Fact checking for USA to UK Spouse Visa

Hi all,

We're just prepping for a marriage in the USA in Spring 2018, then a Spouse via application for her to come to the UK, but I have a couple of interim questions please guys:

1. My wife to be is fairly dyslexic so I will take on the online visa application process. Is it ok for me to do the application like that? i.e. using my email as main point of contact etc.? I'm just wondering how the biometrics appt would be notified etc. I can always use her email address in any case I guess? I am assuming the correct page to begin the application is: https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/next

2. Re the above, do I need to 'be' in the USA while doing the application online, or can I do it from the UK?

3. When it comes to evidence (I'm on the self-employed/Director category and know I need to be careful and supply full info), I have most of the 'relationship' evidence as I have done the most flights, meals out etc etc etc., so does Sheffield require 2 separate packs of evidence from each individual or can it all be together?

4. Does the relationship evidence need to be labelled in any particular way? For the business evidence I would do an 'index page' mirroring the requirements

5. Re my salary, I used to pay myself a low wage and the occasional dividend. For the past couple of months I have considerably upped my monthly salary in order to achieve the £18,600 in the time frame allowed. Should that work ok?

Many thanks guys.

1. For the online application, you can fill it or, but I would just put her email address in, since it’s her application. The biometrics appointment is booked as part of the online application and then you print the confirmation - which may be on the website.

The direct link to the online  application is here (your link just says page not found):
https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome
And you need to select Settlement -> Settlement -> Wife for the visa type

2. Your wife must be in the US on the date you submit and pay for the visa, but if you are submitting it for her, it can be done in the US. However, I would recommend that she submits it herself as she will need to print the biometrics confirmation and application form.

She also needs to print and complete VAF4A Appendix 2 by hand.

3. No, you must send EVERYTHING in the same package. Anything sent separately will not be considered. So you just gather up all the boarding passes, letters/cards, emails/calls/messages for both of you and put them in one pile, then add to her application documents in the US. For time spent together, you do not need any evidence of meals out or other tickets/reservations - just the boarding passes from flights.

4. No, just put it in a sensible pile. The business evidence does not need to be indexed separately either. She can just include a contents letter at the beginning listing everything

5. You have to be very careful with your salary and how you pay yourself. Someone just got refused for how they paid themselves as their payslips and dividend voucher amounts and dates did not match the deposit amounts and dates into their bank account. You can only use the last full financial year of income, so it depends when your financial year begins and ends as to what income you can use.


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There is a list here of what somebody used for a Category F sposnsorship.
It's dated May 2016. ksand will know if anything has changed since that date.

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=87701.0

There is a list here of what somebody used for a Category F sposnsorship.
It's dated May 2016. ksand will know if anything has changed since that date.

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=87701.0

Thanks for that CatF list - I'd seen the basics before but for dotting i's and crossing t's, this will be great!

1. For the online application, you can fill it or, but I would just put her email address in, since it’s her application. The biometrics appointment is booked as part of the online application and then you print the confirmation - which may be on the website.

The direct link to the online  application is here (your link just says page not found):
https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome
And you need to select Settlement -> Settlement -> Wife for the visa type

2. Your wife must be in the US on the date you submit and pay for the visa, but if you are submitting it for her, it can be done in the US. However, I would recommend that she submits it herself as she will need to print the biometrics confirmation and application form.

She also needs to print and complete VAF4A Appendix 2 by hand.

3. No, you must send EVERYTHING in the same package. Anything sent separately will not be considered. So you just gather up all the boarding passes, letters/cards, emails/calls/messages for both of you and put them in one pile, then add to her application documents in the US. For time spent together, you do not need any evidence of meals out or other tickets/reservations - just the boarding passes from flights.

4. No, just put it in a sensible pile. The business evidence does not need to be indexed separately either. She can just include a contents letter at the beginning listing everything

5. You have to be very careful with your salary and how you pay yourself. Someone just got refused for how they paid themselves as their payslips and dividend voucher amounts and dates did not match the deposit amounts and dates into their bank account. You can only use the last full financial year of income, so it depends when your financial year begins and ends as to what income you can use.


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Thanks so much for all of this

There is a list here of what somebody used for a Category F sposnsorship.
It's dated May 2016. ksand will know if anything has changed since that date.

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=87701.0

I have lived with my mum for 20+ years so what evidence do i need on that front?

I have lived with my mum for 20+ years so what evidence do i need on that front?

You need:
- a letter from her giving your wife to live in the property too, along with confirmation from her that the home will not be overcrowded (total number of living rooms and bedrooms and total number of people in the house)

- her Land Registry document

Optional:
- her latest original mortgage statement


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Sorry these questions keep cropping up... The CT600 I have covers 01/03/2016 to 28/02/17 (UK date style) so I'm assuming these are the statements for biz and private that i will need

Given that we plan to marry and apply before 28/02/17, but if delay and we go into another 'year' I'm assuming it will need a new CT600 and  statements from the 17-18 period instead?.

Sorry these questions keep cropping up... The CT600 I have covers 01/03/2016 to 28/02/17 (UK date style) so I'm assuming these are the statements for biz and private that i will need

Yes, you can only use payslips/dividends and bank statements issued and deposited between the two dates on the CT600.

Given that we plan to marry and apply before 28/02/17, but if delay and we go into another 'year' I'm assuming it will need a new CT600 and  statements from the 17-18 period instead?.

Yes, you have to use the most recent completed financial year for the requirements.

So, if you apply BEFORE 28/02/2018, you have to use the 2016/2017 financial year... so only your income earned between 1st March 2016 and 28th Feb 2017 can be considered.

If you apply AFTER 28/02/2018, you HAVE to use the 2017/2018 financial year, which means you will need to get all your taxes sorted out and filed with HMRC for the 2017/2018 financial year before you can apply for the visa.

Wow - this is like wading through mud - but I have my thigh length waders on!!

1. I have only got my salary up to the £18,600 (or will have by January) for the year 17-18
2. The CT600 for the last financial year covers 16-17 which I have
3. An evidence requirement is for payslips a) covering the same period as the CT600, and b) payslips and bank statements covering the period since (which is the period where I've upped my salary to the required level) - I can get all of this evidence no problem.

But - I am hoping that the demonstration of sufficient salary achieved in 17-18 is ok? I'm concerned that they might have expected me to be on £18,600 for the 16-17 period also....

Thanks

For self-employment they will use the 16/17 year.

You'll need to wait until you have your full audited accounts for 17/18 to apply it sounds.

For self-employment they will use the 16/17 year.

You'll need to wait until you have your full audited accounts for 17/18 to apply it sounds.

That's a blow. Thanks. I think ksand may have already stated that, but I just didn't pick up on it. Ok, so it's accounts 'fast tracking' next yr then!

BTW I intended reducing my salary level once the £18,600 reached for 17-18 tax year. Will this affect anything if I do this?

That's a blow. Thanks. I think ksand may have already stated that, but I just didn't pick up on it. Ok, so it's accounts 'fast tracking' next yr then!

Unfortunately if you apply before the end of the current tax year (17/18), you have no choice:
- You MUST use the 16/17 tax year
- You MUST have earned at least £18,600 after expenses and before tax during that tax year

Alternatively, if you apply after the end of the tax year (17/18) you HAVE to use that tax year, and not the previous one... so you have to wait to apply for the visa until you have all your taxes filed and relevant end of year paperwork.

It’s really strict, I’m afraid. If you’re even  just £1 short of £18,600, or 1 day short of a full tax year, or you don’t have all your paperwork filed and included for that tax year, it’s an automatic refusal.


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BTW I intended reducing my salary level once the £18,600 reached for 17-18 tax year. Will this affect anything if I do this?

No, you will need to be able to show you will continue paying yourself at least £18,600 per year for the foreseeable future.

Remember that you will have to meet the £18,600 requirements again after 2.5 years and again after 5 years... so you don’t want to do anything that might jeopardise qualifying for future visas.

Once the visa has been granted, your spouse’s UK income can be combined with yours to meet the requirements, or if they get a job paying at least £18,600 they can just use their income only... but until you definitely know whether this will happen, I would make sure you keep paying yourself at least £18,600 per year.


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No, you will need to be able to show you will continue paying yourself at least £18,600 per year for the foreseeable future.

Remember that you will have to meet the £18,600 requirements again after 2.5 years and again after 5 years... so you don’t want to do anything that might jeopardise qualifying for future visas.

Once the visa has been granted, your spouse’s UK income can be combined with yours to meet the requirements, or if they get a job paying at least £18,600 they can just use their income only... but until you definitely know whether this will happen, I would make sure you keep paying yourself at least £18,600 per year.


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Wow - I would have totally overlooked the need to continue at that level for additional visa stages! Thanks. For now i think £20k gross pa will cover me, but that will be a reduction on paper, as 17-18 was a big catch up to squeeze in £18,600 within 17-18 years.