Advice needed

Bell · Post by **Bell** » Wed May 20, 2009 5:57 pm

Hi

Hope someone here can advise me. I have been dating an American for 18 months now. He lives in the States and I am a UK citizen. We meet up for a week together either here, or in the States, approximately every three months. We have decided that we'd like to live together permanently, possibly even marry, but I do not wish to relocate to the States. His father was German, although my partner does not have German citizenship. Is there any advice about the best way for us to be together in the UK on a permanent basis? Ideally we'd like to live together without marrying for a while, but both of us would be happy to marry. He has never been refused entry into the UK.

I'm very confused about the various marriage and fiance visas - and presumably a long-distance (but committed and monogamous) relationship wouldn't qualify for unmarried partner visa status? By the time we hope he can be here in the UK living with me, we will have been together three and a half years.

Many thanks

Post by **batleykhan** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:42 pm

I will start of to your reply, and if I am wrong, somebody will put me right.

You can do one of three things:

1. Your boyfriend can keep coming on a visitor visa. He is allowed to stay here for 6 months max.You can not get married. He can not legally work or recieve medical treatment whilst he is here as a visitor

2.He can come on a fiance visa. however you will have to get married within 6 months and then settle here permanantly.

3. You have to get married in the States first. He will have to apply as spouse. You have to prove that you can financially support and accomadate him without recourse to public funds. He will be given a 2 yrs visa, after which if both of you are still married and living together,he will be given permanant stay. Whilst on this visa he is allowed to work freely and recieve medical traerment, but would not b entitled to state benefits till he is given indefinte leave to remain

There might be another one or two ( student & working holiday) visas where your boyfriend can live with you before you committ yourself to marriage. I am not up to date on these, but i am sure some one will explain and may also put me right on any of above

Sorry to mention you both have to over 21yrs of age for No 2 & 3

Bell · Post by **Bell** » Thu May 21, 2009 10:12 am

Many thanks. Just a couple of questions, which I hope you don't mind answering if you have the time.

If we choose the fiance visa, how long will it take for the application to be processed once we apply? Do I have to provide financial details etc as per Spouse Visa? Do we have to supply evidence of our relationship, such as letters, photographs etc?

Once married, can we apply for a Spouse Visa here in the UK or would he have to return to the States? How long would that process take, and would I have to resupply all the same information as per the Fiance Visa?

Which is the easiest route in your opinion, Spouse or Fiance?

Many thanks!

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu May 21, 2009 10:30 am

Spouse is best, quicker, saves one lot of visa fees, easy to marry in USA.

Visa should take a matter of days, if ur partner has no adverse UK immigration history, which i just re-read that he doesn't!.

U will have to show u can support him, go to UKBA website and download form FLR(M) and the associated guidance notes, they will tell you everything. Then come back to us.

On a spouse visa he can work straight away, fiances can't work.

You both have to be over 21.

German citizenship would helped enormously, he could just come and that's it. Most likely his father lost his German Citizenship and took US, as Germany does not (generally) allow this, but check anyway, he might never have become American.

Bell · Post by **Bell** » Thu May 21, 2009 10:56 am

Hey Wanderer

Thanks! So best plan is to get hitched in States, then I come back and apply for him to join me? And it would only take a few days? He doesn't have any immigration problems and never has been refused entry to UK before.

German citizenship thing has driven us mad. We wouldn't have had any issues at all; but his father was born in Germany to a German mother and an American father, and Germany won't confer citizenship status on anyone born at that time to a German MOTHER. If his father's father had been German, it would all be a breeze! Sadly his father is dead now, so we've no way of knowing if he ever became an American citizen or not. No family to ask either.

Thanks for advice, it's really really helpful to talk to someone in the know!

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:02 am

Bell wrote:Hey Wanderer

Thanks! So best plan is to get hitched in States, then I come back and apply for him to join me? And it would only take a few days? He doesn't have any immigration problems and never has been refused entry to UK before.

German citizenship thing has driven us mad. We wouldn't have had any issues at all; but his father was born in Germany to a German mother and an American father, and Germany won't confer citizenship status on anyone born at that time to a German MOTHER. If his father's father had been German, it would all be a breeze! Sadly his father is dead now, so we've no way of knowing if he ever became an American citizen or not. No family to ask either.

Yup - week/10 days at most but do search and read here, there are no guarantees but a straw poll here should put ur mind at rest!

Thanks for advice, it's really really helpful to talk to someone in the know!

Bell · Post by **Bell** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:17 am

Sorry to appear thick. I looked at the form you suggested but couldn't work out who was supposed to fill it in, me or him?

Someone I know told me it was VAF4A he was supposed to fill in once we're married. This is why I came here, to get some sane answers!

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:40 am

Bell wrote:Sorry to appear thick. I looked at the form you suggested but couldn't work out who was supposed to fill it in, me or him?

Someone I know told me it was VAF4A he was supposed to fill in once we're married. This is why I came here, to get some sane answers!

Sorry, that's the wrong form! That's for those already in UK but it does give u a guide as to what docs u need etc...

Think u need to look here

http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

He fills it in, obviously after u r married.

Post by **batleykhan** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:53 am

U will have to show u can support him, go to UKBA website and download form FLR(M) and the associated guidance notes, they will tell you everything. Then come back to us.

Wanderer, I dont get your reason behind the FLR(M) form. Maybe you care to explain?.

If you think the spouse visa is the best, then she needs Form VAF4A. Her future husband to be needs to complete the form not her. That however does mean she needs to get married in the US first, and if i read her post correctly, she wants to marry eventually, but maybe not straightaway and thats why I listed other options to her.

I agree with your comments that the spouse would work out better and cheaper for them in the future

Someone I know told me it was VAF4A he was supposed to fill in once we're married. This is why I came here, to get some sane answers!

Bell : You are correct about this, if you decide to go ahead with this

Post by **batleykhan** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:57 am

Ok Wanderer you must have posted your post whilst i was writting my last one. Makes sense now

Bell · Post by **Bell** » Thu May 21, 2009 12:57 pm

Thanks to you both. I think we will go down the Spouse route, as it seems much easier and cheaper. Best thing is probably to get married in the States at some point, and then apply using the VA4FA application.

Glad I found this forum, such lovely helpful people!

Post by **batleykhan** » Thu May 21, 2009 4:22 pm

Thanks to you both. I think we will go down the Spouse route, as it seems much easier and cheaper. Best thing is probably to get married in the States at some point, and then apply using the VA4FA application.

Glad I found this forum, such lovely helpful people!As long as you remember to invite us to your wedding. I've never been to States

No problem, just remember to send us an invite to your wedding .I have always wanted to visit States

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu May 21, 2009 4:39 pm

batleykhan wrote:
Thanks to you both. I think we will go down the Spouse route, as it seems much easier and cheaper. Best thing is probably to get married in the States at some point, and then apply using the VA4FA application.

Glad I found this forum, such lovely helpful people!As long as you remember to invite us to your wedding. I've never been to States
No problem, just remember to send us an invite to your wedding .I have always wanted to visit States :D :lol: :P

They could always marry in Batley!

Post by **batleykhan** » Thu May 21, 2009 5:27 pm

They could always marry in Batley!

Prefer USA than my good old home town of Batley

You are just dying to hit the 3000 mark aren't you????

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu May 21, 2009 5:46 pm

batleykhan wrote:
They could always marry in Batley!
Prefer USA than my good old home town of Batley

You are just dying to hit the 3000 mark aren't you???? :lol:

Two...

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu May 21, 2009 5:47 pm

Wanderer wrote:
batleykhan wrote:
They could always marry in Batley!
Prefer USA than my good old home town of Batley

You are just dying to hit the 3000 mark aren't you???? :lol:
Two...

More!!

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Advice needed

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