She's already here, we want to get married - what do we need?

[Anakin]

Hello everyone

I'm probably guilty of touching a bit of old ground again, but I was given such spot on advice here before (principally by joe)
that I'll ask the question anyway and hope at least to be sent in the right direction.
My Filipina girlfriend has been here about 20 months now on a domestic worker leave to remain visa. She has a Residence Permit card (no public funds). Technically (or officially) speaking she's resident at her sister's house who's married to an English guy.
They employed her abroad and brought her with them.
Now what I want to do is marry her and for her to reside permanently with me. I have regular income/savings etc. and would fulfil any criteria under the spouse visa requirements I've read.
I'm baffled though, as these spouse/fiancee visas appear to be for British men trying to bring Filipina gf's to the UK.
Obviously she's already here, speaks impeccable English has had all the checks etc in Hong Kong and Croydon. I just want us to get married, not for the sake of a visa but because I love her, and I'd like to make sure she sends in the appropriate visa application in the Autumn, so we can start planning for the future without fear of her losing her UK residence status.
Although her employers/relations would be happy to sponser her again and again, I'd like her to be linked with me but can't quite see how to go about it. Can we just get married? Is there another type of visa? Or am I missing the point and need to be going the spouse visa route?
Any advice and/or links would be hugely appreciated.
Then I can happily get on with all that lovely bureacracy.
Anakin :) :rolleyes:

[joebloggs]

you dont need a COA any more
so go and speak to the Vicar or people at the registrar office depending on where you want to wed, get wed
she will need to pass an english language test and then apply for FLR(M).

[Anakin]

Joe. Thank you as always. You're a star.
Not familiar even with the nomenclature tbh.
I don't even need a Certificate of Approval? That's good.

[Anakin]

BTW Joe I read the thread where you were helping Faye_and_Brian who were panicking a bit due to time running out.
Would the same apply to us? ie as long as the FLR goes in before the expiry of her domestic worker LTR visa, is she safe until the decision comes through?

[joebloggs]

yes as long as a visa app is made b4 the visa expires it doesnt matter if the visa expires while ukba make thier decision..

[Anakin]

wow thats really good to know.
Thanks again Joe. :)

[Anakin]

Oh well. A right pickle now. Turns out there are no spaces to get married in a registry office in my county until mid September, and her current LTR visa runs out in September!
Does anyone know - if she renews her LTR visa for another 12 months, can I apply for a FLR(M) as well? She could potentially get a renewal in Sep, we could get married late Sep, then I could put in for a FLR(M) in October. Is that allowed?
I'm supposing that's the best way of doing things?
Any help appreciated as always.
A

[Terpe]

Oh well. A right pickle now. Turns out there are no spaces to get married in a registry office in my county until mid September....

Wow, that's sounds crazy. You mean not a single slot on any day until then?

Why not try another place?
Gretna Green :D
Nice romantic Scottish wedding. :)

[Anakin]

Terpe funnily enough Gretna Green sprung to mind. Presumably marriages on the hurry up can still be sorted if you're both from the UK, but if you're marrying a non EUer it's not so easy.
Sounds like I'm going to have to double up on visas. Oh well nothing seems straightforward anymore. :cwm34:

[Terpe]

Terpe funnily enough Gretna Green sprung to mind. Presumably marriages on the hurry up can still be sorted if you're both from the UK, but if you're marrying a non EUer it's not so easy.
Sounds like I'm going to have to double up on visas. Oh well nothing seems straightforward anymore. :cwm34:

I mentioned it tongue-in-cheek, but why not just research the wedding packages available at Gretna Green and at a whole host of other places all around UK.
Gotta be better (maybe cheaper) than messing around with Visa's.

Just food for thought.

BTW what special considerations are needed for non-EU's with immigration controls?
There is no longer any requirement for COA
It all seems straightforward:-
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/while-in-uk/marriageandcivilpartnership/registering

[Anakin]

Cheers Terpe, yes you're right. I had to go to one of the higher level offices for a pre-check but there doesn't seem to be any other hindrance just because she's a Philipino.
It was explained to me that there's a big rush to get hitched now that the COA has finished, but since I'm in Canterbury I wouldn't have thought there's be so much strain on the system. Now scratching around for other likely spots in the country.
My feeling is not to rush the ceremony, get her existing visa extended and just go for the M visa a bit later than I'd expected.

[grahamw48]

Getting cold feet ? :)

[Dedworth]

Wow, that's sounds crazy. You mean not a single slot on any day until then?

Why not try another place?
Gretna Green :D
Nice romantic Scottish wedding. :)

Maybe they're all booked because for Human Rights reasons Sham Marriages get priority :D Time to get hold of some dodgy Nigerian and Latvian passports

[joebloggs]

Oh well. A right pickle now. Turns out there are no spaces to get married in a registry office in my county until mid September, and her current LTR visa runs out in September!
Does anyone know - if she renews her LTR visa for another 12 months, can I apply for a FLR(M) as well? She could potentially get a renewal in Sep, we could get married late Sep, then I could put in for a FLR(M) in October. Is that allowed?
I'm supposing that's the best way of doing things?
Any help appreciated as always.
A

oh course she can apply for FLR(m) anytime after your married, as long as you apply b4 her current visa expires..
but your wasting money, find somewhere else to wed, so you dont need to extend her current visa.. unless you really have to..

[Anakin]

Cheers Joe, yes I'm looking nationwide now, or maybe I can twist a vicar's arm.
Why can't they do drive thru weddings here like in Vegas, with maybe an Elvis impersonator performing the ceremony? :icon_lol: