Not only all ages are submissive to love, but also all countries, so in our age of frequent travel and open borders, serious relationships and marriages between citizens of different states are not uncommon. And England is no exception: family visas to the UK are issued quite often.
If you understand that you have met the one with whom you are ready to spend the rest of his life, everything around you is filled with special meaning and you do not want to think about the legal formalities. But if your partner is a citizen or permanent resident of the United Kingdom, unlike you, it is worth thinking in advance about where you plan to live together, whether you need a British passport in the future and how best to arrange a wedding.
English visas for those who plan to marry a resident (holder of permanent residency status) or a British citizen have different conditions of obtainment and do not always automatically lead to citizenship.
How do marriages take place in England?
In our country we are used to having marriage registered in the registry office, because in Russia officially the church is separated from the state, and relations between the spouses are governed by the Family Code, which in turn stands for the interests of mother and child, so even the most cleverly invented marriage contract will not leave the wife on the street and without children.
In Britain it is somewhat different. The marriage contract can be registered not only in a government office, but also in the Church of England. If your foreign partner offers to sign a prenuptial agreement, you will already need the legal assistance of a specialist at this stage.
Main types of family visas to England
Let’s make a little excursion into the family laws of Great Britain. It in no case restricts the freedom of choice of its citizens in the matter of marriage, but the legal rules provide clear requirements for the foreign partner, without compliance with which he will not be able to apply for permanent residence in the country. For example, the marriage visa or fiancée visa in Great Britain does not allow the husband or wife of a British citizen to apply for residency status: it is only possible with a spouse visa.
Marriage visitor visa to the UK
If you and your partner do not intend to live in the UK, but want to get married here, have family and friends of your British husband or wife present at the wedding, or you simply like the country for personal reasons, this is ideal.
What gives you a wedding visa
A wedding visa to the UK is granted for a short period (up to 6 months) and allows the future spouses to come to the British Isles to get engaged or get married. After the wedding, the foreign spouse (or both spouses if neither is a British resident or citizen) must leave the United Kingdom before the visa expires.
What you can’t do on a wedding visa
The visa permit imposes serious restrictions. The holder of a wedding visa to England will not be able to:
- Live permanently in the country or stay here for an extended period of time;
- study at an institution of higher education;
- Work or set up your own business;
- Receive social benefits or public benefits.
- What you cannot do on a bridal visa
Fiancé/fiancée visa for the UK
Are you the fiancée or groom of a British or English resident with permanent (including same-sex) residence status? Then you will be able to obtain this visa permit for a period of 6 months and exclusively in your country of residence. Within six months of being issued a fiancée visa to England, you and your partner must tie the knot and then you can apply for a spouse visa without leaving the country. Otherwise, you will need to leave the United Kingdom before your visa expires. This visa does not entitle you to work in the UK.
If you want to know more about the bride/fiancé visa and the UK wedding visa, check out the article on this topic on our website.
Visa for unmarried partners – Visa for unmarried partners
This is a variant of family visas to England, which not everyone knows about. This visa is intended for partners (both different-sex and same-sex) who are not planning to get married officially. Unmarried Partners Visa is issued if you have legally lived together for 2 years and have been in a permanent relationship with a person who is a citizen or a resident. Like the spouse visa to the UK, the partners visa leads to permanent residency after 5 years of permanent residence in the country without long trips abroad (the period of stay in the United Kingdom as a fiance or groom is not taken into account).
