UK Fiancé Visa - Application Checklist

Hi everyone,

Big thanks to the members of the community that have helped out with all my questions so far. I really appreciate it! 

We're planning on submitting the application for a Fiancé Visa this weekend and I just wanted to run through our checklist to make sure everything we need is there.

Here's what we have so far:

Applicant Details (going to apply online)

•   Name
•   DoB - Birth Certificate
•   Passport (should we scan the bio page?)
•   2 passport sized colour photos of Applicant
•   Parent's DoB & Nationality info

Applicant is from the U.S. so skipping over English requirements and tuberculosis testing.

Is most of this handled during the online application process and Bio appointment? Guessing that all she'll need to send in is the Passport, photos and birth certificate?

Finances

•   Completed VAF4A Appendix 2 form
•   6 months of pay slips showing a salary over the minimum requirement of £18,600
•   6 months of bank statements which shows deposited weekly pay

Sponsor / Partner Details

•   Name
•   DoB (do I need to provide my birth certificate? If so, can it be a photocopy?)
•   Passport (do I need to send this in or just a scan of the Bio page?)

I'm a British citizen so this should cover right to be in UK etc. - no other proof needed?

•   Sponsorship letter - Mention when we met, time we've spent together and also the little mix up with giving notice of marriage. (see here http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=93764.0)

•   Landlord letter - Already have a signed letter from when we gave notice of marriage but I don't think the wording works too well since it implies that she's still in the U.K. when she's actually in the U.S. right now.

"As the Landlord of *Address* I confirm that from 12/11/17 *Applicant* has been living at the property as a guest with the Tenant, *Sponsor*.

I also confirm that should they get married I give my permission for *Applicant* to move into the property as a Tenant with *Sponsor*."

Best to get another letter written up and signed? Also, does the letter that we send in need to be the original or can it be a photocopy?

Proof of Relationship

Skype chat logs from 18/06/2017 when we first met to 04/11/2017 which is just before her trip to the UK where she stayed with me from 12/11/2017 to 06/05/2018. (I know, spending so long here might not have been wise but she did leave before the 6 months limit so hopefully it’s all fine).

There's 8 pages in total to show periodic contact every month. Message content is blacked out but left in call logs and our names.

4 pages that show photos of us together at various points in time. 1 from when we first met in person on 26/07/2017 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 1 from our trip to the Grand Canyon and then a bunch of photo album covers taken from Facebook that show us together in different places around the UK during the nearly 6 month visit. Tried to include any landmarks or recognisible places with us together.

Proof of Intent to Marry

•   Engagement ring receipt
•   Email chain showing that I've enquired at the registration office about available marriage dates in Late October / November

General Questions About Applying

I've read that you should provide original documents where possible and copies of any documents you send and essentially split them into two packs. e.g. include the engagement ring receipt but also include a photocopy of it on A4 size paper.

Also read that the supporting docs. etc. should be split into distinct categories and that there are barcode separators you can get (I only found a version for a Philippines application). Can anyone clarify about what format the evidence needs to be sent in?

--

Big thanks again to anyone that takes the time to help out. 

You DO NOT need:
- any birth certificates
- any paperwork regarding her parents (you just need to input their details in the online form)

You DO need:

Applicant:
- her actual passport
- all of her previous actual passports
- 1 passport photo

Sponsor:
- a copy of the photo page of your passport only
- your letter of support

Finances
- 6 FULL months (not a day less) of original payslips showing at least £357.69 before tax on every single one
- 6 FULL months (not a day less) of original bank statements showing the deposit of every single payslip - must cover the same 6 months as the payslips.
- original, signed letter from your employer, dated in the last 28 days, and stating ALL of the following:
i) current employment and salary
ii) length of employment
iii) length of time earning current salary
iv) type of employment (full/part-time, temporary/permanent etc.)
Optional but recommended:
- original job contract
- latest P60

Accommodation
- original tenancy agreement
- the landlord letter must be original with a wet signature, confirming your tenancy, the property details, and giving permission for your fiancee to live there once the visa has been granted

Proof of Relationship
- no more than 2 photos of only you and your fiance, preferably printed on photo paper. Don't include any from Facebook.
- boarding passes from trips to see each other... the more time spent together, the better
- any letters/cards sent to each other
- no more than 2-3 pages of Skype chat logs... dates and times only, no message content. Crop out all the messages before printing.

I've read that you should provide original documents where possible and copies of any documents you send and essentially split them into two packs. e.g. include the engagement ring receipt but also include a photocopy of it on A4 size paper.

ALL documents must be original. You only need to supply photocopies of the original documents you want to be returned (like bank statements and payslips).

Also read that the supporting docs. etc. should be split into distinct categories and that there are barcode separators you can get (I only found a version for a Philippines application). Can anyone clarify about what format the evidence needs to be sent in?

Nope, that doesn't apply to US applications. The barcode separators are only for applications that are submitted in person in other countries and are scanned and transmitted to Sheffield electronically. You have to mail all your documents by post.

So, my general list of what you need, based on your circumstances is:

Applicant (US citizen)
- Receipt for priority processing (if paying for priority)
- return shipping label
- Optional cover letter
- Printed online application form (don't submit until you have all the documents in your hands and are completely ready to mail the application package to Sheffield)
- Completed VAF4a Appendix 2 form
- Stamped Biometrics Confirmation Sheet (when you have attended the biometrics appointment)
- Receipt for IHS surcharge payment
- 1 passport photo (they can be US or UK size)
- US passport
- All previous passports
 
Sponsor (UK citizen)
- Copy UK passport photo page (photocopy usually okay, but can be certified by the Post Office for about £10)
- Sponsor letter of support for the visa

Accommodation
- original tenancy agreement
- landlord letter

Finances
Category A:
- 6 months of original payslips showing earnings of at least £357.69 each week before tax (£18,600/52 weeks = £357.69)
- 6 months of original bank statements showing the deposit of every payslip
- original letter from current employer
Optional but recommended as the guidance says they may ask for them:
- original job contract
- latest P60

Relationship evidence
- 1 or 2 photos of you together
- boarding passes from trips to see each other
- any physical letters and cards sent to each other
- 1-3 pages of screenshots of your Skype call logs

Photocopies

Hi everyone,

Big thanks to the members of the community that have helped out with all my questions so far. I really appreciate it! 

We're planning on submitting the application for a Fiancé Visa this weekend and I just wanted to run through our checklist to make sure everything we need is there.

Here's what we have so far:

Applicant Details (going to apply online)

•   Name
•   DoB - Birth Certificate
•   Passport (should we scan the bio page?)
•   2 passport sized colour photos of Applicant
•   Parent's DoB & Nationality info

Applicant is from the U.S. so skipping over English requirements and tuberculosis testing.

Is most of this handled during the online application process and Bio appointment? Guessing that all she'll need to send in is the Passport, photos and birth certificate?

Finances

•   Completed VAF4A Appendix 2 form
•   6 months of pay slips showing a salary over the minimum requirement of £18,600
•   6 months of bank statements which shows deposited weekly pay

Sponsor / Partner Details

•   Name
•   DoB (do I need to provide my birth certificate? If so, can it be a photocopy?)
•   Passport (do I need to send this in or just a scan of the Bio page?)

I'm a British citizen so this should cover right to be in UK etc. - no other proof needed?

•   Sponsorship letter - Mention when we met, time we've spent together and also the little mix up with giving notice of marriage. (see here http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=93764.0)

•   Landlord letter - Already have a signed letter from when we gave notice of marriage but I don't think the wording works too well since it implies that she's still in the U.K. when she's actually in the U.S. right now.

"As the Landlord of *Address* I confirm that from 12/11/17 *Applicant* has been living at the property as a guest with the Tenant, *Sponsor*.

I also confirm that should they get married I give my permission for *Applicant* to move into the property as a Tenant with *Sponsor*."

Best to get another letter written up and signed? Also, does the letter that we send in need to be the original or can it be a photocopy?

Proof of Relationship

Skype chat logs from 18/06/2017 when we first met to 04/11/2017 which is just before her trip to the UK where she stayed with me from 12/11/2017 to 06/05/2018. (I know, spending so long here might not have been wise but she did leave before the 6 months limit so hopefully it’s all fine).

There's 8 pages in total to show periodic contact every month. Message content is blacked out but left in call logs and our names.

4 pages that show photos of us together at various points in time. 1 from when we first met in person on 26/07/2017 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 1 from our trip to the Grand Canyon and then a bunch of photo album covers taken from Facebook that show us together in different places around the UK during the nearly 6 month visit. Tried to include any landmarks or recognisible places with us together.

Proof of Intent to Marry

•   Engagement ring receipt
•   Email chain showing that I've enquired at the registration office about available marriage dates in Late October / November

General Questions About Applying

I've read that you should provide original documents where possible and copies of any documents you send and essentially split them into two packs. e.g. include the engagement ring receipt but also include a photocopy of it on A4 size paper.

Also read that the supporting docs. etc. should be split into distinct categories and that there are barcode separators you can get (I only found a version for a Philippines application). Can anyone clarify about what format the evidence needs to be sent in?

--

Big thanks again to anyone that takes the time to help out. 

Best of luck! The weeks of waiting will be most grueling! ( understatement!) Yet I am here with my husband now for 6 months. It will be all worth it! ( just got my marriage visa accepted so free of the process for 30 months)!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Just wanted to stop by and say thanks again for the help Ksand. You're awesome!

Finally had the Visa approved and my Fiancée is due to be back in the UK tomorrow 
Such a stressful process; so glad to have this part behind us. More visas to go and a wedding to plan but at least we're back together!

For anybody that's interested it was a non-priority application. Confirmed receipt on June 11th and received an email on August 21st that a decision had been made. Received the Visa approval in the post two days later.

Since we need to focus on the Spousal Visa next could someone clarify for me what the timeline is when on a Fiance Visa? My Fiancée's Visa is issued until around the end of February but since it seems to take around 3 months for these applications to be processed would we need to make sure we allow the extra time for it to be processed? What happens if you wait until a few weeks before the Visa expires to make the next Visa application?

Just wanted to stop by and say thanks again for the help Ksand. You're awesome!

Finally had the Visa approved and my Fiancée is due to be back in the UK tomorrow 
Such a stressful process; so glad to have this part behind us. More visas to go and a wedding to plan but at least we're back together!

No problem and congratulations on getting the visa .

For anybody that's interested it was a non-priority application. Confirmed receipt on June 11th and received an email on August 21st that a decision had been made. Received the Visa approval in the post two days later.

Thanks for the info - it would be useful to post it in the non-priority processing times thread as well (if you haven't already), to give others an idea of how long things are taking .

Since we need to focus on the Spousal Visa next

Just to clarify that your next visa is called FLR(M) (Further Leave to Remain based on Marriage to a UK citizen)... it's not a spousal visa.

Spousal visas are only issued OUTSIDE the UK. They cost £1,523 (plus £600 IHS surcharge) and are valid for 33 months.

If you are already in the UK and are switching from a fiance visa, you apply for FLR(M), which costs £1,033 (plus £500 IHS surcharge, though this is due to double soon), and is valid for 30 months.

could someone clarify for me what the timeline is when on a Fiance Visa? My Fiancée's Visa is issued until around the end of February but since it seems to take around 3 months for these applications to be processed would we need to make sure we allow the extra time for it to be processed? What happens if you wait until a few weeks before the Visa expires to make the next Visa application?

You do NOT need to have the next visa issued by February, you just have to APPLY for it by February. So, you do not need to allow any extra time. As long as the application has been submitted before the visa expires, her fiance visa status is simply extended while it is processing. However, the earlier you apply, the earlier the FLR(M) will be granted and the sooner she will qualify for ILR in 5 years.

So, you can apply for FLR(M) at any time after the wedding (even the day after the wedding if you're ready), right up to the expiry date of the visa.

In terms of the documents required, it's pretty much exactly the same as for the fiance visa, just with updated documents.

However, instead of providing proof of plans to marry in the UK, you provide your marriage certificate.

And instead of providing evidence of communication through the relationship, you provide 6 documents in each name, mailed to you both at the same address, from at least 3 different official sources, and spread evenly over the time you have lived together.

Now since she will have only just arrived in the UK, you may not be able to get this many documents in the post, in which case, you write a letter explaining this, but you should get her name added to as many things as possible as soon as she arrives and start saving ALL your mail. Also, turn OFF paperless for all bills and bank statements.

You're a fountain of Visa knowledge.   

Just to clarify that your next visa is called FLR(M) (Further Leave to Remain based on Marriage to a UK citizen)... it's not a spousal visa.

If you are already in the UK and are switching from a fiance visa, you apply for FLR(M), which costs £1,033 (plus £500 IHS surcharge, though this is due to double soon), and is valid for 30 months.

Thanks. Too many Visas that I've looked at over the past year. Hard to remember the right names 

Any idea / guesses as to when the price is due to increase? Is it just the surcharge that's doubling or the entire thing?

Also, turn OFF paperless for all bills and bank statements.

Thanks for this tip. I'd have definitely forgotten to do this. Pretty much everything is set to be paperless.

Sorry trees, the immigration office needs paper bills.

You're a fountain of Visa knowledge.   

Thanks. Too many Visas that I've looked at over the past year. Hard to remember the right names 

No problem . It's easy to get them mixed up, and I like to clarify, just to make sure that there's no confusion - because if someone asks for advice on applying for a spousal visa when they're actually applying for FLR(M), then they may end up being given incorrect information, because the cost, documents, and application process are completely different.

Any idea / guesses as to when the price is due to increase? Is it just the surcharge that's doubling or the entire thing?

We don't know yet. All they have published so far is that the IHS surcharge is due to double 'sometime this year'... but we don't have any dates for when it will happen yet.

It's just the surcharge at the moment... the visa fees themselves usually increase at the beginning of April every year.

Finally had the Visa approved and my Fiancée is due to be back in the UK tomorrow 

Congratulations!