Do I REALLY have to get married??

[Dean]

A most impressive Billboard.

Myself and my girlfriend are about to start an application for her to stay with my here in England as the constant flying to Moscow ( & from MOW to England ) is not only financially expensive ( not to mention I HATE flying . But time consuming...of course she's worth it. But even so.
We met 3 years ago, and have been together ( as much as you can3K miles apart).ever since.

I had been married previously for a number of years ( in excess of 18 years ), and am now a funky young grand dad of two beautiful angels.

Now I most certainly DO love my girlfriend, but having been almost crippled financially by the divorce , even though it was amicable ( goodness knows how much it would cost if it wasn't ) which is currently going through courts now, I'm starting to loathe to get married again straightaway. BUT...seems the only way we can be togther is to go the fiance VISA route, and then get married within 6 months....is this really , REALLY the only way we can be together without falling foul of the rules?
We are trying to meticulous in preparing for this, and honesty plays a big part of this...we certainly don't have anything to hide.......but myself not feeling 100% about getting married is begining to bug me.

I've registered for this Billboard in almost a ghastly anticipation of a refusal. Maybe I should of registered for an Emotional billboard instead.

[Cosmopol]

Well, formally speaking, it doesn't have to be the only way, but we know so little about you and your girlfriend... and I'd be uncomfortable just listing a long list of questions that come to mind... both on the Moscow and the UK end of things...

Marriage - accompanied by whatever spectrum of feelings and associations - is certainly one of the plain ways to resolve the matter of distance and borders, but if you are certainly looking for alternatives - the more info you volunteer on either of you, the better if you lean more toward her joining you in the UK, we need to know more about her - professionally, mostly - to estimate other avenues available for relocating.

[lindelwood]

is this really , REALLY the only way we can be together without falling foul of the rules?

Alternative migration paths for her include:

student -> 2 years cohab -> unmarried partner -> ILR
work permit -> 2 years cohab -> unmarried partner -> ILR
hsmp -> 2 years cohab -> unmarried partner -> ILR

plus a few others.

[Dean]

Thanks ,
I/we have searched for alternatives. My eyes lit up when I saw "unmarried partners" on the HO website, but on reading, the requirement was to have lived togther in a situation akin to marriage for 2 years.
Bit difficult to do when your infinitely better & more beautiful half is 3 K away .
Seems this is aimed at people who have got together in another country before coming to England.

I also looked into the possiblity the of "highly skilled " route, but although she is University educated at MOW uni in Philology ( specialised in Portugese and qualfied to teach this, also speaks a little French, Ukrainian..and of course English ) , it isn't on the list.
Her work has involved media and advertising, and in her current job as as a company accountant ( Black books!) for an advertising company.
I should perhaps point out she is in fact Ukrainian, though has lived in MOW most of her life since going to MOW Uni.

She is able to make her application in MOW due to having the pre requisite work VISA ( this we have checked several times ). This however runs out in August...( she has worked for them for over 7 years ) ..and the company is more than likely not to renew it in the light of a takeover that has restructered the make up of the company. She has been offered work for various other firms, but all require her to move ( one of which was as the PA to the director of a Diamond Mining company in Angola!!!)

What other information would you require me to give about her that would be useful?
I have to say, that I am most stronglty against doing anything that isn't kosher, things like pretending to be a student , overstaying tourist VISA is anathema to me.

One last question. If.... for whatever reason the ECO on the day decides against granting a Fiance' VISA ..... how difficult does it then become?

I'm trying to be positive, but these things do have a habit of creeping into your thoughts.

[lindelwood]

Bit difficult to do when your infinitely better & more beautiful half is 3 K away .
Seems this is aimed at people who have got together in another country before coming to England.

A surprising number switch to UP from work permits and student visas, and it's a viable immigration path.

Of course, it was originally designed for same sex partners, but they have expanded the definition since then.

One last question. If.... for whatever reason the ECO on the day decides against granting a Fiance' VISA ..... how difficult does it then become?

That depends upon the rationale behind the ECO's refusal and whether the best strategy is to appeal (if the ECO made the wrong decision) or to reapply (if the application had weaknesses). It's my view that a fiance application for a visa national should be airtight, fully complete, and rigorously compliant before it is submitted.

[Dean]

Disaster has struck already!!!!

My Decree Nisi was "bounced" today by the judge, I have already been to the courts and amended the relevent passage. But the date has now slipped to the 14th June ( originally it was 7th June ).

Why does this matter?

The ability to apply in MOW is due to the fact fiance has Russian work VISA...this runs out on the 1st August...and most like won't be renewed.
...the decree Absolute was originally due for the 27th July, now it will be after the 1st of August...meaning she will have to go to Kiev!!

My question.

Is Decree Nisi sufficient for application purposes? or does it HAVE to be the Absolute??

[lindelwood]

Is Decree Nisi sufficient for application purposes? or does it HAVE to be the Absolute??

Decree Absolute is not required.

The ECO needs to be reasonably comfortable that your divorce will be completed within the 6 month fiance period. In the ideal case, one of the attachments to her application will be a letter from your solicitor stating such.

[Dean]

I love this board!!
I feel better again already. THANKYOU. I kind of suspected, but thought if anyone would know..someone here would for sure!
Having said that....mine is a DIY divorce, there had been no need for solicitors as everything has been done amicably and my soon to be ex wife are still good friends ( a new car and a huge wad of money helps ). However , I do have a solicitor who handles my bits and pieces, I'm sure he would fashion a letter. Or does he have to the " The Divorce" solicitor handling the case?
Ever since meeting meeting my girlfriend , our whole lives for the last 3 years have been wrapped up with VISA's of one kind or another , and would be heartily grateful never to hear that word again( one reason why I changed my credit card to a Mastercard!!! ).
OK...so now back on track.
Thanks again for easing my easily panicked mind.

[noah]

Thanks again for easing my easily panicked mind.

If you have any other discomforts or doubts about your application, you can try to get a free advisor assigned to help http://www.oisc.org.uk/home.stm