Spousal Visa ~ Budget Questions

For the past couple of hours I have been reading thru past posts regarding budgets to send along with your Spousal Visa applications.

*wow* is my head spinning   

My husband and I have been married for almost 8 years and we have lived in the US that entire time.  However we are looking to move to the UK in September.

I plan on sending in my application toward the end of June/start of July.  My work history has always centered around Customer Service and normally in a call center.  A family friend in the UK has offered me a job working for him until I can find a job in my field.  He is willing to write me a letter explaining the job offer/hours/wages, etc..  He owns his own real estate company and said that he can hire me to help make units available, i.e. cleaning, painting, etc..  I am concerned that since this is so out of the norm from what my also included resume will show I do will they think this letter is bogus and will it cause more questions then help?  It is obviously not bogus he does hire workers to make units available and does need the help.  I just don't want to do something that may cause undo suspicion.  If I do get a letter from him would it be better if I also include a letter explaining that this job will be temporary as I actively search for employment in Customer Service?

My husband also works in the Customer Service field but more in retail sales area.  Before he moved to the US to be with me he was going to school for computer programming but once he moved here he took the first job he could get which was at Wal-Mart, since then he has moved up to being a department manager.  His mom owns a pub in the town we plan on moving to and has also offered to hire him on at part time basis while he looks for a more permanent job.. and he will also be going back to school once we get a bit more settled.  With it being his mom writing the letter will this also look fishy?  She does co-own the pub with another woman, would it be better if the letter came from her? 

(Sorry this seems like it is going to be a long post)

At the time of my visa application we will have just about $9,500 in savings.  I currently work for the City of Arlington in Texas and instead of putting money toward Social Security they have a retirement fund called TMRS.  When I quit my job (in September just before we move) I will be withdrawing the funds that I have placed in that fund which will be just about $6,500.  They will take out 20% in taxes so it should clear right about $5,200.  I can show proof at the time of application the amount that is currently in there along with the 20% tax they will take out and that it takes 4-6 weeks to receive the funds once employment with the city has ended.

We are hoping to find a place to live on our own right off the bat but am unsure how to list this as part of our plans.  We have three cats we are taking with us and can not stay with my in-laws as my husband' mom is allergic which is why we will need a place of our own.  I did see a post somewhere before that said that they listed a hotel and gave rental agencies that they have been in contact with to show that they would have a place to live shortly after arriving.  Is that something that would be accepted?  I do not want to defraud the system but would it be easier to have my in laws (who own their own home) to go ahead and write a letter advising that we can stay with them, proof that they own, etc...  And just include rent, etc.. in our budget for that but really knowing that we will not be staying with them?

When working up the budget how many months are they wanting to see that you have enough saved for?  Even if we did not get a letter from his Mom with my letter on it's own and our savings would we just put the total amount saved at the top, plus the amount I will get in wages and then just go down subtracting what we will be spending?  Do I have to show this for multiple months or do I just list the monthly expected income + savings at the top and list monthly expenditures once and they can figure it out that it would be for each month there after?

Also we have an account with Bank of America in that we have a checking account and two savings accounts.  I had only planned on providing last three months of the two savings accounts as that is what we have saved and is what we will be moving on.  But I saw in another post that they want to see expenditures such as credit card payments, etc.. but those are not out of my savings accounts that is out of my checking account and I never keep any savings in there and does not show what we are moving to the UK with?...?

Last question (for now..  )  With the funds that we have of that airline tickets will need to be purchased.  I know that we will be working up until September and those tickets/shipping costs/cat pets scheme costs will not come out of the money we already have saved but are they wanting to see that as part of the budget?

Okay that is all of now.. I am sure each of these questions has been answered one way or another before but everybody likes to get responses to their specific situations and I have spent some time researching this all and just want to make sure that the $1000 cost of the visa application does not go to waste and I do something that messes it all up.  Thanks for any suggestions/help/etc...   

I was going to add to be sure and get the 282c endorsement on your entry clearance.   

I was talking with them about this yesterday and it's an undocumented policy that they will not endorse the entry clearance unless the applicant requests it explicitly. 

The settlement application can still succeed without the endorsement, but we don't know if that will change or not.  So better safe than sorry.

Others here will help out on the budget stuff and what-not. 

I was going to add to be sure and get the 282c endorsement on your entry clearance.   

I was talking with them about this yesterday and it's an undocumented policy that they will not endorse the entry clearance unless the applicant requests it explicitly. 

As suspected - but it's nice to have it in writing.  To get the endorsement must the apoplicant provide evidence of 4 years cohabitation?

Vicky

As suspected - but it's nice to have it in writing.  To get the endorsement must the apoplicant provide evidence of 4 years cohabitation?

Yes.  They need a cheek by jowl reconciliation to P282, and then make the EXPLICIT declaration.

The ECO's explanation is that they are not capable of mental telepathy.  I suppose that is reasonable, BUT we need to see it spelled out in the INF.  And they have agreed to do that.

I have completed a search for "282c endorsement" and can not get a clear understanding as to what that is and what it is used for?

Is this something that I request at the time of my arrival at Manchester airport? Or is this something that I must request at the time of my spousal visa application?

Who do I need to prove cohabitation to and what can I prove it with?  Did not think that I could be more confused.   

You have every right to be confused.  And that's what bugs me. 

The only reference to it is in the ECO's guidance.  You'll find it there.  Hence, my advocating that it needs to be available for public consumption also.  Until they update their site, you'll have to look here in UKY (or etc). 

I believe the 282c endorsement is something that is endorsed on your actual spousal visa in your passport.  It indicates that the visa holder has been granted entry clearance under paragraph 282c of the immigration rules, which states basically that if an applicant has lived with their partner outside the UK for 4 years or longer but has not met the KOL (Life in the UK test) requirement, they'll be granted a 2 year spousal visa (but people who are admitted under 282c can apply for ILR as soon as the KOL requirement has been met, regardless of how long they've been in the UK on their spousal visa.)

I think what garry and Vicky are saying is that it's in your best interest to provide proof that you have been living together for 4+ years when you apply for the spousal visa, so that you will get the endorsement on your visa and there's no question of your eligibility for ILR before the 2 years are up (once you pass the Life in UK test when you arrive.)

I *think* what Garry is refering to is the type of visa that allows a spouse of more than 4 years (is that right?) to enter the country and apply for the indefinite leave to remain automatically when they settle (they have to take the Life in the UK test though), instead of the usual two year waiting period other spouses have to wait. IF you don't ask for that endorsement you will get the usual entry clearance visa which is only valid for two years and you will have to wait until 28 days before that ends to apply for ILR.

 Is that it or am I totally off the mark?

Cross posts with Springhaze, she got it better than I did!

So I send in the proof of us living together for at least the past four years at the time that I apply for my spousal visa, would I simply ask for this special endorsement in my cover letter or is there a seperate section in which I should ask for it?  There is no special visa that I should be submitting right, just the normal one?

Then when I arrive in Manchester should I ask anything special of the person who is stamping me in?

Also, just to get back on topic a bit.. Is there anybody that can offer any suggestions/comments about my budget issues..    Still also confused about what would be the best thing to do in those situations....

Do a search for how others have done their budgets.  It is about how you will support yourselves in the UK, and if your checking account will have monthly repayments to credit crad companies even when you are in the UK then you must show this too.

Vicky

Okay so maybe not so much with the actual 'how do I prepare the budget' but more along the questions about the letters, accommodation, etc..  Does anybody have any suggestions/ideas/comments regarding those?  I know a lot of others on this board have gone thru the spousal visa rig-a-ma-ro but not everybody's case is the same.  Would just like to know if those who have gone thru it think that the letters will be useful or if they would be more of a hindrance given our working background, etc..  Is it worth having the in-laws write a letter, etc.. showing we can live with them paying rent, etc.. even though we will not be to avoid the trouble of trying to get hotel info, etc. as we will hopefully be renting our own place when we arrive.

Those are the things I would really like to hear any suggestions/concerns about...