Spouse Visa / Citizenship Question

[Blue Sky]

I'm hoping someone can help me with my question--I'm finding the various websites about British citizenship to be a bit confusing.

I will explain my situation: My boyfriend is English; we live together in the US. He had previously married an American woman while Living in England; a few years later they got divorced. She had told him while they were married that she couldn't become a British citizen (I think that she might have said that because she wanted him to move to America with her).

She moved back to the US while they were still married, and he moved here as well in order to see their daughter. (After they both moved here to the States, they got divorced). Now he and I want to get married, and we'd like to move back to the UK (I studied at university in London), but he says that I won't be able to get citizenship (and thus won't be able to get a job). He is miserable because he'd like to move back, but he feels stuck.

Is he correct? Or if we were married, could I get citizenship (or just a visa?), and healthcare, and a job? I would really appreciate it if someone could add a comment here for me. Thanks so much!

[Wanderer]

course u can!

I'm sure as the wife of a Brit Cit visa worries will be the least of ur problems - I think u might find it difficult to come back here without a job or sponsor etc in place first.

Best would be for ur bf to go ahead and get a job, prove he can support u in UK and im sure fiancee/spouse/even unmarried partner visa if u've got two years history will be no problem.

As a spouse of a Brit Cit u can expect citizenship in 3 years assuming u can support urselves etc....

I'd wait for others to respond tho, I get things wrong sometimes, the Swiss visa fiasco still lives me, I said no, everyone else said yes.....

I can advise on Russian visas and German Work Permits tho!

Steve

[Blue Sky]

Thanks for your reply! The more I look into this, the more I think his ex-wife told him that she couldn't get citizenship to manipulate him into moving to America. Plus, I think he never looked into it himself--he just trusted what she said.

[ppron747]

Have a look at this page on the UKVisas website for details of the requirements for spouse/fiancé/unmarried partner visas.

Steve was right to say that you would be eligible for naturalisation after three years residence in UK - details in Guide AN(NEW)

On the subject of the ex's not having taken up British citizenship, she certainly wouldn't be the first American I'd heard of who had mistakenly believed that it would result in her losing US citizenship....