Hello
Guest

Sponsored Links


Topic: Original docs vs scanned?  (Read 700 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

  • *
  • Posts: 95

  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Mar 2018
Original docs vs scanned?
« on: March 15, 2018, 12:46:19 PM »
Hi all,

I am applying for a fiance visa (i'm the sponsor) and have a question regarding original documents - I receive my utility bills online so only have printed pdfs, and my landlord and employer (i work for a temp agency) live a good distance away from me and so have sent their supporting letters through email as pdfs.

In addition, my payslips are sent through the post but aren't signed by anyone.

What am I supposed to do in these cases regarding the requirement for them to be originals? Is it really that strict or will a quality print out satisfy them?


  • *
  • *
  • *
  • Posts: 26862

  • Liked: 3589
  • Joined: Jan 2007
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2018, 12:49:35 PM »
Everything must be original - scans will not be accepted.

However, you do not need utility bills anyway, so there’s no need to get any originals of those.

If the payslips are mailed to you in the post, they are considered original and do not need to be stamped or signed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


  • *
  • *
  • *
  • Posts: 26862

  • Liked: 3589
  • Joined: Jan 2007
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2018, 12:50:25 PM »
The employer and landlord letters MUST be original, with a wet signature on each, so they will need to post them to you instead of sending by email.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


  • *
  • Posts: 17751

  • Liked: 6110
  • Joined: Sep 2010
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2018, 12:52:37 PM »
And when you apply for FLR after the wedding, you will need several items of mail in both your names to the same address. You should change all of your bills to paper now and be prepared to add your finance to them as soon as they arrive in the UK.  :)


  • *
  • Posts: 95

  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Mar 2018
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2018, 12:59:02 PM »
Thank you everyone  ;D  So I take it this is a strict requirement and my application will be rejected if i include scans!? Is there any official guidance on this? The only thing I've seen on gov websites is that 'if you don't have originals, you may need to get them certified by a professional' or something.

And why is this, especially when in some countries the VAC will scan the copies to the UK entry clearance place?


  • *
  • Posts: 233

  • Liked: 46
  • Joined: Dec 2017
  • Location: Paris, France
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2018, 01:01:50 PM »
And why is this, especially when in some countries the VAC will scan the copies to the UK entry clearance place?

Even if they scan it, you should have both copies and originals with you to present them at the VAC.
Application#1(Fiance)
Bio-metrics Appointment and scan: 16th Nov
Documents Received in Sheffield email: 17th Nov
Decision Made E-Mail: 19th January 2018
43 business days, Rejection
Application #2 Spouse (from France)
Bio-metrics Appointment and docs scan 08 March 2018
Documents Received in Sheffield email: 05 April 2018
Decision made email from Visa center: 25 April 2018
32 business days


  • *
  • Posts: 17751

  • Liked: 6110
  • Joined: Sep 2010
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2018, 01:19:11 PM »
Thank you everyone  ;D  So I take it this is a strict requirement and my application will be rejected if i include scans!? Is there any official guidance on this? The only thing I've seen on gov websites is that 'if you don't have originals, you may need to get them certified by a professional' or something.

And why is this, especially when in some countries the VAC will scan the copies to the UK entry clearance place?

The older website used to spell it out very clearly, in one place. Now the information is harder to find but yes, everything needs to be original or a certified copy.
We have seen people refused for not having their online bank statements stamped for example.

fm-se discusses the required formatting for the financial evidence.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence
« Last Edit: March 15, 2018, 01:29:37 PM by larrabee »


  • *
  • Posts: 18235

  • Liked: 4985
  • Joined: Jun 2012
  • Location: Wokingham
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2018, 01:56:08 PM »
Yup, the specified evidence document (which is referenced in the application) spells it out *more* clearly than just the application.  But still not quite as clear as us. 

We had a member about two weeks ago refused for including printed out bank statements that were not stamped by the bank.  So yes, they will refuse the application for being copies.  Most recently was this month.


  • *
  • Posts: 95

  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Mar 2018
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #8 on: March 16, 2018, 01:13:23 AM »
The older website used to spell it out very clearly, in one place. Now the information is harder to find but yes, everything needs to be original or a certified copy.
We have seen people refused for not having their online bank statements stamped for example.

fm-se discusses the required formatting for the financial evidence.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

Oh man thank you so much for that link, I've been looking for the black letter law on this for days and hadn't had any luck!!! Seems to be a general requirement for all docs to be original where possible, and very specific for the financial docs. Thanks again :)


  • *
  • Posts: 95

  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Mar 2018
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2018, 01:15:25 AM »
On a related note... I know there's a 5 day deadline for getting the supporting docs to Sheffield after the biometric appointment, but is that 5 days to post it, or 5 days for them to receive it? As in, if I had a biometric appointment on the Monday, could I post it on the Friday?

And is it 5 business days or calendar days?  Also, is there a certain time frame in which we have to book the biometrics appointment after submitting the online app? Or for example if we have an issue with getting a document, can we change the biometrics appointment for a few days later?
« Last Edit: March 16, 2018, 01:26:55 AM by riversilver »


  • *
  • *
  • *
  • Posts: 26862

  • Liked: 3589
  • Joined: Jan 2007
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2018, 05:40:40 AM »
You should not submit your online application until you know you have every single document and you could mail everything to Sheffield right now if you needed to. That way you won’t have to worry about timing.

There’s no official limit for when you have to book the biometrics after submitting the application though.

After the biometrics, it’s 5 calendar days to mail the documents, so if your appointment is Monday, you have until Saturday to post them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


  • *
  • Posts: 95

  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Mar 2018
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2018, 02:20:25 PM »
Thanks so much for clearing that up! :)

Also (tons of questions are popping up now that I finally found a place where people can answer them!!!!) I have a question about the employer letter.

I work for a temp agency, get paid hourly and receive payslips weekly, meaning that I really don't think the agency can confirm 'gross annual salary'. However I have minimum contracted hours and an hourly wage of £13.46, which gives me a rough annual salary of £24,000. My payslips prove this, with the smallest amount I've ever earned in a week still giving £23,000 when multiplied to give an annual amount.

Is it sufficient for them to confirm minimum contracted hours and hourly wage?


  • *
  • *
  • *
  • Posts: 26862

  • Liked: 3589
  • Joined: Jan 2007
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #12 on: March 16, 2018, 03:55:06 PM »
However I have minimum contracted hours and an hourly wage of £13.46, which gives me a rough annual salary of £24,000. My payslips prove this, with the smallest amount I've ever earned in a week still giving £23,000 when multiplied to give an annual amount.

Is it sufficient for them to confirm minimum contracted hours and hourly wage?

Okay, if you are paid hourly, then you are a 'non-salaried' employee, not a 'salaried' employee. This means that your income is calculated differently and you will not have an annual salary.

The way your income will be calculated is:
(Total of all the 6 months of payslips added together / 6) = Average monthly income
Average monthly income x 12 = Average annual income

The Average annual income calculated as above is the figure they will use to determine if you meet the requirements. It is also the figure you need to put in Appendix 2 for your annual income.

It is very important that your employer letter DOES NOT state a fixed annual salary.

 Instead, it MUST state:
- that the employment is NON-salaried
- your hourly wage
- the number of hours you are contracted for

We had someone refused a few months ago, because their employer letter stated they were salaried instead of non-salaried. Because of this, UKVI used the salaried income calculation instead of the non-salaried, where they take the lowest payslip in the 6 months and multiply by 12 to get the annual salary.

Unfortunately, even though they met the income requirement with non-salaried payslips, their lowest payslip was £1,275, so when the salaried calculation was used, they didn't meet the requirement and the visa was refused.


  • *
  • Posts: 95

  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Mar 2018
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2018, 12:27:40 AM »
Thank you for this!

So in the letter from my employer, they have stated:

- that the work is temp work
- my hourly rate and minimum contracted hours, which give a min annual salary of £24,000.

I think it's pretty clear from this that I'm paid by the hour... what do you think? I'm pretty sure I'm safe anyways with the salary calculation, as the lowest I've ever been paid in a week was something like 430, which if multiplied to get a monthly then annual salary is still over 18,600.


  • *
  • Posts: 95

  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Mar 2018
Re: Original docs vs scanned?
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2018, 03:58:14 AM »
Further question - as part of our evidence for the genuine-ness of our relationship, I've got screenshots of whatsapp conversations going back 4 years (one screen shot every couple of months). I've seen in other threads that there shouldn't be any content in these, but how can I do that for whatsapp conversations? Without the content you can't show that there has been any communication. Whatsapp is unfortunately the main way we communicate, not so much skype or texts.


Sponsored Links





 

coloured_drab