Marry In US But Move To UK

[Starla]

Hello,

My boyfriend and I recently got engaged. He lives in England (he is English), and I live in the US (I am American). We would like to get married in the US and then move to the UK together. Will he need special paperwork to marry me in the US?

Also, when I move to the UK with him as his wife, will I need to fill out special paperwork before I arrive? Or can I take care of that after I move to the UK?

Thank you for your help!

[Bevdeforges]

To find out the details of what it will take to marry a foreigner, talk to your local town hall (i.e. where you will apply for the license). It can vary a bit from state to state and from region to region within the US, but basically he'll need pretty much the same paperwork that you do - birth certificate, probably his passport, and just to be on the safe side, he should probably have the address of the closest British Embassy or Consulate.

I'm pretty sure there is some sort of international agreement that when foreigners get married in your country, the officials have to notify the Consulate of the foreigner's country. (It might not be a bad idea to contact them yourself beforehand just to ask about how to report the marriage of a UK national in the US.) Even if it's not required, it can come in handy when applying for visas and whatever else you'll need for moving to the UK. At least ask for the forms you'll need to fill out eventually - they'll probably be able to fill you in on the rest of the details. (And consulting with them ahead of time can't hurt, either.)
Cheers,
Bev

[Starla]

Thank you for your help! I will call city hall to find out what I can.

[Fatbrit]

Originally Posted by Starla

Hello,

My boyfriend and I recently got engaged. He lives in England (he is English), and I live in the US (I am American). We would like to get married in the US and then move to the UK together. Will he need special paperwork to marry me in the US?

Also, when I move to the UK with him as his wife, will I need to fill out special paperwork before I arrive? Or can I take care of that after I move to the UK?

Thank you for your help!

As long as he's eligible (no criminal record, previous visa infringements, etc.), he can enter the US on the Visa Waiver Program to marry you. however, he should take with him documentary proof that he intends to return to the UK with you afterwards. This proof is to be produced only when asked for. The officer may be worried that he intends to remain in the US following the wedding, and if so the onus is on your boyfriend to prove otherwise. Evidence of ties to the UK include a job to return to (letter from employer?), a mortgage to pay, etc.

Marriage is a state responsibility. Look up the regulations on your state website. In Arizona, for example, his passport alone would suffice.

Your return to the UK will require a suitable visa. Luckily it is usually pretty quick and painless, though it will require a visit to the nearest British consulate. Start on British Embassy in the USA: Official UK Government website to discover what you will need to do and get prepared. Boyfriend should also bring this paperwork filled out when he enters the US as further proof of your joint intentions.

[izzysmum04]

You will need to apply for/and receive a spousal settlement visa before you can come back with him to the UK. This page will explain all about it.

[Starla]

Thanks again, everyone.

I called Worldbridge last week and found out that yes, I will need to apply for a settlement visa before I move over there. (Thank you for the link, Izzysmum).

One thing that people may want to take note of is: I called the City Hall of the US state where we would like to be married and asked what paperwork he would need in order to marry me in the US. They told me that all he needed was his passport or other photo id with his current address listed on it(and if he had been married before, proof that the marriage has ended).

This is going easier than I thought! What a relief.

I do have some more questions though after reading some other people's responses about visas.

We had planned on marrying on a Saturday in the US, fly to England during the week and have a blessing ceremony in England the following Saturday. Is there a chance I would get my visa in a week? Can I apply in person and get it the same day? What is the standard waiting time, if any?

[jlms]

Originally Posted by Starla

Thanks again, everyone.

I called Worldbridge last week and found out that yes, I will need to apply for a settlement visa before I move over there. (Thank you for the link, Izzysmum).

One thing that people may want to take note of is: I called the City Hall of the US state where we would like to be married and asked what paperwork he would need in order to marry me in the US. They told me that all he needed was his passport (and if he had been married before, proof that the marriage has ended).

This is going easier than I thought! What a relief.

I do have some more questions though after reading some other people's responses about visas.

We had planned on marrying on a Saturday in the US, fly to England during the week and have a blessing ceremony in England the following Saturday. Is there a chance I would get my visa in a week? Can I apply in person and get it the same day? What is the standard waiting time, if any?

In my case (this was 10 years ago) I got one of my visa entries in less than 2 weeks, but with the benefit of hindsight it was a reckless thing to do (to apply for it while on holiday in a third country, it just about worked, but in the paranoid times we live now this may no longer be the case).

Check with all the authorities involved, if I was you I would not count on this, since it could be a source of headaches, you could either come to England for the blessing and back to the US (I don't know how long tourist visas for US citizens are, for Mexicans they last up to 6 months) to wait for your definitive visa to be ready, or forego the idea of the ceremony in England so close to the US wedding.

Sorry if I come across as a pessimist, but I think you should not try to shoehorn two big bureaucracies around your very personal plans since unfortunately the systems will not care if they make your wedding an even more trying time.

[izzysmum04]

You're welcome! I'm going to have to agree with jlms on this. I would not plan both ceremonies so close together. I sent mine in to one of the quickest (NYC Consulate), and it still took 7 working days for me to receive mine. It took almost 2 weeks for a friend of mine. So, I definitely wouldn't count on getting it back in a week. Sorry to be another pessimist. Anyway, good luck with everything!!

[Starla]

Yes, I spoke to my fiancé about this and we think we'll have to put the blessing off. He'll be here this summer so we may try to take a trip to NYC and speak to someone (hopefully get some answers).

[izzysmum04]

You can make an appointment and go in person, and I believe you would get it the same day. That might be an option for you.