If your fiance or fiancee is in the UK and you plan to get married to them, you can join them by applying for a UK fiance visa. You can apply for this visa in Nigeria, and this Nigerianinfobusstop post contains all the details and procedures to go about it.
About The UK Fiancé Visa
A UK fiancé visa enables you to move to the UK to be with your fiancé or fiancée. Your fiancé or fiancée in the UK must be a citizen of the United Kingdom, a permanent resident, or both.
Your intention to immigrate to the UK to wed or form a civil partnership with your partner is what the UK Visas and Immigration will use to give you the visa.
As a result, you have six months to get married or form a civil partnership before the visa expires.
You can then apply for a spouse visa to extend your stay in the country after your visa expires. You might have to leave the country if you haven’t been married or entered a civil partnership when your visa expires.
The six months you spend there as a temporary visa holder won’t count toward residency if you later apply for permanent residence. The spouse visa, which you can quickly obtain following the fiancé visa, does constitute residency.
As a result, acquiring a UK fiancé visa may result in eventual permanent residency and British citizenship.
How To Know If You Qualify The Visa
The main prerequisite for qualifying is that your fiancé or fiancée in the UK must be a citizen or permanent resident of that country.
However, there are other criteria for eligibility, which are mentioned below:
- You must be at least 18 years old, as must your fiancé.
- You must have a wedding or civil partnership plan within six months of entering the UK.
- There cannot be a current civil partnership or previous marriage.
- To stay in the UK, you must have the necessary finances.
- You and your fiancé must reside in appropriate quarters in the UK.
- You must show that you can communicate in English.
The aforementioned are the prerequisites set forth by UK Visas and Immigration to be eligible for a fiancé visa. Depending on your situation, the department may ask for more requirements.
Documents You’ll Need
To demonstrate your eligibility, please supply relevant documentation. When applying online, you will often scan and submit these files. After that, if the embassy requests an interview, you bring them with you.
Some of the required paperwork includes:
- Your Nigerian international passport.
- ID showing your full name and birth date. A birth certificate or sworn statement attesting to your date of birth will suffice.
- Provide documentation showing you have never been married or in a civil union. If you have been married before and want to show that you are single again, you can do so by showing a divorce certificate.
- Documentation demonstrating your intent to be married or form a civil partnership with your British partner.
- Documentation demonstrating that you have no open cases before the law or the courts. A court or police report can be used as evidence.
- Proof of the nationality and full names of both of your parents. Only applicants from countries other than the United Kingdom will require this document.
- Provide specifics on your travels and stays outside the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
- Evidence proving you have the means to pay for your stay in the country. Statements from your bank and your accounts should suffice.
UK Visas and Immigration may ask for supplementary materials at some point in the application process. Thus, it is essential to stress that the list mentioned above is not exhaustive.
How To Prove Your Relationship
You must demonstrate the sincerity of your relationship with your spouse to be eligible for the UK fiancé visa. It’s crucial since many individuals arrange fictitious marriages to establish permanent residence in the UK.
However, by giving a few details, you can demonstrate that your relationship with your fiance is sincere. These consist of:
- Documents attesting to your shared living arrangements.
- Shared accounts or bank statements.
- Confirmation of your relationship status from friends and family.
Keep in mind that not all of this information is required. Depending on what the embassy requires, you just need to supply some of it.
The Application Fee
The cost of a UK fiancé visa is the same as that of a UK spouse visa. Since you’re applying from Nigeria, outside the UK, you must pay £1,538 (about N760,000).
It could take 24 weeks for UK Visas and Immigration to process your fiancé visa. However, the UK Visas and Immigration can expedite the processing of your visa for an additional fee.
They will complete processing your visa at the end of the following business day if you pay an additional £800 (about N400,000). You’ll hear back after two business days if you submit your application over the weekend.
However, you had to have provided your biometric data to receive a decision that quickly. If you don’t meet the necessary conditions, such as the income and English language requirements, or if you have an ongoing legal or criminal case, your visa procedure may take longer than it needs to.
The Application Procedure
Once you have all the required documentation and supporting evidence, you can start the application process for a UK fiancé visa. The application is online.
You will be given a choice to select where you will provide your biometrics at the beginning of the application process since you must do so to receive the visa. Choosing the correct location is essential because it may be difficult to change afterward.
The application consists of six phases. You must finish and submit the online application form with the necessary documentation and supporting files. You must also pay the visa cost.
In the third stage, you pay the health surcharge, and in the fourth, you submit your biometrics, which includes your passport and fingerprints. Fifth, you must take your tuberculosis test and present the results.
Your passport and supporting documentation must be physically presented as the final step. Upon approval of your application, a visa will be stamped in your passport, enabling you to enter the UK.