# Holiday whilst on UK Settlement Visa



## lauy (Jul 5, 2010)

Hi All, 

I'm new to this forum, nice to meet you.

My fiancee from China will apply for a UK Settlement visa soon, in order to join me (British Citizen) in the UK and then we will get married later this year (I believe we will have 6 months time to get married)

My question is, will she be allowed to leave the UK for a holiday whilst she is on a UK Settlement Visa? The reason being we would like to go abroad for our honeymoon if possible.

Also, what is the difference between a UK Settlement Visa and a UK Spouse Visa? I know that once we are married she will need to apply for a 2 year married spouse visa........will this be an extension to the original 6 month settlement visa and will we need to pay an extra fee?

Thanks for your help


Allen


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

lauy said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I'm new to this forum, nice to meet you.
> 
> ...


Let me clarify your timetable:
First your fiancée applies in China for her fiancée visa (settlement) at the British Consulate-General. This allows her to come to UK to be married within 6 months of arrival. Following her wedding, she will have to make a fresh application to the Home Office for further leave to remain (FLR), valid up to 27 months, as someone married to a British citizen FLR(M). It's a fresh application and she will have to pay either £475 for slow postal service or £730 for premium service. She should not leave UK until she gets hold of her FLR, which will be in the form of a plastic identity card, as she will encounter problems when returning to UK without it. Obviously the thing to do is to get all your supporting documents ready for her FLR application, and phone for an appointment at one of the public enquiry offices for premium service for a day after your wedding (say, the next working day) and hopefully she will receive her FLR by post within a few days and you can leave for your honeymoon together.
So to answer your questions:
No, she should not leave UK with only her fiancée visa, as others who have done it experienced a lot of bother at the immigration on return.
What she gets in China is a fiancée visa, which is specifically for coming to UK to be married with the intention of staying on. Following her marriage she will have to get further leave to remain as a spouse. It's not an extension of her visa as such, but another leave from Home Office to enable her to live as a spouse of a British citizen/permanent resident because of her changed status - from a fiancée to a wife. I'm afraid she will have to pay again.
UK Border Agency | Applying as a husband, wife or civil partner from inside the UK


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## lauy (Jul 5, 2010)

Hi Joppa

Thank you for your clear instructions and advice on this matter, it's much appreciated. I will do as you suggested.

Regards,

Allen


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