Cover letter

I'm so sorry for all of my recent posts!  As you can probably tell, I'm going a little nuts over the details of submitting my applications (spousal visa).  My next topic is the cover letter!  I'm an English major, so of course, I find myself with a multi-paragraph, 2-page letter to preface my application package.  But I think the length may be justified by our situation.  I should also note that I have a separate "table of contents" that is a simple list of each document included in the whole package.  I'll paste the cover letter at the end of this post, but first let me explain why I think the details might be necessary.

-we don't have jobs waiting for us
-we don't have a house/flat waiting for us (hotel until we find one)
-we've both been unemployed since August (we're taking an extended vacation to visit with my family before we leave-- they're not thrilled we're taking the great-grandson with us )

Okay, so here's the [extremely long-winded] letter as it currently is.  Any suggestions or constructive criticism is welcome and much appreciated!!

Dear Sir or Madam:

   Thank you for taking the time to review my visa application. In addition to the information in the application and supporting documents, I would like to clarify some points and provide more pertinent information.

   My husband (UK citizen), son (US/UK dual citizen) and I are planning to move to West Yorkshire on November 19 of this year.  My husband (Full Name) has been living in America since December of 2005 and received his Green Card in July of 2007.  He still only holds his British passport, I hold a US passport, and our son holds a US passport and is awaiting his UK passport.  We met online in October of 2005, in person in December of 2005, and have been married since February 26, 2006.  We have lived together constantly since his arrival in the United States on December 19, 2005.  Together we have a son, (Full Name) (born July 5, 2007) and a daughter due to be born in February of 2009.

   Upon arriving in England, we plan on staying in a hotel, whose address will be provided as a supporting document, while we look for a house to rent in West Yorkshire, most likely in the Huddersfield or Leeds areas.  Our finances are in order such that we are able to stay in a hotel for several weeks while we look for a home, but we also have confirmation from my brother-in-law, (Name), that should we need temporary accommodation, he is willing to let us stay in his home.  Additionally, during this time my husband will be seeking employment in the area immediately.  As his experience is in supervisory positions in call centers, we anticipate that he will be able to find employment within two weeks, since there are an abundance of call centers in the area.  I plan to begin working part-time after giving birth, and full-time once our children are school-aged.

   Regarding our finances, we have saved money and sold our car in the US in order to have enough to sustain ourselves when we arrive in England for quite some time.  Additionally, we have several pieces of  jewelry and electronics, including a computer, to sell before we leave the United States.  We have approximately $1x,xxx in our savings, which will more than provide for us while we are looking for a home and my husband for employment, as well as to pay for 6 months’ rent in advance in addition to furniture and other necessities.  We expect to gain approximately $x,xxx from selling the rest of our possessions that we do not intend to bring with us to the UK.  My husband is currently unemployed as we are spending time on vacation with my family before we leave for England in November, but his last place of employment at our previous address in Overland Park, Kansas, USA, paid $x,xxx/month after taxes. 

   Neither my husband nor I receive any money from public funds nor do we ever intend or expect to.  We currently have no financial obligations with the exception of our family health insurance, as we are on vacation with family.  My husband had been steadily employed since September of 2007 until we mutually decided he would resign so that we could spend time with my family before we left.  Prior to our current vacation, he was working two jobs concurrently by choice, not necessity, for extra spending money.  He also intends to consider this in England as well.  Neither I nor my husband has been married previously, and neither of us has any children outside our marriage.  Additionally, neither of us has been charged or convicted with any crimes in any country.
   Thank you for your time and considering my application for a spousal visa.
Sincerely
(Full Name)


So go ahead, tear it apart if you want!

Hon, this one's got red flags all over it.  an infant child accompanying, both the couple out of work, one is preggers, no fixed accomomodation, moving to an economically hit locale.  Plus in the bigger view, your assets are in USD, and Sterling is due to get hammered (the ECO would be aware of this).

It mostly boils down to what the 'x's are in "We have approximately $1x,xxx in our savings".  Enough 'x's can do the trick.

I would suggest a doc check on this one.  And leave the cover letter to a pro.  But that's free advice only, your app could sail right through in 10 minutes. 

I'd certainly be happy to help with a doc check and cover letter.  I agree that having only £5k and 2 kids and staying in an hotel could make this problematic.


Vicky

Oh lord you guys, don't scare me like this!!  We have someone (my brother-in-law) who will allow us to stay with him temporarily (they have a large enough house that it won't be an overcrowding problem).  Should I just use that instead of going to a hotel?  I had found a hotel that someone from the site recommended that's got a low rate, so I thought perhaps it wouldn't be an issue.  I just didn't want to stay with my husband's family because they smoke and the smell makes me sick  

Should I leave out that I'm pregnant?  I thought by including it, it would serve to show that the relationship is real, but in retrospect, I can see that it can definitely throw up some big red flags.  We'll have  approximately £8,500 upon arrival in England (we have already bought tickets, passports, etc.)  Here are the documents I'm including:

Personal/Identity Documents
US passport
Expired US passport
Passport-sized photographs
Certified copy of US birth certificate
Printed application
Biometrics data
My CV

Documents pertaining to Sponsor
Notarized copy of husband's UK passport
List of potential jobs for my husband
Husband's CV
Husband's UK birth certificate
Letter of support from husband

Joint Documents
Certified copy of marriage certificate
Stamped bank statements for the past three months for all bank accounts
Projected budget
Copy of our son’s birth certificate
Copy of flight itinerary
Copy of son’s plane tickets

Documents pertaining to Accommodation
Information on hotel
List of potential houses in our budget (print-out from rightmove.co.uk)
Information for (Brother-in-law): letter/lease copy

With our projected budget, I used a low figure for the jobs my husband is qualified for from the major job sites (I also printed a page of the job postings), minimum wage for me, and figures I've seen on here and from my in-laws in the UK for the bills.  After rent, utilities, phone, internet, tv (which I have taken are the "fixed" debts each month), we would have a little over £800 left over a month for food and the non-essentials.

Thank you so much for your help you guys!

Here is a rough draft of a revised cover letter-- better?

Dear Sir or Madam:

   Thank you for taking the time to review my visa application. In addition to the information in the application and supporting documents, I would like to clarify some points and provide more pertinent information.
   My husband (UK citizen), son (US/UK dual citizen) and I are planning to move to West Yorkshire on November 19 of this year. My husband and I met online in October of 2005, in person in December of 2005, and have been married since February 26, 2006.  We have lived together constantly since his arrival in the United States on December 19, 2005.
   Upon arriving in England, we will be staying with my brother-in-law, [Full Name], temporarily while we find a house.  A letter of to this effect from him is included in the supporting documents.  During this time, we will search for a house in the Leeds area, as well as seek jobs.  My husband’s bulk experience is in call centres, and with their abundance in the area, we expect he will find employment quite quickly.
   Regarding finances, we will have approximately £8,200 upon arrival in the UK to put toward rent, necessities, bills, etc.  My husband is currently unemployed as we are spending time on vacation with my family before we leave for England in November, but his last place of employment at our previous address in Overland Park, Kansas, USA, paid $x,xxx/month after taxes.
   Neither my husband nor I receive any money from public funds nor do we ever intend or expect to.  We currently have no financial obligations with the exception of our family health insurance, as we are on vacation with family.  My husband had been steadily employed since September of 2007 until we mutually decided he would resign so that we could spend time with my family before we left.  Prior to our current vacation, he was working two jobs concurrently by choice, not necessity, for extra spending money.  He also intends to consider this in England as well.  Neither I nor my husband has been married previously, and neither of us has any children outside our marriage.  Additionally, neither of us has been charged or convicted with any crimes in any country.
   Thank you for your time and considering my application for a spousal visa.
Sincerely
(Full Name)

I'm reluctant to advise on a complex issue without going through the documents and letter properly, so I'll have to duck out.  But if you want my professional services, please let me know.


Vicky

Thank you Vicky, I understand.  I'm so upset over this now-- I thought we had it all in order   I've emailed my other brother-in-law whose boss had given an informal job offer to my husband about a month ago to see if he can get his boss to make it a formal offer and provide us with a letter regarding it.  (This isn't necessarily directed at you Vicky, as I don't want to step on toes and ask you to give more input where you don't feel comfortable, but to anyone who might be able to give a bit more insight.  I'm sending you a PM.)

The paragraph beginning "Neither my husband..." can be dropped entirely.  Optionally replacing it with academic credentials or similar bolstering content.  As it stands, the paragraph is just noise that will annoy a busy AECO.

For fast-track applicants, having dual national children by the sponsor is pretty much the last word as far as authentic relationships go.  You don't need to belabor the point that your relationship is genuine.

They will want to be sure that the son is travelling on a British passport, so I would include a copy of the portrait page of is British passport.

The part about the funds you expect to have needs to be footed to the bank statements you are submitting.  What's the opening balance of the first statement versus the closing balance on the final statement by the way?

In addition to the letter from your BIL, you'll need something that shows you're clearing the Housing Act of 1985.

It's looking a little better...

I don't really have a cover letter. I mean, I do. But nowhere near this long...
This is what it says,

Dear Sir/Madam,
my name is, shabooka bubblegum and I'm applying for my spousal visa. I have applied and payed online. Please find enclosed in the binder my application, biometrics and supporting documentation for entry clearence as the wife of a british citizen.

Then I listed all that I have in my binder and then a few clarifications of his loans...
Should I add more about our relationship and stuff? I thought that would be covered by his sponsor letter. help?

Thank you for the additionall tips, garry.  I'll get rid of that bit about public funds like you said-- lordy knows the last thing I want to do is annoy anyone!  I definitely made copies of our son's passport to include, so I've got that covered (I just made them today, so I hadn't updated the list of contents with it yet )

As far as the funds, the bank statements do reflect my figures, thankfully.  We sold our car, so we have one big chunk in our savings account.  We have three accounts (one savings, where the bulk is, and two checking).  They're a bit messy because I've been having to transfer money to and fro to pay for final bills from our apartment in Kansas as well as the fee for the visa.  It definitely all adds up, though.  The statements list each transaction that was made, so though it's not gorgeous, it's thankfully all there.

I'm not sure about the Housing Act of 1985 bit, though.  My BIL isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, so I'm not sure exactly what he'll manage to send us.  I know he's leasing his house and it's two bedrooms.  It may be a council house, though-- I imagine that would mean he's no good and that we'd need a letter from someone different?  Luckily my husband has a big family that's willing to help, haha.  His mother lives with her partner in a 4-bedroom house, and she's willing to write a letter, but we have a bit of the same issue with her-- her usefulness as far as paperwork pretty much begins and ends with a letter signed by her   This is sort of why I thought a hotel might be a better option.  Someone recommended on that's pretty cheap and they said it was decent to stay in (38/night, I believe) in Leeds City Centre.  So it wouldn't impact our budget much (and it'd get me away from the smoke!).

I've budgeted extensively with what we'll have left over, and even if we have to pay several months' rent in advance, we have plenty left over for furniture, clothes, household stuff, stocking the kitchen, starting utilities, etc. 

I wish I could send y'all flowers and chocolates for being so helpful!!

The paragraph beginning "Neither my husband..." can be dropped entirely.  Optionally replacing it with academic credentials or similar bolstering content.  As it stands, the paragraph is just noise that will annoy a busy AECO.

For fast-track applicants, having dual national children by the sponsor is pretty much the last word as far as authentic relationships go.  You don't need to belabor the point that your relationship is genuine.

They will want to be sure that the son is travelling on a British passport, so I would include a copy of the portrait page of is British passport.

The part about the funds you expect to have needs to be footed to the bank statements you are submitting.  What's the opening balance of the first statement versus the closing balance on the final statement by the way?

In addition to the letter from your BIL, you'll need something that shows you're clearing the Housing Act of 1985.

It's looking a little better...

I thought that would be covered by his sponsor letter. help?

moonfaery, there's a sample sponsor attestation at http://londonelegance.com/transpondia/usuk/spousal.pdf

and broken, if your planned acco is from the local authority, your app becomes complex with all the other stuff.  Not a show-stopper certainly, but well in to the complex zone. 

Okay, I'll skip having my BIL do it and just ask my MIL.  I know she's not in council housing.  May I ask you something?  If my application as you understand it were to be submitted to you and you were an ECO, would you lean toward approving or denying it?  I know you can't say for sure either way, but you and Vicky are so invaluable and knowldgable, I'd love your take on it.  I certainly understand if you'd prefer not to say either way.

Do you think I ought to include the budget I created for overall start-up expenses?  It includes having to pay several months' rent in advance, furniture, household goods, groceries, clothes, a hotel if we go that route, etc.  It shows that even without income, we have enough start-up money to be stable until we find jobs.

And would you think that, in my case, a hotel would be a safer bet than my in-laws, since I doubt they'll be able to figure out how to procure the necessary documents for my application?  If so, I can print out reservation information showing the address of the hotel, cost, etc.

Do you think I ought to include the budget I created for overall start-up expenses?  It includes having to pay several months' rent in advance, furniture, household goods, groceries, clothes, a hotel if we go that route, etc.  It shows that even without income, we have enough start-up money to be stable until we find jobs.

I'm no expert, but I think this could definitely help as long as your budget is a realistic one.


I wouldn't stay in a hotel if it can be avoided. But if you must go that route perhaps you could call a letting agent and include some print outs of housing in the area that would suit your needs. Helpful if they could include a letter stating how quickly you could occupy one of the houses and how much the deposit/council tax/average utility bills are. 

Not in any way an expert....but just thought I would throw my penny in there....

Thank you Jayen.  I already have a detailed print-out of several appropriate houses in our price range and preferred area, but contacting an estate agent for back-up is a great idea.

I was pretty brutal with myself when creating the second budget and estimated high on most things to create a safe buffer, so I'm definitely going to include it, since I'm sure it can't hurt!

Okay, I'll skip having my BIL do it and just ask my MIL.  I know she's not in council housing.  May I ask you something?  If my application as you understand it were to be submitted to you and you were an ECO, would you lean toward approving or denying it?  I know you can't say for sure either way, but you and Vicky are so invaluable and knowldgable, I'd love your take on it.  I certainly understand if you'd prefer not to say either way.

An ECO in a visa-national country would refuse it for sure.  Not even an interview.  It's complex.  Housing, safety and well-being of the child, unemployed, or any other reason he picked at that particular moment.

In a fast-track country, an ECO would ask a few questions over the phone, quite probably check with the ECM about it.  In your favour are genuine marriage and cash reserves for possibly 4 - 5 months.  That might be enough to carry the app. 

If your husband can get a job in 2 weeks, why not send him on ahead to set up the acco and find work?  That would put two more things in your favour and that's enough to carry the app without stress.

And regardless, a doc check is defo in order.