SPOUSE VISA - PASSPORT QUERY

Hi everyone,

I am currently in the UK on a spouse visa as I married a British man in January.

I did all the right things, returned to Australia to apply for a fiance visa, and then after the wedding, applied to remain in the UK as a spouse. Thankfully I was granted this visa.

Now my question arises.

My visa is placed in my current passport which is endorsed with my maiden name (visa and passport). I am able, free of charge, to change my Australian passport to my married name. However, am I able to do this when my visa is in my passport that is in my maiden name?

Is it therefore a matter of carrying my passport in my maiden name, my passport in my married name and my marriage certificate when I travel?

Reason being, I am hoping to return home to Australia in July next year for 6 weeks with my husband. I am of the understanding that this length of time out of the country will not cause me any problems.

All responses appreciated.

Thanks
Rebecca

rebeccac wrote:....My visa is placed in my current passport which is endorsed with my maiden name (visa and passport). I am able, free of charge, to change my Australian passport to my married name. However, am I able to do this when my visa is in my passport that is in my maiden name?

Is it therefore a matter of carrying my passport in my maiden name, my passport in my married name and my marriage certificate when I travel?

It might be just me, but I'd be concerned that having to carry two passports doubles the chances of losing one of them. So I wonder if there might be an alternative?

How about leaving your existing passport as it is, for the time being, and simply carrying your marriage certificate so that you can explain why you're using a different name from that which appears in the passport, on the odd occasions that it is necessary to do so?

Happy to have cold water thrown over the idea by someone more knowledgeable, but my thought is that you could then get a new Australian passport in your married name closer to the time that you're due to apply to the Home Office for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), and then get the ILR endorsement put in the new passport.

I believe you could get your present visa transferred to a new passport, but I'm fairly sure you'd have to pay a hefty fee for the privilege.

Anyone else got ideas on this?

Thank you for your reply Paul.

Your comments do make sense and I can see where you are coming from.

One of the advantages of applying for a new Australian passport in my married name is that if you do it within one year of the marriage it does not incur a fee.

I also thought that it may be advantagous to have an Australian passport in my married name to further support my ILR application to show committment to the marriage (perhaps an irrelevant point though).

Look forward to any further responses.

Rebecca