Certificate Of Approval

[davidoneill]

Hi

My fiancée and I have known each other for five years and have met on various occasions, both in her country and mine. I am British and she is Tanzanian.

For most of this time we met as friends, meeting at family and church occasions.

The relationship has really just begun from 10th June this year while visiting me and other family members on a visitors visa. We have fallen in love and have decided to get married. She is still with me at my home and we don’t want to be apart.

Given the facts that:
1. Her visa expires 15th October
2. We don’t have any documentary evidence of previous meetings, other than passport stamps, possible testimonies from church officials, neighbours and family, and of course pictures of us together on this visit.

What would be our chances of success in a Certificate Of Approval application to allow us to get married?

I am in full-time work and my bank account is in reasonable condition. I also own my own home.

David.

[John]

What would be our chances of success in a Certificate Of Approval application to allow us to get married?

Assuming she is currently here on a visitor visa, even if she does manage to get a CoA, and then the two of you do manage to get married before the expiry of her current visa, she would still need to return to her country to apply for a spouse visa. A "no switching" rule was introduced as long ago as 01.04.03, preventing a visitor visa being switched into a spouse visa in the UK.

And realistically, given the time it would take to get the CoA, and then give the needed Notice of Intention to Marry at the Register Office, then wait while it is displayed there for 15 days, there is not enough time for the marriage to happen before the end of her current stay. So I say forget any idea of trying the CoA route.

But given you mention Church, would that happen to be a Church of England Church? If yes, a CoA is not required to get married in such a Church, and instead banns have to be read three times in that Church.

[davidoneill]

Thank you for you advice John.

After much consideration, my fiancée will now apply for a fiancée visa when she goes to her home country.

Could you please outline the steps required for us to be married and live together as husband and wife, after a successful fiancée visa.

Kind regards

David.

[kingkhan]

i want to know about COA.i applied for COA end of june but the problem was my fiance wasnt free to marry at that time as her divorce was still in court and now we know her divorce will be final on 7th sept.but the problem is my visa is expiring on 3rd of OCT and home office has only given us seven days to provide decree absolute otherwise they gonna make decision.

[Wanderer]

i want to know about COA.i applied for COA end of june but the problem was my fiance wasnt free to marry at that time as her divorce was still in court and now we know her divorce will be final on 7th sept.but the problem is my visa is expiring on 3rd of OCT and home office has only given us seven days to provide decree absolute otherwise they gonna make decision.

I don't think u'll get it in time - prepare for a trip home. Remember CoA is NOT a visa, it confers no LTR and applying for it gives you no Section 3c protection.

You might be lucky but applying for it when ur partner wasn't free to marry was a bit obtuse.

Try pleading with HO showing them the Decree Nisi and the fact the Absolute will be issued on said date.

Long shot tho....

[kingkhan]

i want to know about COA.i applied for COA end of june but the problem was my fiance wasnt free to marry at that time as her divorce was still in court and now we know her divorce will be final on 7th sept.but the problem is my visa is expiring on 3rd of OCT and home office has only given us seven days to provide decree absolute otherwise they gonna make decision.

I don't think u'll get it in time - prepare for a trip home. Remember CoA is NOT a visa, it confers no LTR and applying for it gives you no Section 3c protection.

You might be lucky but applying for it when ur partner wasn't free to marry was a bit obtuse.

Try pleading with HO showing them the Decree Nisi and the fact the Absolute will be issued on said date.

Long shot tho....

i have sent them decree Nisi aswell which was sent on 3rd of august and requested them to either give us COA and let registrar check our decree absolute or wait till 7th of sept.lets see what happens now