Getting my wife to the UK

[Ted]

Hello everybody I new

Can I give you a run down of my situation and maybe there is somebody out there who can put me wise

I am A returning expat, been living in Australia for the past 18yrs.
I am British born.
I am married to a Vietnamese girl and we are expecting our first child very soon.
I am currently in the Uk for the past 5 months, trying to establish myself, ie work, income, place to live, and to be domicile.
Ive had work but now am unemployed again, I worked for a comp for just over 3 months but lost my job, I have not sort another job as I will return to Vietnam for the birth of our child and spend 4.5 months there.
I will apply for my wife and child to come to the UK while I am in Vietnam.

Although I have no job in the UK, I have a job offer but not a contract.

As for funds, I do have more than enough, money is for buying a house in London, though it is sitting in a high interest account.
Its been in my account for more than 6 months, I do have bank statements.
What I dont have is records such as pay slips from my employment in Australia, I only have online statements showing company weekly deposits, but Ive read that you need original copies as online copies are not excepted.
Obviously I can fly back to Australia to go to my local bank and ask them to stamp the online copies to authenticate them.

I will have all other documents they require but these records remail elusive.

Bearing in mind that I do have a document showing fund transfer from Aust to Uk bank by forex company, and complete statements of UK bank details etc, should I be concerned about putting a spouse application in that a such application could be rejected?

Would be grateful of some guidance in this matter.

Cheers

[MPH80]

I think you're post is very confusing.

If you have sufficient savings (£62.5k) in a bank account in your name for the last 6 months then there is no need to worry about payslips or other such things.

What is concerning me is that you are referring to 'company weekly deposits' in your australian bank account - which suggests the funds might be in a company bank account.

Also keep in mind that it's all very well getting your wife over here but if you failed to find work within 2.5 years - then you will NEED those savings to extend your wife's visa further - so you shouldn't use it to buy a house until you're certain.

[Ted]

I think you're post is very confusing.

If you have sufficient savings (£62.5k) in a bank account in your name for the last 6 months then there is no need to worry about payslips or other such things.

What is concerning me is that you are referring to 'company weekly deposits' in your Australian bank account - which suggests the funds might be in a company bank account.

Also keep in mind that it's all very well getting your wife over here but if you failed to find work within 2.5 years - then you will NEED those savings to extend your wife's visa further - so you shouldn't use it to buy a house until you're certain.

Yes looking at my post now, it does look a bit confusing. Firstly my bank account in Australia is you typical savers account etc, I refer to my last employer, for 10 yrs, there are consistent weekly deposits.
I read somewhere on the ukba website about having money in your account and having to prove where that money came from, ie bank statements showing deposits, these have to be original or if downloaded from online then you must get them stamped by the bank as proof that they are real and not forged etc.
I can understand the logic behind all this, it seems anybody can get a piece of paper made to there requirements these days.
Anyway like I already said, the money has now been sitting in my uk account for more than 5 months and will probably stay there for another, so its really just that minor detail that worries me.

As for the latter, that wont be a problem, I have enough funds to support us for any extended period, and I wont have any problem getting employment even if its just for the minimum wage, I have no intention to seek any kind of government benefits etc.

At the end of the day I just want to put in the spouse application and get my wife to the UK without any fuss so we can get on with our lives, but I have had past experience with other border agencies and I know how problematic these things can get.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, cheers

[Casa]

Don't forget your wife will need to pass the A1 English pre-entry test before you submit the application.

[Ted]

Don't forget your wife will need to pass the A1 English pre-entry test before you submit the application.

Hi Casa, yes we are aware of this matter. She has a good ability to speak, read and write english, so we dont see that as an issue for her, I am confident that she ticks all the boxes, I just fear all border agencies like the plague


KR

[geriatrix]

I will soon start the process towards getting my spouse to the UK.
My Vietnamese wife will need to do the English language test.
Also she will have to go to Hanoi to attend an interview at the British Consulate.
Can anybody tell me what this interview is for?
Do we need to pay the spouse application fee prior to this interview or is the interview to ascertain whether my wife will qualify to gain a spouse visa?

[geriatrix]

You need to pay the application fees when you submit the application. And this fees is not refundable - whatever may be the outcome of the application.

[Ted]

Here is a reply from visa enquiries, after online application is made applicant is asked to attend interview, my wife had already made such an appointment although she later cancelled due to travel concerns.
She had not paid any fee nor had she been asked too.
So when is the fee payable? After the appointment or before?

Below is the email from them:

Dear Sir



Thank you for your e-mail dated 02/07/12



If you are applying from Vietnam you must make your visa application online. After you have completed and submitted your online application form, you will need to print out and sign the completed form. If you do not have access to a printer when you make your online application, you will be able to log in and print out the form later. As part of your online application, you must make an online appointment to book an appointment at our visa application centre. Your appointment must be no more than 60 days after the date when you completed and submitted your online visa application form. You must enroll your fingerprints and facial photograph (known as biometric information) when you attend your appointment. After you have completed your online application, you will receive an email message containing your application number (also known has 'GWF reference'). Please make a note of this number.



You can use the following link to find the online application:- www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/ApplyNow.aspx and if you intend to submit before 9th July, you must submit your print out application and biometric information before that day.

[geriatrix]

Where does the email talk of "attending an interview"? It mentions "booking an appointment" and attending the appointment - to submit biometric information (and, though not mentioned in the email, the application form and supporting documents)!!

See also Vietnam: Applying for a UK visa.

If the online system is not set up to accept payments (application fees) online from applicants in Vietnam, the applicant will need to pay the application fees on the day of the appointment.

[Ted]

I see, I took an appointment being the step to an interview, to perhaps discuss your application prospects, it does not say the appointment is for the sole purpose of submitting bio metrics etc. Ive now read the link you gave.
Thank for your help there, much appreciated.

[bellarosalea]

We have just been thro this procedure, so long as you tick all the boxes and can provide all the necessary evidence then you should not have a problem. The things they looked at closely with us was A) a lasting relationship B) Sufficient funds
We attached what seemed like a ream of paper to the application, copies of everything that was listed on UKBA website as evidence, kept a copy for ourselves.
We were turned down on our application on 2 points which we were able to argue easily and won the visa on appeal. My spouse did not have to attend an interview, just submit application form and have biometrics.

[Ted]

We have just been thro this procedure, so long as you tick all the boxes and can provide all the necessary evidence then you should not have a problem. The things they looked at closely with us was A) a lasting relationship B) Sufficient funds
We attached what seemed like a ream of paper to the application, copies of everything that was listed on UKBA website as evidence, kept a copy for ourselves.
We were turned down on our application on 2 points which we were able to argue easily and won the visa on appeal. My spouse did not have to attend an interview, just submit application form and have biometrics.

bellarosalea, thanks for your reply, you said that you were turned down on two points, could you tell me what they were? I have heard before that somebody got turned down on one point, I would like to avoid any error if possible.
Our documents are: Marriage cert, rental receipt with joint name when we shared living place in Vietnam, joint bank account in Vietnam also many pic of wedding and receipts for all costs. Emails and skype records when we were not together.
Im in uk at the moment but will return to Vietnam soon, I have no job but have the required funds that are more than the required salary for us for more than 2.5yrs etc.
We dont yet have accommodation in the UK but have the financial means to overcome this.
When we have applied I plan to return to the UK to try again to find work but until Im sure my wife is granted permission to come to the UK, I wont start renting accommodation and will stay at my parents house, I dont want to be flying backwards and forwards trying to sort out errors etc.

[Ted]

Can anybody tell me> when my wife makes an online application for spouse visa they say that they will also want biometric info> will she be given the biometric test the sameday she attends the consulate for the interview? I ask this question because we will have to fly to Hanoi for the interview and the biometric part can only be done there as well so we can not do before we get to Hanoi.

Thanks

[Ted]

As shown below, I now have the answer to my question.





Thank you for contacting the UK Border Agency’s Visa Enquiries mailbox in Vietnam.

The biometrics will be taken right after we accept the visa application and taking the visa fee. Application will be considered in Bangkok based on the supporting documents provided but in most case we will not interview the applicant, unless it is the requirement from Bangkok. Therefore, your wife will be able to return to HCMC on the same day of the visa appointment.

Please refer to our website which contains all our visa guidance:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/count ... %20English



Please see attached the guidance for supporting documents for settlement application.



We also attach herewith the summary of changes and Q&A regarding the requirement for sponsor’s finance.



Yours sincerely



Correspondence Unit
Vietnam

[Ted]

I came across this link to a, sponsorship undertaking form SU07.

Can anybody tell me if I have to fill in this form and sign to beable to submitt application for wife's settlement visa?

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... p-form.pdf

[Franko]

Can anybody tell me> when my wife makes an online application for spouse visa they say that they will also want biometric info> will she be given the biometric test the sameday she attends the consulate for the interview? I ask this question because we will have to fly to Hanoi for the interview and the biometric part can only be done there as well so we can not do before we get to Hanoi.

Thanks

Dont know if you got your answer to this but me and my wife flew to Hanoi in October to submit her application, its all done in one appointment, sumbmit application, do biometrics and pay the fee in cash only in VND. Takes about an hour in total. dont waste time putting your applciation in any sort of folder because they wont accept it and will remove all paper from the folder or any plastic sleave you use. They wont allow you to enter the VAC with your wife.

[Ted]

Thanks Franko, yes I already got this info from the consulate in Hanoi through email.


Im hoping my wife wont have to travel to Hanoi to submit the application together with the bio metric procedure as the consulate have alerted me of a service to open up in HCMC that will allow my wife to submit the application and do the bio metric etc. Of course this service will charge a fee, but should be a lot cheaper than a return airfare.