Uk Marriage Visa

[jmlparker]

Dear All

I need to apply for a UK marriage visa for my Thai Fiancée.

We have been together since December 2007, and I have visited her three times in Thailand and she has come to the UK 2 times on UK Visitor Visa's.

Can anybody give me any specific advice regarding applying for a marriage visa, to ensure that we have the best chance of success?

Additionally I have two further queries.

1. Her current tourist visa expires on the 28th November, can we apply for the marriage visa whilst she is in the UK or does the application need to be made in the country of origin?

2. Do we have to wait until the tourist visa expires before we apply for the new marriage visa?

Many thanks in advance.

Jonathan & Piya

[TickTock]

1. Country of Origin

2. No, my Mrs applied for a Settlement Visa in Thailand in March and still had a Visit Visa valid until May.

[7by7]

Are you asking about a marriage visit visa, or a settlement visa as your fiance?

If the former, see VAT6 Special Visitor: Marriage/Civil partnership visit (not settlement) .

If the latter:-

1) A visit visa cannot be extended or converted to settlement in the UK. If you wish to marry while she is here with her current visa you will first need to obtain a Certificate of Approval. However, this confers no rights of settlement and she would still have to leave the UK when her current visa expires.

If settlement is what you both want she has to apply in her country of residence; presumably this is Thailand?

2) Once she has returned home she can apply for a settlement visa before her visit visa expires.

You may find the following helpful:-

Maintenance and accommodation

SET01- Fiancé(e)s

Requirement for Tuberculosis testing for applicants visiting the UK for longer than 6 months

[7by7]

Are you asking about a marriage visit visa, or a settlement visa as your fiance?

If the former, see VAT6 Special Visitor: Marriage/Civil partnership visit (not settlement) .

Should have added that normally a visitor cannot spend more than 6 months out of any 12 in the UK. Therefore if she returns home after a 6 month visit in the UK she should wait for another 6 months before applying for this, otherwise she may be refused.

This 6 months out of 12 convention wont apply if she is applying for settlement; in which case she can apply immediately she returns home.

[jmlparker]

Hi

Many thanks to those that have helped us so far.

In relation to providing evidence of our wedding, can anybody advise exactly what they are looking for? Bearing in mind that I cannot actually book anything until my Fiancee is in the UK.

The guidance states "The ECO can reasonably expect the couple to have made some tentative plans for the wedding. Any evidence that may be available that wedding arrangements are in hand may help in this respect."

Kind regards

Jonathan

[ThaiVisaExpress]

You cannot make any booking until the foreign national arrives in the UK your local registrar will confirm this just quote AECIP/83/03 i think that's the reference number.

If you require professional help feel free to pm me we have an office in Thailand/UK

[7by7]

The guidance states "The ECO can reasonably expect the couple to have made some tentative plans for the wedding. Any evidence that may be available that wedding arrangements are in hand may help in this respect."

Simply give an approximate date and venue.

[Brigante7]

When my wife came over to the UK on a fiance visa in 2006 I had booked both the minister and the reception for November 2006 but I explained about her waiting for her visa and so made another booking for January 2007 but both the minister and the reception venue wrote a letter stating I had booked and paid a deposit for the wedding and reception for November 2006 and I had to include both of those letters with her visa application as that was a requirement. She applied for her visa in June 2006 and got the decision in August2006 and picked her visa up in October 2006, infact she picked up her visa the same day that the coup started in 2006.

Brigante7.

[aubutie]

I think that they understand that its difficult to make and prove any concrete plans for a wedding prior to being given the visa. I provided none other than simply stating that it was our intention to do this in a supporting letter, perhaps you could consider including letters stating that they know you and that it is your intention to get married from other members of your family or others who know you that are in a postion of some authority, eg church, employer etc may be helpful

The proof you provide that you are in a committed relationship and have been for some time, and that you can live without recourse to public funds is perhaps far more of a priority to them

goodluck

[steve187]

A couple that I know went to the registry office to book a wedding whilst the wife as she is now was here on a Fiancée visa and was told to come back when she could fully understand what was happening, so to pre book the wedding would be almost impossible banns have to be published etc. getting married in thailand is so much easier in my opinion.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Again you simply cannot book a wedding i have posted the email from the registrar again here it is :

Duly enclosed:

AECIP 83/03 states :

"A reminder has now issued to all our offices overseas (under reference AECIP 83/03). The relevant section of this AECIP reads as follows:

"1. There has been some confusion over whether ECOs [Entry Clearance Officers] should be asking for confirmation of wedding bookings at a registry office. This should not be happening. Registrars cannot make arrangements until the foreign national has arrived in the UK.

"2. ECMs [Managers] are therefore asked to re-acquaint themselves and their staff with the procedures outlined in DSP 13.9".

Regards

Paul

[Thongkorn]

The easy thing to do is go to Thailand get married put your Settlement visa in then return to the UK , when your Thai lady gets her settlement visa just get married again in the UK,

[ThaiVisaExpress]

The easy thing to do is go to Thailand get married put your Settlement visa in then return to the UK , when your Thai lady gets her settlement visa just get married again in the UK,

How on earth do you get married twice ?

You got legally married in Bangkok otherwise you could not be issued with a settlement visa.

You are already married legally what do you do nip down the church and advise i got married 3 months ago, i got an hour spare can we just tie the knot again .

I think you mean perhaps a blessing of some sort am i missing something here ?

[Brigante7]

A couple that I know went to the registry office to book a wedding whilst the wife as she is now was here on a Fiancée visa and was told to come back when she could fully understand what was happening, so to pre book the wedding would be almost impossible banns have to be published etc. getting married in thailand is so much easier in my opinion.

I'm sorry Steve187 but you are wrong, I know i've done it, also the banns only have to be published 2 weeks before the ceremony. I went to see the minister before my g/f arrived in the Uk and explained about her visa situation and he said no problem but he did say that he had to see her passport with the fiance visa and the covering letter from the embassy in Thailand to ensure she was legaly entitled to be in the Uk and to get married in the UK.

Brigante7.

[7by7]

Brigante, Steve is not wrong; neither are you.

It needs to be remembered that the procedure is slightly different between a registry office wedding and a church wedding.

One cannot book a registry office wedding unless both parties attend to make the booking; so obviously you cannot book it until you have the visa and your partner has arrived in the UK. See the quote from AECIP 83/03 by TVE above.

A church may be more flexible on this point.

A registry office may also refuse to conduct a wedding if they feel that one of the parties cannot understand what is happening.