True, you didn’t go abroad to marry. You went abroad to study. However, love comes with such gale force that could sweep you off your feet. Marriage is a blessing. Even though many will suspect your marriage is just to get a permit, especially as an international student. However, this is not always the case. True love still exists. Let us see access to the possibility of marrying a UK, U.S. and Canadian citizen as an International student.
Marrying a US citizen
If you’re a student on an F-1 visa, you can get married to a US citizen. All you have to do is file the appropriate forms before your visa expires. Applying for a marriage-based green card to stay and live legally in the US with your spouse is a process called Adjustment of Status. The immigration officers will stick to a 90-day rule to determine whether or not couples are truthful about their marriage. If you apply for a green card before you’ve even been in the US for more than 90 days, it raises red flags for immigration officers handling your paperwork. After that, you’ll have to wait to receive a visa number. Once you get your hands on your visa number, you will be able to apply for a marriage-based green card.
However, while waiting for the application to be approved, do not travel outside the U.S. until you have obtained a travel permit. If not the government will consider your application abandoned. Also, do not remain in the U.S. if your visa has expired. If this happens, all you need to do is go through the marriage-based green card process. But you will need to prove to the U.S. government that you don’t intend to deceive immigration officers about the time you returned to the US as an F-1 student married to a green card holder.
Marrying a UK Citizen
There are no specific restrictions on getting married in the UK. Especially if you are on a valid Tier 4 study visa. The key point to bear in mind is that your Tier 4 visa must be valid when you get married. Given that some marriages can take months to plan if your study visa is due to expire before you can get married, you will either need to extend your study visa or apply for a spouse visa. Once you are married or in a civil partnership, you will be able to apply for a spouse visa, if you meet the eligibility criteria.
In order to switch from a Tier 4 study visa to a spouse visa, you will need to fulfil a number of eligibility criteria. Specifically, you will need to show you are in a genuine civil partnership or marriage recognised in the UK. This involves proving you have been living together in a relationship for at least two years when you apply. In addition, your partner must be a British citizen and have settled rights in the UK.
Assuming you meet the above criteria, you also need to prove that you have a good knowledge of English. That you also can financially support yourself and your dependents. If your application for a spouse visa is successful, you will receive permission to remain in the UK for a period of 2.5 years, after which you can apply to extend your visa.
Marrying a Canadian Citizen
you can get married in Canada with a student visa. However, you must follow the led-down rules guiding marriage in the province in you live. The main requirement is to reach the age limit of 18 in some provinces and 18 in others.
Once you attain this age, you can marry anyone in Canada with no regard to their sex. But if you are not up to the legal age, you can get a certificate of consent from your parents or guardian. The acceptable documentation needed for marriage in Canada is a valid, current passport, a government-issued birth certificate indicating any change of names in the past, a record of immigration, a Canadian citizenship card, a valid driver’s license, or a valid Ontario photo card. After marriage, you must apply for a marriage certificate within 48 hours, and it will be ready in six weeks.
Disclaimer
If you are planning to be married in a foreign country, you should contact the nearest embassy, high commission or consulate of the country where the marriage will take place. They will tell you what documents you will need and whether they need to be authenticated.
