Indeed I also agree with Keith on this matter, the legislation has been enacted mainly to prevent African's mainly Nigerians, Ghanaians, and Commonwealth natiionals from using our very lax residency rules, a foreign national can marry in the United Kingdom after 7 days residency of arriving in the United Kingdom even if they are on a student, visitor, or other work visa, their is nothing to stop them doing this, there was some recent press and t.v. activity regarding, the Richmond on Thames district registry office, which has a very high percentage of foreign nationals marrying EEC Nationals, the spouses tended to be Portuguese nationals which are of course EEC Members, there have been a number of cases of pay offs for these services, from 1st February, the Home office will no doubt want to see the details of the intended marriages, the addresses given on several different marriages were in fact the same accomodation address.
Whilst I agree with the legislation, this will hamper genuine relationships, and give them an even more higher amout of paperwork to complete.
Once the scammer has married in the UK, they can then apply to the Home Office for a temporary residency visa, for 6 months, because they are commonwealth nationals, this visa can then be made permament providing evidence is shown to the Home Office that they are still man and wife, this of course is not too hard, given the bureacracy of the Home Office and its complete lack of ability to track these bogus marriage seekers.
Having then gained permanent residency, there is nothing to stop them from coming and going beween London and Lagos, Akrra etc etc, there premise is not to obtain nationality, but more so to obtain residency, and then feed into the benefits system, to which they seem very well versed in knowing their rights and entitlements.
