Marriage of convenience!

Christo · 11 May 2006 at 22:59

My flatmate is from Belarus, as you may know it is a still communist country run by the last dictator in Europe. There are no jobs, v bad money and generally very poor prospects. She is here on a student visa and it expires in October and really does not want to go back, she had the idea of getting married to get a visa.

Now, I am quite happy to do this for her as long as it isnt too much hassle, however I really am unaware how to do it and the consequences. Does anyone have any information/experience on this topic? Would this just put me under a huge amount of problems?

Can anyone help!?

PardonTheWait · 11 May 2006 at 23:01

Chrisp7 said:
My flatmate is from Belarus, as you may know it is a still communist country run by the last dictator in Europe. There are no jobs, v bad money and generally very poor prospects. She is here on a student visa and it expires in October and really does not want to go back, she had the idea of getting married to get a visa.

Now, I am quite happy to do this for her as long as it isnt too much hassle, however I really am unaware how to do it and the consequences. Does anyone have any information/experience on this topic? Would this just put me under a huge amount of problems?

Can anyone help!?

I can imagine it being a bit odd in future... 'you been married before?' 'Yeah, but it was only so she could get a visa'

NickK · 11 May 2006 at 23:16

You will need to show evidence of shared financial and other things over a period of time.. a mate is getting married soon to a chinese lass.

Otherwise it's seen as a marriage of convenience.

Hellsmk2 · 11 May 2006 at 23:17

When it comes to the time for divorce, then she could potentially screw you over quite massively.

I'd get a pre-nup to protect yourself financially if you decide to go through with it,

Personally, I wouldn't even consider it. Too many risks involved.

mattpc · 11 May 2006 at 23:19

Sure it's a nice thing to do for a friend but even the best of people get messed up and start sueing each for every penny sometimes. Get something legal sorted out by competant legal staff (believe me there are lots of ideots out there so get references)

Nikias · 11 May 2006 at 23:20

Hellsmk2 said:
When it comes to the time for divorce, then she could potentially screw you over quite massively.

I'd get a pre-nup to protect yourself financially if you decide to go through with it,

Personally, I wouldn't even consider it. Too many risks involved.

A judge doesn't even have to honour pre-nuptial agreements IIRC.

Risky indeed!

Raymond Lin · 11 May 2006 at 23:22

Chrisp7 said:
My flatmate is from Belarus, as you may know it is a still communist country run by the last dictator in Europe. There are no jobs, v bad money and generally very poor prospects. She is here on a student visa and it expires in October and really does not want to go back, she had the idea of getting married to get a visa.

Now, I am quite happy to do this for her as long as it isnt too much hassle, however I really am unaware how to do it and the consequences. Does anyone have any information/experience on this topic? Would this just put me under a huge amount of problems?

Can anyone help!?

She must be a hell of a flatmate, are you sure you don't like her in some way?

Christo · 11 May 2006 at 23:27

Mohinder said:
I can imagine it being a bit odd in future... 'you been married before?' 'Yeah, but it was only so she could get a visa'

I am not that worried, my future girlfriend will understand me and why I did it.

Hellsmk2 said:
When it comes to the time for divorce, then she could potentially screw you over quite massively.

I'd get a pre-nup to protect yourself financially if you decide to go through with it,

Personally, I wouldn't even consider it. Too many risks involved.

Thats one of my worries I would without doubt get a pre nup.

Crispy Pigeon said:
A judge doesn't even have to honour pre-nupital agreements IIRC.

Risky indeed!

Now thats one of the reasons I would consider not doing it, I have to find out about that - thanks

Raymond Lin said:
She must be a hell of a flatmate, are you sure you don't like her in some way?

I knew that would get asked! I have a girlfriend and she has a boyfriend back home. So no, no funny business!

mr tommo · 11 May 2006 at 23:29

TTIUWP!

NiCkNaMe · 11 May 2006 at 23:32

There's a reason her ******* visa is expiring. There are thousands of british people struggling to get a job, and your willing to exploit our crap system to let a foreigner compete for our jobs? pfft.

Inquisitor · 11 May 2006 at 23:32

mr tommo said:
TTIUWP!

Saw it coming from miles off

Christo · 11 May 2006 at 23:37

NiCkNaMe said:
There's a reason her ******* visa is expiring. There are thousands of british people struggling to get a job, and your willing to exploit our crap system to let a foreigner compete for our jobs? pfft.

Pah! You little Englander! thousands struggling??

If you want to get a job, you can get a job, its incredibly easy in the UK.

Nikias · 11 May 2006 at 23:39

Chrisp7 said:
Now thats one of the reasons I would consider not doing it, I have to find out about that - thanks

I just seem to remember it in one of the semesters I had at a law open day. It's definitely worth checking out.

The court usually takes them into account when dividing up wealth, but if they thought you were doing this marriage of convenience it could go horribly wrong.

squiffy · 11 May 2006 at 23:40

NiCkNaMe said:
There's a reason her ******* visa is expiring. There are thousands of british people struggling to get a job, and your willing to exploit our crap system to let a foreigner compete for our jobs? pfft.

No decent jobs are going abroad to the Far East. Only the naff jobs remain. So in theory they're just taking the naff jobs as well.

NiCkNaMe · 11 May 2006 at 23:44

squiffy said:
No decent jobs are going abroad to the Far East. Only the naff jobs remain. So in theory they're just taking the naff jobs as well.

You what?

There are thousands of jobs that can't be outsourced.

Little englander? I'm not talking about crappy part time retail jobs here, this girl sounds like a university student... therefore will be competing for more than a 'naff' job. Prefer to let the 'englanders' compete for it, rather than have foreigners handed visas on a plate.

MuvverRussia · 11 May 2006 at 23:46

I wouldn't go there. Chances are Immigration will see it as a marriage of convenience, so you could end up in a difficult situation, with her being deported and you being stuck married. Then there's the possible financial risk etc.

To be honest, unless she qualifies under another visa category she should go back to Belarus. Rightly or wrongly, her visa is expiring so she no longer has leave to remain in the UK.

squiffy · 12 May 2006 at 00:10

Consdering I know of someone who robbed her husband after 15 years of marriage for EVERYTHING he had, I would be pretty safe to assume a total stranger who has more rights than you would do the same.

No way in hell I would do what you're thinking.

Minstadave · 12 May 2006 at 00:18

NiCkNaMe said:
There's a reason her ******* visa is expiring. There are thousands of british people struggling to get a job, and your willing to exploit our crap system to let a foreigner compete for our jobs? pfft.

To be honest, I kind of agree with this, if she wants to stay let her sort out a visa, thats why the system is there, we can't be supporting every friendly foreign flatmate the world throws our way.

VeNT · 12 May 2006 at 00:19

TTIUWP
is she hot?

Lithium · 12 May 2006 at 00:23

Your a fool for even considering this. Rules are rules... send her back to belarus.