Stressed to the max and sooo confused.

Again Ksand comes to the rescue! You should be charging for your services- or at least provide an address where we can all send chocolate. Thank you!

Hi Again!

Well I am stressed again, for a whole new reason. I am trying to figure out how to ship my application to the UK and then create a waybill for the UK settlement visa office to return my original documents to me. Can you tell me what the easiest way of doing this is? I attempted to create an account with DHL but I think that is going to be too time consuming, as I now must wait for an advisor to call me (?) to set up my account. I know I can use USPS if necessary- is that who most people choose? I just need the fastest possible way to get this package to the UK and need to create a return shipping label to get my important documents back to me.  Thank you all for any help you can provide!!

Do NOT use USPS.  Set up an account online with UPS.  Include the account number with your documents you are sending to Sheffield.  People have said the UPS store is useless.  I think some have had success with calling UPS if they can't figure it out online.

you tell me what the easiest way of doing this is? I attempted to create an account with DHL but I think that is going to be too time consuming, as I now must wait for an advisor to call me (?) to set up my account.

It should be pretty straightforward:

- Create an online account with UPS or DHL

- Include your account number with your application documents (this is really all UKVI need)

- If you can, set up a waybill with them and include it in your package

- You won't be able to prepay the return shipping as you won't have the weight/cost details, but UKVI will sort that stuff out when they mail back the documents and your account will be charged then.

- Include return packaging as well

I know I can use USPS if necessary- is that who most people choose? I just need the fastest possible way to get this package to the UK and need to create a return shipping label to get my important documents back to me.  Thank you all for any help you can provide!!

No - whatever you do, DO NOT use USPS - it's the slowest and most unsafe way to ship anything. You NEVER want use USPS to ship important documents like passports or visa applications because there's no guarantee they will ever show up at their destination.

With USPS, your application will take at least a week, maybe 2 or 3 weeks at this time of year, it won't be tracked outside of the US, will not be signed for and may well get stuck in customs for several weeks on end. In some cases, important documents have been completely lost in customs and have never arrived at their destination.

You definitely want to use a proper courier - DHL or UPS - and pay for overnight/next day shipping. The couriers have their own customs so there's no worry about the package being delayed, and it will be tracked all the way and signed for in the UK. I would expect to pay between $100 and $200 each way for shipping, depending on the weight of the package.

Additionally, you can't use US postage to send something from the UK to the US.  You should be able to set up an account online with UPS.

The applicant letter is optional and should contain no relationship information at all. It is only used to state the visa applied for, a list of documents included and to explain any refused entries/visas or criminal history or anything unusual about the documents (large transactions on bank statements, for example).

The only letter that should contain any relationship information is the mandatory sponsor's confirmation letter, which should outline their sponsorship capacity, their employment,  UK accommodation and a brief history of the relationship.

I disagree.  If you write a letter of  introduction it should outline your relationship and broadly cover the same ground as the letter of sponsorship.

I disagree.  If you write a letter of  introduction it should outline your relationship and broadly cover the same ground as the letter of sponsorship.

Since when? The applicant does not need to include any kind of letter of introduction at all anyway, so there is no need to write anything about the relationship in one.
 
If they wish, they can include a courtesy cover letter to introduce the organisation of their paperwork in the package and to explain anything unusual about their documents or immigration/criminal history.

Instead, the relationship details go in the mandatory sponsor's confirmation letter.

From Transpondia's website, regarding the sponsor's letter:

Sponsor's Confirmation

If the sponsor is not accompanying the applicant to a personal appearance at the issuing consulate, a confirmation must be provided. This normally takes the form of a letter in which the sponsor explains his awareness and support of the application and confirms that he/she is present and settled in the United Kingdom (or being admitted at the same time for settlement). A sample letter can be found here.

Although it is not strictly necessary, a brief summary (one or two paragraphs) of the relationship can be included which addresses: [1] how and where you met; [2] how you have maintained contact; [3] the date and location of your marriage; and [4] plans you have made for living in the UK (or more specifically, why you are opting to live in the UK).

Finally, if there are exceptional circumstances about the application, or if the sponsor is seeking a concession, it should be thoroughly explained here.

This is a forum.  We  are all  entitled to our opinions and interpretations.   If the applicant wishes to write a letter, my advice is to outline the relationship. 

This is a forum.  We  are all  entitled to our opinions and interpretations.   If the applicant wishes to write a letter, my advice is to outline the relationship.  

Fair enough, but in that case, state it as your opinion and not an absolute fact. You don't say WHY you are advising outlining the relationship and you don't back it up with any evidence as to why you think it will help their application.

The relationship will already have been outlined twice in the application already - in the mandatory Appendix 2 and the mandatory sponsor letter, so why do they need to do it again in a letter that is not even required and not even mentioned by UKVI?

What we know as fact, and why I advise NOT to outline the relationship in an applicant letter:

- Nowhere in the visa rules or required documents does it say that an applicant needs to include a letter of introduction.

.... And no one has ever been refused a visa for not including an applicant letter of introduction

- Nowhere in the visa rules or required documents does it say that the applicant needs to say anything about their relationship in a letter if they include one.

.... And no one has ever been refused a visa for including an applicant letter but not mentioning their relationship

- The applicant already has to answer questions about their relationship history in their Appendix 2 application form.

- The rules/documents DO clearly state that the sponsor must include a letter confirming their relationship.

- We HAVE seen visas refused because the sponsor did not include a letter confirming their relationship.

So thanks to all your help, my application is submitted and I got an email about it this morning.... It says this:

Further to our recent e-mail confirming the receipt of the above application, we have been unable to locate your UPS international courier account number with the documents submitted.  Unfortunately, we are unable to despatch your documents unless an international courier customer account number is supplied.

How do I do that?! I included a prepaid envelope already, but not courier account number!!! Eek!

Did you set up an account with UPS when you shipped your documents?  What they are asking for is your account ID number so that they can charge you for the return of your package.  Just set up a UPS account (if you haven't already) and e-mail the UKVI your account number.

Did you set up an account with UPS when you shipped your documents?  What they are asking for is your account ID number so that they can charge you for the return of your package.  Just set up a UPS account (if you haven't already) and e-mail the UKVI your account number.

I didn't I just prepaid for an envelope.... A very expensive envelope... I will have to google how to do that now. Hopefully I can figure it out online and I don't need a human to do it, as it's not even 4am here!

Ok, I did it online (that was way easier than I thought it would be... Which makes me wonder if I did it correctly!) i have just replied to them and hopefully that was sufficient.

Now... To figure out how to get a refund on my prepaid envelope....

Ok, I did it online (that was way easier than I thought it would be... Which makes me wonder if I did it correctly!) i have just replied to them and hopefully that was sufficient.

Now... To figure out how to get a refund on my prepaid envelope....

Who issued you a prepaid envelope for an international package?

A store that sells UPS packaging... They sent the visa application for me as well though UPS Express.