Marrying my british fiance in Canada...

[Cdnhollie78]

Hello all,

I know this topic is talked about quite a bit... but I can't find the percise info I need for our situation. If anyone knows where I can look or even a contact point, I so appreciate it!!!

I am a Canadian living with my fiance in England under an Ancestry Visa and have been for almost 2 years (come May 2009). We are planning on getting married back in Canada in October 09 but then will return to live in England and I'm concerned about a few things..

1)My visa - will I have to change it to a spousal visa when I come back to the UK after we're married? I still have 3 years on my Ancestry Visa so I wouldn't have thought I'd need to apply for a new visa - but at the same time the visa I have now will be under my maiden name. Will that cause problems? How does that work? Also, I am working here full time, I wouldn't want anything to change.

2)I've read that if you are on an Acestry Visa and once your 5 years expires you can apply for an ILR... but with a Spousal Visa is it 2 years? If so, can I apply for ILR after we have been married for 2 years even though I may still be on my Ancestry?

3)Once we've landed back in the UK after we've been married and are going through customs, will I have to show them our marriage certificate? Because I've been told it usually takes 4-8 weeks to get it and I won't be in Canada that long... so will this cause problems?

4)Question about my British fiance marrying in Canada -
Does anyone know whether he will have to get some sort of visa to go to Canada to get married or can he just come in as if it's just a holiday? I can't seem to find any info on the Cdn border agency website about that..

I did find a phone number for the UK Border Agency. Does anyone know if you can call that to get advice?

I appreciate any help i can get...

A ton of thanks!

[Joanne]

1)My visa - will I have to change it to a spousal visa when I come back to the UK after we're married? I still have 3 years on my Ancestry Visa so I wouldn't have thought I'd need to apply for a new visa - but at the same time the visa I have now will be under my maiden name. Will that cause problems? How does that work? Also, I am working here full time, I wouldn't want anything to change.

No you don't need to change to the spousal visa as you already hold a valid visa to stay in the UK. If you change your name then you will need to change your passport and have a new "stamp" (visa) to be added to your new passport.

2)I've read that if you are on an Acestry Visa and once your 5 years expires you can apply for an ILR... but with a Spousal Visa is it 2 years? If so, can I apply for ILR after we have been married for 2 years even though I may still be on my Ancestry?

You will only be able to apply for ILR after 2 years if you change to the spouse visa not if you are on the Ancestry visa. If you do not apply for the spouse visa you still need to wait for the 5 years.

3)Once we've landed back in the UK after we've been married and are going through customs, will I have to show them our marriage certificate? Because I've been told it usually takes 4-8 weeks to get it and I won't be in Canada that long... so will this cause problems?

You do not need to show your marriage certificate, you just do as normal showing your passport with your ancestry visa , they do not need to know that you are married to a British person as you already have a visa to live in the UK.

4)Question about my British fiance marrying in Canada -
Does anyone know whether he will have to get some sort of visa to go to Canada to get married or can he just come in as if it's just a holiday? I can't seem to find any info on the Cdn border agency website about that..

As far as I know ( we have done this but 9 years ago) he can go as a tourist and get married, no special visa required to get married in Canada.

hope this helps
Joanne

[lainey]

I agree with what Joanne wrote, at least about the marriage part. My fiance just came into the country and we filled out a regular provincial marriage licence form. As for your marriage certificate, it will still be handy to have in the UK, you never know when you might need it. You could just have someone post to you or if you really want it when you fly back, check to see if they issue rush ones. Manitoba does, and it definitely came in less than four weeks, though I just can't remember right now how long it took.

[jdaniellep]

Thanks - I had many of the same questions as I am a non-resident Canadian residing in the UK, engaged to a British man. Seems dead easy compared to the UK regulations i.e. I understand that if we were married here, I would have to get "permission" from the Home Office for my British Fiance to marry me (costs nearly £300!)

Anyone know how much advance notice it requires to apply for a marriage lisence in Canada? i.e. how long before we want to get married should we do it and do we need to do it in person? Is it provincial - anyone know of the right Web site for Ontario?

Is it valid here for the purposes of a spousal visa or citizenship in the future?

Many thanks

[Benedict McAmbrose]

Hi. A related, but different question.

I'm due to marry my fiancee in Canada next week---I'm British and she's Canadian. We wanted to submit our spousal visa (for her to come back to the UK as my wife) online and attend our VAC appointment with all our supporting documentation except the actual marriage certificate the day before the ceremony, because we've a honeymoon booked right after. We wanted to send in the actual marriage certificate as soon as we got it, but that won't be till the week after. "Worldbridge" have just told me that all supporting documentation must be submitted at our VAC appointment, since none can be accepted later.

This not what I had been led to believe previously. Does anyone know:
1) whether this is correct?

2)Whether they will accept the marriage license instead?

I would be so grateful for any helpful response to this query as my poor fiancee, whom I haven't seen in weeks, is at the end of her tether and I feel helpless to make her feel better.

Thank you in advance!

[ablundon13]

hey! I know this may be a late response but I decided to post anyways! I'm Canadian in the UK on a work permit sposored by my employer and I am engaged to a British Citizen. We are marrying in Canada in July 2009! 4 weeks! woohoo!

Anyways, in Canada, marriage certificates are sorted provincially! In Newfoundland we have to apply about 10 working days before the marriage. 4 days to process it, 4 days for the marriage commissionar/priest/minister to have it. All my fiancee needs is a passport and another piece of ID.

I contacted the Home Office UK for advice on my work permit; whether to change it to a spousal visa or keep it the way it is. I can keep it the way it is if I don't change my name (which I will be doing) or go ahead and aply for a spousal visa. I was a bit panicy because I thought I would have to do all this before I left, but they said to go get married and have fun and sort it out when I come back! How great is that! I can even sort out my Canadian passport when i get back in the UK. So when I change the passport to my married name i can also do the spousal visa at the same time!

Hope everyone has a great wedding day and a beautiful marriage! I cannot wait to marry my fiancee!