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Topic: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread  (Read 3171 times)

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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #30 on: September 12, 2019, 06:57:06 PM »
Thanks for the info. It reassures me that I'm doing what I can. This is all so nerve-wracking.

I'm now filing out Appendix 2, and I'm unsure how to handle my wife's Category B employment. She has been with the same employer since 2017, but has received three pay changes since she began.

Under Section 3.12, it asks:

"Has your sponsor been in employment with the same employer and earning the amount, as detailed in 3.11 above, continuously for 6 months prior to the date of the application? (Category A)"  NO (we are filing under Category B)

3.13  "Has your sponsor had other salaried employment, in the UK in the 12 months prior to the date of application? (Category B)" Yes.

Then it asks what her previous job titles and employers and dates of employment were. Is it standard to list her pay raises/changes as separate employment even though it's the same company?

Is there some reason why you're applying under Category B?  Did she not make enough money to meet the threshold in the last six months?
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #31 on: September 12, 2019, 07:15:06 PM »
Is there some reason why you're applying under Category B?  Did she not make enough money to meet the threshold in the last six months?

The details are in the first few posts in this thread, but basically, from Dec. 2017 until March 2019, she was paid salary plus commission. Her salary alone wasn't enough, but commission took her to about 20k.  However, in April, they stopped paying commission and raised her salary to 21,500. Her base salary is now enough but she has only been on it for 5 months. We are time-crunched and didn't want to wait another month for her sixth payslip at her new salary, so we are doing Category B and submitting 12 months (actually 13 months to include 28 Aug 2018 to 28 Aug 2019). She earned around 23,000 during that period.



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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #32 on: September 12, 2019, 07:34:18 PM »
The details are in the first few posts in this thread, but basically, from Dec. 2017 until March 2019, she was paid salary plus commission. Her salary alone wasn't enough, but commission took her to about 20k.  However, in April, they stopped paying commission and raised her salary to 21,500. Her base salary is now enough but she has only been on it for 5 months. We are time-crunched and didn't want to wait another month for her sixth payslip at her new salary, so we are doing Category B and submitting 12 months (actually 13 months to include 28 Aug 2018 to 28 Aug 2019). She earned around 23,000 during that period.

Ohhhh, right.  Sorry, I do remember this discussion.  I just didn't put it to your username.

3.13  "Has your sponsor had other salaried employment, in the UK in the 12 months prior to the date of application? (Category B)" Yes.

Then it asks what her previous job titles and employers and dates of employment were. Is it standard to list her pay raises/changes as separate employment even though it's the same company?

It isn't exactly standard, but in your case, it is necessary to get around the online application's questions.  The important thing is that she did earn at least £18600 in the last 12 months, and she is going to continue to earn that much going forward.  Just answer the questions however makes sense to get through the online form and have the employer letter explain her salary/compensation history.
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #33 on: September 14, 2019, 07:10:37 PM »
Ohhhh, right.  Sorry, I do remember this discussion.  I just didn't put it to your username.

It isn't exactly standard, but in your case, it is necessary to get around the online application's questions.  The important thing is that she did earn at least £18600 in the last 12 months, and she is going to continue to earn that much going forward.  Just answer the questions however makes sense to get through the online form and have the employer letter explain her salary/compensation history.

Okay. The form is asking for the total she made in the last 12 months. Earlier in the thread, people suggested that we include 13 payslips, so they include 28 Aug 2018 to 28 Aug 2019. I've done that...but does that mean I include 13 payslips in the calculation? Because that's technically more than a year's worth of payslips. Either way, it's well above the threshold, but I don't want to do something wrong.

I guess what I'm asking is...are we including the 13th payslip just for reference, or are we actually using it as part of the salary equation?

Thanks!


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #34 on: September 14, 2019, 08:16:06 PM »
It's kind of just for reference, because they want evidence of 12 full months, and if they're printed to only show the pay date and not the start of the pay period, the ECO won't see 12 full months (even though we know twelve months are represented). 

So, calculate twelve months of pay, but submit the 13 payslips.  The ECO will do their own calculation, anyway.
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #35 on: September 14, 2019, 08:31:59 PM »
Thank you! This board is a god-send.


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #36 on: September 14, 2019, 09:32:09 PM »
    This is my list of proposed documents. We have not yet submitted the online application.

Applicant (US citizen) - Me
  • Printed online application form
  • Completed VAF4a Appendix 2 form
  • Biometrics Attendance Receipt
  • Passport (I only have one)
  • Applicant Cover Letter, including brief relationship history, speeding ticket explanation, list of supporting documents
  • Copy of Michigan Driver Record, spanning 10 years, showing two speeding tickets (I think, it hasn't arrived yet)
  • Receipt for standard processing and NHS surcharge
  • Return Shipping Details

Sponsor (UK citizen) - Wife
  • Certified copy of UK passport photo page
  • Sponsor Letter, stating UK citizenship, how she meets financial requirement under Category B, accommodation, brief relationship history, list of documentation

Accommodation
  • Land Registry showing property owned by my father-in-law (wife's father)
  • Letter from Mother-in-law (wife's mother) explaining she has Power of Attorney over husband's (father-in-law) property, listing rooms of property, and giving us permission to live there
  • Registered Power of Attorney document

Finances
Category B:
  • 13 months stamped email payslips showing over £18,600 in earnings for the year
  • 13 months of bank statements showing deposits of above payslips (these are a mix of original, mailed bank statements and stamped statements printed at bank branch
  • Employment letter stating wife's dates of employment, permanent status, current salary and previous salaries within the 12-month period of the application, confirming authenticity of payslips

Relationship evidence
  • Marriage Certificate
  • Three pages of photos spanning our relationship, including dating, wedding, honeymoon, visits
  • Scans of Christmas, Thanksgiving, Anniversary cards we gave each other
  • Screenshots of a selection of WhatsApp conversations spanning our relationship
  • Boarding pass emails from our flights to visit each other


About our Relationship Evidence, part of our WhatsApp conversations got lost when my laptop died a few months ago. We have one archived WhatsApp chat from January 2017 (on the application, we say our relationship began on 24 Dec. 2016) and then a gap until Sept. 2017. From Sept. 2017, we provide 2 WhatsApp screenshots per month until Sept. 2019. I hope that gap isn't terrible. But I have no way to get our lost chats. I'll explain in my letter.

Also, should we do both a sponsor letter and an applicant letter, or just one?

Thanks!

[/list]
« Last Edit: September 14, 2019, 09:35:34 PM by DetUK »


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #37 on: September 15, 2019, 09:41:08 AM »
For the missing WhatsApp, did you visit one another during that gap?  Any cards from then?  What about phone calls or Skype calls?  Have you got anything from that time?

I probably wouldn't worry too much.  You can only send what you have, and you're explaining the gap in your letter. And you do have plenty of proof of communication for the rest of your relationship.

As to letters, your sponsor's letter is required, and you want to explain something, so both letters make sense.

Documents list:  sponsor's most recent P60 and current employment contract aren't required, but they are recommended.   Otherwise, you look like you've got this.
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #38 on: September 15, 2019, 10:43:49 AM »
A lot of counties have a Clerk of the Court website that allows you to look up public records for free. Many of them include speeding violations as well as major crimes.

Just do a search for your county.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk



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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #39 on: September 15, 2019, 04:23:34 PM »
For the missing WhatsApp, did you visit one another during that gap?  Any cards from then?  What about phone calls or Skype calls?  Have you got anything from that time?

I probably wouldn't worry too much.  You can only send what you have, and you're explaining the gap in your letter. And you do have plenty of proof of communication for the rest of your relationship.

As to letters, your sponsor's letter is required, and you want to explain something, so both letters make sense.

Documents list:  sponsor's most recent P60 and current employment contract aren't required, but they are recommended.   Otherwise, you look like you've got this.

I happened to be in the U.K. visiting my wife for a few months during the gap, so we were physically together during much of that time. So I've got some additional photos of us from that time. I also found a couple of emails from that period. But, unfortunately, we primarily communicate over WhatsApp, using texts and voice clips, so losing the archive for those months when my laptop died eliminated almost all our evidence from that time. Ugh. I'll piece together what I can.

I'll also include the P60, too. Thanks!


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #40 on: September 16, 2019, 09:36:41 AM »
I happened to be in the U.K. visiting my wife for a few months during the gap, so we were physically together during much of that time. So I've got some additional photos of us from that time. I also found a couple of emails from that period. But, unfortunately, we primarily communicate over WhatsApp, using texts and voice clips, so losing the archive for those months when my laptop died eliminated almost all our evidence from that time. Ugh. I'll piece together what I can.

I'll also include the P60, too. Thanks!

Include the boarding passes from the trip, if you have them, or any other hard proof that you made that visit.  The photos probably won't be very helpful for proving that visit occurred during that span of time, and they really only want one or two photos, total, to prove you've physically met in person at least once.  But if you've got anything "official" like boarding passes, or post that was sent to you there, or stamps in your passport from the trip, just explain about losing a chunk of your WhatsApp archive, but you visited from xx to xx during that time, and here are the boarding passes/stamps in my passport/other evidence.
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #41 on: September 20, 2019, 02:45:01 AM »
It turns out that my driver record couldn't be mailed to me before our 28-day window elapses, so I drove to Michigan yesterday to get the record in person only to be told they no longer have me on their computers because I moved from the state five years ago. So, I've done everything I can to disclose those speeding tickets. I explained my efforts and the tickets I remember in my letter and in the application. That's all I could do.

The tickets were the only holdup, so we submitted the online application today. OMG, what a pain that was. Everything is confusing and the VFS website is buggy as hell. I still don't know if I'm going to try to upload our proof or just mail everything to New York. I'll try to start uploading tomorrow, but if my experience is as bad with uploading as it was just to register on the VFS site, I'll have to send everything to New York.

But first things first, when it asks for my sponsor's proof of British citizenship, what's the difference between that and her passport bio page we're already submitting?

Getting everything in order for my bio appointment on Tuesday.


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #42 on: September 20, 2019, 09:10:02 AM »
The passport bio page is her proof of citizenship.  You're all set.

You've done all that you can do for your driving record.  Don't worry about it.  If YOU can't obtain it, neither can UKVI.  (But do keep your full disclosure in your application!)

Uploading does tend to also be difficult.  It's my understanding that the system logs you out every fifteen minutes, even if you've had constant activity.  So you log in, upload a few pages, get logged out, and repeat.  So if that happens to you, it's normal.  (I'd probably just ship all my copies to NY.)
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #43 on: September 20, 2019, 03:47:27 PM »
The passport bio page is her proof of citizenship.  You're all set.

I thought so, but then they listed them separately on the checklist, so I wanted to make sure.


You've done all that you can do for your driving record.  Don't worry about it.  If YOU can't obtain it, neither can UKVI.  (But do keep your full disclosure in your application!)

Uploading does tend to also be difficult.  It's my understanding that the system logs you out every fifteen minutes, even if you've had constant activity.  So you log in, upload a few pages, get logged out, and repeat.  So if that happens to you, it's normal.  (I'd probably just ship all my copies to NY.)

Yes, after the people at the Michigan Secretary of State failed to find me anywhere in their systems with my full name (and I have an unusual spelling for my middle name), former addresses, birth date, social security number, and passport, I doubt UKVI is going to find more. In any case, I disclosed everything I knew in my letter and in the online application. I've been honest.

I uploaded one document last night as a test, and it went up fairly painlessly. But I've probably got 200 pages of docs in total, and it doesn't let you see what you've uploaded to confirm it. I'm going to work on it a bit today, but I have a feeling I'm sending everything to New York. I hate to trust someone else to do it, but I'm assuming they have a better system to work with than VFS website, and I've pretty much had my fill of this process. It's exhausting. LOL

EDITED TO ADD:

How have most people organized their documents to send to New York (or Sheffield in the past)? Should I buy a folder with labeled sections? Are clips (not staples, obviously) recommended to separate documents within sections? Do people still print a Table of Contents? I want to make it super clear and easy for person/people scanning it to reduce the chances of missed documents.

Thanks!
« Last Edit: September 20, 2019, 05:52:09 PM by DetUK »


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Re: Applying Now, My Application Questions Thread
« Reply #44 on: September 20, 2019, 09:47:50 PM »
Just pile everything up neatly.  No clips, staples, or folders.  They need to be able to scan each page efficiently.  Definitely do not staple anything (I have visions of them only scanning the first page of stapled bundles).
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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