Moving to the UK in Summer 2014

After a couple of false starts - nothing like finding out we are expecting twins the day after you sell your house!!

We are finally ready to actually apply this year for my wife's spouse visa and make the move after a few setbacks.

I am UKC(+USC), wife is USC and our 4 kids have both, a total of 11 passports when we travel 

June 8th will be 180 days on the dot that the money has been in our British accounts.

My brother is getting married on August 9th in the UK, we have to make this date.

In terms of documents can anyone tell me what I'm missing.

1 Passport photo
Wife Passport
Marriage certificate
6 months of bank statements showing 62,500.00
Letter from anyone who gifted funds, stating the amount and confirming this was a gift.
Letter from family member inviting us to stay until we find accommodation
Land registry document to prove that we aren't overcrowding

My final statement from the bank will generate on June 8th and am arranging for it to be sent via airmail to the US, hopefully arriving by June 15th. As soon as it's in my hands I plan on submitting everything. I'm resigned to the fact, in order for us to make August 9th in the UK, I will have to pay the expedite fee of 300.00 GBP.

One more question, do we have to "prove" our marriage? We have been married 6 year, will they require proof of our ongoing relationship?

At first glance your list looks good but I do not think an emailed bank statement will be acceptable. I am sure if I am wrong, someone will correct me. A Land Registry document confirms ownership so is necessary but it will not confirm that there would be no overcrowding. You would need a property inspection report for that. Lastly, yes, you still have show that the relationship is genuine! I have been married for 47 years and still sent some photos, correspondence in both names along with the marriage certificate.

On some settlement visa applications, the applicant is asked for employment details. If the applicant is working, then evidence should be submitted to support information given on the application form.

It us probably best to pay for priority. It depends on how many applications are being processed at the time but, to be sure of getting yours in good time, priority would be best!

At first glance your list looks good but I do not think an emailed bank statement will be acceptable. I am sure if I am wrong, someone will correct me.

The bank statement won't be emailed, it will be AIRmailed - so it won't be a problem. The only issue may be that it gets lost in the post or something, so if possible, it should be sent by overnight courier like FedEx or UPS to guarantee safe and fast delivery.

A Land Registry document confirms ownership so is necessary but it will not confirm that there would be no overcrowding. You would need a property inspection report for that.

Yes, the Land Registry document only states who owns the property and has nothing to do with overcrowding.

However, a property inspection report is not required for the visa and has never been required.

All you need to do to show that there won't be overcrowding is to have the letter from the family member state the number of rooms in the house and number of people living there, to show that there are enough rooms available.

Lastly, yes, you still have show that the relationship is genuine! I have been married for 47 years and still sent some photos, correspondence in both names along with the marriage certificate.

It's not so important to show this for a relationship where the couple has been married and living together outside the UK.

You just need the marriage certificate, maybe 1 or 2 photos of you together, and if you like you can include some evidence that you live together.

On some settlement visa applications, the applicant is asked for employment details. If the applicant is working, then evidence should be submitted to support information given on the application form.

Not true. The applicant's income has no bearing on the application and no evidence needs to be provided. It will not be considered as part of the application and may not even be looked at.

If the application asks for applicant's employment (and I'm not sure that it does), then you can give details on the application form, but no evidence needs to be sent.

Don't forget that for the application, you need to fill out two forms - the online application form (https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/), which just asks general information about the applicant and then the VAF4a Appendix 2 form (second link down here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-uk-visa-for-family-settlement-form-vaf4a), which you need to print and fill out by hand, and includes all the information about your relationship, your financial requirement and your accommodation.

Sorry for misreading 'airmail' ! Interesting about the other responses as on another forum, advice is given to include inspection report, evidence of applicant's employment and more evidence of relationship! I should have stuck to this forum as I would have had far less stress! It seems that on some applications information regarding applicant's employment is required and not on others, even though they are all settlement applications! It is very weird and someone on yet another forum suggested it depends on location. Does not make sense at all! Anyway, we are getting our decision on Wednesday so we will know then if we should have sent evidence.

"Settlement" means different things depending on whether you apply from inside the UK our out. I actually don't think it's a very useful term. What you applied for, Michali, and what the OP applied for, is limited leave to enter the UK. That means that you are granted permission to enter and live in the UK for a limited term. Once you're in the UK, you apply for limited leave to remain, which basically extends your first permission. Once that leave expires, you apply for indefinite leave to remain, which is what most people would consider settlement, because it has no expiry and so is good until forever (unless you leave the UK for more than 2 years, but that's a different topic).

Also, remember that correlation is not causation, especially not with visa applications. Just because your application is successful, that doesn't mean that everything you did is essential for everyone. A lot of people make this misjudgement and end up advising others to do unnecessary things because "it worked for me." It's best to stick with what the guidance says and try not to over-think. Ksand is really good at interpreting the guidance and as far as I know has never led anyone astray, so you are unlikely to go wrong by listening to her.

That is why I said I wish I had stuck to this forum! Not such a good idea to be on too many with conflicting advice!

"Settlement" means different things depending on whether you apply from inside the UK our out. I actually don't think it's a very useful term.

Yes, good point.

There are two types of visa being talked about here:

Settlement visa - which is limited leave to enter the UK with a view to eventually qualifying for settlement (i.e. a fiance or spousal visa applied for in the US). For this visa, the applicant's employment is completely irrelevant and cannot be considered for the application, because they do not yet have permission to work in the UK. I don't believe the application asks for applicant employment information.

Settlement - this is indefinite leave to remain in the UK, known as settling, or applying for settlement. The applicant and the sponsor's employment can be considered for this visa and I believe the application form asks for details of the applicant's employment and evidence of it, as it will be used to determine if the couple can support themselves without public funds in the UK.

Well, I hope we applied for the correct one! At least it was accepted at the biometric appointmen here in The Bahamas.  I know of someone else applying for the same visa who had to give employment details and was accepted.

My brother is getting married on August 9th in the UK, we have to make this date.

June/July/August is the busiest time of the year for visa processing (loads of student visas being issued) and has the longest processing times.  If it is imperative for your wife to be at the wedding, I would seriously consider waiting until after the wedding to apply.  That's the only way you will be able to guarantee that she is able to attend.

Granted, none of us can predict what the processing time will be when you apply but last summer I believe priority was taking a solid month.  You may have no issue and the turn around will be quick but applying before the wedding will carry a risk that your wife will be stuck in the US.

Congratulations on the twins! 

Well, I hope we applied for the correct one! At least it was accepted at the biometric appointmen here in The Bahamas.  I know of someone else applying for the same visa who had to give employment details and was accepted.

The settlement application form is called SET(M) and is only accepted if you apply from inside the UK. It does not exist as a visa application outside the UK.

You also cannot apply online for it - it must be printed, filled out in pen and either mailed to UKBA in the UK or taken to an in-person appointment in the UK where your visa will be processed same-day.

So, if you applied online and went to a biometric appointment in the Bahamas, where it was accepted, you cannot have applied for settlement.

Totally agree! Except that ours and some others did in fact ask for applicant's employment details. It appears though that not all such applications include this, which is very strange. I have seen posts from other applicants from the US who did not have to give this information but some from other countries did.

Regardless, we got our visa yesterday. I am aware of the process to move forward towards ILR. The confusion arises that when you apply online, the first choice you make is settlement/settlement/spouse. But we know that it is not really settlement in the true sense of the word.