Registering/Booking Wedding for Fiance Visa

[hredderson]

Hello. I am looking for some advice/guidance on proving that I have a wedding date booked for my fiance visa application.

My fiance (in the UK) called the local registrar's office this morning in the area we plan to be married to get our wedding 'booked' for March. When he talked to them and explained the situation, they told him that he/we can't actually register our intent to marry because both parties have to be interviewed at the registrar's office. He was told to make out a letter explaining our situation, and bring it back to them (which he did today) which the registrar's office will forward onto the county registrar head office. They told him that the county registrar's head office will make out a letter for me which shows that we have contacted them with intentions for us to get married in the UK on a provisional date which I can supply with my visa application.

Will this letter from the county registrar's head office be enough information to supply with the visa application or is there another process that we should be following? We have been researching other ways, but this seems to be our only option.

Any information or similar circumstances would be very appreciated! Thank you!

[Casa]

It will be fine.

[hredderson]

It will be fine.

Thank you!

[vinny]

SET1.18 What evidence is required of marriage arrangements?

[hredderson]

SET1.18 What evidence is required of marriage arrangements?

Thanks Vinny. In response to the information in this link, I wanted to know what level of planning should be evident? I have my dress, and some other small things, but we have been waiting to put a deposit down on a wedding venue, send out invitations, etc until we know that the visa has been approved. (We have no reason to think it won't be be approved) but financially, we don't want to risk the $ for a deposit on a wedding venue until I am able to book my travel to the UK which I am waiting to do until the visa has come through approved. Seems a bit like a catch 22. Any thoughts? Thanks.

[JulieM71]

Hi

Someone else asked a similar question and I posted this last week (sorry don't know how to link back to the post):


"We have applied for the finace visa for my partner (still awaiting the response) and our lawyer directed the ECO in his covering letter to the section in the UKBA guidelines that says a wedding does not have to be booked (can't remember the exact wording) in the case of a fiance visa application. And, as someone else has said already, you can't make a booking unless both of you go in person to make the necessary declarations in advance re being free to marry etc.

But he advised us to include some info in the application re our wedding plans. So I printed off details of our local registry office and called them to ask if they had Saturday appointments and made handwritten notes about this. I also described our wedding plans in my letter about what we would do for the ceremony and how we would celebrate after and printed some local restaurant details that host wedding parties to evidence some research and confirm what we were planning.

We were advised that a fiance visa is not seen as less certain than a spouse visa, both have equal merit, so it depends what suits you and your partner.

Not sure if this info is of use, but thought it might help to describe what we have done to meet the UKBA requirement to show evidence of wedding plans, albeit we have no answer yet."


You're right, it is a catch 22 because you cannot make definite plans or book the date until you're both here, for all the reasons you say. I believe that so long as you absolutely prove the genuineness of the relationship and your intentions to marry through the enquiries you've made already + make a note in a covering letter about their own guidelines re the requirements then that should be ok. I would think that, if they were to refuse on the basis of plans not being in place, then that should be a relatively quick appeal as their own guidelines clearly state what's required.

Good luck.

J

[hredderson]

Hi

Someone else asked a similar question and I posted this last week (sorry don't know how to link back to the post):


"We have applied for the finace visa for my partner (still awaiting the response) and our lawyer directed the ECO in his covering letter to the section in the UKBA guidelines that says a wedding does not have to be booked (can't remember the exact wording) in the case of a fiance visa application. And, as someone else has said already, you can't make a booking unless both of you go in person to make the necessary declarations in advance re being free to marry etc.

But he advised us to include some info in the application re our wedding plans. So I printed off details of our local registry office and called them to ask if they had Saturday appointments and made handwritten notes about this. I also described our wedding plans in my letter about what we would do for the ceremony and how we would celebrate after and printed some local restaurant details that host wedding parties to evidence some research and confirm what we were planning.

We were advised that a fiance visa is not seen as less certain than a spouse visa, both have equal merit, so it depends what suits you and your partner.

Not sure if this info is of use, but thought it might help to describe what we have done to meet the UKBA requirement to show evidence of wedding plans, albeit we have no answer yet."


You're right, it is a catch 22 because you cannot make definite plans or book the date until you're both here, for all the reasons you say. I believe that so long as you absolutely prove the genuineness of the relationship and your intentions to marry through the enquiries you've made already + make a note in a covering letter about their own guidelines re the requirements then that should be ok. I would think that, if they were to refuse on the basis of plans not being in place, then that should be a relatively quick appeal as their own guidelines clearly state what's required.

Good luck.

J

Thank you very much! We plan to submit the letter we receive from the county head registrar office showing we inquired about booking a date, copies of the receipt for my wedding gown, copies of our guest list and save the date invites, and as much information as we can re: where we would like to book the wedding for (ie, the venue). I am hopeful that will be enough information to show them that we are serious. Best of luck with your application!!!