We want to get married

If your boyfriends’ visa runs out in November then he will have to go back to Colombia if not he will be breaking the law and risk never being able to come back to England again.

The only way for him to stay (or come back) is to apply for another visa (either student or work). Tell him to consult an immigration specialist (like a lawyer) who will be able to explain the different legal ways he can stay or come back to England. Time of the essence, so he should do this now before going back to Colombia. As for marriage, it’s a question of bureaucracy (having the right paperwork done) and it usually takes time to get it all done. As far as I know, it isn’t that “difficult”, it just means you are serious about it and are willing to invest time, money and energy into getting it done. Also, depending on the paperwork, you might not have the time to do it here which means you’d have to do it in Colombia.

Last but not least, marriage is in no way a guarantee that he will get a visa to stay in England or come back to england. Immigration issues take time and money and that’s the plain truth. If you are both serious about your relationship you will most probably have to be apart some time before getting all the paper work done. BUT this doesn’t mean you’ll never be together again it just means that you’ll have to be patient and you’ll probably have to visit him in Colombia a few times.

Start buy getting some legal advice and more on from there.