if we get married in the states...

After some research, it seems a lot cheaper and easier to get a fiance visa for him to come here and get married in the states rather than get me a fiancee visa to get married over there. What I cant seem to find info on though is what to do if we want to go live in England right away. Theres a ton of info on him becoming a US resident after but not the other way around.

So my question is, can we get married in the states, and then go live in England? Would I just go up to New York and get a spousal visa for the UK then? Or is there a specific reason to get married in the country you intend to reside in?

We got married in the states and now live in England.  We got married new years eve/new years day and then moved to England about 2 weeks later on a spousal visa.  It was quiet easy really in the end, the only issue was money really, we didn't know how much it would cost to get the visa and had to borrow money last minute from my brother just before we went to chicago.  It was very close that we wouldn't get it!  But we went over prepared (took photos, letters, tickets to the opera anything that would link us together and show them that we really do know eachother and it's not a con to get people over to England) on going to the chicago offices to get the spousal visa and we went early.

If you plan to get married in the States but then live in the UK, your partner won't need a fiance visa for the States.  The fiance visa is only necessary if he plans to settle in the US. 

Once you are married, all you would need to do is apply for a spouse visa for the UK.  See http://www.britainusa.com for info and the e-fastrack form, which allows you to submit your application online.  The spouse visa is processed quite quickly (usually only takes about a week or two) - once you have that you are sorted!  

We planned a big shebang wedding.  My fiancee (at the time) came over 2 days before the wedding with his mates and family (all on the visa waiver program), married me-we went on an 8  day honemoon to Hawaii.  He returned back to London for work, i went to the consulate in NYC on the 9th of September, got my visa (had done fasttrack and made appt a few weeks prior to wedding) and i was landing in london september 11th.

It cost us 500 usd (i think 494) and it was a piece of cake (except for the nerves of 'what if!')

We're planning on living here for 2-3 years before moving back to the USA permanently.

You don't need to get a fiance visa if you are not planning on residing in the US after your marriage. 
My husband were married in the US and went to LA and got my spousal visa for the UK in one day.
It worked out to be the best way for us.

Thanks for the info everyone! Its even easier then I thought then 
So does it make it harder to get a marriage license then? anything extra we should bring that normally wouldn't be necessary?

My British fiancee and I are in the process of an American fiancee visa. He is back in England now after being here in NY for 3 months. He will soon be getting his interview at the American Embassy in London. We have gone thru so much paperwork already... Luckily, our process is moving along quickly. The official website said it can take anywhere from 6-12 months until your visa is in hand... This has us a bit worried but we have been comforted by the fact that, again- our process is moving along nicely. Everyones case will be different depending on your situations. We have never been married before and we do not have children... Andy also has lived/worked in the US {at Disney} for 1 year and has a social security number....

We were going to get a British fiancee visa because its ALOT easier then getting an American one. We would have simply walked into the Consulate here in NY and walked out with one...

We want to hold our wedding here in NY, so we decided to get the American visa instead because we want to settle here for the time being.

If you want to get married in NY, just get married here without any visa. Just make sure your future husband does not mention to the immigration officers that he is getting married here when he arrives at the airport...

Once you are married, you would simply apply for the British spousal visa. What Ive gathered from info on this sight, the process moves quickly {in most cases.}

Best wishes 

thanks ny  And best of luck with your situation too! I hope everything goes smoothly for you both.

 

Hi Zivvy,

I'm from Nashville, Tennessee.  My husband and I decided that it was "me" who was able to move to the UK due to family issues, and after reading everything until I almost drove myself insane, we decided that all we needed was the Spouse Visa.  It is good for two years, renewable,  will allow you unlimited entry into the UK, and to work here, once you have your National Insurance Number....you will then become a taxpayer !!! ha,ha.

So, he came to Nashville from Liverpool, UK.  I had already downloaded and printed the Visa Application form, and had told him for weeks, what paperwork he needed to bring. 

We married on a Saturday.  Since you MUST send in with the application, a Marriage Certificate, signed by your local County Court Clerk....we had to wait until Monday morning...we went directly to the Clerk's Office, got the Marriage Certificate, in person, and we added it to everything else we had together, and drove it to Federal Express.  Then we went on a short honeymoon. 

You MUST send your "actual" passport in with your application, and his as well.  The Visa itself is only a stamp, placed on a page inside your passport.  Just read the application carefully, and send them everything they ask for...and then some.  I had saved ticket stubs, letters, old e-mails, cards, and loads of things to prove my husband and I had known each other a long while before we married.

I had panicked out of my mind for weeks over this Visa thing.  Of everything involved with moving to another Country, the Visa was by far the easiest thing I did.  It came back, via Federal Express, in 7 days.....no questions asked.  I was totally shocked !!!

Just read carefully, send them what they want, and you will be okay !!

Best wishes, Gwinn

Thanks Gwinn! I hope everything will go smoothly. I'm also suprised that it only took 7 days to come back to you. Did you start it on fast track prior to your wedding, or is it really just that fast? I thought to get it done that quickly you had to go in person.

Hi Zivvy,

Yes, I did the "fast-track" application form...but there was lots of paperwork that my husband needed to bring over.  I read "everything" on the application probably 100 times, made lots of notes, and generally panicked !!....ha,ha. 

Just remember this one.....every legal document such as a divorce decree, child custody paperwork....MUST have the court seal on it....DO NOT send just a copy...they won't take it.  Also, we sent our "actual" bank statements....not copies.

I wish you every success with this....just don't panic !!!  

By the way, where are you going to settle in the UK?
Hugs,

Gwinn

Gwinn- we are getting married next october and I will be going over there shortly after that. But I am by nature a panicky person and so of course I am already spastic about the visa stuff haha.
 so sending originals then...sounds ok, but do you get them back? especially pictures of us together...I will be very reluctant to part with those since I probably dont have negatives for all of them anymore.  Neither of us have been married before or anything like that so that removes at least a few complications. Thanks again for the well wishes, as long as I stop worrying everything should be fine! 

Zivvy...you wouldn't BELIEVE all the stuff I sent to them...ha,ha.

I sent photos, mushy cards, letters, e-mails, letters from friends in the UK...postmarked over a year ago, talking about our relationship....cards that come with flower bouquets...handwritten by my hubby....lol.

And, I too, was scared about some of it being lost....but I had to remind myself of the "end result"...and thankfully, nothing was lost !!!  They were great !!

Cheers,

Gwinn