# British citizen marrying US military citizen



## Alanwhat (May 2, 2015)

Hi all, my fiancé and I are trying to work out the best course of action. He's serving in the military at the moment in the US so had to sacrifice his UK citizenship to do so. We are looking to get married and for me to go out there and live while he serves. What's the best course of action? To marry in the uk and apply for spouse visa or to apply for a fiancé visa to marry in the us? Any other options

Thank you


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Whatever suits your own situation better.

Presuming your partner is a US citizen:

- get married in the US (easier than in UK) then YOU return to the UK and apply for the spouse visa. Currently taking about 9 to 12 months. You could visit the US in the meantime. You get your green card on entry and can work almost immediately.

- apply for a fiance visa - taking about 6 to months. You travel to the US when you obtain the visa, get married within 6 months, and apply for adjustment of status to permanent status. 

It's a case of waiting in the UK either as wife or fiance.

Green Card Through Family | USCIS


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## Alanwhat (May 2, 2015)

Okay, thank you! They are very hefty timescales - goodness me


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

Crawford said:


> - apply for a fiance visa - taking about 6 to months. You travel to the US when you obtain the visa, get married within 6 months, and apply for adjustment of status to permanent status.
> 
> 
> 
> Green Card Through Family | USCIS


slight error there ...8-10 months is more usual 
and you must marry within 90 day


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Davis1 said:


> slight error there ...8-10 months is more usual
> and you must marry within 90 day


Quite correct..... getting the time to marry on the UK fiance visa mixed up with the US one !


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

He made a choice when he joined the U.S. Armed Forces. It is an all volunteer army no draft.

You may want to look into getting married in the US for the sake of benefits as military spouse from taxes to life insurance. If you do so make sure you get enrolled in DEERS and Tricare even if you live in the UK waiting for your petition to go through. Get a Power of Attorney as soon as you are married. Some things make deployments easier as there is now a lot of support for families but none for girlfriends.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

twostep said:


> You may want to look into getting married in the US for the sake of benefits....


The "in the U.S." part here is not a requirement. I think you're trying to say (simply) there are likely benefit advantages in getting legally married (where convenient) sooner rather than later, and that's true.


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## Alanwhat (May 2, 2015)

It seems like (from what I gather) getting married in the UK has a shorter timescale that applying for the fiancé visa to do it in the US


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

It's about the same.

It's more correct to simply refer to how you wait outside the United States: as a fiancé(e), or as a married spouse. You can get married in the United States while a tourist. You just have to leave and wait outside the U.S. until immigration permission is granted (CR-1 or IR-1 visa).

One potential disadvantage of the K-1 visa is that, once you enter the U.S. and marry, you have to go through an adjustment of status step in order to get work permission. With the CR-1/IR-1 visa it's probably a bit faster (from start to finish) to achieve U.S. employability. Also, some couples get married sooner rather than later in order to enjoy particular marital benefits, if applicable.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

BBCWatcher said:


> The "in the U.S." part here is not a requirement. I think you're trying to say (simply) there are likely benefit advantages in getting legally married (where convenient) sooner rather than later, and that's true.


He is US citizen and US military. A bit more paperwork and a lot more time and effort to get married in the UK.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Alanwhat said:


> It seems like (from what I gather) getting married in the UK has a shorter timescale that applying for the fiancé visa to do it in the US


No! Ask in the UK forum what is involved in marrying a foreigner in the UK. In the US it is a trip to the courthouse, sometimes a blood test.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

twostep said:


> He is US citizen and US military. A bit more paperwork and a lot more time and effort to get married in the UK.


Who said they had to get married specifically in the United Kingdom either?

Denmark works, to pick a random example of a place where it's easy to get married.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

BBCWatcher said:


> Who said they had to get married specifically in the United Kingdom either?
> 
> Denmark works, to pick a random example of a place where it's easy to get married.


That is a used to location.


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