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Looking out for yourself is the most important thing in life and it comes in more than one way. Providing for your needs and doing what makes you happy is a start and the basic things everyone needs, but being prosperous, successful, and making good choices are the true definitions of doing the most with the time you have been given. For many people however, some of these things never seem to work out, at least not with what they have been given. They need to work hard and change things in their life to do so. Most often, this implies changing the environment they are in or in other words, moving to a new country.
Leaving things behind
Leaving one’s old life behind and taking a step towards something rand new and exciting usually feels great, albeit a bit overwhelming at times. It takes a lot of courage and sacrifice to pick up and leave everything you have in your hometown, in your motherland, and move away to an unfamiliar and foreign land. And yet, millions of people do it every year. Exploring the world as a tourist is one thing, a pleasure that lasts for a certain period and then you go back. Moving however is a permanent thing, which is why it is such a big deal. It is also a big deal because it takes a special set of circumstances to achieve it.
It is all about the visas
Not everyone can move and even those who can are limited when it comes to destination. Depending on where you live you could be very restricted in terms of moving around the world. This is especially true with immigration and actually becoming a citizen of a place you want to go to. For the purposes of this article we are focusing solely on the United Kingdom and talking about getting a visa for a life there. More particularly, we are talking the fiancé visa, one of the most common arrangements for people to become UK citizens in a straightforward, official way without much problems and holdbacks. Read on to understand everything there is about the process of getting a fiancé visa in the UK. What is more, make sure to check out https://imperiallegal.com/media/articles/fiancee-visa-or-marriage-visa-what-visa-you-need-to-marry-in-the-uk.
What you need to do before applying
There is a set of requirements that every single applicant must have in order to even qualify for a potential fiancé visa for a life in the UK. The government has established 10 requirements without which you cannot hope to get this document. First of all, your partner, i.e. fiancé, must already be a citizen. This means they need to be full-time citizens. Next up, both of you have to be 18 years. You must have met in person. It goes without saying that you should be free to marry, meaning not already in a marriage with somebody else or in the process of a divorce.
When it comes to the relationship between you and your future wife/husband, it needs to be genuine and true and you have to show intention to live together as UK citizens. Also, you can only get the fiancé visa if your plan is to get married within six months of arriving to the country. There needs to be some proof that all of your previous relationships are over. You have to be financially supported while in the UK without reliance to public funds and adequate accommodation needs to be provided, both for you and your fiancé and any other dependents. Finally, your level of speaking and understanding English has to be up to a certain standard. Meeting all of these requirements does not guarantee that you will get the visa, but it is the best possible start.
What About the Money Situation?
Apart from the aforementioned basic requirements that make you eligible for a fiancé visa application in the UK, you also have to meet certain financial rules. This exists in order for the future UK citizens through marriage to show that they can adequately maintain themselves financially and not rely on public funding. In order to meet this demands, you must prove that your partner earns a gross annual income of at least £18,600. Other than this, they have to earn £3,800 per year for the first child who is not yet a British citizen and £2,400 more per year for every additional kid.
How long before I get it?
The UK Government’s department for visas and immigrations claims to process as many as 95% of all fiancé visas within 85 days. It can be done sooner but only if you apply for a priority visa service, placing your application at the front of the que. If you manage to do so, it should not take more than 30 working days for the document to be processed. Well-prepared applications that have all the required documents and proof can be processed even quicker, both in the normal circumstances and the priority service. Mind that all applications for fiancé visas can only be made when you are outside of the United Kingdom’s borders. One cannot enter thebe a part of this program while already in the country.
The fee
Just like with most other things in life, this whole ordeal is not free. It is actually quite pricey. At the moment, it will set you back more than £1,500. Being so expensive, all applicants should make sure that they get their documents and files in order so as not to have to go through it again and pay more than once. If your visa is approved, your visa is initially valid for the first six months. When you marry your fiancé, you become eligible for a spouse visa, no longer needing to cross the borders biannually. When 5 more years pass, you can apply for regular citizenship. By this time, you will have already established your life in the new country. Everything or at least most things will be easy and you will already be on your way to new heights of prosperity and happiness.
