Fiances visa runs out in four days, COA still in progress

Hello,

My fiance and I applied for a COA just over ten weeks ago. We were a day later than the three month recommended period, but read that these things ussually only take three to six weeks. It's now been a lot longer than that and her visa is coming to an end. I thought that since the application was given as being allowed towards the end of the visa period it would be fine to wait until we got the COA back and then apply directly for a marriage visa and get married as soon as we could get a booking.

Alas not.

My fiance was on the phone today, for the forth time, after we'd spent a lot of time on the internet, when she was told that she has to apply for a visa. Now we're completely stumped as we only have a scant few days to get a visa, and thehome office seems to not be giving out application interviews atm. I guess we can't apply by post, as time is too short, and our passports are with the home office because of the COA application. If we ask for them back we loose the progres made with the COA, and the money. One piece of advice we recieved is that we might be able to apply for a visa and say that the passport is already with the home office, but I'm not sure how that'll work, or even what visa to apply for.

She is currently over here on a post-graduate visa.

Any advice before we go to see the IAS tommorrow would be much appreciated,

Thanks in advance.

She can apply by post - dunno for what visa tho although it sounds like IGS since PSW hasnt been around long enough.

Should buy u time for the CoA but expensive card to play, 400 quid ish...

Theylan, do not let her visa run out or she will become an overstayer, whatever stage you've reached with the COA.

You have two choices, make a postal visa application under an eligible category before her visa runs out. This will extend her right to be in the UK (leave to remain). You can explain in a covering letter that the passports are already with the home office for COA.

Second option: She can return to her home country before her visa expires and either get a fiance/spouse or dependent visa depending whether you have ILR/are a british Citizen/get married there, etc.