Changing name on passport before applying for leave to remain visa

Hi,
I did a couple of searches but couldn't find what I needed.  I am in the UK now - got my fiance visa really quickly from the Chicago consulate and my husband and I were married on April 4th.  We went to Spain on our honeymoon and didn't have any trouble getting back into the country on my fiance visa.  Now I am trying to apply for (I guess) the leave to remain visa rather than the spousal visa(?) given I am in the UK, want to stay and begin work. 

My question is, my passport is in my old name and I would like to change it so I can have my new visa in my married name.  Do I follow the same procedures for doing this as I would if I were still living in the US?  I only have one marriage certificate - do they require the original to make the name change?  I think they require my current passport which contains my fiance visa.  Will they issue a new passport and return the old one?  Will I need the old passport with the fiance visa in it in order to get the leave to remain visa?  I've heard I can go to the Liverpool passport office and pay somewhere around £500 to get the leave to remain visa in a day.  Is this still the case?  If I wasn't in a rush what do I do and how much will it cost?  I'm trying to go home to Georgia to get my dog in June to bring him over (June 7th is when he's officially allowed to come without quarantine) but it looks like I need to get the passport name changed, get the new visa and then buy the tickets to go and in that order?
Sorry for all the questions but I'm lost!
Thanks for any help,
Mary

If your passport is less than 12 months old, you can get one in your new name for free.  Otherwise, you will have to pay for a new passport.  You can get the new passport from the American consulate in London, it should take around a week. 

However, in the UK, you can just start using your married name, you don't need to do anything official.  Your marriage certificate will be enough to prove the name change to most people.

The "leave to remain" that you want is FLR(M).  You can apply in person if your application is straightforward, or pay £200 less to apply by mail.  That could take up to 14 weeks to process, however, so if you must travel in June and you must change your passport, then you'll have to apply in person.  

One small thing, though, and I hope the experts will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you might run into trouble because you reentered the country on a fiance visa that was technically no longer valid--because you're not a fiance anymore, you're a wife.  You might have to apply for the spousal visa from the US.  I hope someone will come along soon and speak with more authority on the subject.

Please note that you've violated your visa by reentering the UK on it after you've gotten married. That visa was for you being a fiancee once you were married you were no longer a fiancee but a spouse and needed the spousal visa before you could travel back into the UK....http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=47376.msg670114#msg670114 and http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=44983.0 and http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=50714.msg721288#msg721288.

Back to your questions:
If your passport is less than 12 months old you can do a name change for free...if it's more than 12 months you'll have to renew your current passport through the Embassy in London: http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/acs/passports/renewal.html. You have to send in your original marriage ceritificate or get another one from your Registry Office and you'll get it back around the same time you get your passport back with your old passport marked as cancelled.

Once you receive your new passport (about 2 to 3 weeks) you can apply for your in country spousal visa on the form FLR(M). See this link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ukresidency/extendingyourstay/applicationtype/flr(m)/. If you apply by post it is £465...if you apply in person at any public enquiry office: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/contact/applyinginperson/ the cost is £665. In person applications can be done for straightforward applications and are processed the same day. You will need to supply both passports with your application.

But please be aware that there have been instances where applications for those who have done what you did with a fiancee visa have been refused spousal visas.  http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=50714.msg721307#msg721307
 

x-posted with historyenne

Thanks for the advice and instructions given so far - very helpful.

On a side note:
If we had known we were unable to leave the UK after being married even for our honeymoon (which you usually take immediately following your wedding and have no time to apply for a new marriage visa) we certainly would not have gone but we had no idea until we got on here and started looking up the process to change visas once we returned.  The border patrol at the airport only told us that we would need to get a new visa to stay in the country which we already knew but they were very pleasant and didn't indicate we'd done anythin wrong or illegal.

...border patrol at the airport only told us that we would need to get a new visa to stay in the country which we already knew but they were very pleasant and didn't indicate we'd done anythin wrong or illegal.

We're just trying to prepare you in the event that your spousal visa is refused as it has happened in the past and could very well happen in your case. But that being said, best of luck to you.

What kind of stamp did you get in your passport?  You haven't done anything illegal, it's just that you may run into trouble with your FLR(M) application.    

Here's my thought:  Since you're going to the US anyway to collect your dog, why not  apply for the spouse visa there?  It'd be cheaper than an in-person FLR(M)--£585--and you could get it processed within a few days.  Plus, if your application isn't straightforward, you can't do the FLR(M) in person anyway.    

Something to consider.

What kind of stamp did you get in your passport?  You haven't done anything illegal, it's just that you may run into trouble with your FLR(M) application.    

Here's my thought:  Since you're going to the US anyway to collect your dog, why not  apply for the spouse visa there?  It'd be cheaper than an in-person FLR(M)--£585--and you could get it processed within a few days.  Plus, if your application isn't straightforward, you can't do the FLR(M) in person anyway.    

Something to consider.

Wait I thought the in person FLR (M) was £585 by post? Is it £385 but post and the 585 is with the added 200?

Prices have gone up.  According to the UKBA website, the prices are £465 and £665 respectively.

Prices have gone up.  According to the UKBA website, the prices are £465 and £665 respectively.

Still better then the close to £1000 I thought it was for an in person. I'll have to tell DF the kinda good news that it costs less then we thought. 

Still better then the close to £1000 I thought it was for an in person. I'll have to tell DF the kinda good news that it costs less then we thought. 

£1,020 is the price for in-person ILR applications, not FLR.

Still better then the close to £1000 I thought it was for an in person. I'll have to tell DF the kinda good news that it costs less then we thought. 

That's for the ILR.

x-posted with WebyJ...again.

That's for the ILR.

x-posted with WebyJ...again.

Dear Lord! That comes two years after the FLR(M) right? AYE YE YE
P.s. I'm psycho it's 3am here and I'm not asleep cus of my app

Dear Lord! That comes two years after the FLR(M) right? AYE YE YE
P.s. I'm psycho it's 3am here and I'm not asleep cus of my app

Under the current immigration law. This is changing with the BCI bill.

Under the current immigration law. This is changing with the BCI bill.

Ezzatly. It's waaaaay too early to be worried about the ILR. I give you permission to start thinking (JUST THINKING, NOT FREAKING) about it once you get your spousal and actually move here.

Under the current immigration law. This is changing with the BCI bill.

Yeah I've been worried about that when i've read about it in the forums. I don't quite understand the changes.

Ezzatly. It's waaaaay too early to be worried about the ILR. I give you permission to start thinking (JUST THINKING, NOT FREAKING) about it once you get your spousal and actually move here.

My Fiancee one is going into the consulate at 9am today eeek!!! Then I plan to make an appointment for in person FLR(M) literally days after the wedding. Tell me when to freak out hahaha.