Proof of Plans ? - Fiance visa

[Redder]

Hi, My fiancee is english, im lebanese. We are planning to get married on a fiance visa.

basically, i had some questions so i called the british embassy and i got some answers. The guy on the phone mainly asked me a few questions about us and about what would they need proof for. One of the things was the question: "So what have you and/or your fiancee done concerning the wedding before applying?".When i asked what does he mean:"he said things like what bookings have you made, what decisions ...etc", and basically said we would require something to convince them that there will be a wedding and its serious.

So My fiancee and i sat down and started talking about it. The main big question mark that we had on our heads was the following:
1- To get the visa & convince the officer we need arrangements & bookings.
We do need to book the venue,florist,arrangements etc ... early enough to get married, and that means deposits and booking a certain date from now.
2- To make bookings, we need to book the Registrar staff to perform the wedding on that date.
We cannot be sure on the availability of staff as we can only do that after we submit our notice of marriage 7 full days after which we have been a resident of the area.
3- To be a resident of that area, I need to have the visa

What if we booked things from now to prove to the embassy that the wedding is to happen and we are serious, then after i got the visa and arrived in the country, when we give the notice to the registrar they tell us there are no staff available on the date we booked?

So basically, since making bookings before you are even in the country and checking with the registrar for availability is all waiting for the visa to be issued .................... What kind of proof do we need to submit with the visa application to convince the officer that we really are gonna get married?

P.S: IF i sound confusing .. thats cuz i am confused myself ! heh

[John]

I think that a statement including a broad outline of your marriage plans should be included but for reasons as stated below it is really impossible to be too specific.

The fact is that it is not until after you get to the UK armed with your fiancé visa that you can start to firm up on your plans. Have a look at this webpage which sets out the legal requirements. OK, that webpage is from Birmingham's Register Office but the same law will apply everywhere in the UK.

Notice in particular that you cannot instantly go to the Register Office and give Notice of Intention to Marry as soon as you arrive in the UK. This is because "You must each have lived in the district of residence in England or Wales for seven clear days before either notice is given." That is, for example, say you arrive in the UK on the first of the month and then start living at "Address X". You then need to live there for "seven clear days", the 2nd to the 8th, and thus it is not until the 9th that you pass that rule.

Given that you will be holding a fiancé visa both you and your fiancée need to attend the Register Office together, and indeed ensure that the Register Office has been designated for taking notices from non-EEA nationals such as yourself. I don't know where you intend to live in the UK, but the following is an example. Say you will be living in Dudley in the West Midlands. This is a few miles from Birmingham, and Dudley certainly has its own Register Office. However Dudley Register Office has not been designated so the notice would need to be given at Birmingham Register Office, which has been designated. Having given that notice at a designated Register Office there is nothing to stop you actually getting married at a non-designated one, such as Dudley.

Anyway, the two of you will give that Notice of Intention to Marry and you will see from the webpage that "The notice will then be published in the Register Office for a period of 15 days. After this period, another document called a 'marriage authority' will be issued. This document is the legal clearance and allows your marriage to take place. Two authorities will be required for a marriage to take place.". So that clearly involves a further delay to the marriage taking place.

Taking all this into account, a general statement included in your evidence folder such as :-

Following arrival in the UK with the fiancé visa it is intended to go to XYZ Register Office about two weeks after arrival and give the Notice of Intention to Marry. Following the issuing of the Marriage Authority 15 days later we intend to get married at XYZ Register Office (or wherever) approximately two months (or whatever) after arrival in the UK with the fiancé visa.

You will appreciate that it is impossible to be specific about the marriage date until after arrival in the UK. Thus it is impossible to make firms plans regarding a Wedding Reception and florist etc until the marriage date is known.

Such a statement will clearly indicate that you and your fiancée have thought about the subject and thus do intend to proceed to get married in the UK.

Finally, there is of course absolutely no legal requirement to have flowers at the wedding or indeed to have any sort of Wedding Reception or catering for any guests. It is just a convention that most tend to follow. But there would be nothing to stop you and your fiancée merely turning up at the Register Office as arranged with two friends to act as witnesses, and then after the wedding go to the local pub. Such a marriage would be just as legal as one with hundreds of guests. That is, planning a small wedding should not be held against you as regards getting the fiancé visa.

[Redder]

Thanks John, that was very helpfull ..

Do you know a website concerning West Sussex?

[John]

West Sussex? Get to the page by clicking here.

And here is the list of designated Register Offices, one of which must be used by you and your fiancée for giving the Notice of Intention to Marry, even if you intend to get married elsewhere.