Our Path to Marriage

1) A property inspection is ONLY required if you will be in an HMO (House of Multiple Occupation)... this is where several separate families are living in one property, where there could be a case of overcrowding (i.e. a whole family living in one room). It does not apply to a situation where there is a roommate or two also living in the property. So, you just need:
- tenancy agreement
- letter from landlord
- ideally also a letter from the roommate saying they have no objection to you living there either

Ah ok. That makes sense.

2) Unless you have any complicated circumstances to explain (criminal convictions or bad UK immigration history), the cover letter just needs to include:
- visa type applied for
- date you want the visa to start
- list of package contents

Awesome. And the wording for the type of visa is a "Settlement Spousal Visa"?
I have additional travel dates that didn't fit on the online form. I wrote an explanation for this in the additional information section of the online visa application. Should I also include a brief explanation in the cover letter?

3) Yep, that's fine... you probably don't even need that much

In terms of your documents list, I'm just going to rearrange the sections slightly:

Applicant Documents:
•   Settlement priority service payment receipt
- Return shipping label
•   Cover Letter/Table of Contents
•   Printed and signed visa application
•   Appendix 2
•   Biometric data submission confirmation
•   Applicant’s current passport as well as any previous passports
•   1 recent passport-sized photograph of applicant

Sponsor’s Information:
•   Sponsor’s Letter of Support
•   Certified Photocopy of Sponsor’s Passport

Evidence of Accommodation:
- Original tenancy agreement
•   Letter of Accommodation Support from sponsor’s landlord
- letter from any roommates

Evidence of Sponsor’s Employment and Finances:
•   Sponsor’s original payslips covering 6 months
•   Printed copy of sponsor’s bank account 6-month history.  Stamped and signed by bank.
•   Employment status/history letter from sponsor’s employer (signed by employer)
Optional but recommended:
•   Sponsor’s employment contract
•   Sponsor’s most recent P60 Certificate

Evidence of Marriage and Relationship:
•   Marriage license certificate (the licence is what you get BEFORE you get married, to say you are allowed to marry)
•   1 photo from wedding and 1 from earlier in our relationship (no need to write anything on back)
•   All boarding passes to see each other
•   Letters that we have written to one another.
•   FaceTime history screenshots from various points in the last year
•   Facebook Messenger screenshots showing correspondences from once a week over the last year.

Photocopies
- Copies of all originals you wish to be returned

Will the office keep the copies and return the originals then? Should I make copies of everything since we will need to do this again in 2.5 years? All of our letters/photos, boarding passes, marriage certificate, husband's information, etc.?

Thank you so much for your help!

Awesome. And the wording for the type of visa is a "Settlement Spousal Visa"?
I have additional travel dates that didn't fit on the online form. I wrote an explanation for this in the additional information section of the online visa application. Should I also include a brief explanation in the cover letter?

Will the office keep the copies and return the originals then? Should I make copies of everything since we will need to do this again in 2.5 years? All of our letters/photos, boarding passes, marriage certificate, husband's information, etc.?

Thank you so much for your help!

Just thought I would try and bump this one to the top to see if anyone could help with these questions.

Awesome. And the wording for the type of visa is a "Settlement Spousal Visa"?

I would go with 'a settlement visa to join my husband in the UK'.

I have additional travel dates that didn't fit on the online form. I wrote an explanation for this in the additional information section of the online visa application. Should I also include a brief explanation in the cover letter?

Nope, no need. You should either use the Additional Information section, or a separate sheet of paper to list the extra dates that wouldn't fit.

Will the office keep the copies and return the originals then? Should I make copies of everything since we will need to do this again in 2.5 years? All of our letters/photos, boarding passes, marriage certificate, husband's information, etc.?

They should return everything and keep the copies, but they may actually return the copies as well.

For the next visa, you will not need the same relationship evidence... you will need a photo, and your marriage certificate  but not the letters/cards/emails etc.  Instead, you will provide 6 official documents addressed to both of you at the same UK address, from at least 3 different sources, spread evenly over the previous 2 years, to show you have lived together for the whole time. So, when you get to the UK, I would get your name added to as many bills etc. as possible, and start saving ALL your mail. Also, turn OFF paperless for everything.

I would also keep a copy of your application forms and your biometrics appointment information, as this will help you fill out the application form for the next visa in 2.5 years

I would go with 'a settlement visa to join my husband in the UK'.

Nope, no need. You should either use the Additional Information section, or a separate sheet of paper to list the extra dates that wouldn't fit.

They should return everything and keep the copies, but they may actually return the copies as well.

For the next visa, you will not need the same relationship evidence... you will need a photo, and your marriage certificate  but not the letters/cards/emails etc.  Instead, you will provide 6 official documents addressed to both of you at the same UK address, from at least 3 different sources, spread evenly over the previous 2 years, to show you have lived together for the whole time. So, when you get to the UK, I would get your name added to as many bills etc. as possible, and start saving ALL your mail. Also, turn OFF paperless for everything.

I would also keep a copy of your application forms and your biometrics appointment information, as this will help you fill out the application form for the next visa in 2.5 years

That is very helpful. Especially the heads up on turning off paperless on everything. Thank you so much

We're getting so close to sending off our visa! I'm getting so excited 

I have a question about postage and packaging for the massive pile of paperwork we will be sending for our spouse visa application. My husband found this site: https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/us/en/premium-services. Is this a site I should use? I haven't heard of it before but when I filed for my earlier work visa I thought I had printed off the shipping labels directly from the online application website. Does anyone have advice on how this works?

Also my husband mentioned that I might still need to ship everything to New York first. Does that mean I need to prepay and fill out 4 shipping labels in advance?
1) Minnesota > New York
2) New York > Sheffield
Then the return journey for:
3) Sheffield  > New York
4) New York > Minnesota?

I'm a bit lost as to how to go about all of this. Thanks.

We're getting so close to sending off our visa! I'm getting so excited 

I have a question about postage and packaging for the massive pile of paperwork we will be sending for our spouse visa application.

If it’s a massive pile, you’re probably sending too much. Your documents shouldn’t be more than about an inch or two thick and shouldn’t weigh more than about 3 lbs.

My husband found this site: https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/us/en/premium-services. Is this a site I should use? I haven't heard of it before but when I filed for my earlier work visa I thought I had printed off the shipping labels directly from the online application website. Does anyone have advice on how this works?

Yes, that’s the only site you can use.

The online application website does not offer shipping labels (as it caters for all countries), so you would have got them from the VFS Global website last time too (or if it was more than about 2-3 years ago, you would have got them from the Worldbridge website).

Also my husband mentioned that I might still need to ship everything to New York first. Does that mean I need to prepay and fill out 4 shipping labels in advance?
1) Minnesota > New York
2) New York > Sheffield
Then the return journey for:
3) Sheffield  > New York
4) New York > Minnesota?

No, you just purchase the round trip shipping labels from Minnesota to New York and back again.

You do not ship anything to Sheffield anymore. You ship your documents to New York and then New York will scan them in and send them to Sheffield electronically. Then when your visa has been granted, New York will ship the documents back to you in Minnesota.

The shipping labels are available to purchase using the link you posted above, along with settlement priority processing for $793, if you will be using it.

Your shipping options are:
- return shipping only, package weighing up to 2 lbs = $41
- round trip shipping, package weighing  up to 2 lbs = $81
Or
- return shipping only, package weighing up to 5 lbs = $70
- round trip shipping, package weighing up to 5 lbs = $140


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If it’s a massive pile, you’re probably sending too much. Your documents shouldn’t be more than about an inch or two thick and shouldn’t weigh more than about 3 lbs.

Yes that's probably where we will be at when we've assembled all our documents together. It's good to know that it shouldn't weigh more than 3 pounds. Do those prices simply cover the shipping no matter what the weight is?

No, you just purchase the round trip shipping labels from Minnesota to New York and back again.

You do not ship anything to Sheffield anymore. You ship your documents to New York and then New York will scan them in and send them to Sheffield electronically. Then when your visa has been granted, New York will ship the documents back to you in Minnesota.

The shipping labels are available to purchase using the link you posted above, along with settlement priority processing for $793, if you will be using it.

Your shipping options are:
- return shipping only, package weighing up to 2 lbs = $41
- round trip shipping, package weighing  up to 2 lbs = $81
Or
- return shipping only, package weighing up to 5 lbs = $70
- round trip shipping, package weighing up to 5 lbs = $140

Oh that's great that we don't need to ship them to Sheffield anymore. So is the settlement priority processing purchased from the online application website at the point of submitting the application or through VFS.Global?

Yes that's probably where we will be at when we've assembled all our documents together. It's good to know that it shouldn't weigh more than 3 pounds. Do those prices simply cover the shipping no matter what the weight is?

The first two prices cover shipping for packages weighing up to 2 lbs.

The second two cover shipping for packages weighing up to 5 lbs.

Oh that's great that we don't need to ship them to Sheffield anymore. So is the settlement priority processing purchased from the online application website at the point of submitting the application or through VFS.Global?

The settlement priority service is purchased through VFS Global at the same time as purchasing the shipping labels. You will need your GWF application number to purchase them, which will be given to you when you submit the online application.



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The first two prices cover shipping for packages weighing up to 2 lbs.

The second two cover shipping for packages weighing up to 5 lbs.

The settlement priority service is purchased through VFS Global at the same time as purchasing the shipping labels. You will need your GWF application number to purchase them, which will be given to you when you submit the online application.

Awesome. That all makes sense

Although I went on the website and I’m a bit confused on how to actually send the documents. It looks like I will just be given the shipping labels. Is there a recommended way to box all the papers up and just tape on the label? Is it ok to ship the package through the postal service or will I need to find a special centre to ship it from?

Awesome. That all makes sense

Although I went on the website and I’m a bit confused on how to actually send the documents. It looks like I will just be given the shipping labels. Is there a recommended way to box all the papers up and just tape on the label? Is it ok to ship the package through the postal service or will I need to find a special centre to ship it from?

The labels obtained from VFS are actually pre-paid UPS labels so you will take the package to a UPS store where they will be able to provide packaging for you.

The labels obtained from VFS are actually pre-paid UPS labels so you will take the package to a UPS store where they will be able to provide packaging for you.

Ah ok! That's great help thanks!

I just came across another question about the process of shipping all the supporting documents. I live about 3 hours drive away from the nearest place to get my biometrics done as well as the nearest UPS store to buy packaging and ship my documents.

My plan is to bring all my supporting documents, as well my prepaid shipping labels, printed and ready to go, with me to my biometrics appointment in the city. Then once I get the paper confirming that I had my biometrics done, I am going to head straight to the UPS store and ship everything off to New York.

Is it possible to purchase and print the shipping labels from vfsglobal at home before heading down to the city and completing my biometrics appointment? I don't really know of another way to do it unless I could try and find a library in the city, once my biometrics appointment is over that would let me print out the shipping labels after purchasing them online.

I just came across another question about the process of shipping all the supporting documents. I live about 3 hours drive away from the nearest place to get my biometrics done as well as the nearest UPS store to buy packaging and ship my documents.

My plan is to bring all my supporting documents, as well my prepaid shipping labels, printed and ready to go, with me to my biometrics appointment in the city. Then once I get the paper confirming that I had my biometrics done, I am going to head straight to the UPS store and ship everything off to New York.

Is it possible to purchase and print the shipping labels from vfsglobal at home before heading down to the city and completing my biometrics appointment? I don't really know of another way to do it unless I could try and find a library in the city, once my biometrics appointment is over that would let me print out the shipping labels after purchasing them online.

You can purchase the labels after you pay for the application, before you go to the biometrics appointment. That shouldn't be an issue at all! But you may want to give yourself a couple days between applying and biometrics on the off chance there's an issue with the VFS website.

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Then once I get the paper confirming that I had my biometrics done, I am going to head straight to the UPS store and ship everything off to New York.

Just to add, they don't give you the paper at the biometrics appointment, you bring it to them (it's the one with the barcode) and they stamp it there.

You can purchase the labels after you pay for the application, before you go to the biometrics appointment. That shouldn't be an issue at all! But you may want to give yourself a couple days between applying and biometrics on the off chance there's an issue with the VFS website.

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Oh that's good to know! Thank you!

Just to add, they don't give you the paper at the biometrics appointment, you bring it to them (it's the one with the barcode) and they stamp it there.

Thanks for the heads up!