Customary marriage spouse visa

Hi guys I need your help. I have been dating my partner for 4 years now and it’s LDR. During covid time I visited home and all come from the same country though I have permanent residency here in Uk. During my visit we stayed together for a year and 8months. I don’t have proof like bills as he was paying his own rent. We have been to holidays in different countries for the past years together. When I visited our home country we only had a customary marriage that is recognized in his village and the village chief signed our customary marriage ceremony certificate and the pastor was present. We don’t have kids together we are still trying. Now I want him to join me here. I am clueless which visa I should apply for him or he should apply for.
My income per year is above £49k
Please help and thank you in advance. I hope the new rules won’t affect the visa application.

africangirl wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 9:37 pm

the village chief signed our customary marriage ceremony certificate

Is the marriage certificate recognised by the national government of the country it was issued in?
That is to say, if the UK government contacted that nation's UK embassy to validate the marriage, would they be in a position to do so?

The customary marriage is when the male partner pays lobola for the woman depending on what cultural laws they believe in. Nearly half of the married couples in our country they don’t get married through marriage certificate but they only do a local ceremony were family members of both parties gather.
It’s not registered anyway but the local people and the village head will witness the marriage ceremony.
I don’t know which route to follow the spouse visa or unmarried couple route mybe the British won’t understand that type of marriage.
Thank you

Fiancé route is probably the only viable route. You don’t have a marriage certificate / document that is going to be accepted in the U.K. and you have not lived as an unmarried couple for two years. Fiancé visa gets your partner /spouse to the U.K., get formally married and move to a spouse visa.

It is an expensive way to do it. The other option is to return to your country of origin and perform a legally accepted marriage that gives you a marriage certificate you can rely on.

africangirl wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 11:16 pm

The customary marriage is when the male partner pays lobola for the woman depending on what cultural laws they believe in. Nearly half of the married couples in our country they don’t get married through marriage certificate but they only do a local ceremony were family members of both parties gather.
It’s not registered anyway but the local people and the village head will witness the marriage ceremony.
I don’t know which route to follow the spouse visa or unmarried couple route mybe the British won’t understand that type of marriage.
Thank you

Unmarried couple/partner can not work out,
Frontier Mole has outlined the best route.

Frontier Mole wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 11:40 pm

Fiancé route is probably the only viable route. You don’t have a marriage certificate / document that is going to be accepted in the U.K. and you have not lived as an unmarried couple for two years. Fiancé visa gets your partner /spouse to the U.K., get formally married and move to a spouse visa.

It is an expensive way to do it. The other option is to return to your country of origin and perform a legally accepted marriage that gives you a marriage certificate you can rely on.

Thank you for the advice. So do I apply for the fiancé visa on his behalf or he has to do it himself.

africangirl wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 09, 2023 12:58 am

Frontier Mole wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 07, 2023 11:40 pm

Fiancé route is probably the only viable route. You don’t have a marriage certificate / document that is going to be accepted in the U.K. and you have not lived as an unmarried couple for two years. Fiancé visa gets your partner /spouse to the U.K., get formally married and move to a spouse visa.

It is an expensive way to do it. The other option is to return to your country of origin and perform a legally accepted marriage that gives you a marriage certificate you can rely on.

Thank you for the advice. So do I apply for the fiancé visa on his behalf or he has to do it himself.

He has to apply