i'm sniffing institutional discrimination....

Back ground information: I’m applying for settlement in the UK from the US. It is in the category of civil partnerships I got married to him in June 2011. I sent our application as settlement priority and the ECO got back to me and stated these:

1. A certified copy of your sponsor's British passport or indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
2. Original evidence of accommodation in the UK (This can be property deed, land registry).
3. Evidence of your sponsor's employment in the UK- original employment letter and recent pay slips.
4. Additional bank statements/assets showing sufficient funds to support and maintain yourselves.
My comments on:
#1. I read on some thread on how they charge 60-80GBP for per page for a certified copy of my partner’s passport??!….so it’s probably best to stick to the original
2. my partner lives with his parents, his parents are willing to give their balance statements to us for this
3. what do they mean by letter from the employment? any sort of letter with my partner’s name on it from his employment, is this good enough?
4. this just frustrates me, do they think my partner and I are millionaires?!?! Tbh, my partner has about 3000 GBP and then he has about 1250 in premium bonds what more money do they want?!?! I have a balance of $2,500 on my statements I gave them.
I really hate pulling the gay card in this situation. But I feel that maybe this is some sort of institutional discrimination against my partner and i. because it seems I see people in this forum get away with less information than what my partner and I have to provide………….and this frustrates me greatly. My partner and I are almost three years together, do they think we’re mucking about?!?!

 

Seems to me to be the same stuff they want from any heterosexual couple.

I've not traversed the UK immigration system personally, so I'm not the one to tell you exactly what documents will satisfy.  But I know well enough that any couple would be asked to provide this same information.

At least you get a chance to immigrate to the UK as a same sex couple.  I'm sure you know he can't move here to US as a gay partner.

Well....as for you last sentence.....AMERICA is the GREATEST NATION ON EARTH--right?!?!

pun definitely intended

i have no inclination or thougth to bring him to american UNLESS America changes--for good.

I cannot blame you there.

Honestly, I don't think they are asking for anything unusual. 

I am here in the US with my husband and we did a visa for him.  I'm pretty well versed in US immigration.  But since we've never filed for anything to get to the UK, I wouldn't want to try and advise you on what you need to send now.  I am sure though that what they want isn't motivated by any kind of discrimination.

maybe i'm being too vigilant on all my isms labels.... when they can really apply to me :/

So you sent in your application without
- your partner's passport
- any evidence of your proposed accomodation
- any evidence of your partner's employment
- any of your partner's payslips
- any evidence of funds other than your own?

And you weren't denied a visa - they actually asked you to send this in after the fact?

It sounds like you were very, very lucky.  Most people have been outright denied for this sort of mistake.

unbeknownst to me, i have to actually send a "certified copy" of my hubby's passport.

that's false, i did provied evidence of proposed accomodation, my "parent inlaws" wrote a letter pledging my accomodation to their flat. AND perhaps not a "certified" copy of one of their statment balance.

and i did put evidence of my partner's employment, I sent a pay slip, thinking it would be redundant to send a year's worth of payslips--what exactly do they want.  he's worked there for four years.

i sent both our statements. it's not luck. we actually thought of sending these materials and yet they want more.

i'm not going to bowdown and worship the ECOS gods cos we have tried to do our best....

Well, in your previous post where you asked what you should send, another poster gave you the link to the Home Office's website with a guide to let you know what to send.  The guide is pretty clear about what is recommended.  I don't think you're bowing down to anyone by doing what they asked for in the first place.

 

The supporting documents guide is here:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/apply-outside-uk/

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/documents/maintenance/

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/can-you-apply/maintenance/

I don't think you're being discriminated against at all.  I would be surprised if you had been approved without these documents. 

The email you received after submitting the online form says " a written invitation from your sponsor in the UK and original or certified copy of their British/EU passport or UK residence permit"

The link to the supporting docs checklist guide is broken granted but if you go to the main page:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/spouse-cp/apply-outside-uk/

There is a link to the guide to supporting documents:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/out-of-country/sup-docs-settlement.pdf

It quite clearly states, 6 months worth of payslips from the sponsor and 6 months of bank statements.

It also states you need to provide more than just a letter from the inlaws, you have to prove they own it or they are entitled to lease it, ie title, land registry docs, and copy of mortgage statements + letter or if rented a copy of the lease or rent book and a letter from the landlord saying you are allowed to stay there.
 
Sorry, but the info is there, they are not discriminating, you just didn't send what they require. You've been lucky that you have an ECO that is kind enough to request extra information and that they didn't just deny the visa outright.

thank you for the last two previous posts. it really helps.  i'm scanning through it now.

xxxx

As a gay person I am assuring you that this was not discrimination of any sort. You did not do your homework beforehand and sexuality has nothing to do with this. The embassy had every right to deny your application due to the lack of due diligence on your part. The website clearly states what you need to send and it sounds as if you sent nothing. Had the ECO been prejudiced in some way they surely would have, at the very least, flat out denied your application. You should consider yourself very fortunate that you were given a chance to rectify the situation. There have been several instances of straight couples being denied for missing one or two items clearly requested on the same website we all have access to without being given a chance to send in further information. IMHO you should get rid of the idea of having some proverbial card to play as it not only does not impress anyone; quite frankly it gives the rest of us a bad name. 

You're over-reacting.   I'll be the first to criticise UKBA for imposing onerous requirements on visa applications, but asking for proof that your sponsor is actually a British Citizen is perfectly reasonable.

Agreed with the previous posters.

You are EXTREMELY lucky that the ECO got in touch with you to request the missing documentation.  I've seen instances on this forum where [heterosexual] applicants have gotten flat out refused for missing just one document, not to mention more than one. 

Just send in what they're requesting and assuming you meet all the other requirements for the visa, you'll be golden.  Easy peasy.  Good luck! 

As a gay person I am assuring you that this was not discrimination of any sort. You did not do your homework beforehand and sexuality has nothing to do with this.

The UKBA has a flourishing LGBT network with a number of very senior members, and very clearly laid down diversity policies, both with regard to staff and customers. Also the people I have had contact with see it as part of their professionalism to treat everybody -- gay/straight, black/white, nice/nasty, polite/rude, smart/stupid -- the same. You might see this as treating everyone equally badly, (I don't) but at least equal treatment is part of their ethos. You don't get plus points or an easy ride for being "in love" but equally you don't get minus ones for being gay. It does sound like they bent over backwards for the OP.