Getting Married In the UK then moving to the US? Will we need Visas?

[Rosie Lou 0]

I'm not sure if this is the right post location but hopefully it's okay?

I'm new to Visa Journey and am hoping to get some information.

My boyfriend and I are trying to get married and live together in the US but theres a few problems so we're trying to find out how to go about this.

I'm from the US and hes form the UK, we wanted to do the Fiancee Visa for him to come to the US and get married but I won't be able to sponsor him, and I don't have any available co sponsors. In the UK however he would be able to sponsor me with the help of his parents as co sponsors. The only problem is we don't want to live in the UK we want to live in the US.

So we're planning on having me come out for a few months on a wavier (because its been 2 and a half years since we've seen each other) and then I come back to the US (I also need to find out if I can apply for the UK Fiancee visa while in the UK - I don't think you could though?) and apply for a UK Fiancee Visa for us to get married in the UK.

Here are my questions:

1. If we got married in the UK on a UK Fiancee visa would we be able to both come back to the US and live (I've heard of Dual Citizenship)?

2. If we got married in the UK on a UK Fiancee visa would we have to apply for another visa for us both to come back to the US?

3. If we got married in the UK on a UK Fiancee visa would we HAVE to live in the UK for 2 years then apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)? Or would we have to live in the UK for 2 years then get Dual Citizenship?

4. Would I be able to apply for the marriage visa UK Fiancee visa while I'm on the UK wavier? (I wouldn't have thought so)

I know this is a US visa site but I figured there might be some kind of visa we'd both have to go on or just he'd have to go on to come back to the US and live.

Thank you so much for your answers in advanced! If you need any extra information I'll be happy to add it in!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Moving this thread from the Immigration News and Discussion Forum to the UK Regional Forum as the most appropriate location to get the requested information

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Welcome to VJ

If he ever wants to live and work in the US based on marriage you, he will need a fiance visa (K1) or a spouse visa (IR1 or CR1). He will also require a sponsor with either one. He will not be a dual citizen just by marrying you. US citizenship is possible down the road. The road starts with the visa process.

There is a menu item at the top that says Guides. Look through some of the options. The K1 flowchart is a good overview.

I don't know enough about living in the UK to comment.

Edited June 4, 2011 by Nich-Nick

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

1. US citizenship for him is a while down the road. First he would need to get a visa, leading to a greencard. Yes you can apply for this while in the UK, but you still need to financially sponsor him, just like with the K1 fiance visa, and his UK parents cannot help (neither can his or your UK income).

2. Yes, you would apply for a CR-1 spousal visa for him; it leads to a greencard upon arrival in the USA and so he could work right away once in the USA, IF he can find a job in this economy.

3/4 Not sure, as this is about UK laws.

[ZedbraGuy 6]

To Marry in the UK you're supposed to have a visa, but a lot of people don't bother, it's not really inforced. And even if you do get one it doesn't take very long

However, to move to the US whatever method is used you'll need to sponsor the application.

To gain UK residency you'd need to be living together for three years, but thats not really relevant if you don't want to live here

[Shermeen&Adam 0]

Welcome. Let me just say right off, if your goal is to move to the US, don't move to the UK. We did this a few years back, my husband (USC) moved to the UK to marry and live with me. Though our ultimate goal was to move to the US eventually, I wasn't quite ready to leave my friends and family, so he moved here. Now we're in a long immigration progress to move me over there because the UK really wasn't what he expected.

I suppose our story is neither here nor there but whether you're married or living in the US or UK makes no difference to the financial requirements when sponsoring your spouse or fiance.

1) Find a joint sponsor who can help you bring your fiance to the US to marry. Or marry him in the UK (if you like) and sponsor him as your husband. I think that CR1/IR1 is slightly cheaper than a fiance visa because no adjustments need to be made afterwards but you'd have to look into that because I'm not familiar with the K1 process.

It is much easier to move to the UK and you say his family can help and he has an income of his own. But if you move to the UK and marry, when it comes time to move to the US, you still have to prove that you can support him financially. What you have to ask yourself is whether you want to live in the UK or US and how long for?

2)You can move to the UK to marry, I read somewhere that you no longer need a certificate of approval to do this. Check out a website called UKResident, there will be lot's of information about how to move to the UK. Once you're married you can apply to remain for 2 years. Once those two years are up you can apply to remain indefinitely but this is not the same as citizenship. so you will not have dual citizenship and neither will your husband.

2a) When the time comes to move to the US, you can apply for his visa at the US embassy in London. You will need to show that you can support him financially, that you've been a good citizen whilst living overseas (paying taxes) and that you intend to re-establish your life in the US.

I hope I didn't make things sound complicated, it's really not too bad. You just have to be sure of what you want and make sure that you can afford your plans. Do lots of research and talk it over with your fiance.

Ps, whether you have leave to remain or dual citizenship, you will always be a US citizen, so you won't need a visa to move back to the US.

[Karen2011 0]

Getting married in UK is not easy. You have to obtain permission after you have fiancy visa. Then you have to give notice of marriage and after 28 days finally you will be allowed to marry.

Getting fiancy visa would take 12 weeks plus waiting time in UK for overseas spouse wouldn't be easy for some people.

[Helen Louise Pile 80]

I'm not sure if this is the right post location but hopefully it's okay?

I'm new to Visa Journey and am hoping to get some information.

My boyfriend and I are trying to get married and live together in the US but theres a few problems so we're trying to find out how to go about this.

I'm from the US and hes form the UK, we wanted to do the Fiancee Visa for him to come to the US and get married but I won't be able to sponsor him, and I don't have any available co sponsors. In the UK however he would be able to sponsor me with the help of his parents as co sponsors. The only problem is we don't want to live in the UK we want to live in the US.

So we're planning on having me come out for a few months on a wavier (because its been 2 and a half years since we've seen each other) and then I come back to the US (I also need to find out if I can apply for the UK Fiancee visa while in the UK - I don't think you could though?) and apply for a UK Fiancee Visa for us to get married in the UK.

Here are my questions:

1. If we got married in the UK on a UK Fiancee visa would we be able to both come back to the US and live (I've heard of Dual Citizenship)?

2. If we got married in the UK on a UK Fiancee visa would we have to apply for another visa for us both to come back to the US?

3. If we got married in the UK on a UK Fiancee visa would we HAVE to live in the UK for 2 years then apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)? Or would we have to live in the UK for 2 years then get Dual Citizenship?

4. Would I be able to apply for the marriage visa UK Fiancee visa while I'm on the UK wavier? (I wouldn't have thought so)

I know this is a US visa site but I figured there might be some kind of visa we'd both have to go on or just he'd have to go on to come back to the US and live.

Thank you so much for your answers in advanced! If you need any extra information I'll be happy to add it in!

Figuring out what path to take is very confusing It seems people have given good advice for your questions about moving to US. Here's what I know:

You used to have to apply for a "Certificate Of Approval" from the Home Office to get married in the UK. That law has now changed: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/while-in-uk/marriageandcivilpartnership/documents/

If you want to stay in the UK after marriage, you need a Fiance visa: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/partnersandfamilies/partners/fianceesproposedcivilpartners/

If you just want to go to the UK, get married then start proceedings to move to the US. You need to apply for "entry clearance for marriage visitors": http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/while-in-uk/marriageandcivilpartnership/documents/#

In my (limited) experience, I found that companies in the UK who offer wedding packages to foreign couples had good information on this stuff.

Or...do the K1 and get married in the US (in order to do this you will have to (get to) see each other as you must have met in person within the last 2 years)

In the end we decided that the K1 was the route for us because we'd rather be apart during our 'engagement' than the first 6 months of our marriage. (plus the Certificate of Approval was still required then)

Whatever happens,you are going to be apart and you are going to have to find a way to sponsor him if you want to live in the US.

Good luck!!

[Helen Louise Pile 80]

(I cannot edit my post)

So,

Just to clarify:

UK wedding package company's will likely have information on the entry clearance for marriage visitors only. It is unlikely they can help you with the other stuff

[Fandango 1,439]

Oh Rosie Lou, you are in for a rude awakening. Your UK boyfriend/fiance/husband cannot come here through marriage without being sponsored by you. It doesn't matter to the gov't whether you're married or not. You getting dual citizenship doesn't affect his ability to emigrate to the US.

If he can sponsor you, and you truly want to spend the rest of your lives together, you'd have to go there to live. Or, get a second/better job so that you can qualify to sponsor him. AND if you go that route, you have to have met in person with proof within the past 2 years as well.

Good luck

Edited June 7, 2011 by Anita Cocktail

[NavarreMan 10]

Here's my $0.02 worth...

So far all the info you have been given seems accurate and should prove helpful. One thing I have not heard mention of so far is the cost of the process. I am not fully up on the current fees but my wife immigrated 3 years ago and we are just now getting to the point of her gaining citizenship. All-in I'd say the process has cost around $8,000.00. Some have spent more, some less. This includes airfare, fees and other related costs. If you do not qualify for sponsorship, these expenses should be very carefully considered prior to starting this endeavor. Mistakes are usually costly and time-consuming. The guides here on VJ are a wealth of consolidated knowledge and experience and are invaluable to couples such as yourself trying to find your happiness. Trust the guides more so than the advice of individuals. I've seen many people given bad advice on here, not always intentionally but bad none the less. The guides are the bare essentials and easy to follow.

Good luck and best wishes!

[rallybug 17]

NavarreMan is correct - I worked it out a few weeks ago and, at current prices, a K-1 Fiance(e) visa to citizenship in the USA will cost about $3,350 in fees alone, and would take around 4 years to get citizenship from the time the USC files the petition.

Add in flights and incidentals, and it could easily reach $8000 or more.

[NavarreMan 10]

Here's my $0.02 worth...

So far all the info you have been given seems accurate and should prove helpful. One thing I have not heard mention of so far is the cost of the process. I am not fully up on the current fees but my wife immigrated 3 years ago and we are just now getting to the point of her gaining citizenship. All-in I'd say the process has cost around $8,000.00. Some have spent more, some less. This includes airfare, fees and other related costs. If you do not qualify for sponsorship, these expenses should be very carefully considered prior to starting this endeavor. Mistakes are usually costly and time-consuming. The guides here on VJ are a wealth of consolidated knowledge and experience and are invaluable to couples such as yourself trying to find your happiness. Trust the guides more so than the advice of individuals. I've seen many people given bad advice on here, not always intentionally but bad none the less. The guides are the bare essentials and easy to follow.

Good luck and best wishes!

Addendum to my post - the cost I mentioned was for my wife & her son. Maybe knock off 2k or so for fees + airfare. Still, $6k is a good deal of money and it was over 3 years ago. Airfare has gone up dramatically since then and the fees have increased quite a bit.

Edited June 8, 2011 by NavarreMan