Going to live with boyfriend on what's left of my tourist visa...

Wouldn't a fiancee visa be more suitable in this case? You'd have six months in which to live together, and if things worked out, you could marry and remain in the UK without uprooting your children needlessly back and forth. If things didn't work out, you could return to the US. There have been several people who have moved to the UK on fiancee visas and for whatever reasons things have not worked out and they've moved back, so you'd always have that option.


Fiance / Fiancee Visa Requirements

The sponsor and the applicant must intend to get married within a six month period.
They must have met each other.
They must intend  to live together permanently.
The applicant must be able to support him/herself, or be supported by their partner, without access to public funds.
There must be adequate accommodation in place.

Conditions Of the Visa

Successful applicants are granted a 6 month visa in which to come to the UK and get married. They are not allowed to work while on this visa.
Applicants must then apply for a marriage visa once married, which if successful, gives them 2 years to live and work without restrictions in the UK.
If the relationship is still continuing after this 2 year period, applicants may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Thank you everyone for your help! I'm going to go ahead and apply for the fiance visa as our intention is for me to stay. I currently have private insurance (COBRA) and as far as schools... that's a whole different thread I'm sure. 

Good luck, sounds like the way to go and you'll be fine, just make sure you check out the priority processing so your not waiting forever for it to go through the system and  if you need any advice this place is awesome, everyone helped me and my fiancé through his application and it went fine, even with me freaking out along the way lol 

Thank you everyone for your help! I'm going to go ahead and apply for the fiance visa as our intention is for me to stay. I currently have private insurance (COBRA) and as far as schools... that's a whole different thread I'm sure. 

I think that's a really good choice! Do look into priority processing if you're in a hurry

Good lick with your visa application!

I'm definitely freaking out MissJo! It's like wandering a wilderness...

So now that I'm going to file for a fiance visa, how do I get it expedited and what's the turnaround on that. I've read some real horror stories of waiting forever. I know I can apply online. Or at least get it started there. There is a UK consulate here. Do I go directly there and apply? Or is there a better way? I'm supposing there are companies that handle the expediting of a visa as a few of you have mentioned. How long does it take using them to get the visa?

I actually have a round trip ticket purchased for the 22nd through the 2nd to visit rentals and get a place ready before I bring the kiddos over. Will me traveling there for a short visit be an issue while the visa is processed?

So many questions... 

You have to apply online; you cannot go to the consulate to apply. You should look at the UKBA site to see what you will need to do.

You cannot travel once you have applied because your passport will be with the application. It sounds like you should make your trip and apply once you return.

You apply online and book and pay for the priority processing then.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ is the main link for the application but make sure you take some time to get all of the necessary documents together first, you'll need a sponsor letter from your partner and quite a lot of other info particularly financial.

http://www.londonelegance.com/transpondia/ is an excellent site for help in what you need to gather.

You have to send your passport away for the application so you won't be able to travel.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will come along soon, I've only got the experience of one personal application and many on here have seen 100's of people through this

Thank you everyone for your help! I'm going to go ahead and apply for the fiance visa as our intention is for me to stay. I currently have private insurance (COBRA) and as far as schools... that's a whole different thread I'm sure.  

If you go on a fiance visa, you won't need to worry about health insurance or paying for schools because you will be allowed to use the NHS and your kids will be allowed to go to state (free) schools.  The health insurance and paying for school aspects will only apply if you are in the UK as a visitor.

However, you should be aware that the fiance visa process with priority processing will cost about $4,000 for you and your kids. You will need to apply for a fiance visa for yourself and child dependent visas for each of your kids (assuming they are not UK citizens)... each visa currently costs $1031 (plus $300+tax for priority processing), so you're looking at paying over $4,000 for all three visas ($1031 each, plus $300 each for priority processing, plus the tax on each $300).

Alternatively, if you were to apply for visitor visas for the three of you before travelling, it would cost $112 each, plus $150+tax each for 48-hour priority processing (so $786 plus the tax on each $150).

So now that I'm going to file for a fiance visa, how do I get it expedited and what's the turnaround on that. I've read some real horror stories of waiting forever.

Get Sophie to handle it and you'll be done and dusted in no time.  For a UK fiance visa, she's arguably the best solicitor on the planet.  Telling her assistant that you were referred from UKY (or Transpondia) might get you bumped up the queue for a return telephone call or email, or it might not, it's just all according.  

There's a ton of others out there who can help.  Mariano Soloman for example, Stephan Holloway, etc etc etc...

Secondarily, just use this forum and my fiance article on the net

Good to hear about the insurance and schools!  

I was reading on the UK visa site and it seemed like if I were to already be in the UK, I could file for a "certificate of approval" and get married whilst I was there and then apply for the marriage visa. Can anyone verify that? As I said initially, we do hope to be there for Christmas and I don't want to pull my kids back and forth because of the paperwork.

You guys are fantastic by the way!!!

You can't switch from the tourist visa to a Spousal visa while in the UK, you have to return to the States to do the application.

Under the circumstance I would say the fiancée visa is probably your best bet to be here for Christmas etc

You can't switch from the tourist visa to a Spousal visa while in the UK, you have to return to the States to do the application.

This is correct.  The CoA does not confer any type of visa, it simply allows the celebrants to marry legally.  Getting in-country leave to remain after a CoA requires an Article 8, which takes a long time and exposes children to immigration limbo. 

ILPA has been making representations on the length of time it takes to process CoA's.  Also CoA's were the subject of a remedial order last summer which abolished them, but I'm not up to speed on the timeframe for it.

It's ironic that the op considers getting a CoA when the premise of the thread is getting into the UK in the first place.   

Ok, I'm in the process of applying for the fiance visa. During the application process it asks for itinerary information. Do I have to have my flight booked in order to apply for the visa? That date is going to sort of hinging on when I actually getting the fiance visa.

Nope, we actually recommend that you don't book a flight until after you receive your visa. Just put in your intended travel dates. That's so they can issue a valid from date.

The UKBA advises to not buy plane tickets until you have your visa in hand.  Eg. I gave a date for 'when do you wish to travel to the UK' of 06/09/2010. My visa was valid from 22/08/2010, but I didn't leave until 12/09.  It will also ask how you're going to pay for your flight, but it sounds like you have finances covered.    Best luck and try not to get too stressed.  

x-posted with rynn