Advisory: Budgeting for Spouse/Fiance(e)/Unmarried Partner visas

My son has applied for and successfully got a british passport for his daughter so she is now classed as a british citizen.

Just for the record, she was always a British citizen - the passport doesn't change that, it just allows her to travel outside the US and enter the UK as a UK citizen .

His rent is 500 pound a month and his council tax is about 60 pound a month if I have read your thread correctly it would seem that although he just about has the 100 pounds a week or so for him and his wife he does not have enough to include his daughter as well.

The minimum they will need to prove is £105.95 per week for him and his wife, plus £62.33 per week for their daughter, so that's £729.21 per month after rent and council tax.

He has been trying to get third party support but having initially said that she would support him his manager has not been forthcoming with her financial documents.

Is there any reason why you or another family member cannot be his third party sponsor?

Usually it is a relative who acts as a third party financial sponsor - if fact, it says in the official Entry Clearance guidance that the third party sponsor needs to be a family member (MAA4 on this page: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/ecg/maintenanceaccommodation).

The third party sponsor has to provide their original pay slips, their original personal bank statements and a letter of financial support, so I can see why his manager would be hesitant to hand all that personal, private information over to him!

the problem is this his wifes mother is making her homeless on 15th of june  so time is running out for her to apply for and get the visa, if he was to apply as the sole sponsor what would his chances be and also would the fact that she overstayed her visitors visa slightly and the fact that she was refused entry into the untied kingdom in November  affect there application.

Her overstay and refused entry on their own shouldn't prevent her from getting the visa, but it could delay the processing time by 2-3 weeks... so she'd probably be looking at least 6 weeks for the visa to be processed (possibly up to 3 months or so). There is an option to pay for settlement priority processing (processing in 15 working days), but it costs an extra $300 on top of the $1,337 visa fee and because she has an overstay and a refused entry, it would likely take an extra 3 weeks or so on top of those 15 working days.

The problem is that without third party sponsorship or any savings, the application will be refused on financial grounds. Going by the calculations of your son's rent, council tax and the minimum amount needed, he currently falls short by £250 a month, and if they can't show they have at least that much, the visa application will fail.

Thank you for your reply.

I would be willing to sponsor my daughter in law but unfortunately my husband and I are on benefits so I am not sure that they would accept us has a sponsor.  Most of our family are either retired on on benefits.  Would they accept someone who is retired with savings for example.

My daughter in law is not working in the us so consequently she dosen't have any savings.  I am just so dissapointed and at my wits end I don't know who else to ask to do this for him because as you say it is a big responsibility and her homeless situation is not helping.

I am glad that her overstay would not count against her they know of the option to expidite the visa and that is what they intended to do anyway .

Hope you can reply quickly.

Thanks pads

Do they stick religiously to these figures because I have seen that people of benefits have been appproved x

Would it be possible for your son to rent a cheaper, smaller home? As long as the baby is under one year old, a one bedroom flat would suffice and not be overcrowded. Alternatively, is it possible for him to move out of his home and in with you or some other family member? Do you have the room for this? Could he take in a roommate for the extra 3rd bedroom, reducing his portion of rent and council tax? His income is sufficient for support but the amount in rent is the problem.

What you say is true.

It is the rent that is the problem unfortuantely it isn't possible to find a much cheaper home to rent even one bedroom flats are bout 400 pound a month so he wouldn't still have enough He isn't entitled to a council house because as a single person which he is at the moment he dosen't qualify for priority and he has only been on the list a year which means he won't get anything.  Hence why he has rented privately and paying so much.

I could take my son back but I have a three bedroom house with myself my husband and my daughter so I think if we was to take them all in we would be classed as overcrowded.

you see the problem.

However the lodger option may be an option if the landlord would permit it he would have to ask

thanks for your hlep anyway xxx

Do they stick religiously to these figures because I have seen that people of benefits have been appproved x

Yes they do - the amounts I quoted (£105.95 and £62.33 per child) are the amounts that a couple/family would receive from the government if they were on income support benefits and they are considered the minimum amounts needed for a family to live on above the poverty line in the UK.

The people who have been approved while on benefits have to show this amount as well - usually they get approved by having savings, a job offer in the UK, or by using third party sponsorship from a family member.

Oh I see am I correct in thinking that they won't accept someone on benefits to be a third party sponsor so that counts us his parents out.  And that if I offered to provide accomodation because I live in a three bedroom council house with my husband and daughter we will be classed as overcrowded.

have you any suggestions

Yours pads ps thanks for helping x

Actually, no, your house would not be overcrowded if you added two adults. The baby does not count as a person for these purposes, as long as it under one year old. The maximum number of people in 3 rooms is 5. Which would be you, your husband, your daughter, your son and daughter in law. Also, all rooms over 50 square feet that aren't a kitchen or bathroom count so a living room or other reception room counts as a room for this purpose.
This information is found here:
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:r1hkpfWh7QIJ:www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/IDIs/idischapter8/section1/annexf.pdf?view%3DBinary+ukba+accomodation+requirement&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiziHqPn1UoI4tyrvecySV5m8yICFtMbpWqITX5mGd4E_BWww4DGewrq8hnpNdZUdRtjizJ0wOWRHM2jp59vqmXurNgTmLNlnNqfxSXJ3HIRqaF0oeIyZigr-buUqMBh-AGKBZi&sig=AHIEtbSu-90CAl-EC53a6RT0T7tPOeXjJA&pli=1

There is an option to pay for settlement priority processing (processing in 15 working days), but it costs an extra $300 on top of the $1,337 visa fee < ... >

So sorry to barge in on this thread!  I posted this question elsewhere, much earlier today, but it doesn't seem to have been answered yet, and I'm now getting a bit alarmed.  I just submitted the online application today and paid the $1,337 fee (plus $12 for postage).  I didn't see an option for settlement priority processing!!  Did I do something wrong, or how / when / where do I go about obtaining and paying for the settlement priority processing?

Thanks!

~Teddy

Teddy- you go to worldbridge site and pay for it once you do your biometrics and everything is ready to go.

Hi its pads again thanks everyone for your replies you have cleared up a lot of questions for me and now I think I am beginning to understand how this all works phew.

It would seem from what you have all said that my son either needs third party support because they would consider that he is not earning enough to support my daughter in law and grand daughter.  because of his high rent costs .

Or he would need to move back in with us which would be allowed because we have a three bedroom house and only myself, husband and daughter living here.

I also think from your replies that because We are on benefits we wouldn't be able to provide financial support for them.

Just making sure I understand correctly thanks pads x

Teddy- you go to worldbridge site and pay for it once you do your biometrics and everything is ready to go.

Yes, ChillyWilly, thanks!  :-)  Sorry to barge in to the thread, found out and going for biometrics tomorrow.  Visa application will FINALLY be on its way, after months of ... rollercoaster rides!

Cheers!
~Teddy

Hope your visa goes ok teddy routing for you love pads x

Just for the record...

We've just been granted the spouse visa and we didn't do a budget etc.  We simply told them how much we pay for utilities and mortgage/council tax and included payslips/bank statements for 6 months.

I think they can do the math(s).  I think we were far from well over the minimum requirement too having only about £600 a month for the two of us after these bills each month.

Hope your visa goes ok teddy routing for you love pads x

Thanks so much, pads!  :-)  Biometrics was simple, just took a matter of minutes.  Priority visa application will arrive at British consulate in NYC Monday by 10:30am.  I'll soon have answers to all my questions that so many have helped me with over the past year, including whether the fact that my wife depends on various benefits for her income. 

Waiting eagerly!  And good luck to all who are just now beginning this journey!

~Teddy

Thanks so much, pads!  :-)  Biometrics was simple, just took a matter of minutes.  Priority visa application will arrive at British consulate in NYC Monday by 10:30am.  I'll soon have answers to all my questions that so many have helped me with over the past year, including whether the fact that my wife depends on various benefits for her income. 

Waiting eagerly!  And good luck to all who are just now beginning this journey!

~Teddy

Good luck Teddy.  This time last week I had just appied online for the spouse visa, now I've got an email saying it's been issued.  You never know, this time next wekk, it could be you!!