Applying for a spouse visa - Tips and advice required

[returntotheuk]

Hi folks,

Can anyone tell me is it best for my wife to apply for her settlement visa online or go direct in person to the Embassy? I am not sure I trust the online serivce.

By the way we started to apply for settlement a year ago but it just seemed to much to take in so we postponed our plans. Now we are planning again. I am more confident this time but will be on this site quite a bit in the next few months asking questions or clarifying what some questions actually mean.

For information purposes:

My wife is Khmer. I am British. We have been married for 6 years and we have 3 children together who have British passports (or will have). My wife has visited the UK for a holiday back in 2005 and she has travelled to 5 different countries. I will not have a job to go to but will be setting up my online business or finding a job. We will be living with my Mam first until I am working. It is my Mams own house with no mortgage. The house has 5 rooms total excluding Spam and bathroom, 3 bedrooms plus living room and dining room which are all over 50 square feet. We will have at least 8,000$US but hopefully more as we have assets to sell off. We have lived in Cambodia together for 6 years as husband and wife. We have lots of photos of the family. We have NO joint bills though as we run a guesthouse and bills are in house owners name. We have a joint bank account.

Sorry for the above but thought it would make answering any questions I had easier plus easier for people to give tips and advice.

Anyway, thanks in advance to you all.

[MPH80]

Why don't you trust the online system?

It's worked well on 3 occasions now for my wife and her family.

[gooner2011]

I too have used the online service for my wifes settlement visa and no problem..
joint bills i dont think are a problem..
what you need is proof your marriage is genuine.. all the papers regarding this
photos and bills of the wedding.. reception etc
photos of you and your wife before and after the marriage..
statements from family and friends stating that this is a genuine marriage
birth certificates, bank statements, proof of where you are going to live belongs to your mother, mortgage statements or deeds to the property, a letter from your mother that she agrees for you to live there. i also got a local estate agent to do a letter about the property stating size, bedrooms etc..
im sure others can add to this

[returntotheuk]

Hi again,

Thanks for your replies. That makes it easy then if the online application is ok. I presume you hand your documents into the British Embassy when applying online?

Thanks gooner2011 for the tips. It seems it is the supporting documents which are important though as the application form itself seems pretty straight forward. However, it will be great if someone can clarify or confirm the following on the settlement form:

5.2 What is your present work or job occupation?

Does she just put "House Wife"?

5.10 What is your total amount of income from all sources of employment or occupation after tax?

What does she write here if she does not work?

5.11 Do you receive income from any other sources including friends or family?

Does she say she receives money from me her sponsor?

5.12 Do you have savings, property or other income (for example from stocks and shares)?

Her savings are my savings as well so does she write "Joint savings with sponsor"? She has land in her own name but the documents are in Khmer so are they worth translating as English copies required. Translations are costing me an arm and leg.

8.1.4 Please provide details of how you meet the English Language requirement?

I thought my wife could do this in the UK once she arrived? If not, how do I do this in Cambodia?

8.3.1 Sponsor's full permanent home address?

Is this our address now or when we get to the Uk?

8.3.2 Sponsor's correspondence address if different?

What about this one?

8.4.5 How often do you meet?

Is the answer to this "Everyday" if we live together?

8.4.6 When did you last see your sponsor?

Would this be "Daily"?

8.7.1 What is your sponsor's National insurance number?

Any idea how to find this out online?

8.7.12 Does your sponsor have any savings, property or other income, for example, from stocks and shares.

Again is this our joint savings?

9.1 Additional information?

Anything really important that needs to go here?

Thanks again.

[returntotheuk]

Please note I do not expect someone to answer all of the questions and if you can answer any I would much appreciate it.

Thanks

[SoHopeful]

Hi again,

Thanks for your replies. That makes it easy then if the online application is ok. I presume you hand your documents into the British Embassy when applying online?

Thanks gooner2011 for the tips. It seems it is the supporting documents which are important though as the application form itself seems pretty straight forward. However, it will be great if someone can clarify or confirm the following on the settlement form:

5.2 What is your present work or job occupation?

Does she just put "House Wife"? - YES OR ''UNEMPLOYED''

5.10 What is your total amount of income from all sources of employment or occupation after tax?

What does she write here if she does not work? - ''NONE''

5.11 Do you receive income from any other sources including friends or family?

Does she say she receives money from me her sponsor? IM SURE THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE

5.12 Do you have savings, property or other income (for example from stocks and shares)?

Her savings are my savings as well so does she write "Joint savings with sponsor"? She has land in her own name but the documents are in Khmer so are they worth translating as English copies required. Translations are costing me an arm and leg. - YES I WOULD ASSUME THATS OK ALSO.

8.1.4 Please provide details of how you meet the English Language requirement?

I thought my wife could do this in the UK once she arrived? If not, how do I do this in Cambodia? - UNLESS YOUR WIFE HAS A DEGREE TAUGHT IN ENGLISH SHE WILL NEED TO PASS A ENGLISH TEST BEFORE A VISA IS ISSUED. SEE THE LINK : http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... cants.pdf
8.3.1 Sponsor's full permanent home address?

Is this our address now or when we get to the Uk? - WHERE YOU ARE NOW

8.3.2 Sponsor's correspondence address if different?

What about this one? - DO YOU HAVE MAIL SENT TO A DIFFERENT ADDRESS?

8.4.5 How often do you meet?

Is the answer to this "Everyday" if we live together? - ''WE CURRENTLY LIVE TOGETHER

8.4.6 When did you last see your sponsor?

Would this be "Daily"? - YES

8.7.1 What is your sponsor's National insurance number?

Any idea how to find this out online? - IF YOU ARE BRITISH OR ATLEAST ALLOWED TO WORK HERE YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT YOUR NI IS AS THE SPONSOR

8.7.12 Does your sponsor have any savings, property or other income, for example, from stocks and shares.

Again is this our joint savings? - STATE ''YES''

9.1 Additional information?

Anything really important that needs to go here? ANYTHING YOU NEED TO CLARIFY OR EXPLAIN FURTHER

Thanks again.

[returntotheuk]

I too have used the online service for my wifes settlement visa and no problem..
joint bills i dont think are a problem..
what you need is proof your marriage is genuine.. all the papers regarding this
photos and bills of the wedding.. reception etc
photos of you and your wife before and after the marriage..
statements from family and friends stating that this is a genuine marriage
birth certificates, bank statements, proof of where you are going to live belongs to your mother, mortgage statements or deeds to the property, a letter from your mother that she agrees for you to live there. i also got a local estate agent to do a letter about the property stating size, bedrooms etc..
im sure others can add to this

Hi gooner,

Thanks for the info. Few more questions.

Do I really need the estate agent to do a letter about the house?

I do have receipts from our wedding as it was nearly 7 years ago! Are these really needed? We have 3 kids does not tell them we still together?

Thanks for replies.

[Katsuri]

Hi again,

8.7.12 Does your sponsor have any savings, property or other income, for example, from stocks and shares.

Thanks again.

what if the sponsor has a savings account. should the applicant answers YES to the above? I think no....

[harv]

Hi again,

8.7.12 Does your sponsor have any savings, property or other income, for example, from stocks and shares.

Thanks again.

what if the sponsor has a savings account. should the applicant answers YES to the above? I think no....

I answered YES to this question and outlined my savings in the column.

[Hakim1984]

I too have used the online service for my wifes settlement visa and no problem..
joint bills i dont think are a problem..
what you need is proof your marriage is genuine.. all the papers regarding this
photos and bills of the wedding.. reception etc
photos of you and your wife before and after the marriage..
statements from family and friends stating that this is a genuine marriage
birth certificates, bank statements, proof of where you are going to live belongs to your mother, mortgage statements or deeds to the property, a letter from your mother that she agrees for you to live there. i also got a local estate agent to do a letter about the property stating size, bedrooms etc..
im sure others can add to this

Hi gooner,

Thanks for the info. Few more questions.

Do I really need the estate agent to do a letter about the house?

I do have receipts from our wedding as it was nearly 7 years ago! Are these really needed? We have 3 kids does not tell them we still together?

Thanks for replies.

I never provided this with my visa application last week-- I just took photgraphs of every room-- and a letter from my parents saying we could live there + council/utility bill and we were granted-

The Visa is expensive as it is-- so I cudn't keep forking out for more and more documents, but if you can get an estate agent survey of course this looks better than personal photos of your home, like I said I never went down this option and it worked for me.

[Greenie]

Hi again,

Thanks for your replies. That makes it easy then if the online application is ok. I presume you hand your documents into the British Embassy when applying online?

Thanks gooner2011 for the tips. It seems it is the supporting documents which are important though as the application form itself seems pretty straight forward. However, it will be great if someone can clarify or confirm the following on the settlement form:

5.2 What is your present work or job occupation?

Does she just put "House Wife"?

5.10 What is your total amount of income from all sources of employment or occupation after tax?

What does she write here if she does not work?

5.11 Do you receive income from any other sources including friends or family?

Does she say she receives money from me her sponsor?

5.12 Do you have savings, property or other income (for example from stocks and shares)?

Her savings are my savings as well so does she write "Joint savings with sponsor"? She has land in her own name but the documents are in Khmer so are they worth translating as English copies required. Translations are costing me an arm and leg.

8.1.4 Please provide details of how you meet the English Language requirement?

I thought my wife could do this in the UK once she arrived? If not, how do I do this in Cambodia?

8.3.1 Sponsor's full permanent home address?

Is this our address now or when we get to the Uk?

8.3.2 Sponsor's correspondence address if different?

What about this one?

8.4.5 How often do you meet?

Is the answer to this "Everyday" if we live together?

8.4.6 When did you last see your sponsor?

Would this be "Daily"?

8.7.1 What is your sponsor's National insurance number?

Any idea how to find this out online?

8.7.12 Does your sponsor have any savings, property or other income, for example, from stocks and shares.

Again is this our joint savings?

9.1 Additional information?

Anything really important that needs to go here?

Thanks again.

I would suggest that you read relevent guidance very carefully

Spouse visas can be very hard to obtain and you really need to ensure that you provide sufficient evidence that your wife meets the requirements.

$8000 is not enough money for a family of 5 to live on if you don't have a job lined up. You will need substantial evidence of your prospective business and how much you expect to earn.

Assuming that as you have been married and living together outside the UK for 4 years you want your wife to apply for ILE or 27 months leave to enter with the KOL required endorsement (presuming she hasn't yet passed the Life in the UK test) you will need to provide evidence that you have been living together outside the UK for 4 years, if you only have joint bank statements this might not be enough.

You can't just state that there are 5 rooms - you will need evidence of this - for example a property inspection report

You have many questions and it seems you are unclear about the requirements. Unless your wife has already taken and passed the Life in the UK test or an ESOL course with citizenship materials, she will not qualify for Indefinite Leave to Enter and will need to take and pass an A1 English language test (see info on the guidance link above). She must take this and provide the evidence with the application otherwise it will be refused.

In relation to the Q.s on the form
5.2 Yes

5.10 Yes
5.11 Yes if this is the case

5.12 Yes

8.1.4 See above - she must meet the english language requirement to get the visa

8.3.1 No her current home address?

8.3.2 An address where she can be contacted whilst the application is under consideration

8.4.5 Yes


8.4.6 Yes

8.7.1 Have you ever worked in the UK? When did you leave the UK? You will need to ask HMRC for it?

8.7.12 Yes

9.1 Depends entirely on your circumstances whether any additional information is required