Time limit and employment question for online Visa4UK application

Hello everyone! I am applying for my spouse visa on November 2nd but have a quick question about the online application. First of all, how many days in advance could I submit it? I want to book my Biometrics appointment asap I'm assuming 2 weeks? For example, submit online app October 24th, book an appointment for that week, and submit everything on the 2nd. Is there a time limit I need to watch out for?

My real question though refers to the Visa4UK Employment section. I am currently unemployed but may be getting a part time job between now and November. However I will be leaving that company as soon as I submit my application. So by the time they have reached my application, I will be unemployed again. Do I need to mention this part time job in the "additional information" section or should I just say I'm unemployed throughout the whole application as that will be the case when they do receive my documents?

Thanks so much for your help!

- Grace

Hello everyone! I am applying for my spouse visa on November 2nd but have a quick question about the online application. First of all, how many days in advance could I submit it? I want to book my Biometrics appointment asap I'm assuming 2 weeks? For example, submit online app October 24th, book an appointment for that week, and submit everything on the 2nd. Is there a time limit I need to watch out for?

Hi Grace. Why do you need to apply on November 2nd?

If it is because that is the date your Fiance will meet the financial criteria, then you can't apply before then and you would still need to allow time, before you apply, to collect the final bank/pay statement because the most recent of these must be dated within 28 days of the online application date.

The 6 or 12 month period (depending on the category you choose) ends with the date of the online application.
 
You can't choose your biometrics appointment until after you have submitted your online application but you should be able to get one in a couple of days to a week.

As it stands at the moment, you have 5 days from the biometrics appointment to get your package to Sheffield.

My real question though refers to the Visa4UK Employment section. I am currently unemployed but may be getting a part time job between now and November. However I will be leaving that company as soon as I submit my application. So by the time they have reached my application, I will be unemployed again. Do I need to mention this part time job in the "additional information" section or should I just say I'm unemployed throughout the whole application as that will be the case when they do receive my documents?

You should answer as your situation is at the time you apply. If you like you can explain in your cover letter.

Do you mean you plan to mail the application documents to Sheffield on November 2nd? Most people won't know in advance what date they can mail the documents, because it depends on when they will have all their documents ready and when they meet the visa requirements as to what date they will be able to submit the online application.

- Your official application date will be the date that your online application is submitted and you pay for the visa. So that is the date on which that you must meet all the requirements for the visa.

- Therefore you must be able to meet the financial, accommodation and relationship requirements on the date you submit the online application. If you can't meet them until November 2nd, then you can't submit the online application until Nov 2nd.

- You will book the biometrics appointment as part of submitting the online application.

- You attend the biometrics and then you have 5 DAYS from the biometrics appointment in which to mail your application to Sheffield. This date has no significance in terms of submitting the visa application, as long as it is within the required 5 days.

- Don't forget that the online application is only half of the application form. You will also need to print and fill out by hand VAF4a Appendix 2, which contains all the questions specific to how you meet the requirements for a spousal visa (the online application is just some generic questions about you, not about how you qualify for the visa): https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270484/VAF4A-Appendix2.pdf

My real question though refers to the Visa4UK Employment section. I am currently unemployed but may be getting a part time job between now and November. However I will be leaving that company as soon as I submit my application. So by the time they have reached my application, I will be unemployed again. Do I need to mention this part time job in the "additional information" section or should I just say I'm unemployed throughout the whole application as that will be the case when they do receive my documents?

It's up to you, but I would just state what is true on the date you submit the online application - that is the official application date and so that is the only date that matters for the visa.

If you are the visa applicant in the US, your employment is completely irrelevant for the visa anyway so they won't care whether you are employed or not.

Hiya! Thanks for your reply! We will be eligible on October 16th but my husband is traveling to the US on November 1st so we figured he might as well bring with him whatever extra documents I'll need to send. So teeeechnically I think we would be able to apply on the 24th correct? Because he will have been paid his 6th pay slip on the 16th and will be bringing me his 6th bank statement so we're covered. Main reason why I want to apply a bit early is just to allow myself enough time to book the biometrics appointment. I'm so worried there won't be anything available that week! Didn't know about the 5 days! Thanks so much for clarifying that for me!

Hi Grace. Why do you need to apply on November 2nd?

If it is because that is the date your Fiance will meet the financial criteria, then you can't apply before then and you would still need to allow time, before you apply, to collect the final bank/pay statement because the most recent of these must be dated within 28 days of the online application date.

The 6 or 12 month period (depending on the category you choose) ends with the date of the online application.
 
You can't choose your biometrics appointment until after you have submitted your online application but you should be able to get one in a couple of days to a week.

As it stands at the moment, you have 5 days from the biometrics appointment to get your package to Sheffield.

You should answer as your situation is at the time you apply. If you like you can explain in your cover letter.

Do you mean you plan to mail the application documents to Sheffield on November 2nd? Most people won't know in advance what date they can mail the documents, because it depends on when they will have all their documents ready and when they meet the visa requirements as to what date they will be able to submit the online application.

Yeah I've made up a pretend schedule with anticipated dates with each thing I am still waiting on (statements and slips and whatnot) and there's a very good chance we will have everything together by the end of October. My husband is flying out November 1st so he'll bring me the final pieces That's why I'm hoping to do the biometrics before he comes. Just want to submit it as soon as he lands! lol

- Your official application date will be the date that your online application is submitted and you pay for the visa. So that is the date on which that you must meet all the requirements for the visa.

I believe we will have met all the requirements by then, I just won't have the physical copy until he brings the documents with him.

- Therefore you must be able to meet the financial, accommodation and relationship requirements on the date you submit the online application. If you can't meet them until November 2nd, then you can't submit the online application until Nov 2nd.

- You will book the biometrics appointment as part of submitting the online application.

- You attend the biometrics and then you have 5 DAYS from the biometrics appointment in which to mail your application to Sheffield. This date has no significance in terms of submitting the visa application, as long as it is within the required 5 days.

Definitely had that wrong! Thanks so much for letting me know!

- Don't forget that the online application is only half of the application form. You will also need to print and fill out by hand VAF4a Appendix 2, which contains all the questions specific to how you meet the requirements for a spousal visa (the online application is just some generic questions about you, not about how you qualify for the visa): https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270484/VAF4A-Appendix2.pdf


Yes I've triple checked eveeeryyyyything! Just waiting on those last payments!

It's up to you, but I would just state what is true on the date you submit the online application - that is the official application date and so that is the only date that matters for the visa.

If you are the visa applicant in the US, your employment is completely irrelevant for the visa anyway so they won't care whether you are employed or not.

Yup I'm the US applicant! Thanks again for all your help!

Hiya! Thanks for your reply! We will be eligible on October 16th but my husband is traveling to the US on November 1st so we figured he might as well bring with him whatever extra documents I'll need to send. So teeeechnically I think we would be able to apply on the 24th correct?

I would NOT advise submitting the online application until you have every single document in your hands, you have checked they meet all the formatting requirements, and you are completely ready to mail everything to UKVI.

The document requirements are strict and so they all need to be completely correct before you mail them.

We have had people in situations in the past where they have applied online, booked or attended their biometrics and then discovered they don't have all the correct documents and that it will take a few weeks to get them (i.e. because they didn't realise their online bank statements had to be stamped by the bank, or that they needed a letter from their employer etc.)!

As a result, they can't meet the 5-day deadline, which means their application may become invalid and they may have to re-apply, which means losing the fee from the first attempt.

I don't think I've seen anyone wait more than a week for biometrics, and most people can book within a couple of days. You can book an appointment at any one of the 129 USCIS Application Support Centers across the US, so if there isn't an available appointment on the right day at one, you can try another.

Also, some people have had luck with booking an appointment, and then just showing up as a walk-in a few days earlier. Biometrics only takes about 5-10 minutes, so it's a pretty simple process.

My advice would be to take your time, make sure everything is exactly right, and then only submit the online application when you are confident that you have everything in your hands.

Feel free to post a list here of everything you are including - we can take a look and make sure you're not forgetting anything.

I would NOT advise submitting the online application until you have every single document in your hands, you have checked they meet all the formatting requirements, and you are completely ready to mail everything to UKVI.

The document requirements are strict and so they all need to be completely correct before you mail them.

We have had people in situations in the past where they have applied online, booked or attended their biometrics and then discovered they don't have all the correct documents and that it will take a few weeks to get them (i.e. because they didn't realise their online bank statements had to be stamped by the bank, or that they needed a letter from their employer etc.)!

As a result, they can't meet the 5-day deadline, which means their application may become invalid and they may have to re-apply, which means losing the fee from the first attempt.

I don't think I've seen anyone wait more than a week for biometrics, and most people can book within a couple of days. You can book an appointment at any one of the 129 USCIS Application Support Centers across the US, so if there isn't an available appointment on the right day at one, you can try another.

Also, some people have had luck with booking an appointment, and then just showing up as a walk-in a few days earlier. Biometrics only takes about 5-10 minutes, so it's a pretty simple process.

My advice would be to take your time, make sure everything is exactly right, and then only submit the online application when you are confident that you have everything in your hands.

Feel free to post a list here of everything you are including - we can take a look and make sure you're not forgetting anything.

Yeah that's true! I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. Here is my list. Thanks again!

•  Biometrics receipt
•  NHS payment receipt
•  Priority Service for Settlement Visa Receipt
•  Roundtrip Priority Shipping Receipt
- dont have these yet obviously but i know that i will!

•  Official copy of Visa4UK online application
•  Completed Appendix 2 by hand
• Completed SU07 form - mixed answers on whether or not this is necessary so I'm going to include it just in case

• Letter of Introduction from Applicant
• Letter from Sponsor

•  Applicants current and old passports, in addition to a new UK sized photo for Visa
•   A notarised copy of sponsors Passport

•   Sponsor’s original work contract
•   Letter from Sponsor’s employer
•   6 months of Sponsor’s most recent pay slips - stamped by HR as they are not originals
•   Sponsor’s original bank statements showing 6 months of payments from job
- he hasn't been there long enough to include a P60 but I'm assuming that isn't big issue

•   An official property inspection report completed by local council

I know that property inspection reports aren’t required but we are in shared accommodation with my mother in law and brother in law, the land was never registered, and it’s owned through a trust which makes things a bit complicated so we would like a property inspection to ease our minds a bit!

•   Copies of utility bills at UK residence (not sure if we have any mortgage statements to add)


• Letter from owner of the house
• Letter from sponsor’s mother and sort of house owner... its complicated

•   An official copy of wedding certificate
•   Flight itineraries and receipts from trips to the US and UK
•   Photos of us together from various holidays and our wedding day
•   Receipts of packages and gifts that they have sent each other over the years – again, not necessary but its just more proof!
•   Screenshots of Skype, Facebook, Whatsapp messages, and call logs
•   Proposed flight itinerary

•  A separate folder containing copies of all important documents and a return envelope addressed back to me.

• Completed SU07 form - mixed answers on whether or not this is necessary so I'm going to include it just in case

You do NOT need this form. It is for special circumstances visas only and has never been required for a fiance or spousal visa. It seems like in recent months people have starting panicking that they need it and have been filling it out unnecessarily.

It even says so on the official guidance:

3. ECB12.3 Sponsor undertakings on maintenance and accommodation

As with undertakings from an applicant (see above), the ECO should only require an undertaking from a sponsor in exceptional circumstances or for certain categories eg parents, grandparents and other dependent relatives under Rule 317 of the Immigration Rules. (see Maintenance & Accommodation - MAA)

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/undertakings-ecb12/ecb12-undertakings#ecb123-sponsor-undertakings-on-maintenance-and-accommodation)

• Letter of Introduction from Applicant
• Letter from Sponsor

A letter from the applicant is only optional and should not contain any personal information. It is simply a package contents letter, stating the visa type applied for and flagging up anything unusual about the documents, or if you have any potential complications, such as criminal convictions or bad UK immigration history.

A letter from the sponsor is mandatory. It should state how he meets each requirement to sponsor your visa, and a short history of your relationship (1 paragraph max for this part), along with a list of documents he is contributing to the application.

•  Applicants current and old passports, in addition to a new UK sized photo for Visa

A US-sized passport photo is fine if it's tricky to get a UK-sized one.

•   Copies of utility bills at UK residence (not sure if we have any mortgage statements to add)

Not required as they do not show homeownership.

•   An official copy of wedding certificate
•   Flight itineraries and receipts from trips to the US and UK
•   Photos of us together from various holidays and our wedding day
•   Receipts of packages and gifts that they have sent each other over the years – again, not necessary but its just more proof!
•   Screenshots of Skype, Facebook, Whatsapp messages, and call logs
•   Proposed flight itinerary

This is a bit too much.

- Only include 1 or 2 photos of you, no more. Just one maybe from your wedding and one from earlier in the relationship. They just need to show you have met at least once in person.
- Don't bother with receipts from trips. Just include the boarding passes to show you took the flight.
- Don't bother with receipts from gifts you've sent. Cards or letters you've sent are fine, but that's all that's needed.

All you are showing is regular contact between you, to show the relationship is not a scam to get a visa. They just need to see that you talk regularly, that you visit when you can. They don't need any content of emails or chats, just dates and times.

• Completed SU07 form - mixed answers on whether or not this is necessary so I'm going to include it just in case

Just to confirm what kasnd24 has already told you, you should not include this form.
If you do, you are just showing them that you are not sure of the rules as they apply to you.