I have a question about the evidence that needs to be submitted for a fiancé visa.
I’ll try to keep it short, but some background is always helpful and even necessary in these cases… so here we go:
My partner (Indian) and I (Spanish, with settled status in UK) are in the process of applying for a fiancé visa for him to come here to UK and so that we can finally get married and start our lives together. We are still gathering all the necessary documents that we need to submit along with the application form.
The section we’re now struggling with is the “proof of intention to marry”. For this, we already have:
• Statement letters from each of us, stating that we are both single (never been married before), adults who wish to marry one another.
• Statement letters from our parents saying that they have each met our respective partners and are happy about our union.
Now: I wanted to also include some evidence that I have been in touch with my local Registry Office enquiring about wedding booking, so I emailed them yesterday just asking a few questions about the process (as our case is slightly complex). I did this in hopes that someone would respond and I would get written evidence of my communication with them to use that as another proof of intention to marry…BUT, instead of a written response, I got a call from them, and we spoke for almost half an hour because I was really not sure that the information I was being told was right.
Basically, the lady wanted a bit more information on our case so that she could answer my questions, but when I asked her if she could please respond to my email so that I could have the communication in writing, she was adamant that the email trace between us (me and the council) wouldn’t carry any weight or substance to prove our intention to marry AND that what I had to do was think of a wedding date (hypothetically accounting for all the waiting times that we have ahead, like visa submission, processing time, coming to UK, waiting the necessary period to give notice, etc) and straight away book the marriage ceremony so that I can get an email confirmation and use that as my proof. I was quite sceptical about this because it’s basically skipping steps… (How can I book this without my partner even having a visa? Without him even being in the UK? Before even giving notice?).
This didn’t seem right to me, so I have been doing some more digging this morning and rightly so, I have found the following in https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... rangements :
“18. SET1.18 What evidence is required of marriage arrangements?
The ECO needs to be satisfied that it is intended that a marriage in the UK will take place.
The law relating to marriage in England and Wales does not allow for any arrangements to be made with a Registrar until the foreign national has arrived in the UK. Of itself, a booking at a Register Office or church is not proof that a marriage will take place.
The ECO can reasonably expect the couple to have made some tentative plans for the wedding. Any evidence that may be available that wedding arrangements are in hand may help in this respect.”
It seems to me that the lady from the council may have given me some wrong information. At least I managed to convince her to write back to me at least to say that we had spoken on the phone, so I have an email trace for that.
I guess, in light of this confusion, what I really want to ask is:
What evidence is best to submit for our intention to marry for the fiancé visa?
Bear in mind that my fiancé and I are not looking to have a big wedding, what we really want is just a small ceremony at the registry office and just to have a meal with our parents and immediate family somewhere, so I won’t be having the need to contact photographers and stuff like that.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! Hope you can help us if you have any ideas/info/experience
Best wishes whatever your case may be.
I really, really, hope it's good news!! Let me know if you can how it turns out!!
...thanks for the sanity check CR001!
Thanks!