Fiance Visa

[Mojaldo]

Hi, I'm in the process of applying for a family visa to join my Fiancée in the UK. We hope to marry in June.
We've known each other since 1997 but only started dating in Aug 2019 when both our divorce cases were in court process. At the time I lived in Dubai and I would visit her and her daughter every four to six weeks for periods ranging from 2 to 8 days. In Nov 2019 She and I went to Zimbabwe together to meet each other's families. We travelled back to Dubai together and the next day she continued on to UK. In Feb 2020 she and her daughter came to visit me in Dubai.
While I was visiting them in March 2020, covid lockdown was put in place and I was stuck there for 3 months. Other than the fear of losing my job in Dubai, we lived quite happily together and resolved to marry as soon as we were both divorced.
In June 2020, the travel ban was lifted and I returned to Dubai and 3 months later I got laid off and my Dubai Resdence Permit was cancelled. In October 2020 I went back to visit my Fiancée for a month then returned to Zimbabwe. In Dec 2021I visited again to spend Christmas and new year with my new family and returned to Zim at the end of Jan 2021.
The delta variant then reared its ugly head and all of Southern Africa was placed on the "Red List". Thus began the longest period of physical separation we've ever gone through. Thank God for social media apps such as WhatsApp that allowed us to communicate all day, everyday.
In April 2021 her divorce was finalised. Around Oct/Nov 2021 we were taken off the red list and in Dec 2021, she and her daughter came to spend Christmas with me in Zimbabwe! At this time we got formally engaged at her family home in Harare, Zimbabwe, where we had a small celebration with both our families. After New Year's day they returned to UK.
On 21st January my divorce was finalised and the divorce Certificate issued. We were free to marry!

She has a full time job in UK, earning over £50,000 and she has a 3 bedroom house she shares with just her daughter.
These are the documents we have so far:

1. Both our Passports bio pages and pages showing our travel history and my visit visas.
2. 12 Months Payslips and Bank Statements (hers)
3. Employment Contract and Letter from Employer
4. Divorce Decrees (hers and mine)
5. Title Deeds and Mortgage statements (hers)
6. Photos of us together (30 page pdf)
7. WhatsApp chat History from my phone and from hers (177 and 68 page pdf's)
8. I.E.L.T.S. Certificate with UKVI number (level C2)
9. TB Certificate
10. Police Clearance Certificates (Dubai and Zimbabwe)
11. Wedding Booking Enquiries (emails with Registration Office and with venues)
12. Letters of support from friends, family and her priest.
13. Letter from her describing our relationship and her intent to marry and support us both while I'm unable to work.
14. Covering letter from me.

Are there any other documents you feel should include? Please, I need any advice you can give me regarding my documents and the application process itself.

Thanks and sorry for the long post!

[TODMATT]

Hi, I'm in the process of applying for a family visa to join my Fiancée in the UK. We hope to marry in June.
We've known each other since 1997 but only started dating in Aug 2019 when both our divorce cases were in court process. At the time I lived in Dubai and I would visit her and her daughter every four to six weeks for periods ranging from 2 to 8 days. In Nov 2019 She and I went to Zimbabwe together to meet each other's families. We travelled back to Dubai together and the next day she continued on to UK. In Feb 2020 she and her daughter came to visit me in Dubai.
While I was visiting them in March 2020, covid lockdown was put in place and I was stuck there for 3 months. Other than the fear of losing my job in Dubai, we lived quite happily together and resolved to marry as soon as we were both divorced.
In June 2020, the travel ban was lifted and I returned to Dubai and 3 months later I got laid off and my Dubai Resdence Permit was cancelled. In October 2020 I went back to visit my Fiancée for a month then returned to Zimbabwe. In Dec 2021I visited again to spend Christmas and new year with my new family and returned to Zim at the end of Jan 2021.
The delta variant then reared its ugly head and all of Southern Africa was placed on the "Red List". Thus began the longest period of physical separation we've ever gone through. Thank God for social media apps such as WhatsApp that allowed us to communicate all day, everyday.
In April 2021 her divorce was finalised. Around Oct/Nov 2021 we were taken off the red list and in Dec 2021, she and her daughter came to spend Christmas with me in Zimbabwe! At this time we got formally engaged at her family home in Harare, Zimbabwe, where we had a small celebration with both our families. After New Year's day they returned to UK.
On 21st January my divorce was finalised and the divorce Certificate issued. We were free to marry!

She has a full time job in UK, earning over £50,000 and she has a 3 bedroom house she shares with just her daughter.
These are the documents we have so far:

1. Both our Passports bio pages and pages showing our travel history and my visit visas.
2. 12 Months Payslips and Bank Statements (hers)
3. Employment Contract and Letter from Employer
4. Divorce Decrees (hers and mine)
5. Title Deeds and Mortgage statements (hers)
6. Photos of us together (30 page pdf)
7. WhatsApp chat History from my phone and from hers (177 and 68 page pdf's)
8. I.E.L.T.S. Certificate with UKVI number (level C2)
9. TB Certificate
10. Police Clearance Certificates (Dubai and Zimbabwe) Not required.
11. Wedding Booking Enquiries (emails with Registration Office and with venues)
12. Letters of support from friends, family and her priest. Not required
13. Letter from her describing our relationship and her intent to marry and support us both while I'm unable to work.
14. Covering letter from me.

Are there any other documents you feel should include? Please, I need any advice you can give me regarding my documents and the application process itself.

Thanks and sorry for the long post!

Provide 6 months payslips where she has been employed for 6 months.

[Mojaldo]

Thanks for the reply @Todmatt . I have the payslips and will submit them.
Regarding the bank statements, my Fiancée has been unable to get a stamped bank statement from HSBC. They insist that they don't provide these. What they've given her is a letter that just confirms that she has a bank account with them.
Is it okay to submit this along with the pdf statements she receives by email every month?

[ywlgy]

Thanks for the reply @Todmatt . I have the payslips and will submit them.
Regarding the bank statements, my Fiancée has been unable to get a stamped bank statement from HSBC. They insist that they don't provide these. What they've given her is a letter that just confirms that she has a bank account with them.
Is it okay to submit this along with the pdf statements she receives by email every month?

pdf statements are sufficient, no need for stamped versions or any bank letters. Everything is digital now

[Mojaldo]

@ywlgy thank you for the reassurance.
I have one more concern. My biometrics appointment at TLS is on 15th Feb and I submitted my application on 3rd Feb. Will it be an issue if some of my documents are dated after the 3rd? As in I obtained some of my supporting documents after the date I submitted my application. Is that okay?

[Mojaldo]

Hallo again.

So on 13 Feb I requested a refund for my first application. They sent me an email saying that they had received my request for refund and if approved it would be paid into my card.

I then made a 2nd application and made a 2nd payment on 17 Feb. I did my biometrics on 25 Feb and received confirmation that my application is now with the DMC.

Yesterday, 14 March, was the 28th day since refund request and I hadn't heard a peep. As I was considering what to do, I received an email from the High Commission in South Africa (I applied from Zimbabwe) informing me that they have received my online application (the first one! the one for which I requested a refund!).

I don't know what this means. Can somebody explain? Thanks.