Me UK citizen, Fiancée US citizen...

Neither can work in the others' country nor spend more time there than in their own.

When married we can apply for residency in either country, but understandably both countries want proof of no burden on the state. US fairly specific about amount, UK very vague.

Problem is due to both being freelancers no one will lend us any £/$ for a home - one of the requirements for the residency applications. It is a vicious circle unless we win the lotto or can find a private lender (Not talking mega money - $100k secured on property worth $125k, as we have deposit).

Anyone know a safe, nice place, preferably in the first world, we can live for the present together (the most important part) without visa restrictions that separate us?

Or lend us the money at a sensible rate?! :)

HTC

How about Ireland?

Does that not come under the same regs as the UK?

Should have said what really bugs us and the family is for doing it the right/legal way we suffer :(

HTC

Get a fiancé visa, move to the US. Got 6months then you need to get hitched.

Mrs r comes from Central America. We got married there, and on return to UK just showed the marriage certificate to Immigration at Gatwick and she got her passport stamped 'Given leave to remain in UK for an indefinite period' (or words to that effect). A couple of months later she flew over to CA to bring the children back to UK and again, absolutely no problem.

I thought once you were married to a UK citizen you were automatically entitled to live in UK together. Mind you, we got married nearly thirty years ago, so the rules might have changed since then.

Unfortunately need the proof for fiancée visa in US too :(

HTC

I wish it was that easy Radarman :(

HTC

Radarman wrote

We got married there, and on return to UK just showed the marriage certificate to Immigration at Gatwick and she got her passport stamped 'Given leave to remain in UK for an indefinite period' (or words to that effect).


Lucky you.....Mrs EW is a US citizen..we had to present her with a heap of bank statements documents and evidence (including our marriage licence from the UK) citizenship test results in the US BEFORE she was granted "indefinite leave to remain"...and it cost a small bloody fortune!!

Is there any way of using the Human Rights Legislation? There are convicted criminals in the UK who have avoided deportation using it. As somebody said earlier, get a good lawyer (after moving here and staying a while). Something to do with the "Right to a family life".

I married an Australian and she came to live in the US.

We had no problems getting her a green card by virtue of being married. We jointly refinanced a house shortly after she got a green card, and she opened several accounts, credit cards, mostly, so as to establish her own credit history and ratings.

She became a citizen a few years ago and now operates independently just as any other American.

So I recommend you obtain a green card now, and become a citizen after a few years if you're so inclined. You can retain your UK citizenship but must swear loyalty to the US.

I don't know anything about a US citizen moving to the UK. I'm about to find out about a US citizen moving to Australia.

I thought once you were married to a UK citizen you were automatically entitled to live in UK together. Mind you, we got married nearly thirty years ago, so the rules might have changed since then.


Not anymore, my brother had to wait about six months and jump through many hoops before he could bring his non-UK citizen wife to UK.

BandAide - As long as your wife is an Australian citizen you don't have a problem, I think it works like this; four years as a Permanent Resident then you can become an Australian citizen. Suggest Mrs BA leaves US of A on her US P'port but definitely uses her Australian p'port on arrival here. You may need a visitors visa initially to get in, then, when PR is granted, you may have to make a quick trip outside Australia, (Norfolk Island, Bali, New Zealand etc) to come back and activate your PR visa. Suggest you talk to Australian consulate in US before leaving, proof of residency in Oz may be required.

We're in the process also of acquiring a home in Bali partially with the objective of having an offshore retreat from both home countries.

Interestingly, it appears advantageous from a tax standpoint to do our banking and asset storage in such a third country as Indonesia, as our own governments seek ever more access to the taking of the dollars we have managed to save, and the pensions we are retiring on.

Try Vanuatu

Great place to live!

I'm not surprised that people like herman the crab are having problems with UK immigration laws today. The UK has an admirable and enviable record (from the point of view of ex. Nazis or today's French National Front / or extremist UKIP parties), for being able to modify important pieces of legislation almost at will, on an almost daily or at least several times a year. Resulting in huge swathes of hitherto British "subjects" or "citizens", sometimes in their millions, losing any / all rights to UK residency almost overnight (as opposed to say the Conservative Party's most important benefactor residing offshore blah-blah...) :yuk:

However, I wonder whether or not there are any real or substantial differences available today which might somehow facilitate the entry of spouses originating from some countries over others...?! Presumably, race cannot any longer be considered a valid criteria, being completely illegal as it were hic-hic...?! :ugh:

So, perhaps it's easier for a Pakistani bride to gain entry to the UK from USA than from Pakistan or elsewhere on the globe?! Discuss?!

Doesn't really help all the folks like herman the crab though...? :(

What may today be considered illegal Internationally (discrimination according to race, religion, colour, creed etc.), the UK's (and many others) immigration own rules successfully bypass these with their own interpretations.

herman the crab, perhaps you should be grateful that neither one or other of you are brown-skinned, Muslim or otherwise "ethnic"... :rolleyes:

Problem is due to both being freelancers no one will lend us any £/$ for a home - one of the requirements for the residency applications..
Where do you read, or who told you, that you must OWN a home?
If you're a UK citizen and you marry a US citizen, you don't have to own a home to have her come here, and vice versa. You do have to prove a level of income (in the UK it's £18K/yr), and that you have a place to live (you can rent).

You do have to prove a level of income (in the UK it's £18K/yr), and that you have a place to live (you can rent).

What an abomination of the rights of a UK citizen? If you want to buy a Japanese-made HD TV or whatever, there are no important import regulations to comply with. Even if you're a teen-aged single mum raising your child in a council flat.

On the other hand, if you wish to "import your spouse", apparently you have to go through far worse...?! :yuk:

Having "to prove" any level of minimum income by either party (but especially for the UK citizen) is quite simply obscene. Obviously yet more rubbish legislation dreamed-up by UK bureaucrats (sorry, in this case you can't blame Brussels or Strasbourg) and over-paid UK MPs who've forgotten what their jobs represent. The UK has for far too long played about with the fundamental rights of their subjects / citizens. One day, they'll be asked to account for it all. Obviously, most of those responsible (whether or not married to foreign spouses) will have by that time flown the coop, and escaped to more clement places, in EU or elsewhere. But they might still depend on whatever meagre UK pension is disbursed. That's when they will be eventually be caught out...

On a fiancée visa to the US you have 90 days before you have to get married, not 6 months. The paperwork can take many months, and you need an American citizen to state they are willing to support you if necessary so you "will not be a burden on the state". Up to date on this as my son is getting married this month, having just got his K1 (fiancée ) visa. :)

Why oh why do you want to get involved in marriage with................








A WOMAN ?

It'll only end in tears..... YOURS! Don't buy the book, borrow it! :E

Anyone know a safe, nice place, preferably in the first world, we can live for the present together (the most important part) without visa restrictions that separate us?


AUSTRALIA ! land of opportunity.

All you have to do is to go to Indonesia, make your way to the nearest beach, borrow a blow up mattress, paddle five metres off shore then call the Australian Navy. They'll come and pick you up, take you to Christmas Island where you will be put up in a hotel for a short while and then you'll be flown to the Australian mainland where you will be looked after by the Australian taxpayer for the rest of your natural.

But be quick....this unrepeatable offer is likely to end once our dearly beloved prime minister is sent off to the guillotine - sorry, voted out of office.

Never said needed to OWN a home, but require one and renting is just as hard believe it or not. And besides why throw away $ on rent that could be used for a mortgage.

Bank statements apparently are not good enough in place of credit checks, despite showing actual amounts available yet pay slips are - but no proof of ability to pay.

I am already in the US (legally) so the fiancée visa doesn't apply that way. If we left the US to marry in the UK with can't apply for the visa until the venue is booked but they can then still refuse visa (= loss of deposits on venue) and she can't remain in UK.

If we marry here I can then apply for change of status but need to prove the home and ability to support ourselves, etc.

HTC

Never said needed to OWN a home, but require one and renting is just as hard believe it or not. And besides why throw away $ on rent that could be used for a mortgage.

Bank statements apparently are not good enough in place of credit checks, despite showing actual amounts available yet pay slips are - but no proof of ability to pay.

I am already in the US (legally) so the fiancée visa doesn't apply that way. If we left the US to marry in the UK with can't apply for the visa until the venue is booked but they can then still refuse visa (= loss of deposits on venue) and she can't remain in UK.

If we marry here I can then apply for change of status but need to prove the home and ability to support ourselves, etc.

1. it's not that hard to rent in the UK, I know I just did it (came from US in October)

2. bank statements that go back 6 months and show a steady in/out are good enough.

3. if you're already in one country, then get married, the gov't will accuse you of entering under false pretenses, be careful with that one.

4. get an attorney to handle it for you.

How do I know this?
Just went through the same situation.