UK Marriage Visitor Visa questions/problem

Hi all, I am new and have a few questions regarding the UK Marriage Visitor Visa. I apologize in advance if these have been answered before, but I did search. 

1. When I filled out the online application and got to the END of the many pages where you are allowed to review your answers and go backwards if changes are needed, I noticed that in marital status (part one) , it had marked Widowed/Surviving Civil Partner. I went BACK to change this to Divorced but noticed I was marked correctly to begin with. I had never checked widowed, but that's how the application appears. In the Additional Information (part eight), I mentioned that I had filled it in correctly, but that the form had registered it incorrectly. I have the Biometrics Appointment this Friday. Is this going to affect my getting a Visa?

2. I have marked that we will marry in England. We actually do not have dates/specifics to the wedding because we THOUGHT it was best that we have all the proper documentation. If we decide to marry in Scotland, will that be a problem? Does this Visa cover the whole of the UK?

3. Again, since we were trying to get the Visa Paperwork done before the specifics of the wedding, I have not booked my flights. On the Appointment Booking Confirmation it states: IMPORTANT All your supporting documents, including your application, travel document and your stamped biometric appointment confirmation form should be mailed to the visa issuing office shown below within TWO weeks of having your biometrics taken.  WHAT travel documents are they referring to here? I have yet to book my flights!

4. Do you think it's easier to get married in Scotland? They do not have the residency requirements, which is better for me because I am not sure how long I can be out of the US because of work commitments.
Does the Scottish register require certain docs (or copies) sent in advance?
(i)divorce decree
(ii)Marriage visa. Some sort of evidence of the application would suffice?
(iii)Passports? or photocopy?

please help

Hi there, welcome from another newbie here.

I don't know the answers to your other questions but I think I can help you out with #3.  With the advice of a US attorney during my UK spousal visa application, I submitted a travel itinerary generated from expedia.com (or another travel website that you can book through) with the date I would like to travel (mind you, I did not book the actual flight back yet since I was waiting for my UK visa).  Go through expedia.com and go through all the screens with the airline and dates you want and you get to the itinerary screen (before you enter any credit card info); just print out a couple of copies of that and submit 1 with your visa application.

Hope this helps and good luck with the visa!

Hi there, welcome from another newbie here.

I don't know the answers to your other questions but I think I can help you out with #3.  With the advice of a US attorney during my UK spousal visa application, I submitted a travel itinerary generated from expedia.com (or another travel website that you can book through) with the date I would like to travel (mind you, I did not book the actual flight back yet since I was waiting for my UK visa).  Go through expedia.com and go through all the screens with the airline and dates you want and you get to the itinerary screen (before you enter any credit card info); just print out a couple of copies of that and submit 1 with your visa application.

Hope this helps and good luck with the visa!

You've misunderstood the requirement...a travel document is your passport.

Purchase or pre booking or just printing off an itinerary is NOT required and you are not wise to book your travel in advance of receiving your visa. Just a simple list of what date you wish to travel is all that is needed.

1. If your printed out application lists widow then just line it out and hand write in the correct information.

2. Yes, your visa covers the ENTIRE UK, England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.

3. Again, your passport is your travel document.

4. You would have to look at the requirements for the specific county in which you want to get married, usually they have a website that will list the details. When in doubt, go to the source and give them a call.

THANKS so much for the speedy replies. I'm feeling a bit better now (till the next hurdle).

Last question for the day: I will bring my passport with me to the appointment, but I am assuming I mail in a COPY of the passport to the British Consulate General in Chicago... or am I expected to mail my original passport? 

THANKS so much for the speedy replies. I'm feeling a bit better now (till the next hurdle).

Last question for the day: I will bring my passport with me to the appointment, but I am assuming I mail in a COPY of the passport to the British Consulate General in Chicago... or am I expected to mail my original passport? 

You need to send in the original for them to put the visa into, I believe, like any other visa type (I assume they would for a marriage visitor visa?).

yes, definitely need to send in your original passport! Visas are stickers in your passport so you can't get away with sending any sort of a copy.

WOW! Glad I asked here... thanks to everyone for the great advice.

You've misunderstood the requirement...a travel document is your passport.

Purchase or pre booking or just printing off an itinerary is NOT required and you are not wise to book your travel in advance of receiving your visa. Just a simple list of what date you wish to travel is all that is needed.

Hmmm, I wonder why the US attorney (specializing in immigration) told me the following in an email to me: Yes, the airline ticket or an itinerary (i.e. can be from expedia or travelocity) is needed.  You can just print out an itinerary without paying for it based on the day you hope to travel.  I remember filling in the date of my departure to the UK at the end of my online visa application, so maybe she was anticipating the British Consulate wanting to see some evidence of the same.  So, no hold ups once the BC received all of my paperwork.  Or, maybe she had me jump through hoops for no reason.  In any event, there were no hold ups or inquiries by the BC while they were reviewing my visa app.

Because a US attorney knows about US law, not UK law.  It is always advisable to get UK immigration advice from a UK qualified solicitor or OISC advisor.

Vicky

Because a US attorney knows about US law, not UK law.  It is always advisable to get UK immigration advice from a UK qualified solicitor or OISC advisor.

Vicky

I don't think your first statement is entirely true.  Law students in the US (who are later tested about this on the multistate portion of the bar exam) learn about common law, which is based upon British law principles.  Does your average freshly minted attorney know the ins and outs of UK immigration right off the bat?  No.  But, it's unfair to make a broad statement like that.

Just sayin'.

Sorry... I keep finding more questions ask.

As, you know I applied for the UK marriage visitor visa. Do my children that will be attending the wedding need a special visa to come over to the UK? We plan to stay for 3-4 weeks. Do I need some written permission from their father (we share custody)... he has given verbal permission.

Also, I am in Savannah, Georgia and need to send the completed application to the British Consulate General in Chicago. Can anyone recommend a courier?

Sorry... I keep finding more questions ask.

As, you know I applied for the UK marriage visitor visa. Do my children that will be attending the wedding need a special visa to come over to the UK? We plan to stay for 3-4 weeks. Do I need some written permission from their father (we share custody)... he has given verbal permission.

Also, I am in Savannah, Georgia and need to send the completed application to the British Consulate General in Chicago. Can anyone recommend a courier?

I would assume they would just come over as visitors. But you know what they say about assuming.

I don't think your first statement is entirely true.  Law students in the US (who are later tested about this on the multistate portion of the bar exam) learn about common law, which is based upon British law principles.  Does your average freshly minted attorney know the ins and outs of UK immigration right off the bat?  No.  But, it's unfair to make a broad statement like that.

Just sayin'.

They may know the major principles of British law, but I don't think by in large they'd know many nitty gritty details about UK immigration law. Of course there's exceptions to the rule, but it's usually a good bet to work with a UK immigration attorney or advisor if you can, because that's what they specialize in and it's what they have experience doing.

I don't think your first statement is entirely true.  Law students in the US (who are later tested about this on the multistate portion of the bar exam) learn about common law, which is based upon British law principles.  Does your average freshly minted attorney know the ins and outs of UK immigration right off the bat?  No.  But, it's unfair to make a broad statement like that.

Very minor nitpick here.  US law and British law share an ancestor in English common law.  British law didn't really exist before 1707 and didn't come up to full speed until about 1800, and by that time US law already had congealed its founding principles.  Minor nitpick only.

UK Immigration law is not based in English common law.  It's constitutional law and statutory law.  And a US lawyer would be foolish to tread in those waters without a qualification.

To the issue: The Foreign Office has run an advisory for the past 12 years AGAINST people purchasing tickets in advance of a visa application.