Individual Queries UK Spousal Visa

[dubluke]

Hi all,

First post! Just a quick one - my partner and I are to be married shortly and will be applying for the remain in UK with family visa through the spousal route.

I have an initial query, more may follow. There is a section where it asks you to detail how you met - we first met when my partner was travelling short term in the UK, she is a US citizen so was over here travelling on a US passport, so did not have to apply for a formal visa as she was here for less than the maximum time limit.

She was on a dating website during the time that she was here, in order to meet new people, but not necessarily start a relationship. I was on the same site which is how we met and set up our first date.

I was intending to simply put this down on the application but my partner is concerned this will raise a few eyebrows, although this was over three years ago and we have plenty of evidence of our relationship being genuine, she is concerned that because she was using it in the UK when she didn't have a long term visa (rest assured she did not overstay, and we continued our relationship long distance until she returned to the UK on a tier 4 visa) will cause the ECO looking at our case to think she was using the dating site as a way of meeting a partner in the UK and marrying them simply to obtain a visa.

My argument is that we are better off just being totally open in explaining our first date was arranged having met online, my thoughts being that it is better not to hide anything which may come out upon any further questioning, and that we have heaps of evidence to show that our relationship is genuine and subsisting since then, including the fact we have lived together for 2+ years.

Would be keen to get people's thoughts on this to help put her mind at ease, or would be good to know if we're just over thinking one particular detail from the whole thing - my personal opinion is that people meet online all the time, so the ECOs are probably used to seeing this route, I think she's just concerned that because of the timing she was using the site will cause concern.

Opinions appreciated, thanks!

[CR001]

You are over thinking this.

HO is fully aware of the way people now meet etc in the technology age. As long as your relationship is genuine and you have been given approval to marry in the UK, all should be fine.

What is her immigration status and yours?

[dubluke]

You are over thinking this.

HO is fully aware of the way people now meet etc in the technology age. As long as your relationship is genuine and you have been given approval to marry in the UK, all should be fine.

What is her immigration status and yours?

Thanks for your response.

Ok, I wondered if I was - anxious person I guess!

My status is UK citizen from birth, with UK passport. She is a US citizen, here on a Tier 4 Student Visa which is valid until January 2017. She will be switching in to the spousal visa.

Another query I have is about copies of documents - we will be providing original documents across the board. Is there a necessity to make photocopies of any/all documents submitted? I have done some research on this but it seems a little unclear as to what, if any documents require photocopying these days.

There is also a mention of an "undertaking of sponsorship form" but again this seems to be a bit of a grey area - is this required for the spousal visa?

One final thing, I have read some other things about a letter of support/introduction. What does this need to detail? Or is it simply explaining the different pieces of evidence that we have supplied in order to make it easier for the ECO to sort through everything? Thanks.

[dubluke]

Should point out (wouldn't let me edit) - we are applying in person at a home office centre, don't know if that effects the need to make copies or not.

[CR001]

My status is UK citizen from birth, with UK passport. She is a US citizen, here on a Tier 4 Student Visa which is valid until January 2017. She will be switching in to the spousal visa. Have you already given 28 days notice to marry at one of the approved Registry offices?

Another query I have is about copies of documents - we will be providing original documents across the board. Is there a necessity to make photocopies of any/all documents submitted? I have done some research on this but it seems a little unclear as to what, if any documents require photocopying these days. If you are applying to switch in person, you need to make copies and you need to attend the appointment with your partner. Do you meet the financial requirements?

There is also a mention of an "undertaking of sponsorship form" but again this seems to be a bit of a grey area - is this required for the spousal visa? SU07 form is not needed. Your partner will have to pay the £500 immigration health surcharge though, this is on top of the visa applciation fee and the in person appointment fee.

One final thing, I have read some other things about a letter of support/introduction. What does this need to detail? Or is it simply explaining the different pieces of evidence that we have supplied in order to make it easier for the ECO to sort through everything? Not needed

[dubluke]

My status is UK citizen from birth, with UK passport. She is a US citizen, here on a Tier 4 Student Visa which is valid until January 2017. She will be switching in to the spousal visa. Have you already given 28 days notice to marry at one of the approved Registry offices?

Another query I have is about copies of documents - we will be providing original documents across the board. Is there a necessity to make photocopies of any/all documents submitted? I have done some research on this but it seems a little unclear as to what, if any documents require photocopying these days. If you are applying to switch in person, you need to make copies and you need to attend the appointment with your partner. Do you meet the financial requirements?

There is also a mention of an "undertaking of sponsorship form" but again this seems to be a bit of a grey area - is this required for the spousal visa? SU07 form is not needed. Your partner will have to pay the £500 immigration health surcharge though, this is on top of the visa applciation fee and the in person appointment fee.

One final thing, I have read some other things about a letter of support/introduction. What does this need to detail? Or is it simply explaining the different pieces of evidence that we have supplied in order to make it easier for the ECO to sort through everything? Not needed

Thanks again.

Yes, we have given notice and have had this approved without any investigation, our wedding ceremony is on 9th April and the visa appointment a few days after.

We do meet the requirements, I make 16,640 a year and my partner 6000, totalling 22,640 a year. We will be including her salary as she is allowed to work in the UK under her current visa category. However my salary is based off a payrise I received within the last 6 months, so my understanding is that they will base the calculation off of my previous salary of 14,000, totalling 20,000 so still meeting requirements. We are applying in category A.

She has paid the NHS health surcharge.

Ok, not to worry about the letter. The other thing I keep reading about is people providing logs of emails/message exchanges etc. as well as photographs together to prove the relationship is genuine and subsisting. However my interpretation of the application form is that you only need to provide these if you have spent more than 6 months living apart within the last two years, so seems to be aimed at those who are married but in a long distance relationship.

From the form, it appears that as we have been living together, we simply need to provide 6 pieces of correspondence each (from a minimum of three different sources) demonstrating that we live at the same address in order to prove the relationship. Is this correct? Or do we still need to provide evidence eg. photographs and whatsapp conversation logs?

Thanks

[CR001]

Ok, not to worry about the letter. The other thing I keep reading about is people providing logs of emails/message exchanges etc. as well as photographs together to prove the relationship is genuine and subsisting. However my interpretation of the application form is that you only need to provide these if you have spent more than 6 months living apart within the last two years, so seems to be aimed at those who are married but in a long distance relationship.

Not needed as you live together and are applying within the UK.

From the form, it appears that as we have been living together, we simply need to provide 6 pieces of correspondence each (from a minimum of three different sources) demonstrating that we live at the same address in order to prove the relationship. Is this correct? Or do we still need to provide evidence eg. photographs and whatsapp conversation logs?

You only need the 6 pieces each of cohabitation documents spanning the last two years.

[Casa]

Sorry to chip in, but as recently a recently married couple the full 2 years of co-habitation evidence won't be required...only enough to prove a genuine relationship.

[CR001]

Sorry to chip in, but as recently a recently married couple the full 2 years of co-habitation evidence won't be required...only enough to prove a genuine relationship.

You are right Casa, thought it would help for the 'genuine relationship' issue given that they have lived together for 2 years.

[Casa]

Sorry to chip in, but as recently a recently married couple the full 2 years of co-habitation evidence won't be required...only enough to prove a genuine relationship.

You are right Casa, thought it would help for the 'genuine relationship' issue given that they have lived together for 2 years.

it certainly wouldn't hurt to submit everything they have...within reason of course...not a suitcase full of photographs for example

[dubluke]

Fantastic, thanks for your help guys. Good to get clarity on a few things.

Casa I will still bear in mind what you have mentioned however and may include a few photographs etc. of us together including some with each other's families and also across a few different locations.

Thanks guys! It's coming up soon so I have my fingers crossed! Let's get this wedding done smoothly first though

[CR001]

Photos are not necessary.

[Casa]

Photos are not necessary.

Sorry for the confusion...that was my attempt at a joke.

[dubluke]

Damn, one query I forgot. Sorry for the hassle!

Last month I was paid in cash as opposed to my usual bank transfer wages payment, as they were experiencing technical difficulties with their online banking at work. I have a payslip for this payment and paid in the exact amount I received to the bank the following day. I asked my employer for a letter confirming why I was paid in cash this month, just to explain the change from usual payment method, but he has refused to provide this for some reason.

Can you foresee this lack of explaining letter being an issue? I have a payslip as stated and made sure I paid the exact amount in, down to the exact pennies. I just don't want the change in payment behaviour pattern to go unexplained and cause any issue. I pushed him on this letter but he flat out refused and wasn't very happy about me asking. He has said he would be happy to speak to them on the phone on the day if needs be, but I'm not sure if they make phone calls to employers like this.

[dubluke]

Photos are not necessary.

Sweet, the less paper(photo)work the better!

[dubluke]

Have one more query unfortunately, I'm going to be requesting my bank statements this week and having them authorised by the bank. I have not yet received salary for March (our paydate varies and usually falls in the middle of the month, we receive salary a month in arrears) so I will only be able to supply bank statements and payslips for last months salary and then dating back 6 months from there.

I'm hoping this is ok as I've read that evidence supplied of this nature just has to be from within the last 28 days, but I'm a bit concerned that I won't have March's salary (due to be paid mid April, possibly after the date of my appointment) showing in my bank statements and it could cause an issue, as my latest payslip is dated 5th March, which was salary for February and will therefore be more than 28 days old at the time of application. I have a cover letter as evidence of my ongoing employment, but if it's necessary to have March's salary showing then would it be wise to reschedule my appointment to after receipt of it?

Thanks