# Marriage Visitor Visa Refused - Please help!



## iuhhui (Oct 14, 2015)

Hello, could someone please help me?

I have applied for Marriage Visitor Visa a week ago. And I have received the refusal today. I am Thai, my boyfriend (to be husband) is an American working in the UK under Tier 2 General Migrant Visa. We plan to give notice in Jan and get married in Mar 2016. 

This is from my refusal letter.
"- In support of your application you have submitted evidence of your employment and funds. However, there is no evidence among your supporting documents to suggest that you have made preparations for the marriage i.e. an appointment with the registry office or any other evidence of arrangements to get married in the UK. Therefore you have not provided any documents that demonstrate your intention to marry, that you intend to give notice to marry.

I am therefore also not satisfied that you intend to marry or form a civil partnership in the United Kingdom. Appendix V: paragraphs 6."

I have already filed a complaint (on ukvi-international.faq-help), as this document is not specifically requested on their website, and they have now tarnished my record for being refused a visa. I would have gladly obtain the document they needed if only they have contacted me to ask for it, but they did not give me such chance. So I have asked them to help gaining me a visa (I will provide the document) and rectify my record. The automatic reply said they will reply within 20 working days.

My question is what should I do next? Should I wait for the reply from them? Or should I go ahead and re-apply with everything the same plus "an appointment with the registry office" that they said I lacked. Will I run the risk of them refusing me again on other grounds? I am so confused, could anyone help me please?

Thank you so much for any suggestions you can give.
Hui



For your reference:

I have submitted the following documents:
1. Passport
2. Photo
3. My Bank Statement
4. My Mother's Bank Statement + Her letter of financial support
5. Proof that my family own an apartment in London
6. Letter from my employer stating that I'm on a 1.5years career break
7. Photos and timeline of all the trips my boyfriend and I took together (since 2011)
8. My boyfriend's email saying we are in a genuine relationship and will get married by Mar 2016
9. My boyfriend's copy of Passport and Visa
10. My boyfriend's Offer Letter from work, stating his salary

The following is from my refusal letter:
Your application for a visit visa to the United Kingdom has been refused.

How your application was considered
In deciding whether you meet the requirements of Appendix V: Immigration Rules for visitors (gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-rules), I have considered:

-your application, and any additional relevant information you have provided with it
-your immigration history

The decision
I have refused your application for a visit visa because I am not satisfied that you meet the requirements of paragraph(s) 56D and part V6 of Appendix V of Immigration Rules for Visitors because:

-The onus is on an applicant to demonstrate that they meet the requirements of the UK Immigration Rules. The UKVI Website provides information to visa applicants about the types of documents that they should produce so that they can demonstrate to an Entry Clearance Officer that they meet the rules. We advise applicants that failure to submit such documentation may result in refusal of their application. This decision has been made on the basis of the information and evidence that you have provided with this application.

-You have stated an intention to visit the UK for five months to spend time with your American fiance, Mr xxx, and get married. I am satisfied that your fiancee has sponsored your application and is expecting your visit. I have refused your application for a visit visa because I am not satisfied that you meet the requirements of paragraphs 6.1 and 6.3 of Appendix V: Immigration Rules for Visitors because:

- In support of your application you have submitted evidence of your employment and funds. However, there is no evidence among your supporting documents to suggest that you have made preparations for the marriage i.e. an appointment with the registry office or any other evidence of arrangements to get married in the UK. Therefore you have not provided any documents that demonstrate your intention to marry, that you intend to give notice to marry.

I am therefore also not satisfied that you intend to marry or form a civil partnership in the United Kingdom. Appendix V: paragraphs 6.

Future Applications

Any future UK visa applications you make will be considered on their individual merits, however you are likely to be refused unless:
-your personal circumstances change significantly between no and your next application
-you provide compelling new evidence with your next application

In relation to this decision there is no right of appeal or right to administrative review.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

UKVI site says about marriage visit visa:


> You can also supply the following to support your application:
> details of the marriage or civil partnership and proof that you’ve paid money for some of its costs
> proof that you have given notification of marriage to the register office in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.


https://www.gov.uk/marriage-visa/documents-you-must-provide
So their rejection is reasonable and you have no ground for a complaint. While they could have contacted you and asked for more documents, they aren't obliged to do so and it's up to you to make a full application supplying evidence that fully satisfies the requirement.
I suggest you re-apply - at least the fees are reasonable, providing those additional documents required. Then I think you stand a good chance of being approved.


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## iuhhui (Oct 14, 2015)

Thank you so much Joppa  I'll try to re-apply and will post back on results.

From my point of view though, "you can also supply ..." meant it is optional, and should not be valid ground for rejection. At least they should have contacted me if they need those documents, then reject if I'm unable to provide. They hold me to the letter in what they write on the website, but when it comes to themselves, they can do whatever they want. That is not fair play. 

My Lesson: "you can also supply ..." means "you MUST supply ... "

Just to point out for other readers:
"an appointment with the registry office" can be made online on the website of your chosen registry office in the UK. This appointment costs GBP35 per person (total GBP70). You will need to specify date and time that you intend to go and give your notice of marriage. This appointment can (must, in my case) be obtained prior to applying for the visa, and is not against the law. However, you must wait until you have the Marriage Visitor visa to go and give notice in person at the registry office.


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## iuhhui (Oct 14, 2015)

Oh, and I've found another "trap"

You can also supply the following to support your application:

-details of the marriage or civil partnership and proof that you’ve paid money for some of its costs 
--- I believe "an appointment with the registry office" qualifies as this

-proof that you have given notification of marriage to the register office in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. 
--- I believe you're not supposed to give this notice under other visitor visas except this Marriage Visitor visa. So you will only be able to give it if you're there under tier 2 work visa for example (you can also get married under tier 2 work visa). Many people will make the mistake of giving notice under a tourist visitor visa, and will be discredited when making the application. Tricky tricky.


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## ejw07 (Apr 24, 2015)

Can I add IUhhui

You need to call the registra office make a date for you wedding pay the fee get a recp't
you need to be there 7 day plus another 28 days when you arrive
Also send in the arrangements of your wedding rings invites, 
keep everything and photocopied
flight itinerary, where you will be staying what you will be doing such as day trips sight seeing after the wedding

I just came back Sept 6,2015 from my Marriage in the UK,unfortunately, yes you need to supply a lot...do not decipher the words go with what they ask for.
i can send you exactly what i did...and add it to this post


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

iuhhui said:


> Thank you so much Joppa  I'll try to re-apply and will post back on results.
> 
> From my point of view though, "you can also supply ..." meant it is optional, and should not be valid ground for rejection. At least they should have contacted me if they need those documents, then reject if I'm unable to provide. They hold me to the letter in what they write on the website, but when it comes to themselves, they can do whatever they want. That is not fair play.
> 
> ...


Not necessarily... some people may be wondering what, exactly, they should supply as far as evidence goes. Some of the basics are obvious (wage slips, bank statements, P60, employment letter etc etc etc), but other things, especially those pertaining to a Marriage Visitor/Fiancé(e)/Proposed Civil Partner visa, are not.

When I first applied for my Fiancée visa back in '12, I had all of the basics to show that my (now) husband and I met the financial/housing criteria - we had his salary slips, bank statements, mortgage statement etc to hand and they were the first things that went into the pile... i.e. it was pretty easy to collate this information (he keeps astonishingly good records of everything).

In regards to the proof of the planning of the wedding itself... that was a little more tricky - as I was trying to coordinate this from Vancouver, I had exactly _one_ chance to be in London to get most things sorted between the time that we got engaged (January) and when the application was lodged (July). I ended up submitting the name of the Vicar (noted in our cover letter), the name of the parish church we were going to use and a brochure of the church (that the Vicar had given to us), the receipt for my engagement ring, and the initial contract with the hotel where we were holding our reception that showed what we were looking for as far as desired time, date, seating numbers etc and the payment of a substantial deposit. 

_*None*_ of these things were listed anywhere on the UKVI website as "... MUST supply..." but we sent them in anyway, just to show proof that we were in fact serious about getting married and my staying on long term in the UK, with "show[ing] proof that we were in fact serious about getting married" being the operative idea here - we didn't need to give an accounting of every. last. detail. of the day, but we needed to show what we had an idea of what we had in mind for the day.

As every situation is unique, so is the list of things that one will send in as proof of intent/planning to marry... for instance, not everyone will be married in a church but instead will get married at a Registry Office, so they'd send something from the Registry Office indicating that they'd been in to at least make inquiries about getting married; they may decide that submitting the contract(s) for the bride's hair & make up or the flowers are part of their proof of getting married, while others (like myself) decide that the engagement ring receipt and the reception venue contract are sufficient; other couples who are more on-the-ball might choose to send in a sample copy of their wedding invitation. A couple of limited means who may not have the £££ to spend on a big lavish wedding or a couple with very few friends and family available to come to the wedding might opt to only submit the appointment with the registry office and the booking of a table at a restaurant where they might have a meal with friends/family after the ceremony.

So you see, the options are pretty much limitless as to what the applicant can send in to show that (s)he has done to make preparations for the wedding, so it would be difficult for the UKVI to specify that "... the following *must* be submitted to prove that you have undertaken to make arrangements for your wedding." because not every couple would have every last item on the list immediately to hand (my wedding invitations were hand made and while the materials had come in from the printer's and were sitting in a box in my mother's basement, we didn't even start to make them up until after a decision had been returned on my application).


I'm sorry that your initial application was refused but, as Joppa has stated, at least the £85 application fee is nominal... if you had applied for a regular Fiancé(e) visa, the fee would have cost USD $1501/GBP £ 970/THB ฿ 52,865.22


Good luck to you and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!


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## iuhhui (Oct 14, 2015)

ejw07 said:


> Can I add IUhhui
> 
> You need to call the registra office make a date for you wedding pay the fee get a recp't
> you need to be there 7 day plus another 28 days when you arrive
> ...


ejw07, thank you so much! It would be so great if you could send me exactly what you did  I'm not sure if my Private Message function works yet. If you don't mind, you could just post here. Otherwise I'll figure out how to get my Private Message function to work. Thank you so much again!!


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## iuhhui (Oct 14, 2015)

Thank you so much WestCoastCanadianGirl, I understand your point completely. I must supply things to show that we have made plans for the wedding. I guess I was deciphering the website too much. If they had explained the way you did, I wouldn't have a problem understanding. 

Your examples are extremely helpful and clear. Thank you so much again!!


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

iuhhui said:


> ejw07, thank you so much! It would be so great if you could send me exactly what you did  I'm not sure if my Private Message function works yet. If you don't mind, you could just post here. Otherwise I'll figure out how to get my Private Message function to work. Thank you so much again!!


Do a search of the forum. There are numerous document checklists that you can use as a guide and then post your own for review when ready.


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## AvaMonroe42 (Sep 20, 2015)

Not for nothing but it's so much easier just to tie the knot in the country you DON'T intend to settle in, and then move onto the FLR for UK entry.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Not FLR but spouse visa applied in your home country.


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## iuhhui (Oct 14, 2015)

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'll gather more evidence as recommended  

I guess this experience had taught me to prepare better, so now I'm thinking of (dreading!) my next application. After we got married, I plan to come back to Thailand, and apply for Point Based System Dependent visa (because my to be husband has a Tier 2 General visa). I'm going to start compiling what's needed, then I'll post for review. Should I post here or start a new thread? Also, if anyone has any recommendations I'd greatly appreciate it!


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## ejw07 (Apr 24, 2015)

yes absolutely post over here...thats what i did...to see if i missed anything...did you get married yet


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## iuhhui (Oct 14, 2015)

Hi all,

I am now ready to resubmit my application. Just thinking of checking with you if these documents are sufficient.

I have now proceeded to obtain:
1. An appointment with Islington Register Office (GBP70 non-refundable fee paid)
2. A civil marriage ceremony room booking with Islington Town Hall - Mayors Parlour (GBP100 non-refundable deposit paid)
3. Our honeymoon hotel booking at Swinton Park, UK

4. My Passports
5. My Photo
6. My Bank Statement
7. My mother’s Bank Statement + Her letter of financial support
8. Proof that my family own an apartment in London
9. Letter from my employer stating that I’m on a 1.5years career break
10. Photos and timeline of all the trips my boyfriend and I took together (since 2011)
11. My boyfriend’s email saying we are in a genuine relationship and will get married by Mar 2016
12. My boyfriend’s copy of Passport and Visa
13. My boyfriend’s Offer Letter from work, stating his salary

14. US trip flight booking (for our short trip during Christmas)
15. Ting restaurant’s booking reply (for our celebration dinner)


Please help to review if I have everything, thank you so much!


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## iuhhui (Oct 14, 2015)

Hi all,

Just to update - I've got the Visa now!!! Yes!!! 

Thanks so much for all your help and suggestions!


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

iuhhui said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Just to update - I've got the Visa now!!! Yes!!!
> 
> Thanks so much for all your help and suggestions!


Congratulations!


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## ejw07 (Apr 24, 2015)

Good for you... You know what they say now....Its Time...


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## ejw07 (Apr 24, 2015)

Once again...this Forum had to come through...Oh well....Just Kidding great job From the people here.


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