Help with our settlement visa! (applied using Premium Gold service)

Hi Uk Yankee community! I was hoping to draw on your collective wisdom for a few things...

My husband and I just applied for our spouse visa (application date: 15 Aug). I had my appointment yesterday (22 Aug.) at the Premium Centre in Atlanta, using the Gold Settlement Package. I unfortunately found your forum too late, and didn't realize that we should have made our appointment at the regular centre and paid the priority fee--we found the advice on the UK and VFS websites very hard to navigate and thought that the Gold package was the only way to expedite our application. And it was pretty much too late by the time I realized what we should have done.

So that's frustrating, but everything about this process is frustrating!  We are just trying to look forward. The woman at the office told us she would scan in our application and it would be electronically sent to the Sheffield Centre yesterday evening, so they should have received it today. However, we haven't yet gotten an email about our application being received. Should we be worried? Does anyone have a contact email for VFS? I haven't been able to find any contact information for them online, and the numbers we've tried calling aren't putting us through to anyone.

This is what we put in our application:
Cover letter
Application form with passport photos
Supplemental list of all international travel (since I have been to more than 10 countries)
VAF4A
Copies of my old passports
Sponsor letter from my husband
A copy of his passport info page
His payslips (we are applying under Category B)
Bank statements dating back 10 months
Letter from his employer
Proof of accommodation through photos of every room in the house we will live in (his family home for now)
Our official marriage certificate
Our religious marriage certificate
Copy of our wedding invitation
Letters of support from our family
Selection of photos
Copies of itineraries for shared travel
Shared utility bills
Proof of our joint bank account
Proof of shared expenses
Record of calls and digital communication
Sample of Whatsapp messages

In total, our application was roughly 300 pages; however 200 of those pages were from our whatsapp correspondence. Again, I realize now we probably went overboard...

Any advice on what to do next as we navigate this time apart, caught up in an expensive and unclear process would be much appreciated!

I found this to be the most helpful email for VFS: UKVI.Feedback.USA@vfshelpline.com, but they can only help so much. They won't be able to tell you if your documents are in the hands of Sheffield yet.

Have a read...  with a big alcoholic beverage!

https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=92274.0

We did just have someone approved after 26 business days with priority, which they were satisfied with.  Hopefully you will also have a good outcome.

The vfs website which was never easy to navigate has recently been updated, making it even more hopelessly confusing than it was before. 

Hi Uk Yankee community! I was hoping to draw on your collective wisdom for a few things...

My husband and I just applied for our spouse visa (application date: 15 Aug). I had my appointment yesterday (22 Aug.) at the Premium Centre in Atlanta, using the Gold Settlement Package. I unfortunately found your forum too late, and didn't realize that we should have made our appointment at the regular centre and paid the priority fee--we found the advice on the UK and VFS websites very hard to navigate and thought that the Gold package was the only way to expedite our application. And it was pretty much too late by the time I realized what we should have done.

So that's frustrating, but everything about this process is frustrating!  We are just trying to look forward. The woman at the office told us she would scan in our application and it would be electronically sent to the Sheffield Centre yesterday evening, so they should have received it today. However, we haven't yet gotten an email about our application being received. Should we be worried? Does anyone have a contact email for VFS? I haven't been able to find any contact information for them online, and the numbers we've tried calling aren't putting us through to anyone.

This is what we put in our application:
Cover letter
Application form with passport photos
Supplemental list of all international travel (since I have been to more than 10 countries)
VAF4A
Copies of my old passports
Sponsor letter from my husband
A copy of his passport info page
His payslips (we are applying under Category B)
Bank statements dating back 10 months
Letter from his employer
Proof of accommodation through photos of every room in the house we will live in (his family home for now)
Our official marriage certificate
Our religious marriage certificate
Copy of our wedding invitation
Letters of support from our family
Selection of photos
Copies of itineraries for shared travel
Shared utility bills
Proof of our joint bank account
Proof of shared expenses
Record of calls and digital communication
Sample of Whatsapp messages

In total, our application was roughly 300 pages; however 200 of those pages were from our whatsapp correspondence. Again, I realize now we probably went overboard...

Any advice on what to do next as we navigate this time apart, caught up in an expensive and unclear process would be much appreciated!

Hello, and welcome to the forum

I'm not as experienced as some people here but I'll do the best I can.

I know you said you already sent your application, but I wanted to just ask a few questions and make a few comments.

I have zero experience with the Gold Premium Service. Some people receive their email the day the package arrives in Sheffield, some people have received it 1-2 days after. Do you have any sort of tracking #? I used the VFS website/priority and they gave me a UPS tracking # right away.

I see that you've included your list.

Application form with passport photos Just to confirm, you filled in the Appendix 2, correct?

Copies of my old passports When you say "copies" do you mean photo copies or the original passports? They require the originals.

Proof of accommodation through photos of every room in the house we will live in (his family home for now) Did you provide a letter or proof that the landlord is giving you permission to live there? Or does he own the property? If he owns it, the application needs proof of that ownership/Some sort of proof that you have permission to live there

You sent way too much correspondence, they only need a few screen shots per year/month together, but since you've sent it, then it's on it's way anyway! I don't think it'll be that big of a deal.

Did you include the stamped Biometric Confirmation Sheet? That is necessary for an approval. They would've stamped it at your Biometric appointment.

Did you pay an International Healthcare Surcharge? The reference number that you receive from that payment is required in the application.  If you were not prompted to pay an IHS, you may have applied for the wrong visa.

Also, were you two living together previously? How did you manage to open a joint bank account/share bills before? Was he living in the US? Just interested! I just got my visa in the mail last week, and I can't do any of that until I move in with my husband.

Not trying to frighten you or make this any harder than necessary! Just checking in on your list. I know you've sent it off, but they might prompt you to include something if it's missing.

Please, any experts, correct me if any of this is wrong.

Best of luck on a speedy reply, and an approval

Hello, and welcome to the forum

I'm not as experienced as some people here but I'll do the best I can.

I know you said you already sent your application, but I wanted to just ask a few questions and make a few comments.

I have zero experience with the Gold Premium Service. Some people receive their email the day the package arrives in Sheffield, some people have received it 1-2 days after. Do you have any sort of tracking #? I used the VFS website/priority and they gave me a UPS tracking # right away.

I see that you've included your list.

Application form with passport photos Just to confirm, you filled in the Appendix 2, correct?

Copies of my old passports When you say "copies" do you mean photo copies or the original passports? They require the originals.

Proof of accommodation through photos of every room in the house we will live in (his family home for now) Did you provide a letter or proof that the landlord is giving you permission to live there? Or does he own the property? If he owns it, the application needs proof of that ownership/Some sort of proof that you have permission to live there

You sent way too much correspondence, they only need a few screen shots per year/month together, but since you've sent it, then it's on it's way anyway! I don't think it'll be that big of a deal.

Did you include the stamped Biometric Confirmation Sheet? That is necessary for an approval. They would've stamped it at your Biometric appointment.

Did you pay an International Healthcare Surcharge? The reference number that you receive from that payment is required in the application.  If you were not prompted to pay an IHS, you may have applied for the wrong visa.

Also, were you two living together previously? How did you manage to open a joint bank account/share bills before? Was he living in the US? Just interested! I just got my visa in the mail last week, and I can't do any of that until I move in with my husband.

Not trying to frighten you or make this any harder than necessary! Just checking in on your list. I know you've sent it off, but they might prompt you to include something if it's missing.

Please, any experts, correct me if any of this is wrong.

Best of luck on a speedy reply, and an approval

She applied Gold service which means the VFS staff scans and sends the documents electronically. She won't have a tracking number.

But with that many documents they are probably still scanning the documents.

Good luck!

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

She applied Gold service which means the VFS staff scans and sends the documents electronically. She won't have a tracking number.

But with that many documents they are probably still scanning the documents.

Good luck!

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Oh, dang. No tracking number would make it SO much worse! D:

Oh, dang. No tracking number would make it SO much worse! D:

Nothing is sent in the mail. She will get a received email from Sheffield the same as everyone else.

Her determination and passport will be returned to the VFS centre in Atlanta for her to pick up. She will receive an email when it is ready.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Nothing is sent in the mail. She will get a received email from Sheffield the same as everyone else.

Her determination and passport will be returned to the VFS centre in Atlanta for her to pick up. She will receive an email when it is ready.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Oh I see. I was totally confused by the website, but the forum negotiated me. They make it so complicated 

Oh I see. I was totally confused by the website, but the forum negotiated me. They make it so complicated 

It is still a new priority service and it is extremely expensive for the turn around time and lack of services offered, at least in the beginning.  It looks like they may be tweaking it a bit as the last person I saw post about it received his decision in his decision made email.

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Just to clarify, you've applied under part 3B with employment from outside of the UK, or did you apply under part 3A category B with employment within the UK?

Hi, welcome to UKY!

Unfortunately, once everything has been submitted, you just have to hang in there for the ride.  The VFS site has indeed gotten a lot more convoluted over the years and is extremely user-unfriendly.

This is what we put in our application:
Cover letter
Application form with passport photos
Supplemental list of all international travel (since I have been to more than 10 countries)
VAF4A
Copies of my old passports
Sponsor letter from my husband
A copy of his passport info page
His payslips (we are applying under Category B)
Bank statements dating back 10 months
Letter from his employer
Proof of accommodation through photos of every room in the house we will live in (his family home for now)
Our official marriage certificate
Our religious marriage certificate
Copy of our wedding invitation
Letters of support from our family
Selection of photos
Copies of itineraries for shared travel
Shared utility bills
Proof of our joint bank account
Proof of shared expenses
Record of calls and digital communication
Sample of Whatsapp messages

As you are applying under Category B, did you include a full 12 months worth of payslips (or just 10 to correspond with the bank statements)?  Did you address why you were only able to provide the most recent 10 (and not 12) months of bank statements in your cover letter?
 
For accommodation, does your husband own the home?  If so, did you provide proof of ownership (mortgage statement, land registry)?  If the home is owned by family members, did you provide proof they own the home with a letter confirming that you are permitted to live there upon your arrival in the UK?

As you've mentioned shared travel, bills and bank accounts, has your husband been living outside the UK with you?  If so, the financial requirement changes slightly and you must also demonstrate that in addition to earning the minimum financial requirement outside the UK, he must have a confirmed job in the UK starting within 3 months of arrival paying the minimum financial requirement.

Did you include the IHS payment confirmation?  This is another confusing part of the application - if you selected the "marriage" visa type and have not been asked to pay the IHS fee, you've applied for the incorrect visa.  A marriage visa is a fiance(e) visa valid for 6 months, and the IHS payment is not required for this visa.

Ok, I'll try to address all these questions as best I can!

As you are applying under Category B, did you include a full 12 months worth of payslips (or just 10 to correspond with the bank statements)?  Did you address why you were only able to provide the most recent 10 (and not 12) months of bank statements in your cover letter?

We provided 10 months of payslips--we could only provide ten because my husband just started working ten months ago. We met while living and volunteering in Israel. I was there Aug 2014-May 2018, and he was there Jan 2015-Aug 2017.

For accommodation, does your husband own the home?  If so, did you provide proof of ownership (mortgage statement, land registry)?  If the home is owned by family members, did you provide proof they own the home with a letter confirming that you are permitted to live there upon your arrival in the UK?

For everyone who asked a question along these lines--no, he does not own the home. The mortgage and land registry is under his mom's name. We didn't provide any proof that it was owned by a family member, we just sent in photos. We didn't realize that we needed to have that information... one of our friends who's an immigration lawyer said that photos would be fine and didn't mention including a letter from "the landlord", i.e. my mother-in-law. I really hope this doesn't trip us up... 

As you've mentioned shared travel, bills and bank accounts, has your husband been living outside the UK with you?  If so, the financial requirement changes slightly and you must also demonstrate that in addition to earning the minimum financial requirement outside the UK, he must have a confirmed job in the UK starting within 3 months of arrival paying the minimum financial requirement.

So as I mentioned earlier, we met in Haifa, Israel. We dated there, although we weren't living together. So we can show proof of the trips we went on together then, as well as the trips we went on during our months of long distance before we were married (in May). He meets the financial requirement because he started working in October 2017 in London. He changed jobs in March 2018, which is how we qualify under Part 3A, Category B.

Did you include the IHS payment confirmation?  This is another confusing part of the application - if you selected the "marriage" visa type and have not been asked to pay the IHS fee, you've applied for the incorrect visa.  A marriage visa is a fiance(e) visa valid for 6 months, and the IHS payment is not required for this visa.

We did this! Well, our Gold Package helped us do this. Someone already mentioned that they scan everything and send it electronically, so the IHS payment confirmation and the biometrics receipt was included. We also applied for the right visa! A settlement one

But with that many documents they are probably still scanning the documents.

Good luck!

This is a good point... on the other forum about using the Gold service, someone mentioned that they had gotten their email about their application being received within 24 hours, so I was wondering if we would get ours back that quickly. It appears not.

Application form with passport photos Just to confirm, you filled in the Appendix 2, correct?

Yes!

Copies of my old passports When you say "copies" do you mean photo copies or the original passports? They require the originals.

Because of the way the gold service works, they don't take your originals. They just scan everything, so copies were sufficient. I guess not having to leave all your original documents for two months is one of the things you get for an extra $800 

Also, were you two living together previously? How did you manage to open a joint bank account/share bills before? Was he living in the US? Just interested! I just got my visa in the mail last week, and I can't do any of that until I move in with my husband.

After our wedding at the end of May, I went to London for two and a half months and lived with my husband! We just wanted a little bit of time together before we were torn apart by our paperwork  So during those months, while I was there on a tourist visa, we put my name on the utility bill with his, as well as opened a joint bank account. Everything I read seemed like we could do that as tourists! Congrats on getting your visa and good luck getting everything done once you're there! My advice is to get your name on the utility bill ASAP, because you need proof of address to do everything else.

Unfortunately, once everything has been submitted, you just have to hang in there for the ride.  The VFS site has indeed gotten a lot more convoluted over the years and is extremely user-unfriendly.

This is true... wish us luck! And thank you everyone for your help!