I'm Engaged

Need Advice on Marriage

I'm an American citizen living in the US, my British boyfriend flew to Cincinnati and suprised me with a ring on my 25th birthday this past February.  Although he could only stay a week, we've already started planning our wedding.  Because we're an old fashioned bunch my parents want to plan the wedding here in the US with both our families together.  Our potential date is May 2007, giving us plenty of time to make arrangement for the church and so on.

My boyfriend's business is in Bournemouth England, hence I will join him once we are married.  The last six months leading up to our wedding date, I would like to join him in England on a fiancee visa (I know that fiancee visas are only valid for six months).  To marry me here in the United States, my boyfriend will need to a visa for marriage, and once we are married, how long do I have to wait until I can join him in England?

To anyone who has sucessfully done this, please tell me your story so that I can have an outlook on how to go about doing this?

Hi Betsy,

At last some good news for you!

I believe your fiance does not need to get a visa for the US in order to marry there.  He should only apply for a visa if he intends on settling there.  Please anyone if I am wrong step in and correct me!  My British husband came in 2000 and since we were living elsewhere, he just came in on the visa waiver and we married, then went back home. 

In your case, as soon as your are married and have a marriage license and adequate documentation, you can apply for your spousal visa (FLR). Hopefully it will all go through quickly and only 500 pounds (in person) or 335 (through the post) later you will be on your way to Bournemouth.

I believe you would need to apply in Chicago, if you choose to do it in person.
My parents are in Dayton, OH, I am visiting them right now.  Best of luck to a fellow Buckeye!

Congratulations on getting engaged

Grace was right, if your fiance is only coming here to the US to get married and isnt settling he doesnt need a visa.

However you said you intend to marry in the US but want a fiancee visa for the UK...that visa is given on the assumption that you are planning to marry in the UK...I know there are others here that can tell you for sure if what you are planning is something they allow, Im not too clear on it since I am getting my fiancee visa in order to get married in England.

Congrats again and good luck

Katrina

I am also about to get engaged and we are planning on marrying here in the US and then me going to live with him in the UK.  I would appreciate any more specifics on what others have done on the US side.  Did they just have their partner come as any old tourist and did that impact their ability to get a marriage license? I don't think we need to do stuff since we aren't planning on staying here, but I'm nervous that we will get here only to discover we did something wrong and they won't let him in or won't let us have a marriage license.  I'm getting the feeling that it is going to be much easier to get my spousal visa there than other countries might make it, but I'm still overwhelmed at all of the details and costs.

Also, I'm looking for more specifics on how long it took most people to get their spousal visas.  We are trying to plan a second reception in the UK.  I'm assuming I will want to do my passport first and have it expedited with my new name.  It expires next year anyway, so I need a new one.  It just seems it will be easier to have my visa with my married name match the one that is actually in my passport!  We don't want to wait too long to have the UK receptions and such, but we hate to plan it and get stuck here.  I have read a few general timeframes on this board, but would appreciate more specifics.

Thanks so much!!  This site has been a lifesaver so far!

Your partner does not need a visa to marry in the USA my fiancee and I will be doing so in May this year then applying the next day to get the visa we are going to NYC.

You could come over for 3 months just before or 6 if this change is not in affect you would need to check the time frames for that. If you do come over save like mad and make sure you have proof that you have $xxxxxxxxxxxxx in your account to show you can support your self whilst you are here don't bring diarys or anything that might make it seem you are going to stay and not leave, the immigration officer at heathrow said if you are staying for more than a few months they do pull you in to question you and your partner so make sure he has proof of who he is and his finacial details bank statements up to date. We where lucky I did not have anything with me other than my driving licence which had the wrong address on errrrrrrrrrrrrr I forgot to change it when I moved back to the Midlands, make sure you know how much you both earn or have because they asked me this and what we would be doing where we getting married over here ( the UK) I said no we had not planned anything and besides which we did not have a fiancee visa.

Start saving all your bank statements now and bills and letters get plenty of pics of you both together, try and get a joint bank account HSBC over here is good and get your partner to open it first they then only need to put your name on it they will need your passport and a letter or something with your name on at his address, so get someone to send stuff in your name to his address nearer when your going over apply for a tescos club card that type of thing it has your name on the card the letter they send out and if you pay for shopping on line with your club card your name address and visa payments will be on it. the same with your partner get everyone to address to both of you any xmas cards

you need at least 3 months bank statements so if you save them now you know you will have enough make sure you get plenty of money going through them and open a savings account and save some also.

Good luck

Enjoy your wedding Hope this all helps and there is tones more and lists of everything everyone else has collected together.

Chris came over for 6 months we go back in April to get married in May (begining).

Congratulations!  My husband came to San Francisco last September and we were married in Half Moon Bay.  No visa needed.  Good luck to you both!!