Reinstate ability to marry through small ceremonies and waive immigration status requirements

1. Allow registration of marriages. Shorten the 29 day notice period to reflect the time many couples have already had to wait.
2. Allow small wedding ceremonies, even if only the couple, the officiator, and the necessary witnesses. A wedding can be conducted following social distancing principles.
3. Waive the need for foreign nationals outwith the EU to have a marriage visitor visa to enter the UK and to prove their immigration status in order to have marriage license and notice to be approved. Exceptional circumstances call for empathic responses. Marriage visitor visas are not being issued as biometric centres are closed worldwide. The intent and planned return to home country following marriage can still be confirmed by Border Force officers upon the visitor landing in the UK. A marriage certificate for a bona fide relationship is CRUCIAL for many employment, emigration and other legal reasons.

Why the contribution is important

The current ban on weddings of any size is causing untold disruption and consequences to many lives. Where one individual in a couple is a foreign national (outside of EU), the ban on weddings is impeding couple's ability to a) be together, b) have any certainty on visa and immigration status, and c) causing unnecessary stress over work and immigration status, which would have been resolved through marriage.

The UK needs to waive the need for a marriage visitor visa for foreign nationals to marry a UK citizen. Without doing so, couples face additional months of delay on top of the already almost 2months that they've been deprived the right to marry.

by c1066 on May 06, 2020 at 12:10PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 3.9
Based on: 14 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Tgc80 May 06, 2020 at 12:43

    While I have sympathy for people in this situation the idea has many problematic factors. 1) immigration is a matter controlled sonely by Westminster so the policy will be the Tory policy and in no way I can see them relaxing immigration controls. 2) if people won't need visas how can we ensure that people coming in are genuine couples and people of a good stand ( no criminals etc) ?

  • Posted by Outragedoldbag May 06, 2020 at 12:52

    Do not put officiators at risk. Do it on line or not so all.

  • Posted by rosewifie May 06, 2020 at 14:31

    definitely allow registration of marriages, shortened waiting time and small ceremonies. Absolutely no reason why not.
    Do not restrict the immigration requirements. Too many possibilities of abuse and forced marriages slipping through.

  • Posted by Susan May 06, 2020 at 22:15

    The most important thing is allowing people who are ill to marry. It is important not just emotionally, but also has legal implications - inheritance, legality for remaining a tenant, looking after partners children etc.

  • Posted by timk May 06, 2020 at 22:40

    There should be online options for weddings. Other countries are doing this so why shouldn't we?

  • Posted by Chrismollitt May 07, 2020 at 12:52

    National records for Scotland are still not taking application for processing paperwork with out this we can not get married we are due to get married in middle of June if the government doesn’t start taking paperwork application which take 29days we even if lockdown lifts to allow small wedding we won’t get paperwork passed get a grip Scottish government allow people to get paperwork checked

  • Posted by NorthEastWifie May 09, 2020 at 08:06

    In this current age of technology and the ability for remote working it is baffling why some of the functions the Registrar undertakes cannot be done online or over the phone. If a death can be registered over the phone why can’t an application to marry be conducted in the same way and the bans be posted online - more folk would have access to them and read them online then walk past a Registrar Office anyway.

    Small weddings ceremonies with immediate family present, limited to 10-20 people depending on the venue size could be easily undertaken whilst maintaining social distancing, it’s time to look at this and give couples who are due to get married this year some peace of mind.
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