Few VAF2 questions...

We've married (YAY!) and I'm filling out the VAF2 application by hand before I do it online. I've got a few questions and am hoping some of you can help me. Thank you in advance!

Section 2 - About You

2.2 'Any other names you have been known by' - I've put my maiden name (as it's different than the name on my passport, which is the name from my previous marriage), should I put my new married name in addition to that?

2.12 'Mother's full name?' Her current name or her maiden name?

Section 3 - Your Family

Under 'Other family members' - include step parents and grandparents?

Section 5 - Your Relationship

What do they consider 'meeting'? We originally 'met' online, but met sometime after that in person. Should I put our online meeting date, or our in person meeting?

Question 5.12 - 'Has your sponsor ever been married, in a relationship like marriage, or civil partnership?' What do they consider 'a relationship like marriage'? He's never been married and never been in a civil partnership, but he's lived with a few women over the course of his past. Does that constitute as 'a relationship like marriage'?

That's it for now! Thanks again everyone.

Hi, I just thought I'd answer a few of yer questions for ya.
Section 2 - About You
2.2 just put yer maiden name
2.12 her current name
Section 3 - Your Family
you do not need to put step parents and grandparents, just immediate family
Section 5 - Your Relationship
put your in person meeting date
5.12 living with a person does not constitute as a relationship like marriage. They are only interested in legal ties.

5.12 living with a person does not constitute as a relationship like marriage. They are only interested in legal ties.

Correct, only if there were legal obligations (like a common law spouse where there was palimony owed).

Also, your in person meeting date is much better.  I assume your VAF2 is for a fiancee visa, so they aren't really looking for "duration" as much as that you have actually met and this isn't some sort of "mail order bride" thing.

Also, I over thought the providing proof that you've met thing, trying to print out e-mails, thinking about stamps in passports, if I had any old plane ticket stub, etc etc etc...  The ECO looked at me and said "A picture would have helped." and I went "Oh YEAH!" and he says to me "You would be surprised at the number of people who don't think of that, and then of course I have been with my girlfriend for about 4 years and we might have 1 picture of us together."

Nope - the VAF2 is for a spousal Visa. We've got plenty of pictures (thankfully... we thought ahead!).

The reason why I asked about the 'relationship like marriage' is because the application (below the question) mentions simple cohabiting. So I sort of assumed, but was a little confused, on what they may have meant. The only sort of legal 'ties' he would have had with those women were the joint council tax.

Thanks for clearing that up for me!

This is how I always work it....

I ask the sponsor.  If he/she feels that is was 'akin to marriage' then put it.  If it was just being shacked up with someone who they saw as a boyfriend but did not feel that it was a lifelong committment, then I don't list it.  My general rule is that if there was a joint mortgage, list it.  If there was a joint bank account, list it.  If it was for a period of several years, then list it.  If there were children, list it.  Otherwise, don't bother.  It makes little difference anyway.

I have co-habited, and I definitely wouldn't consider that little episode of my life as being 'akin to marriage'...

Vicky

What do they consider 'meeting'? We originally 'met' online, but met sometime after that in person. Should I put our online meeting date, or our in person meeting?

Here's what I put on my fiancee visa app:

When did you first meet your sponsor? I put the date that we first met in person.

When did your relationship begin? I put the date that he first emailed me.

I don't know if this was "correct", but they issued the visa, so I couldn't have done THAT badly.

I also included a printout of the first email he sent me in my supporting documents. Due to a stolen passport, I didn't have a stamp or record of our first in-person meeting, but I included the dates of my travel, and a photo from that trip.