2

I'm looking for some guidance on transfering from a UK visitor visa to a fiancé visa.

I have read multiple posts that state that you have to return home and reapply for this particular visa but I did find one outlier that said the transfer from the visa to fiancé was possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

For reference, the link below is for the individual that was able to transfer from one visa to the other.

https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/82100/switching-from-uk-tourist-visa-to-fianc%C3%A9-visa

-Update- I'm really hoping to get some feedback from people who have been through this process and have had some first hand experience with this.

Improve this question
2
  • As far as I'm aware it's entirely possible to get married while on a visitor visa, and it is appropriate to do so if you entered the UK without an intention to marry and formed your intention to marry while you were in the UK. It is certainly not possible to change your visa status while you are in the UK, because that is explicitly not allowed for visitors. But your best course of action depends on whether you intend to settle in the UK, which you have not said. If you want to settle in the UK then I believe you will need to leave in any event, but I am not certain of that.
    – phoog
    Mar 14, 2021 at 19:54
  • The poster of the other question evidently did not intend to settle in the UK, because he would not have been granted a marriage visitor visa in that case.
    – phoog
    Mar 14, 2021 at 19:59

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

The general rule of thumb is that you should not enter as a visitor if your intention is to marry. However, should your circumstances change during your visit, you can still give notice of your intention to get married or form a civil partnership but the immigration authorities at the Home Office will be told.

The Home Office might:

  • ask questions about you and your relationship - if this happens you may need to wait up to 70 days before getting married or forming a civil partnership

  • decide not to approve your notice - if this happens you cannot get married or form a civil partnership in the UK.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships

Improve this answer
10
  • Thanks for your response. I was hoping to discuss this with someone with first hand experience with this particular issue.
    – James
    Mar 14, 2021 at 14:27
  • @James In that case you should probably edit your question to clarify exactly what you want to know that isn’t covered in the gov.uk information
    – Traveller
    Mar 14, 2021 at 14:49
  • Thanks again Traveler. That's a fair point. I had read these gov.UK pages but found Ivan's post to be an outlier so I was looking for people that have been through this experience. I'll edit my question to make it clearer. Thanks for your feedback
    – James
    Mar 14, 2021 at 15:29
  • 1
    @James I checked the question you link to, in fact based on comments (which I’m not sure you’ll be able to see), the OP did not transfer from a visitor to a fiancé visa. The OP was outside the UK and their concern was whether they could get a marriage visitor visa before expiry of their existing visitor visa. The inference that there is a mechanism to transfer between the two visas once in the UK is therefore incorrect.
    – Traveller
    Mar 14, 2021 at 16:59
  • 1
    @James There are some hidden comments (on a deleted answer, which is why you can’t see them, I think), in one of which the OP says “ To clarify, I do not plan to apply within UK. I live and work in Russia, and this is where I am applying from. I hold the tourist visa simply to visit my partner sometimes. Now we decided to get married, and my question is simply whether I can get a marriage visitor visa before the tourist one expires.”
    – Traveller
    Mar 14, 2021 at 18:31

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.