Marriage Visa

My apologies if this subject has been talked about over and over, but I can't seem to find the answers I am looking for.

My situation is this.

I am a Canadian citizen and am currently in the UK on a Working Holiday Maker visa and have been since last June of 07. I have been with my fiance for 4.5 years now (we have sufficient evidence to show this, I think). My current visa runs out in June 09. We are hoping to get married either in the UK or in Canada before my visa runs out and then apply for a marriage visa and I would continue to stay in the UK for a few more years but eventually we would like to live in Canada.

A few questions.

Are we allowed to marry in the UK? Do we have to apply for something else in order to do so?
If we were married in Canada would I be allowed back in the UK on my current visa to apply for a marriage visa?
Do you have to stay for a certain amount of time on a mariage visa or would we be allowed to go back to Canada when we wished?
What sort of time frame does this normaly happen in, from time of marriage to being allowed to work?

Sorry for all these questions, but i am hoping someone out there is able to help.

thank you.

Hey! Here is some information i received from the Home Office in Britain. It didn't help me out fully. I am getting married in Canada to a UK Citizen, but am currently in the UK on a work permit for my company. I am trying to figure out how to deal with my name change for my canadian passport and what then happens to my work permit! anyways, hope some of this information helps you out!

1) Please be advised that you will be required to apply for a Spouse visa after getting married from your nearest British Diplomatic Post before coming back to the UK.
For information about Entry Clearance applications and appeals, please contact the British Diplomatic Post (the High Commission, Embassy or Consulate) where you will be submitting your application.

2)(I THINK THIS MAY BE FOR MARRIAGE IN THE UK
Please be advised that people subject to immigration control, who are already in the UK, are required to apply for a Certificate of Approval in order to marry.
If you plan to get married at an Anglican Church, you may not require a Certificate of Approval. You should contact a member of the clergy at the church where you plan to get married to make the appropriate arrangements.
If you plan to marry in any other form of religious ceremony, you must obtain a Certificate of Approval first and give notice to marry to a registrar at a designated register office, before the marriage ceremony can take place.
Your partner may be asked to provide further information to enable caseworkers to make a decision.
The application form required is: COA and is available on the UK Border Agency website at ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or by calling the Application Forms Unit on 0870 241 0645. Public Enquiry Offices do not deal with Certificate of Approval applications, they must be submitted by post.
The Certificate of Approval is valid for three months from the date it is issued, or until the date when your leave to enter or remain expires if this is less than three months, during which time you are required to give notice to marry. The notice to marry is valid for one year from the date on which it was given in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and for three months in Scotland. Your marriage must take place within this time, or you will have to apply for another Certificate of Approval and give notice to marry again.
Please note, this is not an application for further leave to remain. If your current leave is expiring, you will need to make a separate application to extend it.
People subject to immigration control who have had their application for a Certificate of Approval refused must return to their country of origin, or the country in which they are normally resident, and apply for Entry Clearance as a Fiancé/e or a Marriage Visitor from a British Diplomatic Post abroad.
Providing you have 6 months on your current Visa you may be eligible to switch in country to the Spouse Visa after the marriage has taken place.
Once you have changed your name and you are submitting your application form please send as much documentation in proof of your name change, with a covering letter explaining the situation.

3) MARRIAGE IN CANADA THEN MOVING TO UK
Once the marriage has taken place, you will need to submit an FLR(M) application to the Home Office for further leave to remain as a spouse.The spouse visa is for a probationary period of 2 years during which time you will be able to work without restriction.Up to 28 days before this visa expires, you will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. For this, the application form SET(M) is required. If the spouse visa was obtained overseas, you can submit an application for indefinite leave to remain 23 months after entering the UK .Please note, if your entry was delayed by up to 3 months after the issue of your visa, and your visa expires before you have completed 23 months from the date of entry into the UK, you can submit a SET(M) application by post before your visa expires. The application will be placed on hold until the qualifying period has been completed. Alternatively, you can submit an FLR(M) application and, if you meet the requirements for this application, you will be granted a further period of leave to enable you to complete the probationary period. If you delayed your travel by more than 3 months, you will need to submit an FLR(M) application. If you meet the requirements for this application, you will be granted a further period of leave to enable you to complete the probationary period.



Hope this helps!

THANKS!

That does answer some of my questions! It all seems so complicated.

Do you know if you get married in canada to a UK citizen, if there is something that you need to apply for before getting married (like in the uk), or do they not care as much. Seems it would be an easier option to marry in Canada, then return to england.

Thanks for your help and good luck with your situation.

This is great bc i am going to be doing the same thing in March and i'm on the working holidaymaker visa as well. The only problem is that I hear the Ontario marriage certificate takes up to 12 weeks to get and i'm tempted to come back to the UK right after our honeymoon and not tell them that i'm married so I don't have to stay in Toronto for 3 months. I will have to fly back when my marriage certificate comes through and apply for the visa in Canada. It's such a complicated process!