[kelsette]

Hello again!

My background :
American in London since 2011 (student visa x 2)
Living with British boyfriend since 2012
Marrying aforementioned boyfriend (in the United States) on New Years Eve, 2013!


We plan to send the online application off on January 2nd or 3rd, and I'll begin the whole biometrics process immediately thereafter. We have all of our paperwork/evidence in order.

However, a quick question: if my VAF4A is granted (fingers crossed) in late January, it will be valid through mid-2016. However, my passport is set to expire before then! Will this be an issue? Can you replace/renew your passport in the middle of your visa?

Secondly, I plan to change my surname. Will this have any impact?

At the moment, I'm thinking (approximate dates of course) -
1st week of January - apply online
2nd week - biometrics (I've done it twice before, so I know what the process involves) & paper application send-off
3rd week - legal name change
4th/5th week - hopefully the visa will arrive!
Later this year - renew/replace passport with new surname

Thanks for any insight. As always your advice & suggestions are deeply appreciated!

 

[Joppa]

Passport expiring during the first visa's validity is no problem. You just have to carry both!
As for changing your name, I think the best time to do is when your passport is due for renewal. You must still travel with both passports (plus marriage certificate), unless you pay to get your visa transferred to your new passport but it's costly. Then when you renew your visa, your biometric residence permit will bear the new name.