privacy of marital status

[VARISHA]

I'm not sure if this question should go under 'civil' category.

Me and my boyfriend was thinking of marrying but earlier then planned because he lives currently in Bangladesh and want to get him to UK, my birth country. Can the marriage remain private in the UK? or is my marital status essential for UK institutions in particular, police, hospitals, electorial registrations and work? Is there another easy way to get him to UK apart from work and student visa? xx

[Banali]

By private, do you mean that you don't want anyione to know about it?

You will have to either marry him in Bangladesh and than he will have to apply for for a visa from there. Or, you can apply to come here to get married, but that will take a lot longer.

If he comes here and you get married, he is not entitled automatically to stay and in fact the immigration authorities don't like it at all when people get married here and then apply for a leave to stay.

[VARISHA]

Sorry i wasn't clear,
I wanted to say that he was in Bangladesh while i am already a British citizen meaning living here permenantly..
I wanted to know if i can remain secret about my marital status in the uk.. In other words, hospitals or electorial registers etc. will not ever invade my privacy and find out or know my marital status without my permission.

[factor-fiction]

If you will be living together that will be recorded and for things like state benefits you ill be regarded as a couple.
But I'm not sure i fully understand why you would want to keep it secret. Why get married at all in that case? You certainly couldn't also marry someone else.

[Banali]

If you start hiding the fact that you are married when dealing with official bodies, you will risk the immigration authorities considering that your marriage is not a valid one. I cannot understand why you would want to keep it secret.

If you marry, decalre yourself single with official bodies and then try to get him inot the UK, you may jeapordise your chances. Immigration may consider that it is a marriage of convenience. Don't underestimate the Immigration process - it's very very tough.

[crazycathy2]

Doesn't sound like a good idea to me - reading your question makes me think everything isn't above board unless of course you are doing it against your families wishes. In which case you have may every sympathy.

Surely he won't be on the electoral role unless he is entitled to vote?

[paraffin]

This is a very odd post indeed. You claim to be a British citizen but I can clearly tell from the bad English in both your posts that you aren't British, are you? Perhaps you yourself have come here from abroad, yes?

Plus, if you are already living in the UK, why do you seemingly know absolutely nothing about what you are asking?

In this country you cannot just exist in anonymity, certain agencies and authorities are entitled to know details about you, if you were to come into contact with them.

Your evasive kind of wording leaves me doubting your sincerity.

[Banali]

Reading your question again very carefully, I think I now get the gist.

1. Is there an easier way to get him into the UK than to marry him.?

2. If I marry him do I have to declare it officialy?

1. Yes, he can:

- bring loads of money into the country (not sure of current minimun - it used to be 150,000k and start a business and employ people.

- wotk visa - needs to be sponsored by a UK biusiness, job must be advertised in the UK and EU and company must prove that no-one suitable applied and that those who did apply were unsuitable and why, and why a non UK or EU resident is essential to the business.

- student visa - I think we can all assume things will have tightened up in that area pretty quickly after last week's events.

- family member - DNA tests required to prove relationship.

-visitor visa - must have return ticket and appropriate means of support i.e. enough money to cover period of visit.

- marriage - must apply from outside UK. If he comes here under any other visa and marries here - likelihood is that he will be refused leave to remain until such time as he applies from his own country.

2. If you marry him, you will have declared it offically. To lie about it or hide the fact may resulty in the immigraion authorities declaring it a marriage of convenience.

Don't go through with any marriage unless you truly want to be maried to this man, the repurcussions just aren't worth it.

I do speak from experience having gone through the process myself (a good many years ago)

[Banali]

You must understand that Immigration is the only area of Government in the UK which is not defined by law. Immigration policy is at the discretion of the Home Secretary and can change with immediate effect without recourse to Parliament.

It is the only area of UK law which does not deal directly with its own citizens. Anyone who has queued at 6.00 am on a cold morning in Croydon to finally get an interview at 3.00 pm will know exactly what I'm talking about!!!