Unmarried partner to Marriage...confused!!

[clizzywizzy]

Hi there

Anyone know the visa options for the below....

Im a UK citizen, boyfriend is an NZ citizen. He is curently in the UK on an unmarried partner visa (as my partner), the 2 yrs prior to that he was here on a working holiday visa living with me.

OK, we are now engaged and getting married next June 09. The unmarried partner visa expires in May 09. He will have 4 full years and 3 months here then.

OK, what are our visa options? (without having to get one, then another then another) also am I correct in assuming we can marry on a unmarried partner visa if we have the Certificate of approval of marriage to take to the registry office??

Geez, getting married is hectic enough let alone the added stresses of visas!!!

Thanks in advance

[paulp]

Hi Clizzy,

Your bf should apply for ILR on form SET(M). Did he apply in-country or abroad for his UPV visa? If the former, he can apply 28 days before the expiry of his visa, if the latter, he can apply 28 days before spending 2 years in the country.

On a purely technical matter, your boyfriend once married, will no longer be your unmarried partner. He could stay quiet about it, but having applied for CoA, you may have to tell the HO about your wedding.

[clizzywizzy]

thanks for the reply

We wont actually be married until after the UPV expires by one month! can we still apply for a COA whilst on an UPV?

This is sooooooooooooooo confusing!

[paulp]

thanks for the reply

We wont actually be married until after the UPV expires by one month! can we still apply for a COA whilst on an UPV?

This is sooooooooooooooo confusing!

Ohh, sorry for not looking more closely at your dates. This makes things much simpler. Could you simply confirm if he got his UPV inside the UK or abroad? If the latter, when did he enter the country?

Once he gets ILR, you won't need a COA or have to deal with visas anymore.
Just need to make sure he has the required 2 years residence (minus 28 days) on the UPV visa so that he can apply for ILR.

[clizzywizzy]

Thanks for your help

Yeah he applied in country for the UPV last year, got it no worries same day. Since the wedding is next june (full white wedding in France with the legals back here in UK) we have to book our dates now....so we need the COA to register our plan to marry.

It seems we can just fill in the form...and pay for it now then have a year to marry. Then in May he can apply for the ILR and hopefully we can fly to our french wedding knowing he will be allowed back to the UK.

All fun and games this Visa lark, only seems like yesterday we were searching for 2ys worth of bills

[paulp]

Thanks for your help

Yeah he applied in country for the UPV last year, got it no worries same day. Since the wedding is next june (full white wedding in France with the legals back here in UK) we have to book our dates now....so we need the COA to register our plan to marry.

It seems we can just fill in the form...and pay for it now then have a year to marry. Then in May he can apply for the ILR and hopefully we can fly to our french wedding knowing he will be allowed back to the UK.

All fun and games this Visa lark, only seems like yesterday we were searching for 2ys worth of bills

Well, good news is that you will again need 2 years worth of bills for ILR on SET(M) But after that, your fiance can say bye bye to visas (at least for the UK).