Please advise - Immigration problem

[Atan]

Hello everybody,

I have fallen in love with this girl in Pakistan ( age 35 ) and we talk to each other by mobile or skype. I am spending upto £50 a week on calling cards but I don't mind.

The problem I have is how do I now proceed with this relationship? I want to get married to her and bring her to UK as my wife.

I am 47 years old, divorced father of three kids. Two of the kids live with me. I am too scared to go to Pakistan to marry her ( which seems to be the done thing ) because nine months ago I got a massive Heart Attack and the thought of not being within 999 call from the NHS frightens the hell out of me.

Now one way is to wait longer until I gain confidence and I go to Pakistan or as somebody suggested why not bring love of my life to UK, get married to her and then she goes back to Pakistan to follow the normal path. I am financially sound etc. Has anybody followed this route?

Any ideas or insight would be appreciated.

[ElenaW]

Why do you have to go to Pakistan to marry her? Why not just have her apply for the fiance visa?

[John]

Atan, sorry, it is the obvious question, but have the two of you actually met, face to face, in person?

[IndyRhodes]

@Atan.

I may be able to give you some advice as my situation is very similar to yours - I even live in Sheffield! I married my wife who is a Pakistani national last summer, in Pakistan. (Mind you, we are STILL waiting to get her visa. I warn you...it is a long haul).

Regarding your situation. May I ask? Are you Muslim? I assume that your wife is, and if you wish to progress your relationship it is very important that you consider this. Pakistan is a conservative country. If you are...then great! However, you also need to get her family on side. They need to accept you or else you will be on an uphill struggle all the way; having her family behind your relationship will make everything a lot easier. Without her family support you are making things very difficult.

I think it is possible to get a Certificate of Approval, as ElenaW says, (although how easy they are to obtain, I do not know) to bring your partner over so that you can get married here. My wife was originally going to come here to get married but in the end it was so much easier for me to go there. I am so glad I did - Pakistan is a FABULOUS place. I loved it there. John too has a good point. UKBA understand about arranged marriages and the limits this puts on pre-marital contact, but you do need to have met her first. I had photos of us together before we were married as I met her in the UK when she was staying with family.

Good luck anyway.

[Casa]

A Certificate of Approval isn't relevant in this case and as John has highlighted...if the couple haven't met face to face they will be unable to apply for a fiance visa.
A marriage visit visa would be an option, with the wife returning to Pakistan after the wedding, to apply for a Spouse settlement visa from there.

[ElenaW]

Yeah, didn't consider that both of you may not have met face to face. That's a definite requirement for the fiance visa.

[Atan]

^ First of all thank you to everybody who took the time to reply.

Yes, I have met the girl in question .......... but that was over 15 years ago. There was mutual attraction and she wanted me to take further action, that is go ask my parents to approach her parents but then my time came to end in Pakistan. Once in UK I just let it go, fell in love with another girl in UK. Well that chapter is over. Oh yes, I got three great kids though.

I then heard that the said girl was still not married - Was very surprised, considering that in Pakistan 35 years old is like ancient. Cut a long story short I am in contact with her every day, she tells me she did not marry because she knew there would come a day when I would come back for her - So sweet, if only it was true! Mind you if it is true I need hanging if for nothing else then having made her wait for eternity!

Oh yes, not that its strictly speaking relevant to the thread but yeh I was born in a Muslim family, have a Muslim name, have been discriminated against for being a Muslim , if not a good Muslim so yeh I suppose that would make me a member of the Ummah.

Now I would like to get everything done if I can, without me having to leave the borders of the EC, if not preferably the borders of UK. So I guess its a case of bringing the mountain to Mohammed rather then Mohammed having to go to the mountain.

Is it possible for her to come to UK on the basis that she is going to get married and once married she will go back to Pakistan to then follow the normal route. Will the Immigration people not see that me going to Pakistan would just be exposing me to a risk ( given my condition and the risk factor in the first 12 months post MI ) when that risk can be avoided if they allow her to come to UK to do what would be done in Pakistan. Appreciate for any other feed back on this.

And yes the family are aware and agreed, I would not contenance to take a step further if the family were not aware/ agreed to it ........... unless I fancied meself being elevated to "most wanted dead or alive" list with her entire clan after me.

My Cardiologisty would definitly not approve of such a venture ...........!!!


Once again thanks to each of you guys who replied.

[John]

Atan, OK the two of you have met, albeit 15 years ago, so the fiancée route is available. That sort of visa is issued specifically to enable the person to come to the UK to marry, and indeed to marry in the period of validity of the visa .... six months!

Following the marriage in the UK your wife (as she will then be) will apply in the UK for her spouse visa.

But how is her English? She needs to pass an English test, before being able to apply for a fiancée visa in Pakistan.

Assuming the fiancée visa is granted and she comes to the UK, and I ask this respecting your religion and culture, have you got plans where she would stay before the marriage has happened? Has she got any family living in the UK?

And you, it sounds like you have been married. Are you now legally divorced?

[iceman010899]

Hi,

You could move to Pakistan. She can sponsor you from there. You will be given a pakistani visa and can get a pakistani passport.

What matters is you get to be with her, and with the kids as well.

Ive been thinking about this in my own situation.

[Atan]

^Thanks Everybody - One solution to my problem is she applies to come to UK on a Marriage and civil partnership Visa which would allow her to come to UK for six months so as to enable her to get married to me.

Then she goes back before the Visa expires and apply to the UK embassy in Islamabad to join me as my wife.

One benefit with this solution she can brush up her English whilst she is in UK for six months.

I would appreciate any feedback on this in particular from anybody who has followed this route.

Is the process slow, is it difficult to get a marriage visa, typically how long are they taking etc.

Thanks.

[MPH80]

Be clear - do you mean a marriage visit visa or a fiancee visa?

They are two distinctly different things, cost different amounts, and allow different things.

M.

[Atan]

I was thinking of Marriage Visit Visa - That is a visa that enables me to get married to her - Then she goes back to PK before the six month expires and sh applies to join me aa spouse.

[MPH80]

Given you have met, why not use the fiancee route - same principal - 6 months to get married but the differences are:

1) more expensive - but see 3 - you have to trade it off against the flights back and forth.

2) She has to take the english test first

3) She can apply for the spouse leave to remain from the UK - she doesn't have to return

I would suggest that you are to persist with the marriage visit visa - you'll have to present a convincing case to the ECO about why you're doing that rather than a fiancee visa (e.g. her english isn't that great, so spending 6 months in england, then returning to take the english test and get the spouse visa will be better).

You can see statistics on how long visas take on the ukvisas website.

M.

[Atan]

^ Thanks. Will checkout the stats.