Fiancé Visa : Communication Proof Duration and Evidence of gifts etc.

[AylaP]

Hi everyone,

I need your advice please. I want to apply for fiancé visa. I am a failed asylum seeker and I voluntarily left the UK last year, August 2020. I now want to go back to be with my partner who was awarded refugee status in July 2021.

We have all other evidence of our relationship in addition to that we also lived together in the UK for 2 and a half years before I voluntarily left.

Problem is, my phone with our WhatsApp communication was stolen 2 weeks ago (I have police report and everything). His phone fell in the toilet last month so he also lost our WhatsApp Chats. So between us the evidence of communication that we have is only since last month - from his side as he replaced his water damaged phone then and only since 2 weeks ago from my side after I replaced my stolen phone. So in total 4 weeks worth of WhatsApp communication evidence to prove a genuine 3 and a half years relationship.

We only used whatsapp to communicate. Voice calls and video calls all through WhatsApp so now it's like we have lost it all. I know we were unwise to not have backed up to email frequently.

How do we explain this to the Home Office please? We have no other evidence for proof of communication.

[vinny]

I need your advice please. I want to apply for fiancé visa. I am a failed asylum seeker and I voluntarily left the UK last year, August 2020. I now want to go back to be with my partner who was awarded refugee status in July 2021.

What evidence do you have of living together?

See also How to Restore WhatsApp Chat without Google Drive or iCloud Backup

[AylaP]

Thank you for your reply...

So as we both had the right to rent despite being Asylum Seekers I guess due to our initial immigration routes; we have evidence of a joint tenancy lease which still has my name though I voluntarily left. Joint Council tax bill. Both names on Utility bills. Same address on UK bank accounts, UK driver's licenses, purchase deliveries and phone bills.

We have failed to retrieve all chats through google drive and iCloud. Just some but missing a huge gap of time. We have contacted WhatsApp and even the 'How to' manual they sent us has not helped us retrieve all our messages.

Fortunately Google drive and iCloud had backed up our media so we still have all our pictures and videos from the time I was still in the UK to the day I left (Airport pictures).

We are thinking to give them what we have and then explain what happened including the police report for my lost phone, the receipt for attempt to fix partner phone which wasn't successful and then correspondence with WhatsApp Customer Service to show our attempts to retrieving all our messages. Would this be okay?

[vinny]

Couldn't you restore your chat history from a Google Drive backup?

Failing that,

We are thinking to give them what we have and then explain what happened including the police report for my lost phone, the receipt for attempt to fix partner phone which wasn't successful and then correspondence with WhatsApp Customer Service to show our attempts to retrieving all our messages.

is probably the best that you can do?

[AylaP]

We have tried Google drive and iCloud backup for both of us but couldn't restore all chats between August 2020 to date... It's honestly a mystery. Missing full chat histories between January 2021 to June 2021... It appears sometimes backup wasn't working and we had no idea... Local back up only had so much. So we are missing almost 6 months worth of communication in the 1 year 2 months we have been apart...

All other documents are ready to submit application just these WhatsApp Chat History missing and having no means to retrieve it...

So I think we will just go ahead and submit what we have including the police report, phone repair receipt and Whatsapp customer care correspondence. Hopefully that will be sufficient.

I was hoping someone who has also experienced having insufficient communication evidence would advice us how to navigate this but it seems it's me others will learn from.

[AmazonianX]

We have tried Google drive and iCloud backup for both of us but couldn't restore all chats between August 2020 to date... It's honestly a mystery. Missing full chat histories between January 2021 to June 2021... It appears sometimes backup wasn't working and we had no idea... Local back up only had so much. So we are missing almost 6 months worth of communication in the 1 year 2 months we have been apart...

All other documents are ready to submit application just these WhatsApp Chat History missing and having no means to retrieve it...

So I think we will just go ahead and submit what we have including the police report, phone repair receipt and Whatsapp customer care correspondence. Hopefully that will be sufficient.

I was hoping someone who has also experienced having insufficient communication evidence would advice us how to navigate this but it seems it's me others will learn from.

You can only provide what you have pr can and hope that your explanations and reports or evidence about what is missing suffices.

[AylaP]

Hi. I hope you are all doing well.

I would like some advice please on two things as I am preparing to submit a Financé visa application soon.

1. For a 4 years relationship, should we provide WhatsApp communication screenshots for the whole 4 years or the last 2 years or the last 12 months?

Some WhatsApp Communication from the last 3 years is in the TXT. document format so I'm not sure if we can send these or just get screenshots of chats from the last 12 months.

2. When it comes to showing gifts received from partner. How do I do this? Pictures? Receipts? What if it's only money he sends so I buy what I need from this end? Would then only showing money transfer receipts be enough?

[TODMATT]

Hi. I hope you are all doing well.

I would like some advice please on two things as I am preparing to submit a Financé visa application soon.

1. For a 4 years relationship, should we provide WhatsApp communication screenshots for the whole 4 years or the last 2 years or the last 12 months?

Some WhatsApp Communication from the last 3 years is in the TXT. document format so I'm not sure if we can send these or just get screenshots of chats from the last 12 months.

2. When it comes to showing gifts received from partner. How do I do this? Pictures? Receipts? What if it's only money he sends so I buy what I need from this end? Would then only showing money transfer receipts be enough?

1. You already have a strong evidence of you living together. so letter addressed to both of you at the same address are very good way of showing your relationship is genuine and subsisting. You can screenshot 2 screenshot each month using Microsoft word or PowerPoint. People have submitted TXT in the past but it could be edited so therefore, I will provide a screenshot.

2. Just scanned all the receipt of the gift you have received from your partner and same way with money transfer receipts. which money transfer company is it?

[AylaP]

Thank you for your reply.

1. So since we lived together in the UK, two screenshots per month for a period of 12 months that we have been apart is okay? We have been in long distance now for 14 months since I left the UK.

2. We use WorldRemit for money transfers.

[TODMATT]

Thank you for your reply.

1. So since we lived together in the UK, two screenshots per month for a period of 12 months that we have been apart is okay? We have been in long distance now for 14 months since I left the UK.

2. We use WorldRemit for money transfers.

1. Yes that's fine so those period while you are apart, you continue demonstrate that your relationship continues to be genuine so two screenshots each month or 3-4 months if you want for those periods should suffice. I did 3-4 months for my wife few years back.

2. Just scan the receipt of the money transfer.

[AylaP]

Thank you for your advice.

Also partner transfers money into my UK bank account as I still have monthly subscriptions I pay for using my visa card. From what you said, I will therefore also put my bank statements as supporting documents.

[TODMATT]

Thank you for your advice.

Also partner transfers money into my UK bank account as I still have monthly subscriptions I pay for using my visa card. From what you said, I will therefore also put my bank statements as supporting documents.

Yes you can do that but write a cover letter explaining this so that caseworker is not confused about the statements you have submitted.