Budget Questions

Hello everyone,

My husband just called me this morning to let me know he has the Visa money saved, finally, and is now working on the plane tickets.  My poor long-suffering hubby, sitting at home every night with beans on toast to save the money!  I love him!  Okay, anyway, we are getting all the paperwork together to apply.  And every day I think of some new reason to freak out about how our app may be denied.  Today it is the budget!

I have downloaded some budget spreadsheets I found on here by Meg - they are amazing and once I put the figures in I was shocked to see how much we have left over.  I can't figure out how that happened.  What bills do we have to include in the budget?  I put in rent, council tax, gas, water and electric, phone, internet, and bus fare for my husband.  We dont have television, we dont drive, we dont have credit cards or any other expenses.  We do spend money on food, clothes, toiletries, household products, and entertainment.  Do I include those things too, before we take out the 95 pound extra?  For once in my life I am glad that we are so poor and live so simply!!  Our house is dirt cheap and though we want to move very badly, it is really helpful right now to have such low expenses. 

One other question, if anyone might know the answer.  It is driving me crazy with worry.  Once I get my visa, I will be flying over to the UK with my ten year-old daughter.  She is staying with us for the summer so she can see where we live, meet her extended family, and possibly make a decision about who she wants to live with.  Her father here in America won't sign any papers to let her stay with me until she tries it out first.  If she does decide she wants to stay, at the end of the summer we will fly back together and apply for her visa then, in August most likely.  We are getting return tickets for the end of August. 

I was wondering if this would cause any problems with my visa app.  I am going to indicate that she is travelling with me, and explain the details.  I am worried however that another dependent may affect our budget somehow and that we may get denied.  I know that in real life we have more than enough to live on and that our expenses are not going to go up very much with her there.  I was also thinking that I would be able to factor in the child maintenance fees I am receiving, even though they are in dollars and as such, are not much money.  I was wondering if anyone has encountered a situation like this before. how they handled it and what the outcome was?  All advice is appreciated!  Thanks so much. 

Eeeek!  I just remembered one other thing I was going to ask, and this one may be more serious than the others.  My husband was on leave from work in Jan & Feb of this year.  He was receiving statutory sick pay because he hadn't been at his job six months yet, and he received housing and council tax benefit for those months.  This is going to be visible on the bank statements we send, depending on how soon we apply.  I was thinking we should include six months of statements maybe, to show that he regularly earns enough and that was just a fluke thing.  I was worried that because he was receiving benefits and it will show on some of the statements that we will be denied for accessing public funds!  I know he is entitled to as a UK citizen but it still looks bad on a visa app!  Could anyone tell me please if this is going to hurt our application?  We have a complicated app to begin with as I have a bad driving record, our budget is probably near the line, we have no savings, and I have a child from a previous relationship who may or may not be coming to stay eventually.  I am scared now that every other complication may wreck us!!   -- I guess you know someone is getting ready to apply when they freak out more by the second!  I will be so grateful when this is all done and over with!

Thanks again for reading this - sorry to keep adding more to it!

OK, after plowing through your posts I have some information for you. In terms of Budget...the £95 is per week left over after Rent, Utilities, Council Tax etc, but BEFORE Food & Entertainment & other expenses. A Budget is not a requirement for the application (mine was submitted & approved without one).

As far as your husband receiving benefits in the past, there is a question on the application about sponsors receiving benefits, however since he is no longer and won't be at the time of application I believe this may be a non issue.

Your child will need a letter of permission from her other parent to accompany you to the UK even for just a visit if you do not have a court order that shows you have sole legal & physical custody. Also obtaining a settlement visa for your child may be a problem as well in the future in regard to 'sole responsibility' but that will have to be visited when and if that occasion presents itself.

As for your visa application in regard to your daughter since she is not part of it, she will not be considered since (I assume) that you will be seeking entry for her at the border when you arrive. Since you are receiving child support for your daughter, I am not sure that you can include this as income to you since it is infact your daughters money....but someone else with more knowledge and expertise will have to comment upon this .

If you want to know what the ECO's are looking for in terms of Maintenance & Accommodation see here: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/ecg/chapter9/.

In terms of your daughter & sole responsibility for a visa see here: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/ecg/chapter14/#point%20five. If you scroll to the top of the page it also gives more information with settlement & children.

Thank you! SO much - that is a bit of a weight off. 

Your child will need a letter of permission from her other parent to accompany you to the UK even for just a visit if you do not have a court order that shows you have sole legal & physical custody. Also obtaining a settlement visa for your child may be a problem as well in the future in regard to 'sole responsibility' but that will have to be visited when and if that occasion presents itself.

As for your visa application in regard to your daughter since she is not part of it, she will not be considered since (I assume) that you will be seeking entry for her at the border when you arrive. Since you are receiving child support for your daughter, I am not sure that you can include this as income to you since it is infact your daughters money....but someone else with more knowledge and expertise will have to comment upon this .

I do know about all this stuff - that's why we're bringing her to visit.  We have written permission to take her for the summer, but not for good.  I think once she visits and her dad is aware that she is happy and looked after then he will agree to give permission to let her stay.

We will be seeking entry for her at border.  We will have a return ticket for the end of August plus the notarized letter from her father saying we can't keep her past then so I think they should be able to see that she will not overstay.  We won't have much money on us but as I am coming with a visa and we will be staying with my husband don't you think they will consider that enough to support her during her visit?  I mean, that is why I mentioned the child support, as it will be used to help support her so she won't need to show that she has a lot of money when we get to immigration.  I hope that makes sense? 

Thanks so much!

We will have a return ticket for the end of August plus the notarized letter from her father saying we can't keep her past then so I think they should be able to see that she will not overstay. 

They are going to be more worried about her father having given permission for her to be taken out of the US than the overstaying bit - the UK is a signatory to the Hague Convention on Child Abduction (as you may already be aware) so the UKBA has to be VERY careful about this. Please make sure the wording of the letter from her father is unequivocal in saying that he has given permission for her to be absent from the US from x date to y date.

As you will be staying with your husband I doubt there will be problems as regards funds.

Hi there

If you have children living with you, the amount needed to be left over will be higher than £94.95, for 2 children you need to have £216.88 disposable income

http://www.poverty.org.uk/12/index.shtml

Hi there

If you have children living with you, the amount needed to be left over will be higher than £94.95, for 2 children you need to have £216.88 disposable income

http://www.poverty.org.uk/12/index.shtml

So, according to this chart, if my daughter were to come with us for the summer, we would need 164.29 extra, per week, to be approved?  Based on one couple with one child under 11 years.  We should be fine, actually.  I think we have more than enough with just his income, as we are only counting bills, not food and clothes and things.  That is good. 

They are going to be more worried about her father having given permission for her to be taken out of the US than the overstaying bit - the UK is a signatory to the Hague Convention on Child Abduction (as you may already be aware) so the UKBA has to be VERY careful about this. Please make sure the wording of the letter from her father is unequivocal in saying that he has given permission for her to be absent from the US from x date to y date. 

Today I called her father to confirm that we were going to the bank to notarise that permission tomorrow and he decided that now he wants to talk to Friend of the Court first and make sure it doesn't give me any right to keep her indefinitely.  I told him it doesn't, as the dates are on the paper, and I explained that she cannot stay without a visa that we would have to return to the US to get, and that we would need his permission for that as well.  He still insists on speaking with FOC because he thinks I may be lying about all that and planning to kidnap her, I guess.  The truth is that I am starting custody proceedings and he knows nothing about that yet because we are filing next week.  I am trying to get the court to force a change of domicile for her and award me full legal custody.  She was here in the states with her dad for six months while I was in the UK, and he neglected her and eventually sent her to stay with his ex-girlfriend - she was sleeping on a pull-out couch in his ex's mom's living room when I came back and took her.  He still mistreats her now when he sees her every other weekend but he knows he has a bit of power over me and can make my life miserable by keeping our daughter here.  My lawyer says even though these cases are difficult we have a good case and my daughter is adamant that she wants to go with me and not back to her father's home. 

I know this is probably TMI but I thought maybe it might help to give the full background.  I wanted that summer permission signed and notarised before he was served with the custody motion!  I asked him to please hurry and speak to the FOC because I am applying for the visa soon.  I think I may need to ask the UKBA to postdate my visa so I have time to sort this stuff out.  I am at my wit's end though - I am living with my aunt and uncle and just waiting and waiting for this custody stuff to get ironed out.  I miss my husband and our own house and I feel like my life has been on hold for three years now waiting.  I have been living out of suitcases for so long I feel like I will never be able to settle. 

I'm sorry to write and write.  I am just really getting discouraged and I don't really have anyone else to talk to about it.  Maybe this is the wrong place to do it though - I'm really sorry guys.  Thanks for all your help though.  I would be lost - I would have given up long ago - if it weren't for this forum.  I read a lot more than I write and it helps to know others have gone through it all too. 

Don't worry I've seen longer posts about very trivial things on UKY! 

Yes, good plan to get that permission before you file custody proceedings. Keep your chin up.

So, according to this chart, if my daughter were to come with us for the summer, we would need 164.29 extra, per week, to be approved?  Based on one couple with one child under 11 years.  We should be fine, actually.  I think we have more than enough with just his income, as we are only counting bills, not food and clothes and things.  That is good. 

Not correct, I think people are getting confused here. For your visa application you only have to have £95/wk since you are NOT including her on YOUR visa application as a dependant, meaning that you are not seeking a settlement visa for your daughter at the time you are applying for yours.

It is when you go to apply for your daughter's settlement visa to the UK when you will have to prove the extra amount that you mentioned above.

Since you are bringing her in as a visitor and seeking entry clearance at the border when you arrive that is when you would show documentation from her father and proof of any income that you would be using to support her. That is when the IO will determine if there will be enough to allow her entry. I would also recommend travel insurance for her since she will not be entitled to NHS coverage as a visitor only Accident & Emergency services.

Don't worry I've seen longer posts about very trivial things on UKY! 

Yes, good plan to get that permission before you file custody proceedings. Keep your chin up.

Thank you

Not correct, I think people are getting confused here. For your visa application you only have to have £95/wk since you are NOT including her on YOUR visa application as a dependant, meaning that you are not seeking a settlement visa for your daughter at the time you are applying for yours.

It is when you go to apply for your daughter's settlement visa to the UK when you will have to prove the extra amount that you mentioned above.

Since you are bringing her in as a visitor and seeking entry clearance at the border when you arrive that is when you would show documentation from her father and proof of any income that you would be using to support her. That is when the IO will determine if there will be enough to allow her entry. I would also recommend travel insurance for her since she will not be entitled to NHS coverage as a visitor only Accident & Emergency services.

Alright, that works.  So on the visa app, where it says, Travellers Under 18 (Part 7) - it says, Only to be Completed by Applicants Under 18.  Does that mean, since my daughter is not yet an applicant, that I do not fill out this section?  I have mentioned her in Section 4.16 - 4.19.  Am I correct in thinking that I only need mention her here, and then in Additional Information explain that she is visiting over the summer holidays, and then include a copy of the father's permission? 

I think I will keep my husband's documents (he will be Fed-Exing them over soon) and bring them back to him in person, so that at Entry I can bring out the bank statements and check stubs, to show that we can support her over the summer.  That should do it, right? 

Do you have any recommendations for Travel Insurance, by the way?  Is that something we can purchase from her current health insurance provider? 

I believe that your assumptions are correct, however be aware that the online application does vary somewhat from the paper form and you may want to consult an immigration specialist to verify.

If your daughter has private insurance you will need to check with the carrier to see if they will cover her in the UK as some carriers will. What you can have your husband do is just write a letter and state that your daughter will be welcome in his home and any support and accommodation will be provided at his expense, but having the documents help as well...plus you know they'll get back safely as well rather than sending them back.