UK Citizen getting married to non eu national, advice please

[absolute_spirit]

Hi

I met my brazilian girlfriend on holiday in Spain and we are both now currently living in the UK (she is on a visitors visa).

We want to get married, I understand that to get married here we need a Certificate of Approval from the home office, and that applications are not always succesful, espicially when my partner is currently living in the UK at the moment. The application is £135 and I really havnt got money to burn at the moment.

Ive been told that the best way to do it is to go back to Brazil and get married there and then come back. I cant really do this as the flights cost £600 each and I dont have this money.

Ive toyed with the idea of getting married in Las Vegas, but again flights are £300 each and im not sure if the US goverment would allow her entry (she has brazilian passport).

Is it possible to get married somewhere closer to home, i.e France, Spain, and then come back to the UK, or will the same rules apply?

Thanks for any advice, my head is spinning!

[Wanderer]

Hi

I met my brazilian girlfriend on holiday in Spain and we are both now currently living in the UK (she is on a visitors visa).

We want to get married, I understand that to get married here we need a Certificate of Approval from the home office, and that applications are not always succesful, espicially when my partner is currently living in the UK at the moment. The application is £135 and I really havnt got money to burn at the moment.

Ive been told that the best way to do it is to go back to Brazil and get married there and then come back. I cant really do this as the flights cost £600 each and I dont have this money.

Ive toyed with the idea of getting married in Las Vegas, but again flights are £300 each and im not sure if the US goverment would allow her entry (she has brazilian passport).

Is it possible to get married somewhere closer to home, i.e France, Spain, and then come back to the UK, or will the same rules apply?

Thanks for any advice, my head is spinning!

1. You can't marry on a VV, CoA or not.

2. Foreign birds are expensive and if you are short of readies you shouldn't really get involved. The expense gets worse, believe me. The necessary visas are 1200-1500 quid....

3. You can marry in a third country, but she'll have to return to her home country to apply for Spouse visa.

4. If ur skint can you pass the financial tests for the spouse visa?

Steve, several tens of thousands of pounds poorer.....

[absolute_spirit]

thanks for the advice.

im not to sure on what a spouse visa is, i was under the impresion that once we were married she would be allowed to stay/work in the UK....whoops....what are the finicaial tests? I have a full time job working for Local Goverment but theres just not much spare cash!

at the moment i just feel like moving to Brazil and leaving this irritating country behind!

thank you

[Wanderer]

thanks for the advice.

im not to sure on what a spouse visa is, i was under the impresion that once we were married she would be allowed to stay/work in the UK....whoops....what are the finicaial tests? I have a full time job working for Local Goverment but theres just not much spare cash!

at the moment i just feel like moving to Brazil and leaving this irritating country behind!

thank you :D

You need a fiancee visa which she would apply for from her home country, think that's 260 quid. Then she would come here and u'd have to marry inside the six month period of the visa. After marriage or when fiancee visa is due to expire, she'll need to apply for FLR (Further Leave to Remain) which entitles her to remain in UK for two years. She can also work on this visa. 335 pounds by post or 500 pounds in person for Mr Gordon Brown.

Or:

Marry in Brazil or third country, she'd apply for spouse visa (as ur wife) think that's 260 too. She can work on this visa. Actually I'm not sure how long this visa is but I'm reasonably sure it's six months like fiancee. When it's due to expire, FLR as above 335/500 quid for our nice government.

Then:

After two years is due on FLR, apply for ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) which entitles her to Permanent Residence here, 335/500 quid again :(

Then:

Apply for Citizenship if she wants it and thereby a UK passport. Forgot how much that costs but about 165 quid I think plus she'll have to take a Britishness test that costs a wee bit.

Again I'm not sure but I think she won't be entitled to benefits etc until the ILR stage.

Re Financial test as long as you have some money and are not destitute/serious overdrawn u'll be ok. Plus u'll need a plce to stay, be it a room, house or mansion.

I feel same about Russia, at least there you can bribe someone if you need something!

[absolute_spirit]

Thanks Wanderer, thats made it a lot clearer for me.

Just to make sure I have this right...whichever way we do this at some point she/both of us would defiently have to travel to Brazil to get the visa?

If so, anyone seen flights to Brazil for less that £400!? And now I cant even remember which website I was on with flights at this price...grrrrr.

Sorry to be a pain, youve been a great help.

[Wanderer]

Thanks Wanderer, thats made it a lot clearer for me.

Just to make sure I have this right...whichever way we do this at some point she/both of us would defiently have to travel to Brazil to get the visa?

If so, anyone seen flights to Brazil for less that £400!? And now I cant even remember which website I was on with flights at this price...grrrrr.

Sorry to be a pain, youve been a great help.

1. Yes, pretty sure but there's no need for u to travel.

2. Try http://www.skyscanner.net might be Europe only tho. 400 quid not bad tho - it's a long way, cost me 250 to Vienna recently....