Oh, so many questions - spouse visa

Okay, UKY - it is finally time for my now husband and I to gather ourselves and apply for the spouse visa so I can settle with my husband in the UK! It’s a huge relief to finally be at this point, and while we are both excited to be this close to the end of our time apart, we are both quite nervous about the complexities of the visa process and want to do all we can to hopefully gain an approval.

So, instead of creating multi threads with questions, I thought it was best to start one thread now to fill with whatever questions we have. I cringe at the idea of bothering or annoying people with questions, but then I remember the total cost of the visa and really don’t want to pay those fees twice, so I shall suck up my anxiety and run the risk of sounding annoying or neurotic. 

So, my first question is regarding paying the fees. At the rate we are going half the fees will be paid by me and half will be paid by him. My concern is regarding my bank smacking me with international transaction fees. I’ve noticed these annoying little fees crop up when I order something from a UK-based company to be sent to my husband, like through Moonpig or a similar outfit. Has anyone else had issues with fees after paying for the visa application, IHS, priority processing fee, or the VFS round-trip shipping?

And last question for today, as I am helping my husband write his sponsor letter, I am unsure what should be listed as our reason for choosing to reside in the UK over the US. There are a variety of reasons between the healthcare, the education system and overall lifestyle for our family and future children, the fact that I love the UK and feel very comfortable and at home there even though I’ve been there for such a short time, and the noticeably shorter wait time for an answer on a visa compared to the US. Obviously, we want to tell UKVI what they want to hear, so I wasn’t sure what would be acceptable to list because surely “Trump is terrifying please let me out” isn’t good enough reason to grant a spouse visa. 

That’s all I have for now. Undoubtedly more questions will crop up as we continue to gather documentation, so I’ll post them here. Thanks in advance for the help! We feel so lucky to have found UKY because otherwise we might have gotten nervous to the point of hiring an attorney/solicitor to help apply, and we have seen how that pans out for some!

And last question for today, as I am helping my husband write his sponsor letter, I am unsure what should be listed as our reason for choosing to reside in the UK over the US. There are a variety of reasons between the healthcare, the education system and overall lifestyle for our family and future children, the fact that I love the UK and feel very comfortable and at home there even though I’ve been there for such a short time, and the noticeably shorter wait time for an answer on a visa compared to the US. Obviously, we want to tell UKVI what they want to hear, so I wasn’t sure what would be acceptable to list because surely “Trump is terrifying please let me out” isn’t good enough reason to grant a spouse visa. 

As those are your reasons, that's what you put. It's not a trick question. 

Regarding the fees, there will likely be a foreign currency transaction fee for one of you.  That could be up to 3% depending on your credit card/bank terms and conditions.

I cannot wait until we are at this point in our journey I wish you the best of luck!!

I paid it all;

1. Visa fee
2. Priority fee
3. Shipping fee
4. NHS surcharge

I probably got hit about ~$100 in international fees. In addition, I lost some due to currency exchange value.

Thank you for the responses! Honestly, the reason to settle in Britain does feel like a trick and that there will be right and wrong responses. 

I was worried about the transaction fees.  oh well, suck it up and get it over with!

AmyB, you’d be surprised how quickly it comes up. This is something we’ve talked about for almost a year and it is finally that time!

My next question - we are applying under category A, and my husband will be sending me his job contract, letter from his employer, P60, payslips, and bank statements. He’s already got his job contract but it is the original contract from his first day of employment, so his pay and job title were different. His pay has increased as he has gone from trainee to full-fledged heavy machines operator.

So is this version of the contract okay since we will have that employer letter stating his current pay and position, or should he get an updated contract with more current details?

Thanks for the willingness to help out - I feel I will owe you all a drink before long 

The original contract is fine (it’s not a required document anyway).

The employer letter must state his old and new salaries, along with dates anyway.

The letter must include ALL of the following and be dated no more than 28 days before your online application date:
- current employment and salary
- total length of employment
- length of time earning current (new) salary
- type of employment (full or part-time, permanent or temporary etc.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Regarding the international transaction fees, would it be cheaper or easier for you to transfer the money to one account or the other (possibly his to avoid the international transaction)? 

Regarding the international transaction fees, would it be cheaper or easier for you to transfer the money to one account or the other (possibly his to avoid the international transaction)?

That’s what I’m thinking - or it seems if fees in pounds come out of his account and I pay fees that are in dollars (want to say the VFS fees are in dollars - the priority fee and round-trip shipping fee)

The original contract is fine (it’s not a required document anyway).

The employer letter must state his old and new salaries, along with dates anyway.

The letter must include ALL of the following and be dated no more than 28 days before your online application date:
- current employment and salary
- total length of employment
- length of time earning current (new) salary
- type of employment (full or part-time, permanent or temporary etc.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you  thought that might be the case

Oh, here we go with bank statements now. 

Husband went into the bank today to get bank statements printed off, and they would only give him three months worth. Employee assisting him actually went through a spouse visa as well and asks him if he wants them stamped. So she stamps the first and last page, stating “you don’t really need them stamped - I didn’t have mine stamped and I got approved.”
Oh, I have an eye twitch coming on. Especially because the print-offs are exactly what he would have printed off himself.

I am ready to tell him to print the rest and go back and get them all stamped now. I understand she got an approval, no problem, but that could’ve been when they didn’t scrutinize bank statements so much or she might have luckily slipped through the cracks.

I am wondering, too - he has a separate account with another bank that he transfers money into. It’s a checking account, but he treats it as a savings that he doesn’t touch unless he needs it. Should he get statements from that account as well? It’ll show the tranfer on his bank statements he’s already obtaining.

If the bank printed the statements themselves, they are considered original and don’t need to be stamped, so she was correct.

If they were printed at home from online banking they need to be stamped on every page.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am wondering, too - he has a separate account with another bank that he transfers money into. It’s a checking account, but he treats it as a savings that he doesn’t touch unless he needs it. Should he get statements from that account as well? It’ll show the tranfer on his bank statements he’s already obtaining.

No, the only reason they need the bank statements at all is to match the payslip deposit amount and date with the amount and date on each payslip.

If his other account does not show payslip deposits then it is not relevant to the visa and should not be included.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If the bank printed the statements themselves, they are considered original and don’t need to be stamped, so she was correct.

If they were printed at home from online banking they need to be stamped on every page.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, ksand24. What worries me though is that they look exactly like what he’s going to print off himself to cover the other three months. He said she just had an iPad in the bank so she logged into his online banking and printed them there. He’s shown them to me on FaceTime this morning and they do look like something he’s just printed himself, except for her stamp on the first and last page. 

And thanks, we’ll not bother with the other bank since all his payslips go into the one account. 

Who does he bank with?

At Barclays, I can go to a machine in the bank and print statements there.  They look AWFUL.  But they are marked as being true/correct/printed in branch.