Fiancee visa questions

Hi people,
I am engaged to a woman from the US. We were planning to be together in the US as we currently live apart, but recently circumstances have changed and we have decided for her to move here instead. I have done some research on this process (and it appears simpler than going the other way) but I have some questions that I am struggling to find answers to. If someone could help fill in the gaps or point me to a website that can detail the exact order in which things need to be done I would be very grateful. I was born and raised in the UK and she was born and raised in the US.
I have read that once the VAF2 visa is approved it lasts for 6 months. Is this active from time of issue or when she comes into the county?
Will she have to go for an interview in the US and if so is it better if I am there for it?
Can she come over as a visitor and then we file the papers here?
Would you recommend a lawyer for this process and if we decide to hire a lawyer (we were going to hire one when the situation was reversed) would that lawyer be of US or UK origin?
She has never visited me here, I have always gone to the US on visits, will that be held against her?
If she gets ill over here (which I doubt) will she be treated under the NHS?

Lots of questions ... the idea of a fiancee visa is that the person marries within 6 months of the issue of the visa. The visa will have a start date of its date of issue. However if she knows that she will not travel to the UK for a few weeks she can ask them to put the appropriate start date ... which will obviously affect the end date as well.

Of course be aware that she cannot work in the UK on a fiancee visa.

Interview ... yes .... but really no need for you to be there.

Lawyer .... no .... this is not a complicated procedure for most people ... so unless she has convictions linked to global terrorism or the like (this is a joke!) then proceed without a lawyer.

Can she come to the UK as a visitor and apply for fiancee visa in the UK? No, absolutely not.

Never visited the UK? No that will not be held against her. (Neither had my wife visited the UK before her spouse visa was granted)

If she gets ill? No problem ... as a holder of a settlement visa .... intending to leave in the UK ... she is fully entitled to use the NHS. She should register with a GP soon after arriving.

As you say, you have read the form VAF2 ... which incorporates its own guidance. So you know what evidence to produce. Go for it!

BiTeMe wrote:Will she have to go for an interview in the US and if so is it better if I am there for it?
Can she come over as a visitor and then we file the papers here?
Would you recommend a lawyer for this process and if we decide to hire a lawyer (we were going to hire one when the situation was reversed) would that lawyer be of US or UK origin?
She has never visited me here, I have always gone to the US on visits, will that be held against her?
If she gets ill over here (which I doubt) will she be treated under the NHS?

She will be interviewed in the US by an Entry Clearance Officer.

It's ok to go with her for moral support, but they won't interview you. You are not the applicant.

No need for an advisor or lawyer based upon what you have said so far...

If she has not travelled to the UK before, so what? It's not a problem.

You cannot apply for a fiance visa from inside the UK. No way no how.

NHS is not part of the definition of public funds in the eyes of the IND.

Thanks guys for your answers. I found some more information and I was hoping you could answer some more questions. Finding information for US people comming to the UK seems alot more difficult than the reverse.

She lives in TN so do you have any idea where she will have to go for her interview. At the moment I am guessing NY but can anyone confirm this (nice and local if it is )

From filling in the form on E-fastrack what is the process from there and how long does it normaly take to get an interview date and then a visa?

Sorry for all the questions

This reply may come late for you but it could be useful for others.

Unless you have a lot of cash to spare, don't engage a solictor. They will just run up a substantial bill. They are only necessary in cases that are too complex or where you have already been turned down by the Home Office.

Instead, it is better to consult them. In principle, solicitors should give you an initial consultation of half an hour or 1 hour for free. Unfortunately, they are reluctant to give a lot of advice within this time, preferring to give you their sales pitch. You need to make an agreement to pay them a fixed amount of money for a fixed amount of time, say £100 for one hour. You could talk to a couple of them like this.

Also, it is better to talk to solicitors specialising in immigration located in areas with a large proportion of immigrants, like Hackney or Southall. They have seen it all.

I got my foreign fiancee into the country like this, problem-free