Hi, all. I have a question about the financial documents required for our spousal visa application. I have been reading on the forums that the most recent paycheck stub can be no more than 28 days old. Is that 28 days prior to the date the application is submitted, 28 days prior to the Biometrics appointment, or 28 days prior to the day the application and supporting docs are mailed off to New York?
It's 28 days prior to the date you submit and pay for the online application, as that is your official application date.
Here is our dilemma…My fiancé (soon to be spouse) gets paid on the 25th of the month. He is flying to the USA on November 17th and we are getting married on the 19th. Our plan is to apply for the application while he is here and send it off, however, I am afraid that by the time we mail the application his most recent stub will be more than 28 days old and he has no way of getting his hands on a certified copy of his 11/25 paycheck stub until he gets back to the UK. This could throw off our entire timeline if the application has to be mailed within 5 days of my biometrics appointment. However, if the 28 days prior rule applies to the date the application is submitted, we should still fall within that time frame. I have a timeline below of our plans for the application process. Any guidance would be helpful!
If the latest payslip is dated 25th October, then you have until 22nd November to submit the online application.
Nov 17: fiance arrives in the US
Nov 20-23: Biometrics appointment (I hope Thanksgiving doesn't inhibit us from getting an appointment during this week)
Nov 26: Chicago VFS Center Application and Document Checks appointment (hopefully, unless it's not recommended)
Nov 26-27: Mail off application and supporting docs provided they passed the VFS check
I've never heard of Document Checking being an option before, because you cannot attend the VFS Chicago centre unless you have purchased the $1900 Settlement Premium Service, which is a complete waste of money and we do not recommend it.
However, we can check your document list for free here on the forum (And from what others have said, it sounds like the VFS Centres don't necessarily know what they are doing anyway!)
You either do the following:
- schedule biometrics at one of the USCIS Application Support Centers
- attend biometrics at the USCIS
- mail documents to New York within 5 days
OR
- pay $1900 for the Settlement Service (not recommended)
- book biometrics at the VFS Centre in Chicago
- attend biometrics and submit application in person in Chicago (I think this may be where you can pay for the Document Check... but that would be on top of the $1900 premium service!)
The VFS Global site says:
Chicago Premium Application Centre
To attend a premium application centre you will need to purchase a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Settlement Premium PackageAlso, is NYC where all settlement docs are being mailed now, I heard from an Immigration lawyer that settlement docs were still being sent to Sheffield and all other visa docs to NYC...
Yes, it's New York now.
The lawyer has out of date information. It was changed about 4 weeks ago, so that all documents are now sent to New York, and then they are scanned to Sheffield electronically.
See:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/usa-apply-for-a-uk-visa/apply-for-a-uk-visa-in-the-usa