Fiencee visa questions

[Pyromaniac]

Hello to all, my first post after discovering this forum, and seeking a little advice.

I am planning to marry my fiencee here in the UK next february (2007)

I am a British Citizen, she is an Indonesian citizen. Originally we were planning to marry in Bali where she currently lives and works, but find that we cant as she is Catholic and I am not, mixed religion marriages are not allowed in Indonesia and I would have to go through a lengthy process of converting to Catholic to marry her there.

So we decided to get married here, the intention is that she will live with me in the UK.

I have given myself lots of headaches trying to make sense of the governments immigration website, and just want some reasuurance that I have got things right before we apply for anything !

It seemed that there were 2 possible visa choices for her, Marriage or Fiencee.
Marriage is for coming to the UK to marry then leaving again not settling if I read it right, and so Fiencee is the one we need?

I understand she has to apply at her designated British Consulate (Jakarta) for the visa, is it here that she has to take all of the documentation supporting her application, like accomodation status in the UK, No need of public funds, proof of relationship etc etc. ?

With documentation is more better? or should we stick with just what is asked for? Do passport, death certificate of late wife etc etc have to be originals or are copies ok?

I dont think she needs this certificate from the Gvt to allow us to marry if the visa application is successful?

I understand we have to both go to a designated registry office here in the UK to get a license to marry and she has to be here for 15 days before we can be married?

I already have the church (C of E) lined up, and the vicar happy to marry us (my parish) he lead me to believe it may be of some benefit that we are having a C of E marriage with regards to getting the fiencee visa, as the church does some background work of its own which compliments the immigration services work.
What exactly I have no idea, but would it be in our interest to have something official from the church stating the marriage is planned, approximate dates (obviously we cannot confirm this unless we know the visa is ok ) and so on ?

After the wedding she should apply soonest for a 2 year extension so as to be able to look for / work in the UK ?

My biggest question, she will not be giving up work straight away for the wedding, this would be foolish in our eyes, should something not go as planned she would then have nothing to go back to Bali to. But she would have to go back to Bali to finalise things - sort out her affairs / family goodbyes etc etc shortly after the wedding.
Should this be done after applying for the 2 year extension, does this have to be granted first? Will her having to leave so soon be detrimental in any way ?

Sorry for such a long post ! I've spent all day reading the forums here, certainly makes easier reading than the government websites !

Thanks for any replies and again apologies for the length.

Regards

Gerry

[L_E_O]

You are correct when you say you want a fiancee visa as that is the visa that leads to settlement in the UK. Your fiancee will apply in Jakarta, she needs to have all her documents with her when she applies. She should have proof of accommodation (mortgage statement/tenancy agreement and a letter from the landlord saying s/he is aware of the application and that your fiancee will be moving in), proof of funds (last three months of your bank statements and/or wage slips), a lot of proof of your relationship (cards, letters, photos of the two of you on holiday, etc.), a letter from the vicar saying you've booked the church and proof that you both are free to marry. I'd suggest you send originals, but if you can't/won't send originals then send a certified copy.

Your fiancee will not need a Certificate of Approval, her fiancee visa will be her Certificate of Approval.

As you're getting married in a C of E church I think you just need to have your banns read in church. I'm not sure about this, your vicar will know more.

If you do need to give notice at a registry office, then your fiancee will need to be "resident" in the UK for a certain number of days (it varies from council to council) and then you'll have to wait for 15 days before you can marry.

As for her going back after the wedding - I don't really understand when you say your fiancee shouldn't give up work straight away for the wedding. Is she going to go back to Bali to live for a while before she moves to the UK? If so, I'd imagine it might raise the alarm with the Immigration Officer at the airport when she returns - regardless of what visa she returns on.

[Pyromaniac]

No, the intention is for her to live here in the UK with me.

She has a good job in Bali and is well paid by Indonesian standards, but should something crop up - say she was not admitted for some reason and sent back to Bali, if she had already given up her job she would have nothing to go back to.
Her return would be purely to finalise her affairs in Indonesia, belongings, finances, job, family etc.

[angel_witha_broken_wing]

HELLO ALL...this is a longish one ...take a seat
Thanks for dropping by

I previously met my partner in Jamaica May 2002.....i went back February 2003 and have been in a serious long distance relationship with him ever since.
i returned to jamaica Sept 2003 and again in january 2004 and September 2004....etc...it goes on....
During theses times we decided to go for a visa so he could come visit me for once.

in Dec 2004 the day David Plunkett resigned.... he was refused a visitors visa at his interview....on the grounds that he will not return and not enough ties.
The interviewer kept asking him if he is going to the Uk to get married and he kept replying no.... he said she went away and came back and asked again "are you going to the uk to get married..he again said no, (dont know if she was hinting or something) anyway as he wasnt he said no....he was refused.
I wanted him to come over and check out the country see if he liked it and we would take it from there.... he had all intentions to go back home.....i even stated in the letter that i was to return with him for some family business i had to do for my elderly sickly mother ....in 2005 i returned to Jamaica twice to be with him
and on one occassion i took my mother there to meet him...my 2 sons had meet him on a previous trip...
as my mother was there it was ideal for us to get engaged ....we did....
I was thinking of trying for a visa again and a family member of his- his uncle who also lives in the uk..said that we were rushing and things dont work that way and we should wait he will sort it out....he claimed to have diplomatic status and it would be easier if he made the relevant application..ie: get him a job here with his company and sort out the visa issue...well that was a joy to hear as i am currently in reciept of public funds...income support....and live in council housing...when we applied for visit visa i had used an additional sponsor to help our case.

his uncle has returned to the island twice since this time, he last arrived in February 2006 and has been there for almost 6 whole months working on building plans etc....and still nothing said, apart from leave it with me...in march 2006 we rushed and renewed his passport antipating for travel with his uncle on his return ... we have waited patiently until now 2006 july ..uncle due to fly back to the uk early august 2006 only to find out from his uncles best friend that his uncle Mr diplomatic status is infact mentally unstable....(sh*t)
his words to my partner were..."ken has big plans but dont pay him any attention he is not all there he was institualized for 25 years of his life while in the uk...him MAD"......
(sorry if this word offends...its not intentional-forgive me)

Im sure u can guess my reaction when i heard all of that.....**?>L:><?!@#$**!!!
now we have a gap that doesnt look consistant in our relationship as we would have re-applied in 2005...ALL that time wasted....i was wondering if this would look strange in the eyes of the orrible jamaican based visa office
meaning that we didnt try re-apply sooner...what do u think??? Im confused and VERY FEARFUL cant take another rejection..worse if i go for visit visa as i have no rights of appeal..OH ELP!!!
plz help i need words of wisdom here plz....

should we try for a vistors visa..or a fiancee visa....WHAT ??
If so be the case will the fact that i am currently in reciept of public funds go against us? i stated in my invitation that i am aware i am not intitled to addtional funds for him....
since 2003 till now i have been back and forth to visit my partner 9 times.....isn't it only fair that he is allowed to come visit me too...we love each other so much...soulmates.
We are so unhappy and feeling stressed by the milli-second...
as we are simply two poor people in love. I cant go and live there as my father was murdered while on vacation there and i am still suffering with post traumatic stress...each time i visit ja i am scared to death and very uncomfortable...but i have to keep going or what will become of us....this love is too strong to die...
it would be no problem for my partner to eventually come here to be with me as his children live abroad and his parents are deceased...so he is a loner...working at a craft market. i have my whole family right here in the uk willing to support us both if the need arise.
i am also registered with the sub fertility clinic and after a long stressful wait and many test later my big appointment is near...10days time, and now there will be no sperm to test
ELP i sure need it...
Thank u for your much needed imput in advance ...
Having sleepless nights...STRESSED!

[John]

say she was not admitted for some reason and sent back to Bali, if she had already given up her job she would have nothing to go back to

My wife also faced this sort of dilemma around the time of our marriage. She had a good job in Thailand and we dare not assume that the spouse visa would be granted. So she refrained from handing in her resignation from her Government job until the visa is safely in the passport.

I think your fiancée should adopt the same policy. That is she should apply for the fiancée visa and when that is in her passport she should then resign from her job and, as you say, wind up her affairs. Armed with the fiancée visa in her passport she is not going to get refused entry to the UK, she will be allowed to marry in the UK, and she will find it an easy procedure to switch the fiancée visa into a spouse visa following the marriage.

In other words the risk goes away once the fiancée visa has been issued.

[Pyromaniac]

Thanks for that John, very reassuring, so assuming the visa is issued ok in Jakarta, and she has it in her passport on arrival, the transit through Heathrow is pretty much a formality, no further interviews or scrutiny etc ?

She would carry the relevent documents too of course 'just in case'

If I was to go back to Bali with her after the wedding, like a honeymoon trip, whereby she could sort out her banking , we could have a blessing ceremony for the benfit of her family who could not get to the UK, for say 2 weeks, presumeably this would not be a problem?

Are there any travel restrictions if she leaves the UK and returns with me until she gets the extended visa? how long does this visa generally take to be issued? We would apply as soon as physically possible after the wedding for this.

Regards

Gerry

[Pyromaniac]

Who would I see to get certified copies of things like my passport, late wifes death certificate and so on ?

[L_E_O]

Who would I see to get certified copies of things like my passport, late wifes death certificate and so on ?

A solicitor can do this for you. Shop around though, as some solicitors will do it for a flat fee and some charge £10+ per page. Also, it might be best to play it safe and have all the pages in your passport certified as well as your birth certificate as some ECOs have been asking for a birth certificate if they only see a certified copy of the passport.

Your fiancee won't have any trouble at the airport as long as the fiancee visa is in her passport.

[John]

assuming the visa is issued ok in Jakarta, and she has it in her passport on arrival, the transit through Heathrow is pretty much a formality, no further interviews or scrutiny etc ?

She might be asked some simple questions by the immigration officer but nothing like an interview. Nothing to be worried about. For example she might be asked where you are and the answer might well be "waiting in the airport for me". Also, "when are you getting married?" Answer as appropriate, for example, "in about three months time".

Also she might be sent for a quick medical examination. Again nothing to worry about.

Do appreciate that getting the fiancée visa is the difficult bit. After that things tend to be a formality.

[Pyromaniac]

Great - thanks for all the advice, my vicar is also giving me copies of our correspondence planning the wedding between the 3 of us which will help.

Two final questions (hopefully)

The visa is valid for 6 months, but how soon can she apply for it? does it start the day it is granted or if for example she goes for the application in November, can she ask for it to be valid from January?

We are planning the wedding for February 16th.


and -

Why is it that my documentation has to be sent (at risk) to her in Indonesia?
I would have thought in this age I could have it verified over here at the Foreign Office or wherever, and a decision on the validity of my documents and circumstances sent over to Indonesia so all they had to do was check her details.

[L_E_O]

Your fiancee can ask to have the visa postdated by up to three months - so applying in November and asking for a January start date should be no problem.

I imagine the reason she has to present your documents when she applies for her visa is that the ECO isn't just worried about the validity of the documents, he needs to read them to be able to make his decision.