What to do?

[Strep]

It's such a comfort to find this site. I've felt lost trying to deal with my situation. Hope u can help. Can length of relationship jeopardise issue of fiance or spouse visa? Been together for 7mths and we've decided to take the marriage leap.

[Stu13]

Its not so much the length of time you have been together but more the amount of time you have spent with each other. In my opinion as long as you can prove a relationship there should not be any problems with only being together for 7 months. There is nothing in the rules that states you should have been together for a certain amount of time before applying for a fiance Visa.
I have been in a relationship for 13 months and will be applying soon for a fiance visa we have spent around 4 months actually together during this period.

[Strep]

Thank you for your advice. What kind of proof do they require to prove you have been together? Also have you any idea of how long it takes to get a fiance visa issued....good luck with your application by the way...

[Stu13]

Basically they are looking for photos, details of visits you have made to your partner and your partner to you. Any proof of contact like phone bills emails etc. Anything that shows you have been together and/or been in contact with each other.

With regard the length of time it varies between the different issueing offices. In Kiev it is around 2 weeks.

Don't forget you need to prove that you can both live here without claiming any benefits etc, as they say "no recourse to public funds" and that you plan to marry. I have done extensive research on the net for information over the past 6 months, it is definately worth finding out as much as you can. From my experience with the Kiev office it can be worthwhile contacting the office you will be dealing with for advice, the head of the visa section in Kiev has been very good to me in replying to my queries.

Good luck.

[John]

Don't forget you need to prove that you can both live here without claiming any benefits etc

No quite right .... there is no problem the sponsor, being a British Citizen or otherwise settled in the UK, claiming benefits ..... but for the applicant for the visa, a prohibition on claiming "Public Funds", but even that definition, in para 6 of the Immigration Rules ... does not include every possible benefit paid by the Government.

I think the confusion is this. If the sponsor's income consists wholly or mainly of Public Funds then it is unlikely that the financial test will be passed. However if the Public Funds amount to just a fraction of the sponsor's income, for example where someone in full-time work claims Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit, there is not likely to be a problem claiming such Public Funds and passing the financial test.

[Strep]

Thank you. It is a comfort to know I'm not the only one going thru this. It's a minefield out there trying to find out what is the best thing to do. I have tried to contact the embassy in his country but they havent replied!!! Thought I should try British embassy here???

Ive also considered, maybe it's better to get married and apply for a spouse visa but that will mean I will have to go to his country to get married, which I'm not sure how that works, what documents I need, how to even go about it....it's all so confusing, knowing what is the best thing to do. I'm also concerned that they'll question how genuine we are....I'm sure they think we are only doing this for his visa...which we are not...it's just that for us to be together this seems the only option....and we want to be together, continue our relationship....all I did was fall in love with a guy who's not a british subject...