Dependent visa for US national fiance

Hi all,

I've got a query regarding dependent visa for my fiance and will appreciate your expert advice. I am currently an ILR holder and applying for naturalization very soon (hope to have BC by end of this year given everything goes smoothly). My fiance is US citizen and she is living and studying in Pakistan (based there for a while now with her parents). We're planning to get married next year. Now in order to join me after marriage, I am thinking of two options for her

Option 1: Being US citizen, she's able to come to UK without needing a visa (ofcourse for 90 days or less visit). Once she's here, we can apply for her settlement visa (being my dependent)

Option 2: Or we apply from British High Commission Pakistan for dependent visa and once she's granted the visa, she can come over to UK. This option takes 3 - 4 months (or even more) I guess

I am not sure if option 1 is possible but if it is then much better for us because since we can come back together without having to wait for 3 - 4 months with option 2.

Please can you comment or advice if there are any other better routes for getting her settlement visa or correct me if my assumptions on option 1 and 2 are dubious

Many Thanks,
hs159

Option 1 is NOT possible

HS159, you say "in order to join me after marriage" and also "We're planning to get married next year", so clearly the application for a visa will be some time next year. And by then you should be a British Citizen. It also sounds like you plan to get married outside the UK.

Taking all that into account you wife (as she will then be) should apply for a two-year spouse visa. That will enable her to enter the UK and then stay for that two-year period. In the last month of those two years she would apply for ILR, and once she has been in the UK for three years she could well be eligible to apply for naturalisation.

Many Thanks Chess and John. Yes we're planning to get married outside UK. As you said probably best to apply for 2 years spouse visa and then get her ILR. I hope getting her 2 years visa won't take very long

Thanks again,
hs159.

If you get married outside the UK, and she is US citizen, she can come to the US and apply for her spouse visa at one of the British consulates. From what I understand, this is really the fastest way. She can use the e-fastrack option online, and mail it to the consulate with the supporting docs and get it back in a week or two, or she can arrange an appointment and get it done in one day.