Justify My Love (No really, check my docs?)

Hi.  I'm putting together my marriage visa application this week from the states.  My husband is in the UK and I am having him post me some of these documents, and just wanted to make sure I'm not forgetting anything, lest we cause a delay by having to wait for a second package from him.

Trying to prove to a government how you feel about your spouse is weird.  Anyway...

I know that more documentation is probably better than less, but I feel like maybe some of this is a bit overkill and wondered what your feelings on that might be.  Stop me if you see any glaring errors, ok?    I've put (?) in front of papers that I'm not sure I really need to send.

Here is my list so far:

ID
- my passport and birth certificate
- his passport and birth certificate
(He is traveling to Germany for work this month and can't send me his original, but is taking it to the solicitor this week for official copies of all stamped pages.)
- my cover letter, stating my intentions
- his sponsor letter, stating his intentions

RELATIONSHIP
- marriage license & certificate
- itineraries from all of our journeys to visit each other this last year
- (?) emails between us
- (?) skype logs
- (?) statement letters from our parents (he's 36 and I'm 30, do we need this?  can I just include emails that I've gotten from his mum which state that she can't wait to see me again and congratulations on our marriage?)
- (?) statement letters from friends
- (?) wedding photos/cards

FINANCIAL
- my CV (I just got laid off last week)
- letter from my previous employer to confirm my salary (I freelance and only have invoices that I've sent which match bank deposits, but don't get pay stubs or anything like it.)
- 3 months of statements from all of my accounts (two checking and one savings)
- (?) reference letter from previous employers?  (they will be listed on my CV anyway as references.  I could probably get them to email something in time for my application but it would be emails, and I'm not sure if that's acceptable?)

- his work contract
- six months of his payslips
- his P60 from last year
- six months of his checking and savings statements

- letter from his boss to confirm his recent payrise
- letter from his immediate supervisor which confirms that my husband's work is award winning and pivotal to the way curriculum is taught in their department.   This letter also states that I myself have done some work with them in the past and that it was very good and that the uni considers me an expert in my field.   (Nice to have to show that I'm developing credible business contacts in the UK already.... this man is a senior lecturer at a large uni.)


HOUSING
- copy of the land registry for our house (should we get this stamped by the solicitor?  it's a printout.)
- recent statement for the mortgage payment, showing the last 12 months of payments as on time, plus our remaining balance.
- (?) recent utility bills (do we need these if we include their amount on the budget?)
- household budget, accounting for his salary, our savings, our monthly expenses and a final total that shows we can survive quite comfortably on his salary alone
- (?) photos of our house
- (?) a recent housing assessment (March 08) that shows the value of the house at that time


That's all I have on my list here.  One more question - my bank account is an internet-only account with HSBC and they don't have a branch anywhere near me in Illinois.  I have been moving my money into that account over the last few months, so I need those statements, but I don't have paper statements with them.  I am assuming just a printout is not probably sufficient.   Can I get them notarized?  Is there anything else on that list that would need to be notarized or certified by the solicitor?   My husband has the appointment tomorrow and I hate to make him go twice.

Thank you guys so much.  With me in Chicago and my husband in the UK, it's hard to do this paperwork over an ocean.   I feel so much better to have some extra eyeballs looking it over with me.

his passport and birth certificate
(He is traveling to Germany for work this month and can't send me his original, but is taking it to the solicitor this week for official copies of all stamped pages.)

Just checking .... you are going to submit a certified copy of his passport, but the real birth certificate? That is certainly how you need to do it.

Can you confirm, are both of you at least 21 years of age?

Yes.  I'm 30 and he's 36.

I've got his original birth certificate as well as an official copy issued by the authorities in Northern Ireland.  I'll be sending those along with the passport copies that he's getting certified by his solicitor.

Ah but you know, since you asked - I did read the posts about those changes, and if it changes anything, I never did get a fiancee visa.   He came to the states and we were married in Chicago, and I am applying directly for a spousal settlement visa.

I didn't include any information from my parents about anything, or letters from friends, or wedding cards, although I did have some wedding pictures, which they didn't look at. 

Are you staying in his parent's house?  I don't think you need to have references in your packet.  We just had a letter from his work, I don't think we had a reference for my dh. 

I included a screen shot showing the titles/dates of e-mails we sent each other, but not the e-mails themselves and I didn't bring the AIM logs.   That would have been a lot of stuff. 

On the other hand, if you feel better about it all, I don't see why you couldn't include it.

I sent a fairly good amount of stuff, but not overkill... I think it annoys them to have to look through too much stuff, but I could be wrong....
This is all I sent for our spousal visa:

both passports
both birth certificates
his divorce decree from previous marriage
letters from both employers just stating we were employed, etc.
lease agreement for rental property
his P-60
his bank statements, last 6 months
my bank statements, last 6 months
his sponsor letter, my intention letter
my cv and college transcripts
3 photos of us together
plane ticket receipts
a couple of not-too-personal emails about our wedding plans, etc.
a print-screen of each of our inboxes showing daily contact
a print-screen of skype calls for last 2 months
3 months worth of phone bills

it was quite a bit, but not too over the top.  I think it's good to show diversity in how you kept contact.  On the phone bills, I highlighted all of our calls to each other. 

Ah but you know, since you asked - I did read the posts about those changes, and if it changes anything, I never did get a fiancee visa.   He came to the states and we were married in Chicago, and I am applying directly for a spousal settlement visa.

Your documents look good to me. The birth certificates aren't necessary though. Passports are fine.

I noticed you said Northern Ireland authorities... was your husband born in Northern Ireland? If so, he can get an Irish passport and you can apply for an EEA Family Permit to join him in the U.K. It's free and there's no need to show finances or stuff like that. They easily get approved. Then when you get here you apply for a Residence Card which is also free and it's valid for 5 years, after which you automatically get Permanent Residence. Just another option of course.

http://www.lawcentreni.org/EoR/immigration%20and%20marriage%20civil%20partnership.htm

I noticed you said Northern Ireland authorities... was your husband born in Northern Ireland? If so, he can get an Irish passport and you can apply for an EEA Family Permit to join him in the U.K. It's free and there's no need to show finances or stuff like that. They easily get approved. Then when you get here you apply for a Residence Card which is also free and it's valid for 5 years, after which you automatically get Permanent Residence. Just another option of course.

Your info is out of date.  It has been necessary for some time that EEA applications must also meet the rule for maintenence and accommodation, unless the applicants have been living in another EU country together for 6 months.  The only advantage, therefore, of going the EEA route is that it is free.  There are several downsides - the length of time it takes to get the permit back (six months) and the fact that PR won't be gained for 5 years.

http://www.medivisas.com/irish-nationals-eea.asp

Vicky

Your info is out of date.  It has been necessary for some time that EEA applications must also meet the rule for maintenence and accommodation, unless the applicants have been living in another EU country together for 6 months.  The only advantage, therefore, of going the EEA route is that it is free.  There are several downsides - the length of time it takes to get the permit back (six months) and the fact that PR won't be gained for 5 years.

http://www.medivisas.com/irish-nationals-eea.asp

Vicky

That's strange. I never had a problem. My wife is from Northern Ireland. We have only ever lived in the U.K. together. I was never asked for info on maintenance or accommodation. Just for proof of her Irish/EEA citizenship, marriage certificate, and evidence of exercising treaty rights.

That's because rules change.  You didn't need to prove maintenence and accommodation for EEA applications up until earlier this year.  You applied in 2007, a whole year ago!


Vicky

That's because rules change.  You didn't need to prove maintenence and accommodation for EEA applications up until earlier this year.  You applied in 2007, a whole year ago!


Vicky

Oh wow. Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before they closed that loophole. Hehe.

It wasn't a loophole.  It was, and is, EU law, and the UK government are acting illegally by demanding that the maintenence and accommodation tests are met.


Vicky