# Marriage Visitor Visa vs. UK Fiancee visa



## jentobeharrison (Jun 5, 2013)

Hello! I am new on this site and I have a pretty numbers of questions! Hope there is someone who can help me feel confident in applying either of the two visas I put on my title.

Lemme share you my story.

I am a filipina, 21 years old I met my british boyfriend online last January 31 2013. He's 27 with a daughter, (3 years old, not living with him) never got married, totally single. He's working in a stable company and earns 20K more gbp annually. He has an apartment but he rented it out and he's living with his mum now so he can save a lot as he's also the landlord of his apartment, but he's just renting it out for a year. At his mum's house, they are just two of them and with three bed rooms.

Became officially his gf February, he went here last May and we lived together for 6 days, got engaged (no rings yet) and planning to get married.

PLAN A: is to marry here but it would be impossible for him to go off from work for about more than ten days as CNI would be released after 21 days or 10 days. So we didnt push through that first plan.

PLAN B: is to have fiancee visa. But I am afraid that it might get refused since I don't know which evidence I should show just to prove that our relationship is genuine, it will be very devastating to be refuse and it costs really alot.

PLAN C; I would take a leave of absence from my work for about a month and get married in UK since my fiance cannot go here and stay for such days and it just costs 80 GBP

My boyfriend and I are really into PLAN C but I have lots of worries.
Questions:

1. My boyfriend will shoulder all expenses, will ECO also look for my properties and savings? FYI, I don't have any properties and savings. If they will, how much do you think is enough?

(What I can show them to prove that I will go back here before my visa expires is an evidence that I am just on leave of absence in my company, and also my round trip ticket)

2. What are the specific requirements that I will be needing?

3. Once we get married and I got back here, is it okay to apply for spouse visa as soon as I get back?

4. What are the chances of being refused on this PLAN C visa?

5. Anyone who had the same route? or experience? Please feel free to share it here on my thread.

Thank you very much for patiently answering my questions.


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## AmyD (Jan 12, 2013)

Plan C won't work for you if you plan to live in the UK. That's for people who plan to marry in the UK and live elsewhere. It sounds like you want to live in England so your choices are 1.) Fiancé visa or 2.) Marriage visa.

Your boyfriend must be making 18,600 per year, plus have adequate accommodation, and you must prove the relationship is genuine. Since you haven't spent much time together, you need to really show everything you have - Skype records, emails, etc. If you apply for a fiancé visa, you must prove the wedding plans are well advanced.

To answer your questions:

1. No, only his accounts matter.
2. See above, and check the UKBA website.
3. Yes.
4. 100% since that's not what the visa is for.


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## jentobeharrison (Jun 5, 2013)

Are you really sure that I am not allowed to live with my fiance even if I get back here? Thats not what I understood

Plan C is just to have marriage in UK and I will go back here in the Philippines AND apply for a spouse visa. Thats what people are saying too.


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## AmyD (Jan 12, 2013)

I'm not sure where you get that you can't live with your fiancé? You can live with your fiancé if you come over on a fiancé visa or if you're married.


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## AnAmericanInScotland (Feb 8, 2012)

jentobeharrison said:


> Are you really sure that I am not allowed to live with my fiance even if I get back here? Thats not what I understood
> 
> Plan C is just to have marriage in UK and I will go back here in the Philippines AND apply for a spouse visa. Thats what people are saying too.


On your Plan C, you would be coming to the UK on a *general* visitor visa with the intention of being married whilst here, then returning to the Philippines to apply for the Leave to Enter (Spouse).

Plan C WILL NOT WORK, because:

If you arrive to the UK on a general visitor visa and announce your plan to the person at the border (and trust us, they WILL ask), you will likely be put on the next plane back to the Philippines. 

If you are somehow able to convince the nice person at the border that you WILL NOT be staying after the wedding, you will still have the problem of convincing the Registrar of that+the added concern that there are rules governing marriages in the UK between UK citizens and non-residents. Rules that your Plan C do not meet.

One of those rules is that you and your intended spouse must endure a waiting period after your arrival before the marriage can be performed, and second, that you arrive with a marriage visitor' visa. Under your Plan C you don't mention that special visa...

If you arrive to the UK with a 'marriage visitor' visa, however, *to obtain said visa you must have declared that you and your intended spouse do not mean to live in the UK*. 

So your best options are: to have him go to the Philippines, marry there, and then he returns to the UK whilst you put together a visa application (Leave to Enter (spouse) ) and submit it.

OR apply for the fiancee visa. On the fiancee visa you are able to come to the UK, live with your intended spouse, marry within the six months of the visa grant, and then apply whilst still in the UK to switch the fiancee visa to the probationary spouse visa. 

Personally I think really your best option is to have him go over to the Philippines and do a lovely wedding with all of your family being photographed clearly pleased about the addition to the family (useful for the spouse visa application-pictures of the wedding should include snaps of family and friends having a great time because they are so thrilled you found the 'right one'), and then put him on the plane back to the UK.

If you go with the Philippines wedding, be sure he brings all the originals of the 'supporting documents' you need to submit your LTE (Spouse) visa application-this will save time after the wedding and possibly reduce the amount of time the two of you are apart after the wedding. 

He should be reading, downloading, and studying all of the information on the UKBA site for which ever visa you choose, but especially the LTE (Spouse) pages if you decide to go with the Philippines wedding. That way he'll understand exactly what paperwork he needs to provide you so that you have a better chance at making a successful visa application.

Finally, going with the Philippines wedding is a good idea because it will save you money in the long run-paying for the financee visa and then the switch to the spouse visa means spending twice the amount of money. Ouchie!

His plane ticket to the Philippines will be much less than the burden of the two visa application costs!


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## jentobeharrison (Jun 5, 2013)

Okay I guess we are not in the same page. I have indicated on my post that my fiance cannot really go off from work for about 10 days or more, or else he will lose his job. So instead him going here, I will be the one who will go there and get married. 

My fault, I forgot to put something on my first post:

Our Plan C is to apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa. I will take a leave from my work for about a month just to get married there since my boy cant stay here for more than 10 days. Once I get married, I will go back HERE in the Philippines to continue working whilst applying for a spouse visa. 

My fiance and I have been studying all of these kind of visas, getting married here is really impossible, applying for a fiancee visa would be really a pain in the arse as it is so expensive and we are quite scared to get refused for 850 gbp. So it would be fine to get refused for 80 gbp and fiancee visa will be our next option. 

I wouldnt stay in UK for 6 months or more as I have a job here. I will go there just to get married. That's it.

I really wanted to get married here in the Philippines but we cannot sacrifice his job as it will be the basis of everything. Sigh.


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## jentobeharrison (Jun 5, 2013)

AmyD said:


> I'm not sure where you get that you can't live with your fiancé? You can live with your fiancé if you come over on a fiancé visa or if you're married.


No, because on your first post, you were telling me that once my boyfriend and I got married in UK, we have to live outside UK which made me confused because what I know is that I will just be the one who will leave UK once I get married and get back here in the Phils and obtain a spouse visa.


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## AnAmericanInScotland (Feb 8, 2012)

jentobeharrison said:


> Okay I guess we are not in the same page. I have indicated on my post that my fiance cannot really go off from work for about 10 days or more, or else he will lose his job. So instead him going here, I will be the one who will go there and get married.
> 
> My fault, I forgot to put something on my first post:
> 
> ...


Your Plan C WILL NOT WORK because of the following (I've highlighted and underlined the important points; link to UKBA page follows the quotes):



> If you want to come to the UK to get married or register a civil partnership, *and you and your partner intend to leave the country within 6 months*, you can apply for a visa as a visitor for marriage or civil partnership.





> I*f you want to live in the UK after your marriage or civil partnership ceremony, you cannot come here as a visitor*. Our Partners and families section explains how you can apply to come to the UK.


See this page:

UK Border Agency | Visitors for marriage or civil partnership

If you use the marriage visitor visa and then apply for the LTE (Spouse) visa on your return to the Philippines, you will have violated the terms of the marriage visitor visa. 

Please note per above and at the posted link-the marriage visitor visa is ONLY for engaged couples who plan to LEAVE the UK and take up residence somewhere outside the UK. 

*Since you plan to be married, return to the Philippines and then apply for the LTE (Spouse) visa which would permit you to return to the UK to live with your new spouse IN THE UK, you do not qualify for the marriage visitor visa.*

On your LTE (Spouse) application form you will be asked about previous visas to the UK-you must disclose any visa information. Once they see that you had the marriage visitor visa and are now violating the terms of that visa by requesting a LTE (Spouse) visa so that you can return to the UK to take up married life, they will very likely refuse your application.

I'm sorry, I know this whole process is difficult, but the fact remains that the marriage visa is out of the question for you UNLESS you and your intended spouse plan to LEAVE the UK to live permanently outside of the UK.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

jentobeharrison said:


> Okay I guess we are not in the same page. I have indicated on my post that my fiance cannot really go off from work for about 10 days or more, or else he will lose his job. So instead him going here, I will be the one who will go there and get married.
> 
> My fault, I forgot to put something on my first post:
> 
> Our Plan C is to apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa. I will take a leave from my work for about a month just to get married there since my boy cant stay here for more than 10 days. Once I get married, I will go back HERE in the Philippines to continue working whilst applying for a spouse visa.



This is fine. In general, the Marriage Visit visa is for those who plan to marry in the UK but then live elsewhere. However, there are those who go this route and the non- UK spouse returns to their country usually because the UK spouse has not yet met the financial requirement or there is some other reason why they are not quite ready to join the their spouse in the UK.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

With all due respect to AnAmericanInScotland, it is permitted to take out marriage visitor visa, get married and return home, and then apply for LTE as partner (spouse). There have even been cases of someone getting married while on general visitor leave, returning home and then applying for settlement visa on the family route. They have acknowledged they should not have married on a general visitor leave, and UKBA accepted it.


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## jentobeharrison (Jun 5, 2013)

Thank you Joppa.

As the big question on my mind, will they look on my savings too? I dont have any and properties. I just can save few from my salary. but I cannot save a lot since we are planning to get married in October.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

They won't look at your savings unless you declare them, and you only declare if savings are needed to meet the financial requirement, but since your boyfriend earns enough, it shouldn't be necessary. I'm talking about settlement visa. For a visitor's visa, your savings will form part of your funds to pay for your costs of visiting UK.


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## AmyD (Jan 12, 2013)

jentobeharrison said:


> No, because on your first post, you were telling me that once my boyfriend and I got married in UK, we have to live outside UK which made me confused because what I know is that I will just be the one who will leave UK once I get married and get back here in the Phils and obtain a spouse visa.


You misunderstood what I was saying.


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## jentobeharrison (Jun 5, 2013)

Joppa, thanks for the info.

We are currently working and just had our last decision for Marriage Visitor Visa as I will just be staying in UK for a month and return here. I am really afraid, I don't have savings, I don't have travel history as well. If you have an idea, how much do you think I will be needing in my savings or my "show money" to be able to pass this visa, or for the immigration in UK airport to let me enter UK?


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