Settlement Visa App. Questions

Hey all! I'm FINALLY getting ready to file in a few weeks and am going over the questions on the application. Some of them seem a bit tricky to answer and I want to make sure I answer them the right way.

Question 8.4.2 - When did you first meet your sponsor?

Do they mean in person? We met online so not sure how to answer.

Same for Question 8.4.4 - When did your relationship begin?

It began before we met in person so what exactly are they looking for?

Then there's section 8.7 about my husband's work. He is a cement finisher and works when work is available and is on unemployment when it's not, so it can vary a lot in one month and I'm not sure what box to check. Also raises the question of monthly income, it can also vary by several thousand dollars. Maybe I should divide what he got total last year by 12?

And sorry I've got two more (today anyway )!

8.7.13 Does your sponsor receive any money from public funds and/or benefits?

Is US unemployment considered "public" funds?

And last, 8.7.14 How much of your sponsor’s total monthly income is given to their family members and other dependents?

Is "none" acceptable as he does not give it to anyone or are they after how much he spends on the our children?

Thank you all, I hope these aren't silly questions but just like a lot of you we have everything riding on this so I need to be careful.

-Yes, they mean in person.

-Use the date you met in person because as much as we'd like to think an online 'relationship' is a real realtionship, it isn't in the eyes of Immigration.

-Just use the income that he received in the month before your application as it would be a more accuarate statement at the time you apply. He can include that information about his income in his Sponsor Letter. Just be aware that if you (as a family) are in the US applying for a UK visa none of this actual income will count as it won't continue in the UK. In order for income to count toward meeting maintenance requirement you either need confirmed jobs in the UK with job contracts, savings or a job that you currently have in the US that you will continue to work & be paid after you move to the UK.

-If he is in the UK it depends on what type of 'unemployment', if it's contributions based or not. If he is in the US, then he's not as unemployment in the US is like a savings account, you pay into it while you work and then you draw off of it when you're not and when you've received it all, it stops.

-None is perfectly fine. This would be people outside your immediate family that are not part of your household. Like if he had a child from a previous relationship and was paying child support.

Thank you so much Weby, you are an absolute godsend!

Can I just double check one? About whether he is considered unemployed or working full-time, is it ok to check "works full-time" and specify in the big "Additional information" box in section 9 that he is with a union and has a full time job when work is available and receives unemployment when it's not? I don't want to come across as dishonest saying he works full-time when he doesn't always and it's currently split pretty evenly.

edited to add

You have to look at it at the time of application...at the moment you're filling it out is he actually working or is he on unemployment. Again, this won't really have a bearing on the application unless he's in the UK and working at this job when you apply. If it's a job that's in the US that will stop once he leaves the US the income won't count anyway...it's completely not relevant.

Since he is your sponsor he can explain his employment situation in his sponsor letter, you don't need to explain it on the application as there is no room - section 9 will only allow 250 characters and not enough room for an explination.

They're concerned with how are you going to support yourselves in the UK, not how you're supporting yourselves now living in the US. So it's going to come down to what money do you have in savings and do you have jobs waiting for you in the UK after you move.

Thanks again! I know it doesn't count toward anything I just didn't want to appear dishonest in anyway but not answering correctly.

I'm also gathering documents and wondered about this; my documents list includes items to prove the authenticity of our marriage such as, tax transcripts, birth certs of our sons, and lease agreements, are any of these necessary or did I imagine it due to my years of dealing with USCIS apps.?   

You're married, you're living together...that's proof enough. Though, you may want to include your childrens UK Passports to show that they do not need visas.

If you've been married & living in the US for at least 4 years together you can include your last 4 years 1040's to show that you qualify for the 'KOL Req' endorsement, which will allow you to apply for ILR as soon as you take & pass the Life in the UK test and not have to wait 2 years to meet the residence requirement.

Ok fantastic! Thank you! 

Hey Weby, do you think we'll be ok with only 5k USD in savings and no job contract? We've got free housing and related expenses and are including evidence of this. I know there is no set amount that gets you approved but figure you've seen a lot of numbers flying around here and may have an idea as to our chances. We appealed to the IO in our letters to please take all of our circumstances into account. I wonder if you've seen anyone approved with a similar financial situation?

As always thanks in advance!

Hey Weby, do you think we'll be ok with only 5k USD in savings and no job contract? We've got free housing and related expenses and are including evidence of this. I know there is no set amount that gets you approved but figure you've seen a lot of numbers flying around here and may have an idea as to our chances. We appealed to the IO in our letters to please take all of our circumstances into account. I wonder if you've seen anyone approved with a similar financial situation?

As always thanks in advance!

You need to show you have enough to support yourselves in the UK until one or both of you can get a job. You have to show a minimum of £102.75 + £57.57 (per child) left over per week after rent and council tax... so what you could do is work out what that comes to for a month and then figure out how long your $5,000 will last you for.

So if you have 1 child, you need £160.32 per week... or £694.72 per month minimum (about $1100). If you won't be paying rent and council tax, then your $5,000 will last you about 4 months or so if neither of you are working during that time. As to whether that is a long enough time to have funds for... I think perhaps that is up to the ECO deciding your application (I'm not sure whether there is a minimum length of time in this situation) - they would probably look at both your qualifications and work experience to see how likely or how quickly you might be to secure jobs in the UK.

Ok thanks! I'll be sure and have my husband add his additional work experience to his letter of support.

We're staying with my mother-in-law and I'm just wondering if it's ok to send in a scanned copy of her signed letter or if I need to have her mail me the original? I know they want originals of most things but is it necessary for this item?

You need the actual letter...no scans or faxes are acceptable.

That's what I thought, thanks. 

So I'm applying next week and am still (amazingly with how many lists are here) unclear on exactly what evidence is required for MY situation, being that we have been married 5 years and are moving over together with our two children. Do I need to include pay stubs even though my sponsor is moving over with me and his job is ending? Do I need to include evidence that we live together (not a sham marriage etc.)? If so I just planned to include our IRS transcripts since '06 (married/filing jointly) and our children's birth certs with both of our names listed, in addition to the joint bank statements and marriage cert. I can also include some lease agreements. What if any of this is necessary?

Also how do I pay for priority processing? Will it come up before I submit the app or do I need to go look for it, I see no options but find the site a bit confusing to navigate.

You probably only need the last 4 years tax transcripts. If your children have UK passports you should include them to show you won't need visas for them. You should probably include a cover letter that states your sepcifically requesting the 'KOL Req' endorsement. If you & your husband are employed & working at the time of application you should include the paystubs & such just to be completely honest in your application & it would also show where your savings (if any) came from. The ECO's are pretty smart cookies and know that those jobs will end when you move.

For the Settlement Priority service you need to purchase it on the day you send your stuff in for processing and include the receipt on the very top of all your documents. You can find details on how to purchase the services & the details regarding the service on the WorldBridge website. Just select United States from the Drop Down & then 'Additional Services' from the menu on the left.

Thanks again

I, of course, have more questions. I've started actually filling out my app online, I ran into a few things I was unsure of.

It asks where my children were born and then asks for their passport numbers, I stupidly put their UK ones though they were born in the US. Which number should I have used? I didn't see a way to go back and correct things, is it possible?

It also asks how much my monthly expenses are, should I have put zero as I am a stay at home mom supported by my spouse. It later asks the same question for him and obviously the answer is the same for both.

This bit is probably not a huge deal but I am unsure exactly how many days our 2nd trip to England was, I know it was about 2 weeks. If I put two weeks and it was like 16 days would that look bad? Be ok?

We don't know his NIN and they said they can't give it over the phone and that we have to fill in a form and send it and have them send it back. Anyone know of a faster way?

TIA!!