Definitive Guide to UK Visa Applications.

There are a lot of stories on here - most are really helpful and I gleaned a lot of info from them but some are not and are misleading - my story applies to anyone wishing to get married to a Colombian and live in the UK but the general thread is the same.
We met in the UK - she was here visiting her sister on a 6 month visitors visa - my mate (now brother-in-law) had to prove he had funds to support her and visit the Embassy in Bogota and they granted the visa.
To cut a long story short, we met fell in love and then I proposed - all a bit rapid but you can`t hang around!
The important thing was that my wife then went home when she was supposed to and not after the date on the visitors visa ( if you miss this date or if you try and keep her for a bit longer you will fall foul of immigration and result in deportion and possibly never be allowed out again).
I joined her in Bogota a week later and we got married.
We did everything the hard way and that is why I believe it all went well.
We married in the Catholic church ( I`m a divorcee which makes it harder ) we had to get a freedom of marriage certificate from my church in the UK sent to the Bogota church that we will get married in.
You may need to go and see the bishop in Bogota to get permission to marry - we did! You need to get Birth Certificate ( full long one with your mum and dads occupations on it ) Old Marriage cert, Decree Absolute all apostiled - its £27 per document but its money well spent. This is done in the Foreign office ( they do a drop in service in the mornings ).
You then need to get these docs translated including the Apostile by an approved translater : -
http://www.colombianconsulate.co.uk/Translators/tabid/101/Default.aspx
I recommend Lira Estrella to translate the documents.
They basically translate the document into spanish but they produce the doc again so you have doubles - take them all away with you.
You have to fill in the Visa application online - this can only be done 2 weeks before you propose to go the embassy so make sure you know when this will be.
The cost of Marriage visa is £500 which has to be in pesos no credit cards accepted.

Be prepared for the interview - we were told they would vigorously question us ( millitary style ) but this was not the case - If you are genuine they will know - if its a sham they will know as well.
We provided evidence of what was only 6 months together - photos, wedding photos, friends testimonials, reciepts for wedding - anything you can think of to prove your time together was genuine.
You get questioned individually from behind a glass screen and then together.

If you get granted you will collect the visa the same or next day and not 12 weeks as reported in some posts!

Basic rule is : be prepared and go armed with more than enough paperwork!
And be prepared for the slowness in Colombia - bureaucracy is slow out there.

By stevep69 on Mar 14, 2008, 02:30 in Visa & paperwork.

el flaco says on Mar 14, 2008, 03:54:

That's a really good post. I do hope it all turns out well for you, I'm glad I don't have to go through all that.

I'm not sure what a marriage visa is, please could you explain.

kalder says on Mar 14, 2008, 04:26:

The Marriage Visa no longer exists (as of February 2005). You can get married on the bog standard Tourist Visa.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

kalder says on Mar 14, 2008, 04:30:

"We married in the Catholic church ( I`m a divorcee which makes it harder ) we had to get a freedom of marriage certificate from my church in the UK."

Congratulations Steve. But I'm curious- which church did you get 'divorced from'? If it's one whose marriage vows are recognised as legitimate by the Catholic Church, there is no way on earth you'd be permitted a subsequent Catholic marriage.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

stevep69 says on Mar 14, 2008, 05:06:

Alright not marriage visa ( my terminology ) - Husband / Wife visa.
http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xce...
Reply to Kalder - I was married in Anglican church - non Catholic and therefore not recognised by the Catholic Church as valid.

kalder says on Mar 14, 2008, 05:43:

Sorry Steve- I was thinking of the now defunct Colombian Marriage Visa (which gave you permission to wed), not the British Spousal Visa (that gets your spouse into Britain). The no-credit cards thing is a phenomenal pain in the arse.

Marriage is the only Anglican sacrament that the Catholic church DOES regard as valid. Are you sure the bishop or his proxies didn't have your previous marriage annulled, before allowing you to proceed? It's just that I'm genuinely curious about such things; I don't intend to be intrusive.

Your point re the Embassy interviewers is a good one: "If you are genuine they will know - if its a sham they will know as well."
But I'd like to add the proviso that, even if your marriage is a sincere one but you lie to the them in the hope of expediting that visa, you're going to be in a whole world of hurt.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

stevep69 says on Mar 14, 2008, 05:59:

Kalder - Embassy point - yes very true. They see everything and if you are lying they will trap you with very simple techinques.
Church point - spoke to our priest ( Catholic ) and he said they see no other marriages as valid. I did not get the marriage annulled. It was a Church of England marriage so if that is Anglican then no idea how we did it. We did get to speak with the Obispo ( Bishop ) in Bogota and he asked us some questions at the request of our marrying priest in Bogota but upon seeing Divorce certs and everything we given the clearance to marry in Bogota - it was a lot of paperwork and running around though.

Juanes says on Mar 19, 2008, 07:45:

wow, mucho suerte steveo......

sounds a hell of a lot of work but obviously well worth it for the women you want to be with

hope mine wont be that difficult if i marry a latina...ojala.....but i am single i suppose and dont do church really.......

http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Juanes/

Geordieboy85 says on Apr 5, 2008, 11:18:

Very good post, just a question. What type of questions did they ask you?

leftside says on Apr 8, 2008, 15:44:

Could you have got married in England?

Juanes says on Apr 8, 2008, 16:28:

o la isla de san andres posible.....

i like the idea of the hassle free option discussed by other pbh posters and what a great location for wedding fotos.

http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Juanes/