Key legal question
Whether the request for a short-term stay to prepare marriage had to be approved
Extracted holding
No. The authorities could refuse the preparatory stay because it was not clear that the future husband would likely obtain a residence permit after marriage.
Extracted reasoning
A preparatory permit is only required where marriage is entered into in due time and no abuse is indicated. Here, the future husband’s extensive criminal record and repeated disregard of immigration orders meant that an entitlement to family reunification was not clearly available.