Provisional Bookings

[Ady]

Spent most of my work day between two registry offices in South Wales trying to get a provisional booking, without any joy. They will not give a provisional booking unless Shei is in the UK. (Superintendent seems a bit of a jobsworth, showed no flexibility at all). I even asked them if they could provide a letter stating that I, at least, enquired about booking a date.

Has anyone else had problems getting provisional bookings at registry offices? And how important are they? The ECO Handbook guides (as listed by Peter) say that a provisional booking is not necessarily a sign that a marriage will take place, but helps to show that there is an intent to get married. However, most people here seem to have got a provisional arrangement of some sort (maybe it differs from region to region). Others have been refused because there is no date.

If I am unable to get this document, the $64,000 question is - would this impact negatively on an application? If so, would a provisional booking for, say, a wedding reception, car hire and a wedding photographer be satisfactory? To my mind, this would serve the same purpose as a provisional booking with a registrar. It shows an intent, and that satisfies the conditions.

Any thoughts?

[darren-b]

When we applied (admittedly a few years back) we had no arrangements at all, not even a provisional date.

I personally don't believe provisional wedding plans are that critical because at the end of it you could cancel all your provisional bookings as soon as they grant the visa.

[Fountainhead]

I didn't even mention that my fiancee wasn't in the UK or even a foreign national. When I filled in the form I put her address as my address here because if we get our visa that's the address where she will be living at the time of the wedding. Maybe you can try booking at another registry office and do the same?

I know they do need to be satified that there are genuine plans to get married within the six months but I think it puts people in an awkward situation. Especially in todays fianancial climate, no one would really wants to have to pay out a lot of non refundable deposits for things like cars, flowers, venue, caterers etc before they have the visa and can be certain the wedding will take place. All I have booked is the wedding and honeymoon in UK but the deposit for those two things was £130 which will be wasted money if our application is refused.

[AJS]

hey

we have had the same problem and what we was told by the registry office here was that the embassys know they can not give provisional bookings so what we are doing is putting everything else in, deposits for rings, reservations for receptions etc and then a statement saying why we have no ceremony booking. ( because they wont give us one As has been said it would be extremely unfair to reject your visa on those grounds.

Best of luck

[keithAngel]

Ady its not a problem if this is a fiance visa app HO are well aware that you cant "book"the marrioage licence without the presence of your intended in the UK

[Mrs.JMajor]

My hubby got it from his place,Norfolk but those friends of mine her on the forum w/ fiancee visa they didn't do the provi booking,so i guess we just did it for additional info or to add the documents they gonna pass for the ECO as they say,the more documents the better

[Frances]

We submitted provisional booking for the Reception and provisional booking of the Church where we are going to get married.

[DianaKevy]

You don't need the provisional booking for the fiancee visa. As long as you have bank statements , payslips,anything from the landlord, chatttings,phone calls, pictures,and other documents than thats it. you are on the go.

[xebec]

We got our fiance visa with a one line mention of our intention to get married in January 2009, small ceremony in Devon. It was so important to the application that the visa was issued and dated from the issue date so that if we had gone ahead with the ceremony in January, Daisy would have been an overstayer.
Indicate your current thinking about the wedding - after all the purpose of the visa is entry to the country in order to get married - and as long as your other supporting evidence is strong I dont think you will have a problem.

[Ady]

Thanks all for your advice. Sorry I haven't thanked you earlier, I am just able to log in and reply now!

I suppose the Embassy has to respect the rules of other Government departments, so I will mention that in the letter (although I will try once more to get a provisional date at another Registry Office). I could make a provisional booking at a Hotel - and I think that is a happy medium.

Xebec, your message is very reassuring for another reason. It seems the ECO's are reasonable at times .

So, my plan for now is to make a provisional booking for a reception, to give the registry office one more try. After all, even if they refuse us for the reason that there is insufficient evidence that a wedding will take place, I am confident that we could contest that in any subsequent appeal (not thinking negatively, just practically).

[Mrs.JMajor]

Go ,go ,go Ady nothing impossible under the sun especially if its all about the one we love.Best of luck to you and to shei

Thanks anyway

[russ01539]

Have you been to the Registry Office and got your 'No Impediment to Marriage Certificate' yet ?

I sent this certificate with our application. The ECO will take it as reasonable proof that you intend to marry if you can prove that you are both in a position to legally get married. I believe there is an equivalent certificate in the Philippines, so your fiance shold also get this certificate.

Thats if you havent already.

Good luck by the way.

[PeterB]

Err, CNI is only issued if a brit intends to marry outside of the UK.

[LEAHnew]

Thanks all for your advice. Sorry I haven't thanked you earlier, I am just able to log in and reply now!

I suppose the Embassy has to respect the rules of other Government departments, so I will mention that in the letter (although I will try once more to get a provisional date at another Registry Office). I could make a provisional booking at a Hotel - and I think that is a happy medium.

Xebec, your message is very reassuring for another reason. It seems the ECO's are reasonable at times .

So, my plan for now is to make a provisional booking for a reception, to give the registry office one more try. After all, even if they refuse us for the reason that there is insufficient evidence that a wedding will take place, I am confident that we could contest that in any subsequent appeal (not thinking negatively, just practically).

Hi Ady just an update..did u got a provional letter from registry in the end? How did you prove a wedding will take place?
Congratulation once again for the success of the visa

cheers,
Leah

[Ady]

Hi Ady just an update..did u got a provional letter from registry in the end? How did you prove a wedding will take place?
Congratulation once again for the success of the visa

cheers,
Leah

Hi Leah,

Sorry for the late reply.

Basically, I got a reception booked at a local restaurant. They gave me proof on headed paper. I also wrote in the cover letter....

"It is our full intention to live together, and to marry in the UK within 6 months of any entry clearance being granted. I have spoken to the Superintendent at the XXXXXX Registry Office, as well as the Superintendent at the XXXXX Registry Office. Both Superintendents are unable to provide us with a booking (provisional or otherwise) until Sheila has been resident in the UK for 7 days. We have, however, reserved a venue for our preferred wedding date. The venue is The Prince of Wales Restaurant in XXXXX and the venue has been reserved for May 16th 2009."

Now, the ECO should know that the rules are that a booking cannot be made until the fiance has been resident in the UK for 7/8 days. That is what we did, and I think it is not necessary to have a booking from a registry office (after all, the ECOs will be aware of the rules). If you can get one, then that is great. However, if not, there are other ways to show intent.

[LEAHnew]

Wow thank you so much for the reply
Very helpful inputs Ady. It made us relieve. My fiance booked our wedding at Walsall but same to your situation they can't produced letter as well,
they told my fiance that I need to arrived first in UK . But they acknowledge his reservation date (amazing it's same to your date)
and gave the officer full name as reference.

We have chosen May 16th as well coz I supposed to apply last December 2008 but I got ill and hospitalized thank God I recover easily
He will move it on July as more realistic considering the waiting time for visa is changeable we hope will be lucky same like you that takes only 8 weeks

I will send your reply to my kukupops he will be delighted to know this

All the best,
Leah

[sammy]

Hi Ady, I phoned my local registrar in Ealing London and told the superintendant i wanted to get married in sept 09 and that my fiancee has yet to arrive in the UK. I asked for a provisional booking and they confirmed the date was ok to book and put it in their computer.I just told them plans were made for everything to happen on that day and i wanted to make sure the date and time was available and not allready booked.On asking for some sort of confirmation they said confirmation was only available if i pay for the booking, I done so with c/card (£53.50 for week day)over the phone and 5 days later i got in the post a compliments slip, my visa payment customer copy,a payment receipt with our names and present addresses and a provisional booking form (letter headed) with our names, date and place where the ceremony will be. It seems they have done this many times before. I would tell your registrar that if Ealing does it why dont they and opt to pay for the provisional booking just to safeguard the date so you can start making arrangements around that date.
good luck again
Sammy

[Mrs.JMajor]

.On asking for some sort of confirmation they said confirmation was only available if i pay for the booking, I done so with c/card (£53.50 for week day)over the phone and 5 days later i got in the post a compliments slip,
Sammy

you pay for the booking shocks,at great yarmouth my hubby didn't pay anything,so just wondering why some places had their different rules of law,some dint give booking slip