Asking for advice re spousal visa, considering less than ideal circumstances

Hi Guys,

A couple of questions regarding the application + appendix now that my wife and I are thoroughly going through it:

1) For the travel history section, there are a couple of countries we have visited that are not listed on the drop down menu (St. Barts and Sint. Maarten). In this instance would we just include them in the 'additional information section'?

2) Under the very first section of appendix 2, its states the following:
YOU SHOULD COMPLETE THIS FORM IF YOU WISH TO COME TO THE UK AS:
• The spouse or civil partner of someone settled in the UK

As I still reside in the US but am a British Citizen am I still considered 'Settled' for the purpose of this application?

3) I am in the process of getting a job offer and letter however it may take 2-3 weeks. After reading the financial requirements form it states the following:

Part 3F Cash savings
If you cannot meet the financial requirement through income, you can use relevant cash savings to enable you to do so.
Relevant cash savings are those which you and/or your sponsor hold which (i) exceed £16,000, (ii) have been held by you
and/or your sponsor for at least 6 months prior to the date of this application, (iii) are held at the date of application and (iv)
are under the control and available to be used by your and/or your sponsor. Only complete this section if your cash savings
meet all the criteria above. This section contains the Category D way to meet the financial requirement. Refer to the policy
guidance notes for an explanation of how cash savings above £16,000 can enable you to meet the financial requirement.

It sounds as though if employment isn't satisfied, simply having cash savings over £16,000 will suffice for the application and I may not even have to include my employment offer letter?

This would be a big relief, allowing us to apply for the visa immediately and to join my family in the UK even sooner.

Are we correct in our interpretation of the above or should we absolutely wait for the employment letter before submitting the entire package?

Thank You Very Much!

1-Yes.

2-Yes

3- You would need savings of £62,500  held for at least 6 months if you have no other income to combine it with.

1) yes, either put them in the additional information section or on a separate sheet of paper (since you have to print the application and mail it to Sheffield)

2) yes, you are considered Settled because you are a British citizen and hold a UK passport. For the visa you either need to be living in the UK, or returning to live in the UK at the same time as your partner.

3) No, if you don’t have a job, you have to show you have 2.5 years worth of the £18,600 annual income in cash savings... but the first £16,000 or savings do not count, so you need:
£16,000 + (2.5 years x £18,600) = £62,500 in savings to meet the requirement.

This means you can only apply without the employment offer if you have £62,500 or more in savings, held in your bank account in full for at least 6 months


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OK understood. I need to wait. Thank you for the swift responses!!

Hi All,

My wife's US passport expires in 4 years and 6 months.

Does she need to obtain a new US passport before submitting the application?

Thank You

Hi All,

My wife's US passport expires in 4 years and 6 months.

Does she need to obtain a new US passport before submitting the application?

Thank You

No, you can apply for a new one from within the UK closer to the date of expiration.

No, you can apply for a new one from within the UK closer to the date of expiration.

Thank You!

Hi All,

Part 2, the Accommodation section asks where you and your sponsor plan to live.

We plan on getting a place in London after we arrive together so what address should we put here, or should we even put one here at all?

As we look for a permanent residence we will probably be staying in temporary corporate housing or something similar but won't know until the time gets closer.

Thank You

It’s a requirement for the visa that you must have guaranteed accommodation in the UK suitable for you both to live in.

If you don’t put an address and provide evidence that you have permission to live there, your visa will be refused.

You need:

If you will be renting:
- a valid tenancy agreement in the UK sponsor’s name
- a letter from the landlord giving the visa applicant permission to live there as well once the visa has been granted

If you will stay with family or friends:
- a letter from the homeowner giving you permission to live there and stating the home will not be overcrowded
- their Land Registry document
- optional: their latest original mortgage statement

If you will stay in corporate housing:
- the necessary paperwork to prove your accommodation has been arranged for you and both of you have permission to live there

It is possible to use a short-term rental or a longer stay in a hotel, though it’s not ideal.

See here for the accommodation requirements:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maintenance-and-accommodation-maa/maintenance-and-accommodation-maa--2


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Hi All,

Part 2, the Accommodation section asks where you and your sponsor plan to live.

We plan on getting a place in London after we arrive together so what address should we put here, or should we even put one here at all?

As we look for a permanent residence we will probably be staying in temporary corporate housing or something similar but won't know until the time gets closer.

Thank You

You are going to have to sort out your accommodation before you apply.  Having a suitable place to live is one of the main requirements of the visa and you will have to provide evidence of where you will be staying when you arrive.

Do you have any friends or family with whom you can stay when you first arrive? You can also use temporary accommodation such as a vacation rental, corporate housing or the like but it would need to be booked before you apply.