My partner and I want to marry

[HopelesslyInLove]

Hi all,

My partner is from NZ and I am a native English citizen. We met whilst I was traveling around NZ and have been together now for a year and four months. I am 26 and he is 32. We would like to marry and stay in the UK. At present he is in the UK on a 6 month visa waiver.

I've been looking on the gov.uk site for visas and found it quite confusing. I'm not sure if it's meant to confuse you to put you off of applying?

There are certain visas that don't seem appropriate to us...

The study visa is expensive. The work visas I've heard are very difficult to get a hold of.

So really, there are 2 visa options open to us, but I wanted a little help from anyone who can offer any advice on which option is the best for us?

Firstly, we could apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa, although would my partner need to apply for this OUTSIDE of the UK? He plans to return to NZ in September, so would he need to apply from there or can he apply whilst in the UK now?

Once we marry, we could then apply for a 'family of a settled person' visa, however after we marry, would he have to leave the UK again to apply for this visa, or could he do this within the UK? As he lives in NZ tooing and froing is incredibly expensive to have to keep going back and forth.

At present I am working as a freelance writer but I can get a job of over £18,000 to meet the criteria to support my partner. Also, we would be living with my mum, dad and brother. We have our own bedroom. My parents and brother all work so is it possible to pool together my parents wages, mine and brothers with statements from all to show that all together we have enough (and then some) to support my partners move? I'm not sure if immigration only takes into account the partners wage, or the whole household?

Our second visa option is a work visa. My father is a self-employed electrician and there are job vacancies at his work. He has said he will get a letter of sponsorship for us so that my partner can work with my father in a laboring job but is this enough?

I'd really appreciate any advice.

My partner and I genuinely want to be together but it's just confusing figuring out how to do that!

[Wanderer]

You need to have learnt £18,600 pa for six months before you can sponsor and you cannot pool third party earnings. You can use savings of over £16k though.

Work permit is not possible in the situation you propose, the employer needs a sponsors licence and will have to perform a Local Labour test to ensure local candidates are considered first.

There is no in-country switching from any sort of visit visa.

So your path is;

1. He returns to NZ

2. You earn £1550 (£18,600/12*6) per month for six months, and then and not before apply on form VAF4A

3. You need to pay the NHS surcharge too of £500 along with the visa fee which I think is £649.

4. He'll get a visa for 33 months, i.e. 2.5 year visa with three months lee-way to relocate etc.

[physicskate]

You need to have learnt £18,600 pa for six months before you can sponsor and you cannot pool third party earnings. You can use savings of over £16k though.

Work permit is not possible in the situation you propose, the employer needs a sponsors licence and will have to perform a Local Labour test to ensure local candidates are considered first.

Agreed with all of this wanderer. However, Wouldn't they need to apply for a fiance visa first as they are not married?

He would be applying for settlement to join family as a fiance. You need VAF4a and Appendix 2. You would need evidence of your income (there are a few different ways to prove this), evidence of wedding planning (ie being in contact with a registry/ priest etc...), evidence of accomodation and evidence of an enduring relationship (proof of communication and contact etc...).

Start here:
https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk/overview

The financial requirement would still need to be met by the sponsor and/or a combination of savings. The visa would be good for 6 months, during which time you would need to get married. After the marriage your partner could switch within the UK to a 'spouse visa' (also called FLR(M)). Then your partner could look for work and not need sponsorship. No work (or free use of the NHS) is allowed when he is on a fiance visa.