End of visitors visa- what next?

I am going back to the states after spending almost 6 months in the UK with my English boyfriend, and also doing some travelling.  We aren't sure what to do about me coming back here. I want to be able to come back to England in late-December and stay until Mid-May, when we will both go back to the states.  We were under the impression that I should apply for a visitors visa to gain entry clearance when I get back to the US.  I talked to the people at UK Visas who told me I should be fine as long as we have all the documents needed, which we do.  I also had emailed UK Visas an enquiry which they just responded to today.  This email says that a visitor cannot be in the UK for more than 6 months in any 12 month period.  So, now I have gotten two different answers from UK Visas and we aren't sure what to do.  Does anyone have any advice?  We considered applying for a fiancee visit just to get me in, although we wouldn't get married yet.  Is this risky, or do you have to prove that you have a wedding planned? Is there anywhere we can go to get a straight answer about what to do??? Thanks for your help:)

Depends when they start the 12month period, right? So would it count that you were here in 2006 and will be here again in 2007




OT:
Jenny - it's andrea

Hi Andrea,
I think its any 12 month period.  So, I got here in August so I think I can only have 6 months until next August.  Not sure.  We are really starting to freak out and don't know what to do!

You have to have a wedding planned within 6 months of getting a fiance visa.

Do you know how you prove that you have a wedding planned?  Do they check a church date or anything like that?

You don't *have* to prove you're getting married - but you *will* be asked about your wedding plans, especially if you don't include any documentation showing that you've started making said wedding plans.

I would strongly advise you not to apply for a fiancee visa on false pretenses (in other words, applying for a visa, getting approved, and moving over with no intentions to get married within the six month period stipulated).  If you don't get married and convert your visa to FLR before the fiancee visa expires, you'll either have to leave the country at the end of six months or risk overstaying your visa - and if you're planning on living in the UK at some point, the fact that you didn't meet the terms of the fiancee visa could cause trouble with any future visa applications, especially if you wound up overstaying and/or they find out that you provided false information on a previous visa application.

Thanks Meg.  We really don't want to do anything dishonest but we just feel like we are being pushed into getting married so quickly.  I know everyone else has to make these same decisions, too!  Is that really the only option?  I wonder if I should just go ahead and apply for the visitors visa anyway and hope they will approve it, or just risk it and come over with no visa at all and hope for the best.  Also, we are thinking it will help if we have a plane ticket to the states bought for my boyfriend so they have no reason to think I would want to stay longer than I am asking for.  This is so frustrating and stressful!

Have you considered living in the states for 6months and doing a ldr for that time? I know it's not ideal, but then you could legally apply to be with him for another 6mts in the UK or it would give him time to get his stuff together to come to the US to be with you.

We REALLY don't want to a LDR!  We just want to be able to spend the last months before he moves to the states together.  I guess it doesn't matter what we want though:) As a last resort I think we will end up getting married if we have to, but that is just not how we wanted to do it, and who does?

How is Rich going into the US? Just as a visitor in May/June or as a student?

He can come for three months as a visitor, then he will come back to the UK and get a visa for whatever we have decided to do by then.  The student thing is still an option.

You do realise that visas to the US do take a helluva lot longer than visas to the UK don't you?

You do realise that visas to the US do take a helluva lot longer than visas to the UK don't you?

Not only that, but they are a LOT more suspicious (in my experience) about people overstaying.

My husband has been questioned countless times and if they even think one may overstay, you'll have a problem!

He definitely won't be overstaying any time he is given.  I think our main focus right now is getting me back to the UK for the remaining 5 months.  Once I am back in January, we will put all our energy into his move to the states. 

I am curious as to the wording of the e-mail from ukvisas..."a visitor cannot be in the UK for more than 6 months in any 12 month period"...was this the EXACT wording?


Vicky