Spouse Visa Help!

Such a good idea to google stuff! ....

Okay we are SO close to submitting!!

We are currently waiting on my old passport to come through the mail. It was such a bummer they didn't send it back with my new passport. Fingers crossed I will get that in the next few days! We pretty much have everything that we need but my passport. While we are waiting for that , I'll give you the list of documents that we have so far, please review it and let me know if there's anything I should change or add!

Background about us- I met my husband in 2009 when I was studying abroad in England, reconnected on Facebook in 2015, met in Vegas 2015/16 for new years, entered into a relationship April 2016, Engaged December 24, 2017 and married July 15, 2018 in the states. We have all sorts of communication since 2015.

Here’s all of the visa stuff we have
Sponsor’s/husbands work info:
* Letter from boss (confirming employment, pay and length of employment)
* Work Contract
* 6 Months of paychecks/payslips (feb-july)
* 6 Months of bank accounts (showing money from work)- (feb-july)
* P60

Sponsor's/husbands info:
*Copy of passport
*Letting/tenancy Bentons contract
*Letter from landlord saying I can live there
*Letter about our relationship (explaining employment, living situation, our story/when we got engaged, why we chose to live in the UK)

Communication:
* Facetime (March 2016-Now)
* Facebook (March 2015-December 2015 messages)
* imessage texts (Jan 2016-Aug 2016)
* Whats app texts (September 2016- Now)
* Whats app calls (april 2016-april 2017) We didn't use this as often. I can leave this out?

Important Documents
* My 3 passports (including new one with the new last name)
* Marriage License

Other
* 10 boarding passes visiting each other
* 3 Pictures (beginning, middle of relationship and wedding photo)
* 2 birthday cards from husband
(I'm trying to find other letters/cards and such- other cards might be at his house tho!)

We finished Appendix 2 and will print out the online application.

Is there anything that I'm missing or should change?

Thank you!!
-C

Such a good idea to google stuff! ....

Okay we are SO close to submitting!!

We are currently waiting on my old passport to come through the mail. It was such a bummer they didn't send it back with my new passport. Fingers crossed I will get that in the next few days! We pretty much have everything that we need but my passport. While we are waiting for that , I'll give you the list of documents that we have so far, please review it and let me know if there's anything I should change or add!

Background about us- I met my husband in 2009 when I was studying abroad in England, reconnected on Facebook in 2015, met in Vegas 2015/16 for new years, entered into a relationship April 2016, Engaged December 24, 2017 and married July 15, 2018 in the states. We have all sorts of communication since 2015.

Here’s all of the visa stuff we have
Sponsor’s/husbands work info:
* Letter from boss (confirming employment, pay and length of employment)
* Work Contract
* 6 Months of paychecks/payslips (feb-july)
* 6 Months of bank accounts (showing money from work)- (feb-july)
* P60

Sponsor's/husbands info:
*Copy of passport
*Letting/tenancy Bentons contract
*Letter from landlord saying I can live there
*Letter about our relationship (explaining employment, living situation, our story/when we got engaged, why we chose to live in the UK)

Communication:
* Facetime (March 2016-Now)
* Facebook (March 2015-December 2015 messages)
* imessage texts (Jan 2016-Aug 2016)
* Whats app texts (September 2016- Now)
* Whats app calls (april 2016-april 2017) We didn't use this as often. I can leave this out?

Important Documents
* My 3 passports (including new one with the new last name)
* Marriage License

Other
* 10 boarding passes visiting each other
* 3 Pictures (beginning, middle of relationship and wedding photo)
* 2 birthday cards from husband
(I'm trying to find other letters/cards and such- other cards might be at his house tho!)

We finished Appendix 2 and will print out the online application.

Is there anything that I'm missing or should change?

Thank you!!
-C

Sorry if I include anything you already know here but:

- make sure bank statements cover 6 full months (we included 7 pay slips and 7 statements to be certain, but that's not always necessary)
- if the slips or bank statements aren't original, make sure they're put on company letterhead and signed, or for the statements, stamped by the bank
- you need 1 (or 2) UK size passport photos with your name written on back (although I think they use your biometric photo now, but just to be safe I'd include these)
- if you want to include a table of contents, you can do that as well (again not necessary but potentially helpful)
- any divorce certificates, if you've ever been divorced

Other than that, looks good!

Yes, I have a passport photo. I forgot to add that to the list! I will put my name on the back of it though.

Thanks for the advice about the bank statements, I will have my hubby do that.

Table of contents- Just a typed up page of whats included? That's actually a really good idea!

This is our first and only marriage so all good there

Thanks for the tips!
-C

Such a good idea to google stuff! ....

Okay we are SO close to submitting!!

We are currently waiting on my old passport to come through the mail. It was such a bummer they didn't send it back with my new passport. Fingers crossed I will get that in the next few days! We pretty much have everything that we need but my passport. While we are waiting for that , I'll give you the list of documents that we have so far, please review it and let me know if there's anything I should change or add!

Background about us- I met my husband in 2009 when I was studying abroad in England, reconnected on Facebook in 2015, met in Vegas 2015/16 for new years, entered into a relationship April 2016, Engaged December 24, 2017 and married July 15, 2018 in the states. We have all sorts of communication since 2015.

Here’s all of the visa stuff we have
Sponsor’s/husbands work info:
* Letter from boss (confirming employment, pay and length of employment)
* Work Contract
* 6 Months of paychecks/payslips (feb-july)
* 6 Months of bank accounts (showing money from work)- (feb-july)
* P60

Sponsor's/husbands info:
*Copy of passport
*Letting/tenancy Bentons contract
*Letter from landlord saying I can live there
*Letter about our relationship (explaining employment, living situation, our story/when we got engaged, why we chose to live in the UK)

Communication:
* Facetime (March 2016-Now)
* Facebook (March 2015-December 2015 messages)
* imessage texts (Jan 2016-Aug 2016)
* Whats app texts (September 2016- Now)
* Whats app calls (april 2016-april 2017) We didn't use this as often. I can leave this out?

Important Documents
* My 3 passports (including new one with the new last name)
* Marriage License

Other
* 10 boarding passes visiting each other
* 3 Pictures (beginning, middle of relationship and wedding photo)
* 2 birthday cards from husband
(I'm trying to find other letters/cards and such- other cards might be at his house tho!)

We finished Appendix 2 and will print out the online application.

Is there anything that I'm missing or should change?

Thank you!!
-C

It would be better if you arranged the documents according to the different requirements.

So put all the admin stuff first, the application, appendix 2, payment receipts, stamped biometrics receipt, passports, etc, etc

Then the financial evidence, accommodation evidence and relationship evidence. They don't necessarily need to be in that order.

That's a great idea, I will put it in that order. I'm writing up a table of contents now

So for this one... - if the slips or bank statements aren't original, make sure they're put on company letterhead and signed, or for the statements, stamped by the bank

My husband has an online bank. It's not like a normal branch. His bank statements show company name, dates, his name, etc. He printed out the PDFs they have for him online. Will this be good enough? I don't think we can get it with the letter head or it signed with it being an online bank.

Thanks
-C

So for this one... - if the slips or bank statements aren't original, make sure they're put on company letterhead and signed, or for the statements, stamped by the bank

My husband has an online bank. It's not like a normal branch. His bank statements show company name, dates, his name, etc. He printed out the PDFs they have for him online. Will this be good enough? I don't think we can get it with the letter head or it signed with it being an online bank.

Thanks
-C

Hmm... that’s a tough one. What I would do (and someone might correct me here!) is get a letter from the bank (if possible) certifying that the statements are authentic and that it’s an online only bank and he receives paperless statements. I think other people have gone applied with online banking so maybe they could share their insights as well.

Also for your next visa, switch to paper statements or a bank with branches! The financial parts of the visa seem to be most important so it’s worth it to just have original statements 

So for this one... - if the slips or bank statements aren't original, make sure they're put on company letterhead and signed, or for the statements, stamped by the bank

My husband has an online bank. It's not like a normal branch. His bank statements show company name, dates, his name, etc. He printed out the PDFs they have for him online. Will this be good enough? I don't think we can get it with the letter head or it signed with it being an online bank.

Thanks
-C

The bank statements must be original, sent in the mail by the bank or printed in branch or if printed online they must be stamped on every page by the bank.
If there are no branches, you will need to contact the bank and have them send you original statements.

My husband seems to think they are original bank statements as it is an online bank. We were just fighting about it  He doesn't think that we need to do anything about this. I sure hope that it will be good enough.

My husband seems to think they are original bank statements as it is an online bank. We were just fighting about it  He doesn't think that we need to do anything about this. I sure hope that it will be good enough.

Direct him here and ask him if he is comfortable (potenitally) losing thousands of pounds to be "right"?

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

From there:

(a) Bank statements must:
(i) be from a financial institution regulated by the appropriate regulatory body for the country in which that institution is operating.
(ii) not be from a financial institution on the list of excluded institutions in Appendix P of these rules.
(iii) in relation to personal bank statements be only in the name of:
(1) the applicant’s partner, the applicant or both as appropriate; or
(2) if the applicant is a child the applicant parent’s partner, the applicant’s parent or both as appropriate; or
(3) if the applicant is an adult dependent relative, the applicant’s sponsor or the applicant, unless otherwise stated.
(iv) cover the period(s) specified.
(v) be:
(1) on official bank stationery; or
(2) electronic bank statements which are either accompanied by a letter from the bank on its headed stationery confirming that the documents are authentic or which bear the official stamp of the issuing bank on every page.

My husband seems to think they are original bank statements as it is an online bank. We were just fighting about it  He doesn't think that we need to do anything about this. I sure hope that it will be good enough.

Carly, here is the guidance, it's very specific. You need to contact the bank and ask them to send you original statements.

(a) Bank statements must:
(i) be from a financial institution regulated by the appropriate regulatory body for the country in which that institution is operating.
(ii) not be from a financial institution on the list of excluded institutions in Appendix P of these rules.
(iii) in relation to personal bank statements be only in the name of:
(1) the applicant’s partner, the applicant or both as appropriate; or
(2) if the applicant is a child the applicant parent’s partner, the applicant’s parent or both as appropriate; or
(3) if the applicant is an adult dependent relative, the applicant’s sponsor or the applicant, unless otherwise stated.
(iv) cover the period(s) specified.
(v) be:
(1) on official bank stationery; or
(2) electronic bank statements which are either accompanied by a letter from the bank on its headed stationery confirming that the documents are authentic or which bear the official stamp of the issuing bank on every page.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

What is the situation with the pay statements? If they are printed from online, they must be accompanied by a letter certifying their authenticity.

So he has an online bank account. He printed off the PDF that is on there. It says is account number, bank logo and everything on there. It clearly says its an internet banking and it does have a URL on the bottom of each page.  Are you sure that isn't good enough?

He did call his bank and asked them to send statements. It will take 5-7 business days which is delaying us sending it in 

So he has an online bank account. He printed off the PDF that is on there. It says is account number, bank logo and everything on there. It clearly says its an internet banking and it does have a URL on the bottom of each page.  Are you sure that isn't good enough?

He did call his bank and asked them to send statements. It will take 5-7 business days which is delaying us sending it in 

Would you rather delay applying for another week or spend the next two months anxious that you'll receive a refusal for not sending original bank statements?

We definitely don't want that. I was confirming that what we have is not legit, it sounds like it is  His bank will send us the legit bank statements. We are looking at him coming to visit me now as it's delayed now. So I guess that's a positive thing with the delay