Marrying an American & Returning to N. Ireland

[ciaran1]

I am originally from N. Ireland but have been living in New York since the late 1990s. I have both British and American citizenship.

My American fiancée and I are planning to get married during 2008. We are then planning to move to N. Ireland where we both intend to work. We probably won't move until early 2010 but I want to get this sorted out now rather than waiting and getting a few surprises (i.e) my wife can't legally work there.

Can anyone please confirm if the best, hassle free, cheapest method for my fiancée and I to do things would be as follows. (I'm unsure about step 3)

1. Get legally married in city hall, New York city whenever we chose to in early 2008.

2. Have our big family wedding / day out in N. Ireland in late 2008 as originally planned (this will really amount to a big party with no legal strings attached hence there is no need for a marriage visit visa just to throw a big family and friends party)

3. This is the part I'm unsure about. When should we begin applying for my future wife's spouse visa if we intend moving back to N. Ireland in February 2010?????

4. My future wife obtains her spouse visa during (approximately) Jan 2010, book our flights to N. Ireland for Feb 2010 and return home as planned (Yes, yes, yes!)

5. When we arrive back in N. Ireland my at that point wife can take her spouse visa to the appropriate place to obtain a national insurance number.

6. My at that point wife can take her spouse visa to obtain a drivers license

7. After how many years of living in N. Ireland will my future wife have to wait before she can apply for her citizenship and passport?

8. We live happily ever after

[vinny]

3. 1.3 - Validity of entry clearance and leave to enter.

4. 13.5 - Spouses/civil partners and how they qualify.

5. Applying for a National Insurance number.

6. Driver licensing.

7. Requirements for naturalisation if you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen and Current consultations.

8. Happiness.

[JAJ]

6. Driver licensing.

In fact as they plan to live in Northern Ireland:
http://www.dvani.gov.uk/