Spouse Visa Success - Caracas, Venezuela

[NMck]

I just thought I would post details of my partners successful Spouse Visa Application in case it helped anyone else on here.

I am a British citizen and my partner is a Venezuelan citizen. We got married on June 18th 2012 in the UK.

I would just like to point out a few things. We didn't send the official certificate from her TOFEL English test because it never arrived (3 months later it still hasn't arrived) but we sent letters explaining it and emails of correspondence between my partner and the examiner trying to fix the situation.
Also we never sent a housing report, just photos and house owner documents.
None of the copies we sent were certified except any translations.

I find there is a lot of panic on this board and definitely a lot of negativity. Each case is different so if you haven't included something don't panic. The rest of your case might be solid enough to get the approval.

If anyone has any questions I am happy to answer

Application Timeline
1st July 2012 - Online application submitted
4th July 2012 - Appointment at British Embassy, Caracas. Payment, submit documents and biometrics
10th July 2012 - Documents arrived at British Embassy, Bogota, Colombia
10th September 2012 - Assigned visa officer
20th September 2012 - Approval email received

Documents Included with Application

Relationship Evidence
Marriage Certificate (+ copy)
Receipt for payment of ceremony
Receipt for copy of marriage certificate
Relationship history letter (we each wrote one outlining how we met etc)
Letter of support from my mother
Emails
Whatsapp chat history
Screen caps of FaceTime conversations
Flight itineraries (both hers and mine from each time we visited each other)
Boarding Passes from all trips
Birthday/Valentines cards
Photos: together, with family/friends (also of gifts, wedding rings)
rubbish tickets
Hotel receipt from wedding night
Receipt for Birthday gifts
Receipt for Wedding Rings (stated engraving also)
DHL delivery receipts from gifts we sent each other

Accommodation
Photos (our room, bathroom, living room, dining room, Spam, garden and outside of house)
Copy of House Owners Agreement
Copy of House Purchasers Agreement
Copy of Mortgage of Freehold or Leasehold property
Copy of Registry of Deeds
Land Registry bill 
Letter from my father stating that he is the home owner
Letters from my mother and father stating they are happy for us to live there

Financial Evidence - Mine
Online copies of my bank statements (6 months)
Online copies of my 2 savings accounts and 2 ISAs
Letter from my mother stating that 1 ISA was a gift as it was less than 6 months in my name
6 months payslips (+ copies)
P60's (past 2 years + copies)
Sponsorship letter and declaration
Excel report showing current monthly outgoings
Excel report showing projected monthly outgoings when my partner arrives in the UK
Letter from me stating my current wage and how I have enough to support me and my partner
Copy of time sheets signed by supervisor
Letter explaining issue with tax therefore income was lower for certain months
Letter from HM Revenue and Customs stating tax had been fixed
Financial Evidence - My Partners
6 months payslips
6 months bank statements
Letter from manager stating where my partner works, for how long and her wage (+ certified translation of letter)


Language requirement
TOEFL online score report
Receipt from the day the test was taken
Email from TOEFL stating certificate had been posted
Email from TOEFL stating a second certificate had been posted
Letter from my partner explaining official certificate never arrived
Letter from me explaining situation again


Identification
My partner sent both her Passports (current and previous)
Copy of my Partners Birth Certificate (+ certified translation)
Copy of my passport
Copy of my visa stamps in Venezuela 
Copies of my mother and fathers driving licenses

[amo7ale]

Congratulation!!

my fiance is also from venezuela..

did u get married in the uk? while on tourist visa or fiance visa?

i have the minimum income requirments but just wondering if there is a requirment of disposable income that i should have every month after i pay bills and other costs?

any information will be great.

[NMck]

Hi.

Yes we got married in the UK. My wife was on a "Marriage visitor visa" which is basically permission to enter the UK with intent to get married while there.

There is a minimum disposable income requirement. When we applied I think it was £110 a week after all bills, loans, rent etc had been paid. You can probably get a more up to date figure on the UKBA website.

If you need to know anything else just let me know. We would be happy to help

[amo7ale]

Thanks for reply

can i ask how you sent the documents to venezuela?

im considering going myself with all the documents to give to my finace but wondering if there is a quick and safe way to send them via post? and if so how long they took to get there?

thank you

[NMck]

Well we had been visiting each other back and forth so we spent a lot of time gathering all our documents together.

I did forget something once and sent it via DHL. It was expensive but only took around 4 days to get there.

But we did spend a lot of time planning and made a full list of all the documents needed. Then each time we visited each other my wife kept them there or took them back with her.

[amo7ale]

hi, well my fiance was here Oct 2011 for 5 months until Mar 2012 so we have many pics of our trips to Paris, disney n all of england, allso her mum, sister and cousin came for 2 weeks and we went to paris with them and she is here again on tourist visa since Nov 2012 until May 2013.. so i know we can prove the relationship is genuine. i just want to make sure we send the right information.. lol!
she will take most of the information back with her in May but because of the new rules of the minimum income my job with the income of more than £18600 started in middle Dec 2012 and it wont be until june 2013 that i have 6 months proof.. so either i will go or i will post the final documents.

also im wondering if i can apply for a marriage visa now while she is here to get married before May..

any way is good to have someone who has gone through this.. thanks for the info and help

[NMck]

I believe she can only apply for the visa from Venezuela. She will have to go to the embassy in Caracas with all the documents and get her biometrics done.

So you can apply online and choose the date but she will have to be in Venezuela for the appointment.

As far as sending the documents, it is pretty easy so don't rule out DHL. I think it cost me £50 to send just a few documents so expensive but reliable.

I will also say, if your fiancé still has to do her English test to get the certificate sent to your address in the UK. My wife's certificate went missing and never showed up to her address in Venezuela and I worried for 2 whole months that they would refuse the visa because of it.

[amo7ale]

hi, yeah she has done the english test just before christmas and have the certificate already (thank god).

the copy you sent of your passport, did you have to get a solicitor to sign the copy?

also did you wife have to get any documents translated? and where she got this done?

thank you

[NMck]

No the copy of my passport wasn't certified by a solicitor. None of the copies I sent were.

And yes, my wife translated a letter from her work as proof of where she had been working. She also sent 6 months of payslips but didn't get these translated. It has to be an official translator registered with the government and they put an official stamp on the documents so it can't be just any translator. My wife is from Maraciabo and found the translator using Google.

[amo7ale]

how did you put all supporting documents together? is a ring binder folder with plastic wallets ok? has each page have to be in seperate? Thanks

[marceloryaz]

NMck - Can you please post or send me a message with the contact details of the translator registered with the government? I really need a good and cheap translator.

Thanks!