Do you want to move to the UK alongside your fiancee? If so, this is the article for you! The United Kingdom Fiance Visa (also known as the Fiancée Visa, or Engagement Visa) is part of the family visa program and allows foreign nationals over the age of 18 to visit the United Kingdom to marry or form a civil partnership with a British national or a permanent resident. If you get your hands on this visa, you have 6 months to marry your other half. Do you plan on doing this sometime soon, and do you wish to know more about it? The purpose of this Visa is to will allow you to enter the country and stay with your spouse for an initial duration of 33 months. If you have questions and want to know more about this process, keep on reading and find your answers below!
1. What you need to prove and prepare
In addition to being a cause for celebration, tying the knot with a Brit opens the door to a better life in the United Kingdom.
If you want to get married in the United Kingdom, you’ll need to contact your local civil registration office.
It’s crucial that both parties show up there.
If the foreign spouse already has the appropriate visa, such as a UK fiancée/fiancé visa or a UK marriage visitor visa, the marriage can be registered in 28 days.
You can still give notice if you don’t have a visa, but the registration office will notify the Home Office and it could take up to 70 days to process your application. Here is a list of items that you need to submit in this case:
A copy of the photo page from the birth certificate and a valid passport is required
Documentation attesting to the legal termination of any previous marriages
2. Who is eligible for it
To be eligible for the Fiance Visa, you and your future spouse must satisfy a number of requirements. Some of them that you have to meet are:
Both you and your companion must be of age in your nation. After that, you must show that you intend to get married within six months of the visa’s issuance.
After being married, you and your spouse must intend to make the United Kingdom your permanent residence.
If you want to get married, you must demonstrate that you and your partner are financially secure and will not need government assistance. How does one prove this? There must be a minimum annual household income of $18,600. If you meet this requirement, make sure that you also show that it is a safe, secure, and spacious healthy environment to live in.
3. Financial requirements
Did you know that as a temporary resident of the United Kingdom, you are ineligible to use public funds while you are in possession of this visa?
In addition to being unable to work in the United Kingdom, you are also prohibited from engaging in paid employment. This means that you have to have enough money (and also prove that you have enough money) to support yourself within this six-month period. On the other end, your fiance must earn at least £18,600 per year. This charge increases to £2,400 for each accompanying child or dependent. You can also combine your earnings later on. This applies to compensation for illness, maternity, paternity, adoption shares, or stock property, such as rent, which can supply the required income.
4. English language requirement
Applicants for a fiancé visa must demonstrate proficiency in the English language, as the most important (yet bare minimum) requirement.
This can be achieved in three different ways:
Through testing: This is done by passing a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) examination in English at an authorized testing facility. You will pass the test if you can meet A1 in both writing and oral examination.
Qualifications in the academic realm: any type of earned degree within academics can help your case.
Exemption: With everything in life, there are always exemptions. If you belong to one of the exempt categories, you do not need to worry about whether or not your English skills are adequate. These are: you are well past the retirement age + you do not match the requirements due to a mental or physical medical condition. This has to be established by a healthcare professional.
5. The waiting time
The waiting time and the waiting game can be the toughest ones.
When applying for a UK Fiance Visa from overseas, you should anticipate waiting at least 12 weeks for a response from the Home Office (3 months). Which is a pretty normal waiting period.
The application price of £95 is the same for both the UK Marriage Visitor Visa and the UK Standard Visitor Visa.
The fees for a UK Fiancée/Fiancé visa are significantly higher, starting at £1,033 in the UK and rising to £1,523 if you apply for the visa from outside the country. During this waiting time, the two of you can focus on the wedding part of the whole process. Just know that once you are in the country you have 6 months to tie the knot. If you do not get married before your visa expires, you must leave the UK and go through the same process again, which can be draining & expensive.
Do you need help with your visa?
We know that this process can look & feel scary, especially if you are not a Native English speaker. There is a ton of requirements that you have to meet. If you have more questions and you demand help from a team of experts, we got your back! This site will help you and will work with you to find a customized solution for your immigration, second citizenship, business, tax, and other needs. Check them out and find all answers in one place https://imperiallegal.com/media/articles/how-to-obtain-a-uk-fiancee-fiance-or-spouse-visa