Which is best: Fiance visa or Spouse Visa?

[maristela]

Whilst I respect Florge's reasoning, I remain an advocate for getting wed in the Phils [as I was] cutting out the "middle of the road" approach and applying directly for a spouse visa ... assuming both partners are absolutely certain they want to spend the rest of their lives together - which, admittedly, some couples are not. And again, a lot can depend on the time factor vis a vis holiday arrangements.

But such considerations apart ... there's no doubt that the Spousal route is far and away the more cost effective of the two choices - both in terms of the wedding celebrations and *visa fees. I mean, why pay the *same amount twice (within a 6 months' period) when once will suffice? And let's not forget there's still ILR to contend with, a further 2 and a 1/4 years down the line ... whichever [initial] method is chosen!

mr arthur,how about a settlement visa? thats what my fiance LV asked me to fill up.would you know what are my chances approval wise? we plan to get married in England once I get there...please advise.thanks!

[stevewool]

hi there so what is it you are asking for a fiancee visa if you are planning to be wed here, you are not married already are you

[redmir]

Hello everybody, im intersting in same tips, actually for now im trying to know if my italian fiancee could invite me to uk since she work and live there? i am a forigen legally in italy,

but does she need a permanent residence even shes a european citizen?
Should she rent a home for us to lvie before i apply for the visa fiance?
Or just we say shes share apartment with persons, we plan if i get visa we rent our flat to stay!? or should i book a hotel ?

please i need to know what i have to do and what is much better to make this work out!
Best regards
Sam

[johncar54]

remir, may I suggest you post this as a new thread, so that it does not get confused with ll the other info

[redmir]

ok man, sorry - but i already did it and got no answer yet, hopefully someone can help,

[johncar54]

This thread was started with the question:-- Which is best: Fiancée visa or Spouse Visa?

What I suggested is that you start a new thread, maybe: 'Can my Italian fiancée working in UK, invite me (resident in Italy) to UK?'

That way you will (hopefully) get specific info

[lyka]

i prefer the spouse visa..

[johncar54]

Lyka, But Redmir is not married, so a spouse visa does apply.

[tomboo]

It seems to me that as long as you fulfil the requirments either visa works, the cost saving in a spouse visa makes sense. Are you posting this question because you have a specific concern that your worried may get in the way of your application?If you have no concerns about meeting the visa requirments it comes down to a choice of where you want to be married? or am i missing something

[redmir]

the first thing now which makes me very worried is that my fiancee doesnt have the permanent residence to invite me as fiance to enter to the uk

Shes says that i am italian citizen, i dont need a permanent residence! ?

When want to get married in the future in UK or we might regester as civil partnership in uk!!!!

[johncar54]

REDMIR, You have a problem here because people are posting answers to the original question, which is different form yours.

The person who stared this thread is married. Only married people can ask for a spouse visa (Spouse means married partner. It does not include fiancée) That means a fiancée CANNOT get a spouse visa.

Again I suggest you start a new thread (not added on to here) and ask your question. You will get the answers you need without the confusion which you have started here.[/COLOR]

[redmir]

SORRY I'll try to make a new thread!

[grahamw48]

It may not suit everyone, but I took a 3 month 'sabbatical' from work and lived with my Filipina wife-to-be in the Phils so we could get to know each other properly (and then extended it).

We married in Manila, confident that we were doing the right thing, and getting the Spouse visa was easier too.

[drhdrhdrhdrh]

Yet another alternative view:
Having not enough funds to pay for my roundtrip to the Phils, marriage, then spousal visa apps, and tickets for my fiancee and her child: we chose to go for the fiancee visa approach.
It worked out better and faster than I'd expected, application to receipt of visa only a month, without interview.
Maybe the long term cost of fiancee visa is more, but for us the most important issue was to be together, at a cost within our limited short-term budget.

[Terpe]

Everyone has a different approach depending on their own circumstances and perspective.
Maybe a spouse visa has a slight edge over fiancee visa in terms of approval statistics.

Different strokes for different folks.

[johncar54]

I know this does not apply to most here but if one is living in the Schengen Area then a 'familiar reagroupacion' Visa (it's to re-unite a family. i.e. spouse visa) is very straightforward as most countries in EU have signed a Decree that it is in effect illegal to keep a family separated.

Pity UK did not sign up to it as well.

[grahamw48]

Agree.

Unfortunately we have to suffer because of the general f***ups successive British govts have made over immigration.

The easiest way here it seems was to chuck your passport in the bin on the way off the plane or ferry.

[johncar54]

A couple of years ago in Spain I was chatting with a Sikh whom it transpired lived in UK. He said if my wife (Filipino) went to UK, when she was there she should hide her passport, go to the police and say she was illegal. Then he said she would get a couple of hundred pounds a weeks and maybe more if she played it right.

Then when she intended returning to Spain tell them she had found her passport.

He said the police would do nothing about it and that many of his friends did it.

I did not know the man but I had no reason to suspect he was not telling the truth.

[Terpe]

I sometimes watch the TV programme about UKBA. I think it's call Border Patrol or something similar.
If UKBA pick you up for being here illegally the first thing they look for is passport.
If you have no passport, it's almost impossible to be deported since they cannot prove where you originally came from.
So here you must stay.

[grahamw48]

And of course that is the crux of the problem.

The facilitation of illegal immigration into the UK is a HUGE business involving immigrant families already here who have no real loyalty to this country, systematically look for loopholes in the law, take advantage of the fact that their individual identities can easily be confused amongst their extended family system, and make full use of anti-racist legislation, all to exploit US for financial gain.

Fake passports and documents of all kinds being a well-established cottage industry.

The namby pamby powers that be are too thick to realise it, or too timid to grasp the nettle and deal with the problem effectively.

This is what happens when civil servants are naive to the ways that are considered the norm in many other countries, and goody goody middle-class pressure groups start bleating about racism when anyone has the temerity to point an accusing finger at these CRIMINALS.

[johncar54]

Some years ago when I was attached to a South London Police Station one of the civilian staff in the canteen upset a Detective Constable. He looked up the law on illegals, did a search on all the staff and found that three were illegals.

I don't know if they were deported but as it was about 30 years ago ( pre the Politically Correct brigades) maybe they were. They certainly were not seen again working in the canteen.

[Terpe]

Some years ago when I was attached to a South London Police Station one of the civilian staff in the canteen upset a Detective Constable. He looked up the law on illegals, did a search on all the staff and found that three were illegals.

I don't know if they were deported but as it was about 30 years ago ( pre the Politically Correct brigades) maybe they were. They certainly were not seen again working in the canteen.

A similar thing happened at the immigration office also.

[junior02]

i agree grahamw48 And think that illegal immigration to the uk, that are goverments cant seem to deal with, makes it harder for legal immigrants from visa countries applying for visas to uk, as they are making it harder for them, as its a easy option for them to refuse an applicant that applys in the legal way. so in my own opinion the uk goverment pick on the easy targets..

[grahamw48]

i agree grahamw48 And think that illegal immigration to the uk, that are goverments cant seem to deal with, makes it harder for legal immigrants from visa countries applying for visas to uk, as they are making it harder for them, as its a easy option for them to refuse an applicant that applys in the legal way. so in my own opinion the uk goverment pick on the easy targets..

Totally agree.

Now if we were to be a different race, a different religion, and CLEARLY bringing someone in as the result of an arranged marriage ?

[junior02]

Totally agree.

Now if we were to be a different race, a different religion, and CLEARLY bringing someone in as the result of an arranged marriage ?

The door is open..

[lastlid]

Hi

A slightly different slant on the same topic. Which of a spouse and fiancee visa is more likely to be awarded by the UKBA? My thinking is that with the spouse visa there is more evidence of a genuine relationship if a couple are already married, especially if the wedding is in the Philippines and all the family is there.

Is my thinking correct?

Thankyou.

[grahamw48]

I would have thought so.

That's why I got married in the Phils....plus a lot cheaper, and didn't have to invite my relations.

[KeithD]

Not really. If you have a true relationship then both are easy to prove.

[Terpe]

Hi

A slightly different slant on the same topic. Which of a spouse and fiancee visa is more likely to be awarded by the UKBA? My thinking is that with the spouse visa there is more evidence of a genuine relationship if a couple are already married, especially if the wedding is in the Philippines and all the family is there.

Is my thinking correct?

Thankyou.

The spouse and fiancee visa have pretty much the same key requirements to satisfy UKBA.

Your thinking that a marriage provides better evidence of genuine relationship does not necessarily hold true. Individual circumstances vary considerably and the ECO will need to feel comfortable about all relationships. Marriage itself is not proof. Plenty of people try to use marriage as the route to a visa, and the UKBA are well aware of that.

[joebloggs]

all depends on your evidence, but not much difference btw them, most people get their visa first time which ever of the 2 visa's they apply for.