Cohabitation proof - only online bills and statements

[ktyagi]

Dear board members,
After being on Tier 2 for 5 years, now I am looking to apply for my ILR along with my wife (has been tier 2 dependent for 5 years). It is a fairly complex application and the wealth of information on these forums have been very useful - especially because there is no policy guidance to be found for Set-O form.

One of the biggest doubts I have is around documents to support cohabitation. We of course have utility bills such as gas/electricity, water, broadband, TV license, mobile bills, etc., in both of our names. But, since several years they have been online. Similarly our bank account and credit card statements, payslips, P60 and other tax statements. We have been paperless for almost everything. Even our tenancy agreements are electronic (DocuSign). The only thing we receive in paper hard-copy is council tax bill!

My question - utility bills downloaded from utility service providers, electronic statement from bank accounts, etc., would they be acceptable as proof of cohabitation? I am getting very concerned about this and would be very grateful to hear experience of others who might have used online statements/bills.

Many thanks.

[zimba]

Any evidence is accepted.

indefinite-leave-to-remain/cohabitation ... l#p1813810

[CULLINAN]

Well PBS dependent application is very simple and straightforward.

Yes all soft copies are accepted. No hard copies needed. All documents are scanned and uploaded now.

The documents you mentioned will be accepted. However you need documents from 3/4 different sources evenly spread during the last 2 years i.e. every 3/4 months.

Edit: Beaten by Zimba.

[ktyagi]

Thank you for a quick response. I am glad to know that online statements and bills will be acceptable. Could I ask a couple of questions more just following up on the previous questions.

1. Is first page of statements sufficient? Or would you include all the pages from a bank account or credit card statement?

2. How powerful are council tax bill and tenancy agreements for cohabitation proof? We have both of our names on them but they are signed or issued yearly and dont fill the gaps in between.

[CULLINAN]

1) Page with name(s) and address only.

2) Most powerful amongst all.

[CULLINAN]

Fill the gaps with other documents like bills and bank statements etc.

[seagul]

1. Is first page of statements sufficient? Or would you include all the pages from a bank account or credit card statement?

Try your best to swap these cohabitation evidences with those which has lesser pages otherwise attach all pages because without the whole of the pages which usually are marked as 2 of 3, 3 of 3, a document is deemed invalidated (with with part or one page only)

[ktyagi]

Thank you for helpful replies. I have now managed to dig around and find the documents am looking to submit. Could you knowledgeable gurus have a look and put my mind at ease - do they look ok? Would this be sufficient?

Jt. - means joint, i.e. has both of our names. Dont have much flexibility here, cannot change the dates or add any more here.

Oct-20 Jt.Bank; Her-Mobile; His-Mobile His-CreditCard
Sep-20 Jt. Water
Aug-20
Jul-20 Jt.TenancyAgreement
Jun-20 Jt.Bank; Her-Mobile; His-Mobile His-CreditCard
May-20
Apr-20
Mar-20 Jt.CouncilTax; Jt. Water;
Feb-20 Jt.Bank; Her-Mobile; His-Mobile His-CreditCard
Jan-20 Jt.TenancyAgreement;
Dec-19
Nov-19
Oct-19 Jt.Bank; Her-Mobile; His-Mobile His-CreditCard
Sep-19 Jt.Water;
Aug-19
Jul-19 Jt.TenancyAgreement; Her-Random Doc
Jun-19 Her-Mobile His-Mobile His-CreditCard
May-19
Apr-19
Mar-19 Jt.CouncilTax; Jt. Water
Feb-19 Her-RandomDoc Her-Mobile His-Mobile His-CreditCard
Jan-19 Jt. Water
Dec-18
Nov-18
Oct-18 Her-Mobile His-Mobile His-CreditCard
Sep-18 Jt. Water
Jun-18 Jt.TenancyAgreement
Mar-18 Jt.CouncilTax;

Thanks again.

[CULLINAN]

Good enough.

[coolz4242]

Hi Gurus,
I have got ILR and now planning to apply ILR for my wife in next couple of weeks however I have got small confusion around co-hab documents and looking for your kind help on this.
My wife was on long holiday (outside UK) during Oct 2018 - end of Jan 2019 and I changed my job & relocated to new city in mid of Nov 2018. I was in temporary accommodation for couple of months (from mid of Nov 2018 till end of Jan 2019) while she was not in the UK and due to which we have not got any document covering this period (mid of Nov 2018 till end of Jan 2019) with both/any of our names (we may have few documents with our old address on it till Dec 2018, because it took some time to change the address due to technical issues). Please advise if you think this can be accepted as a genuine gap (around 2.5 months - mid of Nov 2018 till end of Jan 2019) or would it be better to wait for couple of months and apply in Feb next year to make sure there is no confusion? Please see the below the below documents that I have got to support my application.

Feb 2019 - Oct 2020:
Joint: Council Tax, Electricity & Gas bills, Water bills/annual statements.
Individual: Bank Statements for both of us.

Mid Nov 2018 - Jan end 2019 - No document.

April 2018 - Nov 2018 :
Joint: Water Bills/Annual statements, Council Tax (Showing end date mid of Nov 2018).

April 2017 - March 2018:
Joint - Council Tax

Thanks

[seagul]

Mid Nov 2018 - Jan end 2019 - No document.

No need to change your plans only due to this minor gap which would be off-setted with your other cohabitation documents dated before NOV2018 and after January 2019 because of the allowance of 3-4 months of even gaps.

[coolz4242]

Thanks a lot for your response seagul.

I have collated the documents for last 2.5 years with 3-4 months gap, however I realized that I may have to rely on documents from more than 6 sources, they could be from 8 or 9 different sources. Please advise if this would be okay? I read in other posts that 'cohabitation evidence is required on both of your names from 3 to 6 different sources'.
Also, I was not sure about PART-3 declaration which was probably not applicable in our case (since I am holding ILR and my wife is applying for ILR via PBS dependant) but she has mentioned in the form (and submitted it online that she will provide the 'sponsor' (i.e. my) declaration and and are we planing to attach other supporting docs (e.g. my payslips and bank statements) just in case. Hope this will not cause any trouble.

[CULLINAN]

Thanks a lot for your response seagul.

I have collated the documents for last 2.5 years with 3-4 months gap, however I realized that I may have to rely on documents from more than 6 sources, they could be from 8 or 9 different sources. Please advise if this would be okay? I read in other posts that 'cohabitation evidence is required on both of your names from 3 to 6 different sources'.
Also, I was not sure about PART-3 declaration which was probably not applicable in our case (since I am holding ILR and my wife is applying for ILR via PBS dependant) but she has mentioned in the form (and submitted it online that she will provide the 'sponsor' (i.e. my) declaration and and are we planing to attach other supporting docs (e.g. my payslips and bank statements) just in case. Hope this will not cause any trouble.

Please do not tag your questions onto someone else’s thread. You have an existing thread. Please continue in your own thread:

indefinite-leave-to-remain/pbs-tier-2-d ... l#p1944982

[coolz4242]

Apologies, I have posted my query in the other thread now.

[ktyagi]

Hello again,
I finally got an UKVCAS appointment, its >3 weeks away, not ideal but given the situation I at least have a date.

Now preparing documents to upload and thinking about the consent forms. There are 3 parts in the consent forms:
PART 1: Consent for the Home Office to verify application information
PART 2: Consent for the Home Office to verify third party information
PART 3: Consent for the Home Office to verify information from third party sponsor

I just want to confirm for this final step. I am the main applicant with my wife applying as dependent for ILR through the Tier2 route.

• I have to fill and sign a copy of Part1 because I am giving documentary evidence in the form of utilities bills and bank statements held in my name solo or in joint with my wife?

• My wife should fill a copy of Part 1 - because some utility bills are in her name solo, and she should also fill a copy of Part 2 - because some bank statements are in her and my name jointly.

• We dont need Part 3 because nobody is sponsoring us, all bills and statements are in our names?

[AmazonianX]

Hello again,
I finally got an UKVCAS appointment, its >3 weeks away, not ideal but given the situation I at least have a date.

Now preparing documents to upload and thinking about the consent forms. There are 3 parts in the consent forms:
PART 1: Consent for the Home Office to verify application information
PART 2: Consent for the Home Office to verify third party information
PART 3: Consent for the Home Office to verify information from third party sponsor

I just want to confirm for this final step. I am the main applicant with my wife applying as dependent for ILR through the Tier2 route.

• I have to fill and sign a copy of Part1 because I am giving documentary evidence in the form of utilities bills and bank statements held in my name solo or in joint with my wife?

• My wife should fill a copy of Part 1 - because some utility bills are in her name solo, and she should also fill a copy of Part 2 - because some bank statements are in her and my name jointly.

• We dont need Part 3 because nobody is sponsoring us, all bills and statements are in our names?

The above understanding is correct, dont leave Part 3 blank, write Not Applicable.
For your wife's application same logic if need to fill consent forms

[ktyagi]

Hello again,
I finally got an UKVCAS appointment, its >3 weeks away, not ideal but given the situation I at least have a date.

Now preparing documents to upload and thinking about the consent forms. There are 3 parts in the consent forms:
PART 1: Consent for the Home Office to verify application information
PART 2: Consent for the Home Office to verify third party information
PART 3: Consent for the Home Office to verify information from third party sponsor

I just want to confirm for this final step. I am the main applicant with my wife applying as dependent for ILR through the Tier2 route.

• I have to fill and sign a copy of Part1 because I am giving documentary evidence in the form of utilities bills and bank statements held in my name solo or in joint with my wife?

• My wife should fill a copy of Part 1 - because some utility bills are in her name solo, and she should also fill a copy of Part 2 - because some bank statements are in her and my name jointly.

• We dont need Part 3 because nobody is sponsoring us, all bills and statements are in our names?

The above understanding is correct, dont leave Part 3 blank, write Not Applicable.
For your wife's application same logic if need to fill consent forms

Thank you. You prompted me to check the upload page - I did not realise that documents will be uploaded into two separate sets for the two of us. Because I am the main applicant I assumed that all documents will go under my name. How to split the documents then because the checklist doesn't? Does the following look reasonable?

Main applicant (myself)
Employer letters
Salary slip
Latest Salary Account statement - held in my name solo
2x consents - Part1 and Part2 - I dont think part 2 is needed here but I will add anyway
Degree certificate for English Language
Passports
Tier2 BRP

b]Dependent applicant (wife)[/b]
Cohabitation proof documents - several documents. some held in joint, some in wife's name solo, and some in my name solo.
2x consents - Part1 and Part2 Is part3 needed here for the bills that are in my name solo?
Degree certificate for English Language
Passports
BRP

[srsw]

Yep, it looks right the way you plan to upload the documents.

[ktyagi]

Yep, it looks right the way you plan to upload the documents.

Thanks. But I am confused still! Please look at the reasoning in underlined text and questions in the highlighted!

Main applicant (myself)
Employer letters
Salary slip
Latest Salary Account statement - held in my name solo
2x consents - Part1 and Part2 - Do I need Part2 here signed by my wife? Should I add it anyway?
Degree certificate for English Language
Passports
Tier2 BRP

Dependent applicant (wife)
Cohabitation proof documents - several documents. some held in joint, some in wife's name solo, and some in my name solo.
2x consents - Part1 signed by wife and Part2 signed by myself?
Degree certificate for English Language
Passports
BRP

[CULLINAN]

Yes to both highlighted.

[ktyagi]

Yes to both highlighted.

Thank you. I am having a concern, perhaps silly.

Shouldn't all the documents be uploaded under the main applicant? Why separate links for the main and the dependent applicant? I think all documents and application for both main and dependent should be considered as a whole as one complete set. I am worried that it might lead to case worker missing to consider an important document!

[CULLINAN]

Main and dependent are two different applicants. So why their documents should be together? Follow the checklist and upload documents as per the applicant’s requirements.

[ktyagi]

Main and dependent are two different applicants. So why their documents should be together? Follow the checklist and upload documents as per the applicant’s requirements.

Because I have got one checklist, application form did not give two separate checklists for the two applicants. Documents in the checklist are not even sorted to keep separate for the two applicants - they are all mixed. There are several Cohabitation documents, they should be uploaded under which applicant - main or dependent?

Previously for Tier4 or Tier2 main and dependent applicants sent their documents together in one envelope. May be thats why it doesnt feel intuitive to me.

[srsw]

Because Cohabitation proofs are a requirement only if you add your spouse or a civil partner.

You are overthinking. They will review all documets so just upload in right categories so it's easy for them to review.

[CULLINAN]

As @srsw said, cohabitation documents are needed for the dependent not main. You should upload them in the dependent’s section of documents.