Exemption from Financial Requirements for marrying a British Citizen on PIP benefits

[Gandalf97]

Hello everyone,

I hope you all are having a good day. I believe that my situation is unique, which is why I’ve decided to seek advice from the fellow members of this board. I am a mid-20’s Indian citizen who did my A Levels in the UK and then continued my undergraduate studies in 2015 in London.

However, my visa was curtailed due to personal reasons and I left the country before the maximum given time allotted by the home office. During my time at university however, I fell in love with a girl who is a British citizen. I met her on and off and only a few pictures remain of our time together. I then decided to continue my studies in the USA, but had to dropout as the weather was too harsh for me. I went back to India.

During these years, I have stayed in touch on and off with her and just recently our love rekindled again and we have become romantically involved. I love her and she loves me, and we decided to get married. She will be visiting me in India to get married and wants me to accompany her back to the UK. I have been looking at the financial requirements for a spouse visa and to my surprise they are exorbitant. My girlfriend is unemployed and has worked part-time almost all her life, as her mental health has prevented her from committing to a stable job. She has been receiving a Personal Independent Payment for over 10 years due to this. I have never faced any issues due to this and believe she is the right person for me.

What is the best route for us to get married? Should I marry her in India and apply for a Spouse Visa? And from the information I have gathered, the Spouse Visa allows financial requirement exemptions for exceptional cases where the British citizen is receiving benefits such as a PIP. If I fall under this category, what must I do? And what steps must I take to ensure a swift acceptance of my spouse visa?

My girlfriend is prepared to provide all the necessary documents and evidence for my spouse visa. What documents do I need?

Any help on the matter will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Casa]

Official guidance regarding PIP and meeting the minimum income criteria.

https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/proof-income