there you will have to check with their home office

You have to have lived in France for 1 month prior to getting married - so that might be a bit difficult.  You can't just hop over on the Eurostar and get hitched.

They probably have some kind of fiance visa too.  As for working in the UK you can work as soon as you have ypur FLR (spouse visa).  Theoretically you could get married and go and apply in person for you visa and receive it all on the same day and start work straight away. 

If you get a UK fiance visa, you have to get married in the UK. If you plan on getting married in the US then your fiance needs a US fiance visa.

Nope -- if you enter the UK on a fiancee' visa but go get married in the US, that's fine. You'll just need to get your UK spousal visa before you enter the UK again.

If you want to get married in the US, your fiance will not need a US fiance visa as he'll have no intention of living in the US after the wedding.

Yes but there's no point getting a UK fiance visa if you're not getting married here - you don't need one.

No, of course not.  Just handy to know that they don't legally have to get married here if they change their minds and want to marry in the US.

I suppose that if she wants to come and live in the UK for 6 months prior to getting married in Paris for example then a fiance visa is the only option, as it is her intention to settle here, and once married she can come back to the UK to switch to the spousal visa.  IT might raise an eyebrow at immigration, but I see no problem.

My friend who just got her fiancee visa (I did the paperwork) had a ring, but no church or registry office booking, but did have letters from two friends and her fiance's parents saying that they had known them both for ages and were happy they were getting married.  There was no problem with this at all. 


Victoria

oh I forgot to add. If you get married in another country besides the UK, you can't come to the UK straight away to live after you are married. You have to apply for a spousal visa.

If you already have the fiance visa it should be ok though...


Victoria

I suppose that if she wants to come and live in the UK for 6 months prior to getting married in Paris for example then a fiance visa is the only option, as it is her intention to settle here, and once married she can come back to the UK to switch to the spousal visa.  IT might raise an eyebrow at immigration, but I see no problem.

Agreed.  The fiance visa is switchable in-country.  If the marriage is not in the UK, then it needs to be one that the UK recognizes...

I'm sorry, I'm afraid I garbled my explanation rather badly. Let me try again.

1. Forget Paris. I was using that as a hypothetical example and have no wish to get married there.

2. My fiance and I intend to settle in the UK permanently. I want to move there at the end of October, as my lease is up on my New York loft, my cat will be ready to go by then, and we have already been apart for 2 months now, since my fiance left the US.

3. My only question is about the wedding itself -- whether I could leave for JUST THE WEDDING (as though we were going on vacation) then return to the UK and live normally. I  know it sounds like we should have married before leaving the states, but time and jobs did not permit such planning after our engagement. However it's rather a moot point since the wedding I was thinking of having in the States (on a boat) would have to take in the summer or fall, and the fiance visa only gives me six months to get married. It will not be summer or fall in the six months after I arrive.

I think what we will do is have a private getaway for the two of us to actually do the deed this winter, and then have a separate ceremony for our families and friends, at our leisure, later on.