Settlement Visa information

alright i'll have to do that sometime next month but $100 aint bad

and how exactly do i show them proof that we plan on getting registered if we havent gotton to them yet?

and how exactly do i show them proof that we plan on getting registered if we havent gotton to them yet?

Send an email to the regsitry office tell them that you plan on getting married in the UK and ask about what you have to do. They'll respond telling you what to do include that response... Also have you partner write a letter stating what your intentions are and what date you want to be married. Have you bought rings?, have you purchased any special outfits for the ceremony? Have you booked a venue for a reception... Include receipts for those type of things.

Send an email to the regsitry office tell them that you plan on getting married in the UK and ask about what you have to do. They'll respond telling you what to do include that response... Also have you partner write a letter stating what your intentions are and what date you want to be married. Have you bought rings?, have you purchased any special outfits for the ceremony? Have you booked a venue for a reception... Include receipts for those type of things.

alrighty i'll do that, and her write a letter to me or the office? we havent bought any rings yet we were planning to do that when i got there and booking the reception she's gonna do in  a few weeks. ok to be honest im actually freaking out here O_o it might seem simple for other people but with someone who has ADD it seems like alot!!!!

alrighty i'll do that, and her write a letter to me or the office? we havent bought any rings yet we were planning to do that when i got there and booking the reception she's gonna do in  a few weeks. ok to be honest im actually freaking out here O_o it might seem simple for other people but with someone who has ADD it seems like alot!!!!

If you don't feel that you are capable of doing an application on your own you can hire a visa agent who can assist you in making an application.

From WorldBridge page on 'How Do I apply?':

Independent visa services & agents

Applicants may apply for a visa through an independent visa service or agent that can help you through the visa application process. A number of companies are registered with the UK Border Agency at the British Consulate-General in New York and Los Angeles. A list of these companies is supplied for your convenience. The UK Border Agency is not responsible for the actions or outcome of the services provided by these independent visa services or agents.

im gonna do the marriage visa next month, but i planned on going to the UK to visit my fiance on December 3rd, how long do i have to wait for an answer for the marriage visa?

im gonna do the marriage visa next month, but i planned on going to the UK to visit my fiance on December 3rd, how long do i have to wait for an answer for the marriage visa?

To be honest, I would apply as soon as possible because visas can potentially take up to a couple of months to be processed and approved. According to the visa processing times at the New York Consulate for August 2010 (found on the UK visa website: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/processingtimes), 56% of 'Other' visitor visas (which I would imagine the Marriage Visitor visa falls under) were processed in 5 working days, 95% in 10 working days and 100% in 30 working days (6 weeks).

If you are really pressed for time, you can pay an extra $150+tax for priority processing (on the Worldbridge website: https://www.visainfoservices.com/Pages/Welcome.aspx), and your visa should be processed within 48 hours of arriving and being logged at the consulate.

To be honest, I would apply as soon as possible because visas can potentially take up to a couple of months to be processed and approved. According to the visa processing times at the New York Consulate for August 2010 (found on the UK visa website: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/processingtimes), 56% of 'Other' visitor visas (which I would imagine the Marriage Visitor visa falls under) were processed in 5 working days, 95% in 10 working days and 100% in 30 working days (6 weeks).

If you are really pressed for time, you can pay an extra $150+tax for priority processing (on the Worldbridge website: https://www.visainfoservices.com/Pages/Welcome.aspx), and your visa should be processed within 48 hours of arriving and being logged at the consulate.

hmmmm i may do that, when you pay for your visa do they give you that option in payments?

You have to purchase the service on the Worldbridge site (ksand's link).

Go to the site, choose the US from the drop down menu, click on "Additional Services" and there will be more information about it as well as how/when to purchase it.

ETA:

Priority service
Available at the UK Border Agency in Los Angeles or New York. This service is only available to applicants based in the United States.

Priority service applications will be processed ahead of other visa applications. Under normal circumstances, priority service visa applications will be processed within 48 hours (not including weekends or public holidays) from the day the UK Border Agency in the USA receives it.

Cost: $150 USD for each visa application.

This service is available for all visa categories with the exception of Tier 1 (General) and settlement visa applications. A separate settlement priority service is listed below.

How to apply

1.  You must complete steps 1 to 6 on the How to Apply page on this website before you pay for your priority service.

2.  You must pay for the priority service before you send your visa application to the UK Border Agency. You can pay for the priority service using the ‘Products and Services’ page on this website. You should print out and keep a copy of your receipt that confirms you have made your online payment for this service. You will not be able to apply for this service after you have mailed your documents to the UK Border Agency, it must be purchased before.

3.  You should mail the documents given in step 6 on the How to Apply page of this website to the relevant UK Border Agency mailing address (see step 7 on the How to Apply page on this website). You must do this on the same day after you have purchased the priority service. You must write ‘Priority Service’ and your WorldBridge payment reference code on the outside of your visa application envelope. Please place your receipt on top of your application documents inside your envelope.

Important note: This service does not imply or guarantee in any way that applicants using the priority service will be successful in their visa application. All visa applicants must meet the requirements of the UK immigration rules. The amount paid for the priority service, as well as visa application fee, is not refundable if the visa application is refused, or in exceptional cases, takes longer than 48 hours to process.

You may experience extended processing times if any of the following applies to you:

1.  You have previously been refused a visa for the UK, and/or;
2.  You have previously been refused leave to enter the UK, and/or
3.  You have previously been deported, removed, or otherwise required to leave the UK, and/or;
4.  You have overstayed a period of leave in the UK, and/or;
5.  You have been refused leave to remain in the UK by the UK Border Agency, and/or;
6.  You have any unspent criminal convictions in the UK or the USA.

If any of the above applies to you, your visa application will continue to be treated as priority and processed ahead of other visa applications, although your application may be identified as an exceptional case may take longer than 48 hours to process.

You may apply for a visa to a British overseas territory using the priority service but you should be aware that your visa application may be subject to longer processing times. The waiting period for approval may take up to 2 months or longer, depending on the territory. The UK Border Agency cannot guarantee the processing times and has no control over how quickly a response is received.

(Worldbridge)

hmmmm i may do that, when you pay for your visa do they give you that option in payments?

For the priority service? No they don't - you have to go through the Worldbridge website to purchase the priority service, but you can only do this on the day that you send off your application documents to the consulate for processing (all of the information is on the Worldbridge site I linked to - select United States from the drop-down menu, then click on How Do I Apply? for information on how to apply for the visa and Additional Services to purchase the priority service).

So your basic timeline for the visa process will be:

- Gather all your visa application documents
- Apply online, submit and pay for your visa and book a biometrics appointment at the end. Print off your application.
- Attend the biometrics appointment (fingerprints and photos) at the visa application center you selected when you booked your appointment (there are 129 centers across the US)
- When you are ready to send off your application (you must include your stamped biometrics sheet as well to the required consulate (either New York or Los Angeles... if you live in CT, you will send it to NY), you can purchase the priority service and then send the application to the consulate on the same day.
- Then you just have to wait for it to be processed.
- It is recommended that you don't purchase any flight tickets until after you have your visa in case of a delay in processing or a visa refusal.

ya know im pretty much gonna wait on all that until i come back from visiting my girlfriend for 6 months, at first i thought it was gonna be easy(big mistake thinking that) but im going to see her for 6 months get my head together and when i come back apply for the visitors marriage visa and go from there, my mistake for thinking this was gonna be super easy i should have did the research months in advance. But my little vacation with her is gonna help with so many things cause right now its just too soon to do all of that right now

Good luck with your plans .

If you're hoping to stay in the UK for 6 months, you'll should make sure that you take the required documents with you in case you're asked for them by immigration in the UK. The most important thing is to have a return ticket back to the US. You'll also need to show that you have enough money to support yourself for the entire 6 months without working and also have evidence of ties to the UK to show that you have a life to return to back in the US at the end of your visit (a letter from your employer stating when you'll be back at work, evidence of your home in the US - mortgage statements/rental agreement etc.).

From the UK Border Agency website, regarding visitors to the UK (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visitingtheuk/visitors/documents/):

What documents do I need as a general visitor?

General visitors

This page explains what documents you should have when coming to the United Kingdom as a general visitor.

They are:

    * if you are employed, a letter from your employer granting leave of absence from your job for a specified period - the letter should also say how long you have been employed by that employer, in what job(s), and when you are expected back at work;
    * if you are self-employed, evidence of your business activities and financial standing;
    * evidence of any property you own in your home country;
    * if you are a student, a letter from your school or college stating the course you are on, its start and finish dates, and the dates of the holiday period when you intend to visit the United Kingdom;
    * evidence of any family or social ties and responsibilities to return to;
    * evidence of any firm travel plans you have made;
    * bank statements going back over a period of several months; and
    * evidence of savings available to you.

Before you travel, you should check whether you need a visa. If you frequently visit the United Kingdom, you can apply for a multiple-entry visitor visa that is valid for two, five or 10 years. For more information about visas, see our visa services website.

You should be aware that if they don't believe you are a genuine visitor and are trying to use the visitor visa to live with your girlfriend/fiance in the UK, they may refuse you entry to the country. The majority of visitors only come to the UK for a couple of weeks on vacation, so anyone wanting to stay for a full 6 months will come under much more scrutiny from immigration than someone coming for a couple of weeks (note that it isn't a guarantee that you will be allowed to come into the UK for 6 months - it's at the immigration officer's discretion as to whether they let you in or not).

well can i tell them i'll be staying with friends the entire time? should i cut the vacation to 3 months instead, i wanna be able to get in and stay for awhile!  and what evidance do they mean when i have to show them firm travel plans, evidance of savings and i need a letter from my landlord?

well can i tell them i'll be staying with friends the entire time?

You need to be honest with them - if they ask who you're staying with, tell them you're visiting your girlfriend/fiance/partner. If you say friends but then after further questioning it comes out that you are actually staying with a girlfriend, that will make your case even worse and they can refuse you entry for using deception (i.e.deliberately omitting information/lying to make your case look better) and they could even ban you from entering the UK for 10 years... that is much more serious than if you are honest, but are refused entry.

what evidance do they mean when i have to show them firm travel plans, evidance of savings and i need a letter from my landlord?

You need a return ticket (this is a must... no return ticket is pretty much a refused entry right away, especially if you want to stay for 6 months and are visiting your UK partner), your bank statements and any savings account statements (to show that you have enough money), and evidence that you have accommodation to return to in the US (a rental agreement, maybe a letter from the landlord too). You may not be asked to show all of this evidence, but it's best to have it with you, so if they ask for it, you can produce it.

To be honest, your safest bet here would actually be to apply for a visa in advance (either fiance or marriage visit visa) because then you would know before you travel that you have been cleared to enter the UK, instead of flying all the way there and then possibly being refused entry at the airport and being put on the next plane back to the US (at your own expense)... then, you could also marry while you're there this time . If, for example, you came to the UK for 6 months, then tried to get a marriage visit visa for another 6 months, the visa may be refused because visitors aren't supposed to spend more than 6 months out of 12 in the UK (this probably wouldn't be an issue with the fiance visa though).

well i cant apply for the visiting marriage visa that will have to wait until i get back, but thinking about it will they have an issue if i say im visiting for a few weeks and staying with my girlfriend and just visiting? i kinda plan on staying from December 3rd to January 2nd will that be ok with them?