fiancee visa

I have a question regarding my fiancée’s visa. She lives in NY and I want her to come to the UK where I am on a fiancé visa. I have just started my first full time, permanent job and was told that having a letter from my employer would be good enough to show financial support (along with my lease and a letter from a co-sponsor). But then was told I needed a certain number of bank statements. I only have one bank statement as I just opened a new account. Will this suffice as long as it shows that I have enough money coming in during the month?

Breen, can you clarify please?

I have a question regarding my fiancée’s visa. She lives in NY and I want her to come to the UK where I am on a fiancé visa.

Sorry, can you explain that? You are in the UK on a fiancé visa?

Yes pliz do clarify what visa YOU are on.
i think you will need possibly 3months statements, payslips, proof of accommodation, etc. Also more importantly you will need to show that the relationship existed for at least 2 years (i think) and for this you will need joint statements, bills, etc addressed to both yourselves at the same address, if not they can be addressed to each one of you but to the same address covering a period of time

f2k posted :-

Also more importantly you will need to show that the relationship existed for at least 2 years (i think)

Sorry, absolutely not a requirement if we are talking about an application for a fiancé(e) visa.

For an unmarried partner's visa? Yes indeed a two year relationship is required.

John wrote:f2k posted :-

Also more importantly you will need to show that the relationship existed for at least 2 years (i think)

Sorry, absolutely not a requirement if we are talking about an application for a fiancé(e) visa.

For an unmarried partner's visa? Yes indeed a two year relationship is required.

Sorry i didnt realise there was a different visa for fiance, i just thought there was the spouses visa and the unmarried partners visa (which i thought fiances would fall under)
how do you prove that you are a Fiance? do you have to show intention to marry. cause i think this would be an 'easier option' for those who havent lived together but want to move to UK together

f2k, in many cultures it is a total no no to live together before marriage and it is therefore the case that an applicant for a fiancé(e) visa need not show that he/she has lived together with their intended. Immigration Rules do however insist that the two of them have met.

Where a fiancé(e) visa is being applied for all the same financial and accommodation issues arise as if a spouse visa is being applied for. That is, it needs to be shown that the applicant will not need to claim certain Public Funds, and that the accommodation is "suitable". For obvious reasons it is not a requirement that the fiancé(e)'s initial address in the UK will be the same as the person he/she will marry.

A fiancé(e) visa is issued with a six month duration and is issued so that the person can enter the UK and then proceed to get married in the UK. After the marriage a two-year spouse visa can be applied for in the UK.

The holder of a fiancé(e) visa will encounter no particular difficulty giving Notice of Intention to Marry at a Register Office, except that being a non-EEA citizen that notice will need to be given only at a designated Register Office.

i think this would be an 'easier option' for those who havent lived together but want to move to UK together

Sorry that doesn't work. The person they are going to marry needs to be settled in the UK ... an unrestricted right to live in the UK ... such as British Citizenship or ILR visa.

Thanks for clarifying that John. i had heard people talking about a finance(s)'s visa but i had just assumed they were talking about unmarried partner

sorry! i see how that confused you. I am a UK citizen in london and my fiance is in new york. i want her to come here so we can get married here so we need her to get a fiance visa first. the problem is, i have just started my first full time permanent job and I will only have 1 or 2 bank statements when we apply. I will also have 2 payslips, proof of accommodation and a letter from a financial co-sponsor as a backup. I was told by UK visas that there is no specific number of bank statements you should have (in fact he said just a letter from you employer is ok) but then my fiance was told in NY that you must have 3 statements. I personally dont see why 3 is a magic number especially if we have a co-sponsor. what do you think?

I think that the number of bank statements is not the issue, it is the length of time covered by those statements that counts. You really should try to cover at least the last three months.

One matter worthy of thought is that if your fiancée comes to the UK on a fiancée visa she is unable to work. That will be a condition of the fiancée visa. Then after the marriage she will then apply in the UK for a two-year spouse visa and only after that is issued will she be able to work.

Also appreciate that in order to convert the fiancée visa into a spouse one will ... as from 1st April 2005 .... cost £335 by post or £500 in person at a PEO (Public Enquiry Office).

Alternatively if the two of you were to marry say in the States, and then your wife (as she would then be) then applied for a spouse visa in say New York, not only would that cut out the cost of converting a fiancée visa into a spouse one, but it would also mean she could work in the UK as soon as she gets here.

If the two of you really do want to marry in the UK .... fine .... but just be aware that there are a couple of issues related to that plan.

thats a good idea too but wouldnt i need a visa if we get married in the US. is it illegal to get married on a visitors visa?

As far as I know they don't even check your status when you get married in the states, but I am not sure.

Also, as UK citizen you're eligible for visa waiver (as in you don't need visa if you're entering US for pleasure and for less than 6 months).

FYI, I think they'll check your status in the US when you apply for your marriage license.

Up until recently they didn't do it - most of the time the marriage is conducted by authorities at city hall level, and all they are concerned with is whether the couple meets local requirements for marriage license, i.e. does at least one person live in a particular state and other such.

I have read in some other forums that as long as the UK resident isn't planning on settling in the US, getting married while here as a visitor is not a problem. If you are asked, you can demonstrate that you plan to go to the UK to settle after your honeymoon. The application for the spouse visa for the UK should suffice.

As from :-

FAQs from US embassy, London, website

-: namely :-

We only wish to travel to the United States to marry. We will return to the United Kingdom after marriage. Do we still need a fiancé(e) visa?

A person traveling to the United States to marry a U.S. citizen with the intention of returning to his/her place of permanent residence abroad may apply for a visitor (B-2) visa, or if eligible, travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. Evidence of a residence abroad to which the B-2 visa holder or visa free traveler intends returning should be carried for presentation to an immigration inspector at the port of entry.

Given that Breen would no doubt be travelling to the USA with lots of evidence to support his wife's spouse visa application he will undoubtedly have quite sufficient evidence to satisfy any immigration inspector.