My budget, is all this sufficient?!

I knew this is why you are getting so upset now.  It's all about the wedding.  Moonfaery, I have a beautiful wedding dress upstairs in my closet right now that has never been worn.  I had a lovely wedding booked at Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire, where the romantic poet Lord Byron once lived, for my wedding ceremony.  And a lovely reception planned, that included a fireworks display at the end of the evening.  All the deposits were paid for.  Where did I actually get married?  In a judges office here in my home State of Pennsylvania.  I can't even remember what I was wearing.

There is no way I would've been approved for a fiance visa with the kind of income my husband (fiance at the time) was earning.  So instead, he moved to the US and we built our life there.  Now that we are moving to the UK, we are in a much better financial position.  

You don't even have to go that far.  No one is saying your fiance should move to the US instead.  All we're saying is get married in the US and get the spousal visa.  Most people's spousal visas are taking a week to process.  You could be living and working happily ever after in the UK with your husband by the end of April.  Forget the fiance visa.  Besides, if you aren't willing to give up the "dream wedding" who says you still can't have the ceremony planned in October anyway?  

Since Moonfaery_87 is obviously getting quite upset, I'm going to add my two cents. And I know this is going to cause of uproar, and you will be advised to pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain, but here it is anyways. I just got approved for my spousal visa, and didn't include a budget.
I didn't say that I would be paying my in-laws rent, and my in-laws stated in a letter that they would support us financially and let us live with them until we were established in the UK. We got approved in one day, without any problems or calls for the consulate.

When you finish filling out your application, you will be a list of supporting documents to provide. Ours was:
* completed application form VAF2
* your current passport
* your old passport or a copy of it
* Immigration status (Original not copy):e.g. Permanent residence card, Valid I-94 H1-B - L-1 - B-1 I-20 (Signed on reverse side) IAP-66 Employment authorisation card with advance parole document
* evidence of funds available to you, in the form of bank statements covering at least the last three months
* a written invitation from your sponsor in the UK (if applicable) and a copy of their British passport/EU passport or UK residence permit
* your original marriage certificate
* evidence of your sponsors accommodation in the UK, for example mortgage or tenancy documents, etc.
* evidence of your sponsors employment or intended employment in the UK, for example a contract or offer of employment, salary slips, etc.
* evidence of contact between you and your sponsor for example letters, email, telephone bills, etc.
* One recent colour passport photograph (not more than six months old) Please note: scanned or copies of photos are not acceptable
* After you have attended your appointment please send your documents to: British Consulate General, Los Angeles, 11766 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90025

It didn't mention a budget, so I didn't include one. There are thousands of people who apply for UK visas who never stumble across uk-yankee.com and would never think to include a budget. I don't think they are all getting denied.

The loans won't be paid off for a while. My fiance had not thought it all through when he got a loan, so, he will be paying it off for at leat 3 years...

Ok, so, what should I do?

We really rather have a ceremony over here. but idk.

Should I just save money and him aswell then apply for the visa in july or aug or should I get married in america? I'm a mess. I'm crying while typing this and feel very foolish.

I just want to be with him now. I hate this whole thing. It's also not totally about the wedding. I mean, it'd be nice to get married over here. it's what we want. Just not sure if that's a good idea now.

you can still have a wedding in the UK, even if you get legally married in America...you wouldn't be the first, that's for sure!

Just because you got a lazy person accept yours and one that didn't follow the rules, doesn't mean she should risk it...especially since as it is they can't even afford the FLR, let alone another fiance visa application should hers get denied...

Moon- you can get married in the US, in a little courthouse and still have your dream wedding in the UK. I'm probably getting married in the caribbean but I'll also be keeping my wedding planned at the church we've booked in the UK. That'll be our wedding for our families and us, but the wedding on paper, will probably (all being well) be a bit before then.

I just got approved for my spousal visa, and didn't include a budget.

Did you have any savings?  Maybe that was a factor...

I just got approved for my spousal visa, and didn't include a budget.
I didn't say that I would be paying my in-laws rent, and my in-laws stated in a letter that they would support us financially and let us live with them until we were established in the UK. We got approved in one day, without any problems or calls for the consulate.

It didn't mention a budget, so I didn't include one. There are thousands of people who apply for UK visas who never stumble across uk-yankee.com and would never think to include a budget. I don't think they are all getting denied.

Spot the difference between your application and Moonfaery's application...

Though the subject does not entirely pertain to our situation, as we are moving over with $15,000 in savings,

Vicky 

Just because you got a lazy person accept yours and one that didn't follow the rules, doesn't mean she should risk it...especially since as it is they can't even afford the FLR, let alone another fiance visa application should hers get denied...

Ha! yes I got the one lazy ECO working that day.. They must send all non uk-yankee members to him as well.

RWAdams, a uk-yankee member said: "And just so people know, i'm not super rich, i'm a bus driver on OK wages.. so, its not amazingly hard to get past the financial bit!"

From everyone I've heard, it sounds like you are dealing with real human beings when you apply. You can speak to them, and plead your case. There was another person on here, who was called by the consulate because they were worried about their financial position. He pleaded his case, and was approved.

From everyone I've heard, it sounds like you are dealing with real human beings when you apply. You can speak to them, and plead your case. There was another person on here, who was called by the consulate because they were worried about their financial position. He pleaded his case, and was approved.

It is not HARD to get past the financial bit, but if you DON'T meet the rules, you just won't get it.  You can't slant the figures, you can't plead your case...if the numbers don't add up, the ECO has no choice but to refuse, and to suggest otherwise is naive and dangerous.

No one is approved because they 'plead' a case...they are approved because they prove their case.

Vicky

Considering the immigration experts who are here to help free of charge are the ones who see people who've had their applications denied time and time again, I'm going to trust them over someone who's not an expert, and speaks for thousands of "unknown" people.

At another board I go to, they almost ALL pay a lot for an immigration lawyer to do their applications for them. Most just don't apply willy nilly online with no research.

RWAdams, a uk-yankee member said: "And just so people know, i'm not super rich, i'm a bus driver on OK wages.. so, its not amazingly hard to get past the financial bit!"

It is totally true that you don't have to make a large amount of money to cross the financial hurdle!  But the ECO will look at the whole picture, including things like debt payments, which can easily make okay wages into not-quite-enough wages...

From everyone I've heard, it sounds like you are dealing with real human beings when you apply. You can speak to them, and plead your case. There was another person on here, who was called by the consulate because they were worried about their financial position. He pleaded his case, and was approved.

With all due respect, your advice isn't exactly helping.  You had substantial savings when you applied -- moonfaery does not.  You do not get a chance to "plead your case" or make the IO feel sorry for you -- they may call for clarification on finances or any other facet of the application, but they aren't calling to be nice or give you a helping hand.
 

RWAdams, a uk-yankee member said: "And just so people know, i'm not super rich, i'm a bus driver on OK wages.. so, its not amazingly hard to get past the financial bit!"

According to the BBC, the average national wage for bus drivers is £17k -- moonfaery's fiance is making nowhere near that.

At another board I go to, they almost ALL pay a lot for an immigration lawyer to do their applications for them. Most just don't apply willy nilly online with no research.

I think moonfaery has done plenty of research.
The consulate can't blame you for not including a budget, when they haven't asked you to.

It is totally true that you don't have to make a large amount of money to cross the financial hurdle!  But the ECO will look at the whole picture, including things like debt payments, which can easily make okay wages into not-quite-enough wages...

I'm wondering about the loans, and suspect the ECO may as well.  Were the loans applied for while you've been living here recently, moonfaery?  Is the ECO likely to think that your fiance had to apply for loans because he couldn't afford to support you during your visit?

I think moonfaery has done plenty of research.
The consulate can't blame you for not including a budget, when they haven't asked you to.

You don't HAVE to include a budget, but it's a very good idea to do so if it's clear from your bank statements and payslips that you're having financial difficulties.

The consulate can't blame you for not including a budget, when they haven't asked you to.

No, but they can 'blame' you for not proving that you can support yourselves without recourse to public funds.  A budget is therefore essential for people with low earnings who, at first glance, may not meet the rules.

Vicky