My Spousal Visa Supporting Documents...

Hi all.

We are finally down to it! The houses are sold and the jobs are ending. So hear is my document list as I stand at present. I have not actually completed the online form or gone for my biometrics scan, just looking for advice on my docs.

One of my question is about the relationship documents. My sponsor and I have been together 20 years married 16. So.... its been awhile since I have written her a love letter....lol. Do they really want love letters when you have been living together on the same side of the ocean? Also as we are going with cash savings for the financial requirement do we need to send the original or a notarized copy or the mortgage satisfaction statement or is a copy sufficient?


Application. (Me.. US citizen.)
Printed online application (to come)
Completed VAF4a Appendix 2 form
Stamped Biometrics Confirmation Sheet (to come)
2 passport photos
My current US passport
3 previous US passports
Applicant cover letter with proposed flight itinerary and list of included documents.
Reciept for priority processing (to come)
Return shipping packaging (to come)

Sponsor (Wife.. UK citizen.)
Notorized copy of her UK passport photo page.
Sponsor Letter

Accomodation
Letter from her parents giving permission to live in their "second home" flat.
Land registry documents for said flat.
Deed documents to said flat.
2017 Council tax bill for said flat.

Relationship
Original and one certified copy of marriage license
Three photos from our relationship including one wedding pic
Love letters needed?
Her divorce settlement from previous relationship.
His divorce settlement from previous relationship.

Finances
Category D (Cash savings equal or greater than £62,500 from the sale of a home within last six months. We actually sold two homes so thats why there are doubles on all the legals.)

Five months original bank statements hers
Five months original bank statements his
Original letter from attorney stating the sale price of home and the net proceeds from the sale of first home. (With mortgage)
Original letter from attorney stating the sale price of home and the net proceeds from the sale of second home.  (No mortgage)
Closing statement with net proceeds from sale of first home.
Closing statement with net proceeds form second home.
Copy of the Satisfaction of Mortgage document from sale of first home. (Should we send original or notarized copy?)

I think/hope thats it. Any advise is welcome and much appreciated.

Wish I could buy you all a glass of whatever libation you most like!!!

Cheers,

NWKH

We are finally down to it! The houses are sold and the jobs are ending. So hear is my document list as I stand at present. I have not actually completed the online form or gone for my biometrics scan, just looking for advice on my docs.

That's good - you want to get your documents all sorted at ready before you submit the online application .

One of my question is about the relationship documents. My sponsor and I have been together 20 years married 16. So.... its been awhile since I have written her a love letter....lol. Do they really want love letters when you have been living together on the same side of the ocean?

No, you do not need to send any letters or cards UNLESS you have lived apart for any periods during the 16 years you've been married.

As you have been living together, you instead send evidence that you have continuously lived together (house deeds, mortgage statements, tax returns, utility bills etc.)

Also as we are going with cash savings for the financial requirement do we need to send the original or a notarized copy or the mortgage satisfaction statement or is a copy sufficient?

Everything must be either original or certified copies. A regular copy is not sufficient.

In regards to your document list, you DON'T need the following:

- Return shipping packaging (to come)... you just need the shipping label, not the packaging.
- 2017 Council tax bill for said flat. (council tax bills do not prove ownership so they are not needed)

For the accommodation, the Land registry and the Deed are the same thing (I believe one is issued if you have a mortgage and the other is issued if you own outright)... so you should only need to send one of them

You are missing a lot of relationship evidence.

As well as the marriage certificate, divorce decrees and photos, you also need:
- 16 years' worth of evidence of living together in the US... maybe 1-2 documents per year. Tax returns are good for this.

ksand24-

Thank you soooo much for taking the time to look this over and your input. We really cant thank you enough.

Looks like we are in good shape, but digging up 16 years of tax returns is gonna be painful!!!

Best,

NWKH

From the financial evidence section, you should also include original proof of ownership documents for the two properties, that's the US equivalent of the UK land registry document.

(1) Registration information or documentation (or a copy of this) from the Land Registry (or overseas equivalent).
(2) A letter from a solicitor (or other relevant professional, if the sale takes place overseas) instructed in the sale of the property confirming the sale price and other relevant information.
(3) A letter from a lender (a bank or building society) on its headed stationery regarding the repayment of a mortgage or loan secured on the property.
(4) Confirmation of payment of taxes or professional fees associated with the sale.
(5) Any other relevant evidence that the requirements in subparagraphs (i)-(iii) are met.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

Looks like we are in good shape, but digging up 16 years of tax returns is gonna be painful!!!

It doesn't have to be tax returns. You can use utility bills, insurance policies; house/renters/medical/life, memberships; AAA/gym, etc. Anything in both names is great but you could also use items in single names to the same address for the same time period if you're struggling. You should cover the entire length of your relationship.

I have a question about the proof of relationship documents. My husband and I were married in 2000 and have lived together the entire time. In the UK, we lived in a flat from 2000-2001, bought a house in 2001 and sold it in 2004.  We stayed with my husband's parents until we left for California in 2005. My problem is that all the paperwork pertaining to our rental and house were destroyed due to flooding and I have no idea how to get copies. The property management company that we rented from no longer exists and the bank that supplied our mortgage said that they only hold records for 10 years.

I'm set for our time in California as I have IRS transcripts for every year between 2005-present.  No idea what to do about that 2000-2005 period in the UK.  Any ideas?

Hi all.

Thanks for the earlier advise. It seemed we were laking in our supporting documents for proof of our ...long....long...long..so very very very...long marriage.... I kid...I kid...all love...

So here is what we have found for our supporting documents to back up all 17 years of wedded bliss.... We are wondering if you all think this will be sufficient?

1- For years 2017 to 2009 we have County Tax bills and a separate Town tax bill with both our names and our address on them. On these we will send the original tax statements. Good?

2- For years 2008 to 2001 we each have our Social Security Statements. With these they are separate, meaning my statements are addressed to my name to our address and her statements are addressed to her name to our same address. With these we would prefer to send a certified copy of the first page with name, address a small statement from the SS administration and their official seal. Do you think we should send the originals?

3- Lastly we were also going to include certified copies of the deeds from the two houses we co-owned. The complete deeds are about 100 pages long. I cant imagine they want the original with all the pages of legal mumbo jumbo. Again.. will a certified copy be good?

Once again... many many thanks,

NWKH

Well, you know my visa kind of a mess at the moment so take anything I say with a grain of salt lol, but usually around here the advice is to send originals.

Make sure you make a copy of everything you need back and include it in the package.

Also, I wonder if you have Statutory Warranty Deeds in your state? I used this for my application as it was an official document from the state/county showing the address, date of purchase, and both of our names. It was only 2 pages. Then I used the escrow statements (that were mailed to us - that is annoyingly important) for each year we owned the house.

Hopefully this bump of your post will bring in the folks who know for sure

Best of luck!!

I feel like this is a dumb question, but do you get all the paperwork back at the end of the process? Like original deeds etc?

I feel like this is a dumb question, but do you get all the paperwork back at the end of the process? Like original deeds etc?

To be sure that you do, you should provide copies of everything that you want returned, otherwise they could keep the original.