OhSusannah

Thank you, this is very, very helpful!

I am U.S. citizen, married for 16 years to my husband, a UK citizen. We reside in UK together since 2011. We married in 2009 and I applied for a UK spouse visa, moving to UK to join him in 2011. We had an online relationship for two years and when we finally met in person, we each knew the relationship was the real deal, and we married in a private beach ceremony two weeks later. Yes, it was a whirlwind romance, but after two years of constant communication, all that we needed to know was whether there was any real-life chemistry. We were middle-aged and had each been married and divorced once before. Sixteen years later, I'd do it all again exactly the same way. SO, my question is as follows: As I gather documents to prove bona fide marriage, I wonder how much I should concentrate on the PRE-MEETING and PRE-MARRIAGE relationship? I know that I need to prove we have intertwined our lives and finances, live together as a couple, etc., but how much do I need to provide in the way of proof of the relationship being genuine *prior* to our first meeting and quick marriage? I actually hadn't planned on providing much proof at all of the pre-wedding relationship, since we live together, own a home, share finances, and are homebodies who still do everything together. Then I read that I should provide as much proof as absolutely possible, to include relationship documentation prior to the marriage, especially since we married only two weeks after meeting in person. Do they really still need all of our old Skype transcripts, emails, chats, wedding cards, etc? I want to give them all they might need in the way of evidence, but don't want to be ridiculous. Clearly, my husband did not marry me for a green card. In fact, we were going to grow old in the UK, but my mother is getting older and I have grandchildren now, and we just feel the pull to move to the U.S. to be closer to my family. Any advice on this? Do I go through packed-away boxes and find old "proof of relationship" from BEFORE our 2009 wedding? All the stuff we submitted for my UK visa, to prove a "real" relationship? Any assistance, experience or advice appreciated.