Upload or post documents FLR(M)

[KatieWills]

Hi all,

We are due to send the application for our first extension to my husbands spouse visa next week, he is from New Zealand and I am a Uk citizen. The online form is completed but I am stressing out about supporting documents they require in regards to the non-applying children. The form asks extensive and unnecessary questions about both my husbands children, who live in New Zealand and have no wish to come to the UK and my UK born British children.

None of the children are included in the application yet we are being asked to provide evidence such as:

Court papers that my husband is in contact with his children - this does not exist as they keep in touch through messenger.
His children's NZ birth certificates - why? They are not applying.
Passport pages for the children, his and mine, again I cannot see the relevance?
Utility bills from the mother of his children as proof of address - there is no way we could get these.

While completing the form there is no option but to tick the box saying these will be provided as the boxes have to be ticked to progress to the next page. We have mentioned in the "extra information" boxes that we are unable to supply these unnecessary documents and will re-iterate this in a covering letter but I am getting stressed that the visa could be refused as essentially we have agreed to provide documents that we have no hope of getting.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is it simply because the form is a poorly designed, "one size fits all" kind of form and this information is not really relevant to my husbands sole application?

Thanks in advance for any advice offered.

[Incy]

Not much help, but we have just experienced the same thing, switching from fiance to spouse visa.
I am wondering if there is something wrong with the form, non applying children shouldn't throw up questions asking about them and what parental responsibility your partner is going have in regards to them.
It doesn't make sense, my solicitor is also a baffled by it ... his response to me was .. 'They are asking some very strange questions' .

[KatieWills]

Thanks for the reply Incy, it's reassuring to know we are not imbeciles

It's a dreadful form, we found if you save it and go back in to edit an answer, the question is different to the one you click into on the summary. It asked about my husband's partner's (me) previous marriages, we clicked into it to edit the info and it was then asking for hubby's previous marriages.

I can see no point whatsoever in demanding information and documents for children who are:

1. Residents of and staying in a different country and
2. British citizens.

I foresee a long covering letter coming up. I'm also going to mail my MP with my concerns before we apply, have a bad feeling about it.

[md3]

We had similar issues, my children are over 30!! I would consider it an imposition to start requesting personal details from them and it could be possible that some children are no longer in contact. My lawyer advised not to include an independent child over 18, especially as the previous question specifically asks about applicants children under 18.

The whole system is designed with refusal in mind. Questions are written in a way to confuse and trip up, and the repeated threat of refusal doesn't help. Wait until you get to the UKVCAS document upload process. Again a sysyem designed to provide as little information as possible in the hope you will get it wrong. Trying to figure out catagories in "optional documents" is a nightmare. They suggest you refer to government guide but that doesn't list catagory headings. Life Events?? I think applying for a UK visa is a major Life Event!!

[KatieWills]

Thanks for the reply md3, I completely agree with you, it's designed to cause stress and confusion, especially the part regarding children. My kids are British and two are over 20, they don't live at home so why on earth would HO need their birth certs or passport numbers? Purely an exercise in frustration.

Not looking foward to the document upload either, got most things in place but not expecting it to be straightforward. Cheers for the heads up.

[KatieWills]

Hi all, just a quick question..is there still an option to post supporting documents or do they have to be scanned and uploaded?
We will be sending the online application on 22/5 but have to wait until 24/5 for this months wages to show on our bank statements. Obviously then I have to go to the bank to get it stamped. We are travelling on 24/5 and may not have time to scan and upload all docs, so posting would be a preferred option if available.
Thanks.

[CR001]

Hi all, just a quick question..is there still an option to post supporting documents or do they have to be scanned and uploaded?
We will be sending the online application on 22/5 but have to wait until 24/5 for this months wages to show on our bank statements. Obviously then I have to go to the bank to get it stamped. We are travelling on 24/5 and may not have time to scan and upload all docs, so posting would be a preferred option if available.
Thanks.

Postal no longer available as far as I am aware. They need to be uploaded or scanned at the UKCVAS centre.

Note that your supporting documents must be dated on or before the date you submit and pay online, which is the date of application. If you are waiting for wages etc on the 24th, you should apply on or after this date if you want to include this evidence with your application.

You can scan and upload at anytime before your UKCVAS appointment after you have submitted online.

[KatieWills]

Thanks for the clarification CR001, I will delay sending the application until I have all the docs.

[KatieWills]

Can anyone tell me if it's ok to scan and upload all our documents to the PC first and save them in a folder or do they need to be scanned directly to the website after sending the online application? Thanks.

[torte02]

Can anyone tell me if it's ok to scan and upload all our documents to the PC first and save them in a folder or do they need to be scanned directly to the website after sending the online application? Thanks.

I want to know the answer to this question too! It's so stressful.

[helpplease!]

Yes, I am looking for the answer to this too. Can the documents be scanned first and uploaded during the online application? Or uploaded after? i.e no need to scan at the appointment centre? If so, can they be scanned as one document (one pdf file) rather than a separate file for each type of document? I will have in excess of 500 pages of documents as Appendix FM-SE paragraph 9 applies to me so I have many company documents etc which will need scanning.....