Unexpected Pregnancy :S

Me (UK Citizen) and my fiance (a U.S Citizen) have been together now for over 3 years and we're currently living in the U.S. I am here on a student visa (half way through my MSc and therefore unable to work), and she works from home for an investment company. We planned to have a wedding blessing in the UK in the summer, and get legally married here in the states in October.

Our plan was to move back to the UK (permanently) when I finished my MSc next year, however we just found out that we are pregnant and will most likely have to abandon our plans. We're thinking we might have to get a courthouse marriage very soon and apply for a UK spouse visa asap, but we're really not sure how any of this will work. We want to have the baby in the UK.

The baby is probably due in October/November but if we apply for a visa now, will this affect our entry to the UK in the summer (while the application is pending)?

Does anyone have any advice? Know how we could do this?
Thanks in advance.

M

The baby is probably due in October/November but if we apply for a visa now, will this affect our entry to the UK in the summer (while the application is pending)?

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your intended date of travel.

You cannot enter the UK while an application is pending because one of things you need to send in with your application is your passport.  If you don't have a passport, you obviously cannot travel.  However, you have the option to purchase settlement priority processing, which means you'll have a decision within 15 working days or less assuming your application is straightforward.

First off, congrats!  I know it is not what you planned, but life is funny that way some times.   (or a lot of the time!)

How long were you planning on staying for the summer?  If less than 90 days I don't think you need a visa at all, as long as you can clearly show that you plan on returning to the US (letter from employers or school, ongoing bill payments, etc.) 

I am not sure if you want to be married before the baby comes, as far as I know you don't have to be married in order for the baby to have UK citizenship, as long as the UK citizen's name is on the birth certificate as the parent.  I am also assuming the baby will be born the in the USA since you said you are in school until next year.  So, have the baby, get married (in which ever order you prefer), apply for a spouse visa a few months before you graduate/ready to leave back to UK.  I am also not 100% sure on travelling with babies, I think if they are under one year they can go on the mother's passport.  We have a friend who is UK and her husband is American, they got their daughter's US and UK passports when she was about 6 weeks old. 

Hope that helps! 

I am also not 100% sure on travelling with babies, I think if they are under one year they can go on the mother's passport. 
 

I am pretty confident that babies need their own passports.

Yes you are right Courtney!  Thanks for clearing that up. 

http://m.direct.gov.uk/syndicationController?action=view&param=DG_174105&utn=6703a0a8abbf494fab3b201203112213

My kids were all over the age of 1 when we got their passports so I wasn't sure.  I think it used to be that way before but not now.