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There will be new immigration rules from 2005 which will bring in new requirements if you wish to join your spouse or partner in the UK:
- Starting from 01 January 2005 the age requirement went up from 16 years of age to 18 years of age to obtain a visa to enter the UK as a fiancé, or as a spouse, or as an unmarried partner. This means that you will not be able to qualify to remain as a spouse or unmarried partner if either you or your partner is under 18. This includes applications where the spouse or partner only has a temporary visa for the UK.
- From February 2005 if you are an overseas national (does not apply to EEA nationals) wishing to give notice to marry in the UK, you will only be able to do so at 76 designated register offices across England and Wales, and all register offices in Scotland and Northern Ireland, which you must attend with your partner. You will also have to adhere to the new strict criteria in order to have your notice to marry accepted. The new requirements, contained in the Asylum and Immigration Act (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004 is part of the Government's attempts to tackle the problem of bogus marriages that are entered into simply to stay in the UK. These rules do not apply to anyone who has already given notice to marry to a registrar before 1 February 2005.
- The requirements are similar whether you apply from abroad or apply from within the UK (if allowed to apply from within the UK). You will need to meet much stricter requirements than before to get married in the UK.
More details on how this scheme will work are available on our website.
