Immigration Corner | Applying to register a marriage

Dear Mr Bassie,

I would like to know if I would need a Marriage Visitor visa if I planned to register a civil partnership in the United Kingdom.

MF

Dear MF,

Persons must apply for a Marriage Visitor visa if:

They want to get married or register a civil partnership in the UK;

They want to give notice of a marriage or civil partnership in the UK;

They are not planning to stay or settle in the UK after their marriage or civil partnership; and

They meet the other eligibility requirements.

Persons do not need a Marriage Visitor visa to convert their civil partnership into a marriage - they can apply for a Standard Visitor visa.

They also do not need a Marriage Visitor visa if one of the following is true:

• They have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

• They have applied to the EU Settlement Scheme and have not got a decision yet

• They are Irish citizens

Persons cannot apply if they qualify for British citizenship – including if they can have dual nationality. They must apply for British citizenship instead.

WHAT PERSONS CAN AND CANNOT DO

They can:

• Marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within six months of arrival – they must use a venue licensed for this purpose

• Pass through the UK in transit (on their way to another country)

They cannot:

• Get public funds (benefits).

• Bring in family members (‘dependents’). They must apply separately.

• Live in the UK for extended periods through frequent visits.

• Extend their visa or switch to another visa.

• Work – except for permitted activities related to their work or business overseas, such as attending meetings.

• Study.

They can read online the detailed guidance about what they can and cannot do with a Marriage Visitor visa. Please note that they can use this visa to visit the UK for up to six months.

WHEN TO APPLY AND HOW LONG IT TAKES

If they need a visa, they must apply online before they come to the UK.

As part of their application, they will need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to prove their identity and provide their documents.

Persons should allow time to attend their appointment as the visa application centre could be in another country. Please note that the visa application centre may keep the passport and documents while processing their application. The earliest that persons can apply is three months before they plan to travel.

GETTING A DECISION

Once they have applied online, proved their identity, and provided their documents, they will usually get a decision on their visa within three weeks.

It is currently taking longer to get a decision on Marriage Visitor visas. Persons can find out how to get their visa decision faster. This depends on what country they are in. Please note that it costs £100 to apply.

All the best.

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, deputy global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com