UK- changes to the certificate of approval scheme
27-07-2010
It was announced today that the 'Certificate of Approval' scheme is to be abolish by the government.
Under the current scheme, any foreign national who is subject to immigration control would have to apply for a 'Certificate of Approval' from the Home Office before they can get married or register a civil partnership in the UK.
However, recent legal developments have found the 'Certificate of Approval' scheme to incompatible with certain aspects of the European Covention on Human Rights. The UK Border Agency also no longer see the scheme as being effective at preventing sham marriages.
The scheme is expected to be abolished by the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011. Exact dates will be published in due course. Nevertheless, once the scheme is abolished, notice of marriages and civil partnerships will still have to be given to registry offices.
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