US to UK - Visas

[mlewns]

Hello everyone!

My SO and I are talking about the technical aspects of closing the distance. I will be in the UK for my master's, then come back here to plan the wedding. I'm hoping to work it out so I can go back to the UK with him immediately after the wedding.

I was thinking I might get a fiancé visa after my student visa ends, so we could travel together after the wedding. Once getting to the UK, I would change it to a married visa, using one of the consulates there.

Does anyone have experience with this or have any advice? Does this sound like a good idea?

[WhitforBrit]

It sounds like a good idea, but the whole process is ridiculously, um, ridiculous. I live in Texas and my fiance lives in the UK. We started the initial process to bring him over on a fiance visa back in October. Yes, 8 months ago. That process consisted of filling out tons of repetitive paperwork, taking new passport photos and paying the paperwork fee. I think the check was a little more than $300. Our petition was approved in January, and he went in for his final interview in April. (We had to send in a lot more paperwork and $$$ before that). At the interview we found out his visa was denied and our case needs additional processing. We've spent about $1,500 so far (you have to call this number to pay the fees, and every time you call, they charge you for the call, too). Now we're stuck waiting. They said we'd hear back in 2-3 weeks and it's been 8 weeks now. I'm losing my mind. I had to send un-save the dates. We were supposed to get married next weekend. I definitely recommend closing the distance, but just make sure you're prepared to spend at least a year getting approval on the paperwork. It's expensive, time-consuming and emotionally exhausting, but in the end, it's worth it. I can't freakin wait.

[leonsfangirl]

You wont be able to travel on a fiance visa if you are already married as a condition of the fiance visa is that you marry in the UK within 6 months of arriving. Ive done tons of research into this and unfortunately you would have to apply for the married visa and wait for them to approve it to join him in the UK.

https://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/

https://londonelegance.com/transpondia/ This site is brilliant, lots of helpful advice.

Good luck

[lucybelle]

I'm not 100% sure for UK visas, but fiance visas in the USA you are not allowed to leave the country until you are married and have a green card. I assume the same would be true for the UK.

[princessmeg1328]

This is the thing about the fiance visa: it's a single entry visa so if you plan on travelling outside of the UK, you won't be able to get back in. You can, however, travel as much as you want inside of the UK. If you do get married in the UK while on the fiance visa, you can switch to the spouse visa. It'll still cost money and everything, but you don't have to wait until the fiance visa runs out. In order to apply for the fiance visa though, you have to be in your country of origin. You cannot switch into this category. It might be worth trying to find out if you can get married under your student visa and then switch into the spouse visa. It would be one less visa you have to apply for and save you some money. Also, remember that the rules are getting ready to change and nobody really knows what they are. The website that I find that has really helped me is UK Yankee. It's a forum and the people there have lots of experience with visas since many of them have gone through the process themselves.