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Topic: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa  (Read 892 times)

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How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« on: September 16, 2017, 03:41:09 PM »
Hello,

We will finally be applying next week from the States for a spouse visa for my wife to come to the uk. I have a few questions about the order of submission and payment because I remember some people coming a cropper, and my past experience of VFS for travel visas has been - almost always - frustrating ... Just poor Web design, clunky systems, registration numbers which don't work, getting 2 or 3 different numbers and not being told which to enter in which format... And not being able to pay for certain services if you've printed the application off first. This is a different process and a different time,  so things might be better..  Or not. Anyway,  rant over.

So it'd just be great to get concise step by step chronology from someone who knows how it should be done. :)

As I understand it, first the application is completed on line, submitted and printed off...

Then the VAF4A is completed and printed, but not submitted online?

Then are the options to pay appear there?

Can I pay for my wife's application by credit card or must payment come from the applicant themselves?

What order should we pay for application / priority / outbound postage / return postage / NHS surcharge / pay biometrics? Is this all OK  the same site?

What are the pertinent registration and processing numbers to keep a record of?

I hope if we have this clear in advance we can avoid mistakes and this might help others too.


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2017, 03:45:29 PM »
I'm also interested in knowing the process as I'll be applying next week hopefully. I'll be watching this post.  :)
Type of Application: Settlement Spouse Visa (priority)
Country applying from: USA
Online application: September 30, 2017
Biometrics: October 4, 2017
Application & Documents Mailed: October 5, 2017
Application & Documents Delivered: October 9, 2017
Email Confirmation of Receipt: October 9, 2017
Decision Made Email: Nov. 14, 2017
Passport Arrived: Nov. 17, 2017 VISA APPROVED!
27 Business Days


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2017, 07:24:19 PM »
Hello,

We will finally be applying next week from the States for a spouse visa for my wife to come to the uk. I have a few questions about the order of submission and payment because I remember some people coming a cropper, and my past experience of VFS for travel visas has been - almost always - frustrating ... Just poor Web design, clunky systems, registration numbers which don't work, getting 2 or 3 different numbers and not being told which to enter in which format... And not being able to pay for certain services if you've printed the application off first. This is a different process and a different time,  so things might be better..  Or not. Anyway,  rant over.

So it'd just be great to get concise step by step chronology from someone who knows how it should be done. :)

As I understand it, first the application is completed on line, submitted and printed off...

Then the VAF4A is completed and printed, but not submitted online?

Then are the options to pay appear there?

Can I pay for my wife's application by credit card or must payment come from the applicant themselves?

What order should we pay for application / priority / outbound postage / return postage / NHS surcharge / pay biometrics? Is this all OK  the same site?

What are the pertinent registration and processing numbers to keep a record of?

I hope if we have this clear in advance we can avoid mistakes and this might help others too.

I'm not an expert, but I just submitted everything this week.

1. You mail the printed online application AND the VAF4A (appendix 2) with all of your supporting documents including the stamped Biometrics receipt to Sheffield.

2. Yes, everything online is pretty straight forward and it asks for you to pay at certain parts of the online application. You can't complete the application without paying the visa fee and IHS surcharge

3. I'm not sure about the payment, I paid for mine and my husband put the money in my account. I can't imagine it would matter, money is money no matter who pays but I'm not sure.

4. Everything is straight forward on the application. I paid the visa fee, IHS surcharge and then paid for postage from VFS. The online application gives you the website to pay for postage on the VFS Global site

5. Keep your GWF number and IHS surcharge number. I made an extra copy of my online application, stamped biometric receipt and VAF4A.

I hope this helps, this is my experience and how I made it through it. Also the experts on here are excellent with helping out with the application process!

Met: 2003
Started Relationship: December 2014
Married: July 2017
Visa Application: 9/9/17
Biometrics: 9/12/17
Application mailed: 9/13/17
Received by UKVI: 9/15/17
Decision email: 10/4/17
Decision: APPROVED!!! Rec’d documents 10/9/17


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2017, 07:27:58 PM »
Also I had an issue with VFS not giving me the receipt and shipping labels after I paid. I had to tell my bank to release the funds. I also emailed VFS regarding the issue. It was resolved in a day but I'm sure it had to do with my bank not releasing the funds. Just an FYI, if this happens to you because I freaked out thinking something went wrong!  :)
Met: 2003
Started Relationship: December 2014
Married: July 2017
Visa Application: 9/9/17
Biometrics: 9/12/17
Application mailed: 9/13/17
Received by UKVI: 9/15/17
Decision email: 10/4/17
Decision: APPROVED!!! Rec’d documents 10/9/17


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2017, 07:34:32 PM »

So it'd just be great to get concise step by step chronology from someone who knows how it should be done. :)

As I understand it, first the application is completed on line, submitted and printed off...

Then the VAF4A is completed and printed, but not submitted online?

Then are the options to pay appear there?

Can I pay for my wife's application by credit card or must payment come from the applicant themselves?

What order should we pay for application / priority / outbound postage / return postage / NHS surcharge / pay biometrics? Is this all OK  the same site?

What are the pertinent registration and processing numbers to keep a record of?

I hope if we have this clear in advance we can avoid mistakes and this might help others too.


Just to add to EllieB's post.

Submitting and paying for the online application should not happen until you are completely ready with all your other evidence in hand and ready to go.

Print and complete Appendix 2.

Gather all the rest of your supporting documents.

Submit and pay for the online application. As part of the process, you'll be asked to pay the IHS and book a biometric appointment.

Visit vfsglobal to pay for shipping and priority (recommended).

Attend your biometrics appointment and get your paper stamped.

Place everything in your envelope with the priority receipt on top and write "settlement priority service"
in bold all over the outside of your package.

Send to Sheffield.


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2017, 07:38:32 PM »
It doesn't matter who pays, I paid for my husband's application and we have different last names.

Make copies of everything, keep every email and note every number.


If you would like to list everything you intend to include with your application, we can check it over for you.  :)


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2017, 10:26:01 PM »
Thank you all for the clarifications and pointers.

So the idea of the appendix is just to print it off and fill out by hand?



Here are the supporting documents we plan to send, feedback appreciated.

Print off of online application / VAF4A
Appendix 2 print off
Applicant-  new and old US passport
Passport photo
Receipts for charges
#Copy of sponsor passport
Sponsor letter
Employer letter as specified
6 pay   slips
Guide list of dates where salary appears on bank statements
p 60
bank statements showing salarty
contract

Land registry document
Mortgage statement

Marriage cert
Email inbox screen capture x5
Whats app screen capture - calls / text 2 pages of each
Photo of us
List of trips to one another, flight receipts , air bnb bookings, couple of boarding passes
One posted card





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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2017, 10:44:22 PM »
Thank you all for the clarifications and pointers.

So the idea of the appendix is just to print it off and fill out by hand?

Yes, the Appendix is the second half of the application form, which is not online.

So, you fill out:
- online application form, which is generic questions about the applicant and is about the same for all visas
- VAF4A Appendix 2, which contains all the questions about how you qualify for a fiance/spousal visa specifically

Just going to rearrange your documents a bit into the different sections (additions in red):

Applicant
- Print off of online application
- VAF4a Appendix 2 print off
- Applicant-  new and old US passport
- Passport photo
- Receipts for charges (IHS surcharge, priority processing)
- Shipping label for return of documents

Sponsor
- Copy of sponsor passport (photo page only)
- Sponsor letter

Finances
- Employer letter as specified
- 6 original payslips - must cover a FULL 6 months, not a day less... so this may be more than 6 payslips... could be 7
- 6 FULL months of bank statements, showing every single payslip deposit (no need to include a guide)
- P60
- original job contract

Accommodation
- Land registry document
- Mortgage statement

Relationship
- Marriage cert
- any divorce decrees you may have
- Email inbox screen capture x5
- Whats app screen capture - calls / text 2 pages of each
- Photo of us
- boarding passes from trips (no need to include any of the other things)
- One posted card


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2017, 10:53:19 PM »
Thank you Ksand24, that is reassuring.


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2017, 10:45:03 AM »
Does the sponsor need to send anything directly to Sheffield or everything comes from the applicant?

If you're sending a copy of the sponsor's passport, do you have to copy all pages or just the front page?


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How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2017, 11:09:22 AM »
It depends which country you are applying from. For US applicants, everything has to be sent to Sheffield in one package, so usually the sponsor mails their documents to the applicant and then the applicant sends everything to Sheffield.

However, it's different in other countries.

For applications made outside the UK you only send the photo page of the sponsor's passport.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2017, 11:18:25 AM »
It depends which country you are applying from. For US applicants, everything has to be sent to Sheffield in one package, so usually the sponsor mails their documents to the applicant and then the applicant sends everything to Sheffield.

However, it's different in other countries.

For applications made outside the UK you only send the photo page of the sponsor's passport.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks


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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2017, 02:53:04 PM »
One more question - on Appendix 2 question 1.28 it asks about money the sponsor spends on looking after dependents.

I make maintenance payments to my ex wife for our daughter under a voluntary arrangement. Do I have to put these payments down there?

Or is it just about money spent on support for dependents who live with me?


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How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #13 on: September 18, 2017, 03:00:44 PM »
Yes, you put any money that you spend on any children you have or anyone else you support financially. The question doesn't mention dependants, and is not specifically about children.

Questions 1.27 and 1.28 state:

1.27 Does your sponsor have any children?

1.28 Is your sponsor responsible for supporting anyone financially, including any children listed above?

And the guidance notes state:

1.27 Does your sponsor have any children?
Put a cross in the relevant box. If ‘yes’ please ensure you enter details for all your sponsor’s children. The details must include their full name, date and place of birth, sex and nationality. If there is insuf cient space please complete the list in Part 5 Continuation and Additional Information section.
1.28 Is your sponsor responsible for supporting anyone  nancially, including any children listed above?Put a cross in the relevant box. If ‘yes’ please provide full details, including full name and date of birth for each person your sponsor is  nancially responsible for, and state how much is spent per person per month.



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Re: How to submit & pay for priority spouse visa
« Reply #14 on: September 18, 2017, 03:29:12 PM »
Yes,I guess that makes sense, I should include it.

Thank you.


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