UK Tier 4 Switch to Family Visa

Question

I'm trying to work out the best route/procedure for my partner, a student on a Tier 4 (general) student visa, to remain in the UK after the visa expiry.

• I'm a UK citizen
• My partner is a US citizen
• My partner is a student on Tier 4 visa, which expires October 2017
• We have been living together for less than 2 years (and will have been living together less than 2 years when the visa expires)
• We are planning on getting married ~July 2017

Questions:

1. What are our options in terms of visas/procedures for remaining together in the UK?
2. If applying for a family visa, can we apply before we're married?
3. Do we need to give any sort of notice before getting married?
4. How long do decisions take?
5. If required to attend interviews, how long does it usually take to get an appointment?

Answer 1

1. Once you are married, she can apply for Leave to Remain in the UK with Family.
2. You cannot apply for this visa before marriage.
3. You will have to give 28 days public notice of your intention to be married with the local registar. The Home Office may choose to extend this if they suspect a marriage of convenience. Make sure you have bills and other evidence in both your names at your current address. Set that up now.
4. These particular visas are usually pretty quickly handled, but be mentally prepared for it to take the full 90 days they state it will be decided within.
5. If there are going to be appointments, they will usually set the appointments and you can negotiate the time if needed.