Unmarried partner thinking about getting married

[kittens]

Hi there,

I am currently in the UK on an unmarried partner visa which expires in March 2008, after which I should get ILR. We're currently toying with the idea of getting married - most likely abroad - & I just wanted to know whether this is fairly straightforward or not.

I was assuming that I could just stay on my UPV, get married and then when I apply for ILR in March next year I could just produce my marriage certificate as part of my documentation and they will grant ILR without any problems. I've still got the same partner & everything seems fairly simple, but am I being too naive? Do I need to notify the Home Office that we are intending to marry? Does it change the conditions on which I am in the UK? And would it affect my right to work in the UK if they were to take the view that we were officially 'engaged'?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks
Jen

[meggles]

there's no need to switch to a marriage visa.

i also *think* you will need need a COA (certificate of approval) in order to get married within the UK)

when you apply for March 2008 for ILR (using form SET(M)), it will be on the basis of 4 years (2 years pre-UP and 2 years post UP). the marriage certificate won't factor into it at all. when you apply for ILR, you will need to show proof that you've lived together for the past (2) years. i wouldn't even send them the marriage cert as it would just confuse them.

[Docterror]

the marriage certificate won't factor into it at all. when you apply for ILR, you will need to show proof that you've lived together for the past (2) years. i wouldn't even send them the marriage cert as it would just confuse them

Fortunately, this is one of the few areas the BIA does not get confused so easily when applying for the ILR. Presenting the Marriage certificate would make your application seen as the spouse applying for the settlement rather than an unmarried partner as seen in 5.5 of these IDIs.

[kittens]

Thanks for the link - that's cleared things up a bit. So basically if I marry before my 2 year UPV expires, I then apply for ILR next March as a spouse using the same form.

The marriage certificate acts as back up to my claim of ILR as a spouse rather than an unmarried partner so I will need to supply that. Best of all, I don't need to notify the BIA if we get married as they will be notified when I apply for ILR.

It also looks like I need to do the Life in the UK test.

[Silverriver]

GET MARRIED ON E4

If you have not set a date yet,
and are under 35, please call
020 7307 2720
or E-mail weddings@silverriver.tv
and leave a contact no. A.S.A.P.

[Wanderer]

GET MARRIED ON E4

If you have not set a date yet,
and are under 35, please call
020 7307 2720
or E-mail weddings@silverriver.tv
and leave a contact no. A.S.A.P.

Ahh, I thought 'what's this new E4 form'? Then I thought 'EEA4'?

No - It's a TV company, wanting to film you. Beware tho - my mate went on Russian brides one and the editing made him look like a right plank.