Filling out my application - it gets complicated! Halp! ???

Hi there forum! I've completely edited this topic because I have a lot more questions now that I'm filling out the application!

Here's the gist: my previous visa expired 15 Jan and I was living there until 12 Jan, but of course just plan on returning to my previous life once I've sorted out my spouse visa.

• Do I say I'm a resident of the US for the purposes of applying? Do I need to explain this in my covering letter?
• I have a lost passport, which has a previous Tier 4 visa in it. Do I put estimated dates for both of these and explain in the covering letter?
• I can't find the issuing authority on my 2 most recent visas for the UK (Tier 4 and Tier 2). For Tier 2 I put UKVI Home Office as that's who sent me the letter, what should I do about the Tier 4?
• Inputting my previous 5 "visits" to the UK, I've put as the purpose "Former resident", is this correct? My previous 5 "visits" only take me back to 3 Jan '16, is that okay?
• I departed of my on volition on 12 Jan before expiration on 15 Jan, but I don't have any immigration docs for it, do I still say Yes to "voluntarily elected to depart"?

More questions to come, I'm 100% sure of that. Maybe I need a lawyer. Now I have to remember everywhere I've been! Yikes...

• Do I say I'm a resident of the US for the purposes of applying? Do I need to explain this in my covering letter?

Since your visa has expired and you don't currently have the right to reside in th UK, I'd say you are a resident of the US... you can mention it in a covering letter if you like.

• I have a lost passport, which has a previous Tier 4 visa in it. Do I put estimated dates for both of these and explain in the covering letter?

Yes, I would do that - you have to give details of previous passports and previous visas in the application anyway.

• I can't find the issuing authority on my 2 most recent visas for the UK (Tier 4 and Tier 2). For Tier 2 I put UKVI Home Office as that's who sent me the letter, what should I do about the Tier 4?

What do you mean by 'issuing authority'? What's the exact question on the form?

I'm wondering if they are asking for the consulate which processed the visas (New York) or just UKVI.

• Inputting my previous 5 "visits" to the UK, I've put as the purpose "Former resident", is this correct? My previous 5 "visits" only take me back to 3 Jan '16, is that okay?

Don't you have to cover 10 years of visits to the UK in the visa application?

Just list each entry and exit from the UK over the period (estimating if you don't know exact dates) and write why you were there.

For example, things like
August 2012 - 2 week visit
Sept 2014 - Aug 2015 - Tier 4 visa

• I departed of my on volition on 12 Jan before expiration on 15 Jan, but I don't have any immigration docs for it, do I still say Yes to "voluntarily elected to depart"?

No. You answer NO to that question as it does not apply to you.

It is asking if you have ever been arrested for being an illegal immigrant in the UK and instead of being officially deported, you elected to leave voluntarily before they forcibly removed you.

More questions to come, I'm 100% sure of that. Maybe I need a lawyer. Now I have to remember everywhere I've been! Yikes..

You don't need a lawyer... unless you have serious criminal convictions or you have been in breach of the UK immigration rules in the past.

Just give estimated dates for your travel history if you can't remember.

Awesome thank you!! I had no clue what that voluntary thing meant... They could really trip you up on that!

Issuing Authority - I'm not sure really it give examples like "Consulate, British Embassy, etc...", I do have the place of issue on the student visa though - New York. I would guess Home Office as issuing authority, maybe?

Next question - I've run out of space for countries that I've visted other than the UK, but I've visted many more, is it okay if I forgo, or should I include them in my covering letter?

The description for visiting the UK says "Please Enter Details of up to 5 of your most recent visits", but it does allow for more entries than I've put.

Next question - I've run out of space for countries that I've visted other than the UK, but I've visted many more, is it okay if I forgo, or should I include them in my covering letter?

False alarm, I figured out a workaround - everytime I hit save, I can add another and it doesn't delete any.

What I did is just add a page listing all of my travel in the past 10 years. Hopefully that works!

Issuing Authority - I'm not sure really it give examples like "Consulate, British Embassy, etc...", I do have the place of issue on the student visa though - New York. I would guess Home Office as issuing authority, maybe?

Normally they ask for the address of the consulate which issued your visa, which in your case would be the New York consulate.

Next question - I've run out of space for countries that I've visted other than the UK, but I've visted many more, is it okay if I forgo, or should I include them in my covering letter?

You can either list them in the Additional Information section of the application, or you can continue on a separate sheet of paper.

I wouldn't put it in a covering letter, since the letter should only list the contents of the package and will not be considered part of the application.

The description for visiting the UK says "Please Enter Details of up to 5 of your most recent visits", but it does allow for more entries than I've put.

Ah, okay - I only have the paper version of the form to look at, which asks for the 10-year travel history.

Can I just check that you are filling out the correct form:
https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome

And that you have selected the visa type as:
Settlement -> Settlement -> Wife/Husband (whichever you are)

Also, you need to make sure you also print and fill out VAF4a Appendix 2, which is the second half of your application form:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270484/VAF4A-Appendix2.pdf

Yeah I'm doing the online form and in the top left it says "Settlement - Settlement - Wife", then in the "Travel and Criminal History" section it has the question "Have you ever travelled to the UK in the last 10 years?" then the fill-in bit shows up when you click "Yes" and that says "Please Enter Details of up to 5 of your most recent visits". So I guess I'm doing it right, but it does allow you to add more than 5... I figure do what the form says to do and they can ask me if they'd like more travel history?

I haven't started the print-out yet, but I've got it next to me for prep. I ran out of a bit of ink on it so the UKVI logo isn't showing, I hope that's okay!

Yeah I'm doing the online form and in the top left it says "Settlement - Settlement - Wife", then in the "Travel and Criminal History" section it has the question "Have you ever travelled to the UK in the last 10 years?" then the fill-in bit shows up when you click "Yes" and that says "Please Enter Details of up to 5 of your most recent visits". So I guess I'm doing it right, but it does allow you to add more than 5... I figure do what the form says to do and they can ask me if they'd like more travel history?

Ah, yeah - it looks like they've phrased the questions a bit differently on the online form compared with the paper version of it.

I haven't started the print-out yet, but I've got it next to me for prep. I ran out of a bit of ink on it so the UKVI logo isn't showing, I hope that's okay!

I imagine it will be okay, as long as it can all be read.

Just a reminder not to submit the online application/pay for the visa until you have all of your supporting documents in your hands and are completely ready to mail everything to Sheffield for processing - just in case you're missing something and don't have time to get it... you only have 5 days from biometrics to mail everything to Sheffield.

Feel free to post a list of all your documents in this thread and we can double-check that you have everything you need .