Questions and Concerns about form VAF4A

Children's birth certificates are not needed if the children are UK citizens.

You only need to include their birth certificates if they are also applying for a visa (because they are not British and only hold US citizenship), to prove they are related to you and therefore qualify for a visa.


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Children's birth certificates are not needed if the children are UK citizens.

You only need to include their birth certificates if they are also applying for a visa (because they are not British and only hold US citizenship), to prove they are related to you and therefore qualify for a visa.


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I finally got this stuck in my brain but then there was that change about the passport needing to be included for non-applicants.  In country only though?

Ok so since my daughters are UK citizens we don't need their birth certificates right? Is there anything else I'm missing or will just the income details and our letters be the last of it?

I finally got this stuck in my brain but then there was that change about the passport needing to be included for non-applicants.  In country only though?

Yes, that's a new stipulation for FLR(M) and ILR applications only.

There has never been any mention of needing to send birth certificates or passports of non-applicants for fiance/spousal visas (other than the UK sponsor's passport, of course).

Ok so since my daughters are UK citizens we don't need their birth certificates right?

That's correct.

Is there anything else I'm missing or will just the income details and our letters be the last of it?

Not sure - haven't had time to read through your list yet. Will have a look and see if there's anything else.

Yes, that's a new stipulation for FLR(M) and ILR applications only.

There has never been any mention of needing to send birth certificates or passports of non-applicants for fiance/spousal visas (other than the UK sponsor's passport, of course).

Got it.  It'll stick this time!

For the cover letter I am meant to briefly explain my entry refusal and visa refusal from 2010 and 2012 what else should I be including in this letter?

For the cover letter I am meant to briefly explain my entry refusal and visa refusal from 2010 and 2012 what else should I be including in this letter?

It's really just a contents letter and a chance to explain anything unusual about your paperwork. No personal relationship information should be included (that goes in your sponsor's letter instead), just the basic facts about your refusals.

So, it should contain:
- visa type applied for and date you want the visa to start
- a short explanation (1 paragraph) of your refusals
- a list of the documents included in the package

To whom it may concern,                            

My name is Kristin Heppinstall I am currently residing in the US. I am applying for visa VAF4A with Appendix 2 to join my husband and daughters in the UK. My husband (Farren Heppinstall) and daughters are UK citizens. We decided to move to the UK since my husband was offered a job and we wanted to be closer to family.
   I have two prior refusals. The first took place in 2010 when I was 18 years old, I had come into the country to visit my current husband was fiancée while I was pregnant with our first daughter. I was refused entry for having too long of a visit combined with prior visits throughout the year, I did not have enough cash funds for my stay and I had used the NHS thinking it was covered by health insurance I had in the US. For these reason’s I was refused entry. Since I left we have paid the NHS fee for my visit. Once I left I didn’t return till January 2017 with my husband and children to begin the move here. Since, I have been let back into the UK three times (including January). In 2010 we had misunderstood the rules for travel. Since then we are more aware of the UK’s travel rules.
   My second refusal was for this visa in 2012. We had started looking in to the process early on in the year 2012. By the time we had the money gathered and all evidence required the rules and income requirement had been updated. We were unaware of this change and had ended up filing outdated paperwork which resulted in our refusal, since the income requirement was not met.
   Evidence enclosed is as follows:
•   Tax returns for the years 2011-2016
•   Previous ticket stubs and flight itineraries from years 2010 and 2017
•   Mailing receipts for 2017
•   Facetime call logs for a few months of 2017 (during our separation)
•   2 photos
•   Rent, insurance, and car contracts in both our names
•   W-2’s
•   Green card approval letters and past green card
•   Refusal paperwork
•   Original Marriage Certificate
•   Bank statements and paystubs
•   Current and previous passports
•   A proposed flight itinerary of when I would like to travel to the UK
I am also submitting 2 passport photo’s, printed online form and completed Appendix 2 form, IHS # receipt, receipt for settlement priority, biometric confirmation sheet and return shipping information.
Thank you for your time and I hope everything you need is included.
Kristin Heppinstall

Is this ok?
And also just to clarify from earlier my husband is he able to scan and email me his final signed paystub and landlord letter and I just print it?

That's actually too long and too personal . Also, the visa is called a Spousal Settlement Visa and VAF4a is just the name of a paper form that is only accepted in North Korea.

I would emphasise the date you wish the visa to be valid from, as you only have 30 days from the date it starts to enter the UK. Recently, they have been making it valid starting 7 days before the date you put, though if that date has passed before you get the visa, it will just be made valid from the date it is issued.

I'd shorten the letter:

To The Entry Clearance Officer,                            

Please find enclosed my application for a settlement visa to join my husband in the UK. I would like my visa to start on DD/MM/YYYY and have indicated this as my Intended Travel Date on the application form.

I have one previous refused entry to the UK and one refused visa. The refused entry took place on X date 2010, when I was visiting my husband (then fiance) in the UK and was pregnant with our first daughter, and was refused entry because the immigration officer believed I was spending too much time in the UK, and that I didn't have enough funds to support myself. In 2012, I applied for a (fiance? spousal?) visa, but was refused due to not meeting the new income requirement, which we were unaware of at the time of application. I have included paperwork from both the refused entry and visa refusal.

Please find enclosed the following documents to support my application:

(list the documents in the order you are including them:
- application forms and admin, including visa refusal paperwork
- financial requirement documents
- accommodation documents
- relationship documents)

Yours Sincerely,

Your Name


In regards to your documents, you do NOT need to include the following:
•   Mailing receipts for 2017
•   Rent, insurance, and car contracts in both our names
•   W-2’s
•   Green card approval letters and past green card

And also just to clarify from earlier my husband is he able to scan and email me his final signed paystub and landlord letter and I just print it?

No, scanned or emailed copies are not accepted. ALL documents must be originals or certified copies.

The payslips MUST be either:
- officially issued by the company
or
- stamped/signed and accompanied by a letter of authenticity

The landlord letter must be original and have a wet signature.

Bank statements MUST be either originals issued by the bank or stamped/signed on EVERY page/accompanied by a letter from the bank.

You should also include photocopies of all original documents you wish to be returned to you

I am currently filling out the appendix 2 form I believe it says this form must be done by hand cause I believe there is not an online version? Though when you go on the UK visa website it says in () that this form is for north korea only next to the appendix 2 form is this still the correct form I need? Or is there an online version I will be required to fill out when I begin the process online?
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-uk-visa-for-family-settlement-form-vaf4a
this is the link I am relating to.

That's the correct form. It says only for North Korea, but since there is no other version of it (either on paper or online), EVERYONE has to print it.

It has caught many people out over the last 5 years (since it's been saying for 5 years that it's only for N. Korea/countries with no online application option). I believe they were supposed to put it online in 2012, but it hasn't happened yet.

If you don't print it, fill it out and include it, your application will be considered incomplete and they will not be able to process it... and UKVI will then have to email you to ask you to send it to them... which can delay your processing time by a few weeks.


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Thank you for clearing that up for me we just finished going through this appendix 2 form I was hoping you would be able to help me with a question.
In part 3 question 3.22 it asks: If your sponsor has not been employed by the same employer for 6 months prior to the application does their total income (before tax) from salaried employment received in the 12 months prior to your application meet or exceed the financial requirement you must meet? Yes    or    No

I am confused as to whether we answer this question because he has been employed by the same employer for the past 6 months and has been exceeding the income requirement the entire time because he only just moved back in january so he didn't make an income before january.

Also since we are proving the financial requirement through salaried employment in the UK we don't have to complete the other part 3 sections correct?

If you don't print it, fill it out and include it, your application will be considered incomplete and they will not be able to process it... and UKVI will then have to email you to ask you to send it to them... which can delay your processing time by a few weeks.

When you think about it, the number of wasted man hours, time and money (especially if you extrapolate the resulting delay in visa processing) is quite ridiculous, all because they don't insert a single sentence on the website stating that Appendix 2 is a required document for all applicants. 

In part 3 question 3.22 it asks: If your sponsor has not been employed by the same employer for 6 months prior to the application does their total income (before tax) from salaried employment received in the 12 months prior to your application meet or exceed the financial requirement you must meet? Yes    or    No

I am confused as to whether we answer this question because he has been employed by the same employer for the past 6 months and has been exceeding the income requirement the entire time because he only just moved back in january so he didn't make an income before january.

Also since we are proving the financial requirement through salaried employment in the UK we don't have to complete the other part 3 sections correct?

Ok so I'm still questioning this comment I made above if anyone is able to help me out with that that would be great. I also have another question about the main form for the language requirement now I know since I'm from an english speaking country I believe this makes me exempt but I was unsure if there was a specific way I need to go about writing it other than saying I am from the USA or is that all I need to write?
Thanks