Giving Notice and Getting Married in the UK

[JonathanRoberts27]

Hi All,

First time poster!

I have recently got engaged to my partner of over three years who is a US citizen and lives in US, I am a British citizen and live in England, and we are trying to figure how we can give notice, get married, then stay in the UK afterwards.

We plan to get married in October 2020 and our plan was for my partner to move over hear on a fiancé visa prior to the wedding which can then be switched to a spouse visa after the wedding, but the issue I am having is that we would like give notice in January and I am unsure what visa would be required for this? Or whether we can give notice without a visa and just accept the wait of 70 days which would not be an issue.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am finding myself go round in circles in terms of the information that I am reading.

Thanks!

[CR001]

You partner needs a valid visa, non visitor, to give notice. Suggest apply for fiance visa when ready and give notice when they are here for 9 days on the fiance visa.

[JonathanRoberts27]

You partner needs a valid visa, non visitor, to give notice. Suggest apply for fiance visa when ready and give notice when they are here for 9 days on the fiance visa.

Thanks for the reply.

Because we want to give notice in March and get married in October would she need to apply for another fiance visa to get married in October as one visa would not cover this period?

Thanks.

[CR001]

She cannot get married on a standard visitor visa.

[seagul]

she need to apply for another fiance visa to get married in October as one visa would not cover this period?

Thanks.

Obviously but from outside the uk

[JonathanRoberts27]

Have got advice from elsewhere to clear it up

She will get a marriage visitor visa for January so we can give notice then apply for a spouse visa as a fiancé from the US closer to the wedding.

[seagul]

Have got advice from elsewhere to clear it up

apply for a spouse visa as a fiancé.

What you mean from spouse visa as a fiancee. If you mean spouse visa then you need to have marriage certificate.

[JonathanRoberts27]

Yeah, apply for a family visa as a fiancé and then switch this to a spouse visa within the UK after the wedding.

[CR001]

You are misunderstanding the processes purposes of the visas.

A marriage visitor visa is to get married in the UK if neither of you live in the UK.

A fiance visa is to marry when the British spouse lives in the UK and also enables you to switch to a spouse visa once married.

What is the need to give notice to marry so early??

[JonathanRoberts27]

I do not think I am misunderstanding the purpose of the marriage visitor visa or the fiance visa.

As well as the marriage visitor visa being used to get married in the UK, it also states on the government website that this must be used to give notice in the UK of a marriage. Your phrasing makes it sound like the marriage visitor visa is for a couple instead of an individual.

We want to give notice in January as this suits both myself and my fiance to do it this way. I know we do not need to do it so early but I do not see an issue in doing so.

[seagul]

I do not think I am misunderstanding the purpose of the marriage visitor visa or the fiance visa.

As well as the marriage visitor visa being used to get married in the UK, it also states on the government website that this must be used to give notice in the UK of a marriage. Your phrasing makes it sound like the marriage visitor visa is for a couple instead of an individual.

We want to give notice in January as this suits both myself and my fiance to do it this way. I know we do not need to do it so early but I do not see an issue in doing so.

I think I understand your planning which is really a very long route but may suit you which is marriage visitor visa then apply for fiancee visa from outside the UK then switch it into spouse visa from UK. Yes its correct that marriage visitor can be used to give marriage notice.