UK Fiancé Visa Application Process

It's up to you - you can include a note in a cover letter if you want to.

I think I will include a cover letter just to be safe. Is the cover letter addressed the same "to the entry clearance officer?"

Having said that, is he salaried (fixed annual salary), or non-salaried (paid by the hour)? Will the lower payslip for December mean that his income falls below the financial requirement, or will it still meet the requirements?

He is non-salaried and works 42.5hrs a week. In the 7 months of payslips, we will be providing there is no payslip below £1,550 before taxes.

A fiance visa definitely IS a settlement visa... it comes under the Settlement visa category.

When you fill out the online application, you will select the following options for the visa type you are applying for:

Settlement -> Settlement -> Marriage

Note that a 'settlement visa' is not the same thing as 'settlement'.

Settlement =  permanent residence in the UK, also known as ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

Settlement visa = any family visa (fiance, spouse, child etc.) that will eventually lead to Settlement (ILR) in the UK

Okay, got it! This makes sense, I was not aware there was  "settlement vs settlement visa"

You can include a contents letter if you like, which lists the visa type you are applying for and a list of your documents, plus any extra information (such as explanations of anything unusual about your documents, previous visa refusals, any criminal convictions etc.).

If I include a cover letter do I need a contents letter?  I do not have any previous applications or criminal history. The only 2 things I wanted to clarify were the DEC payslip and that there is a roommate.

I think I will include a cover letter just to be safe. Is the cover letter addressed the same "to the entry clearance officer?"

Yes, you address it 'To The Entry Clearance Officer' .

He is non-salaried and works 42.5hrs a week. In the 7 months of payslips, we will be providing there is no payslip below £1,550 before taxes.

That's good. As he is non-salaried, they will just add up all the payslips to work out his average annual income.

It's important that the employer letter explicitly states that he is NON-salaried, so that UKVI do the correct calculation for his income.

There was someone here on the forum a few years ago who incorrectly had their visa refused because their employer letter stated they were salaried, when they were in fact non-salaried... as a result, UKVI calculated their income using the lowest payslip instead of taking an average of the 6 months of payslip... and their lowest payslip was below £1,550 (it was about £1,250), so they claimed the income requirement was not met. However, they did actually meet the non-salaried income calculation.

Luckily, all of your fiance's payslips are over £1,550 so even if this did happen to your application, you would still meet the requirement.

Okay, got it! This makes sense, I was not aware there was  "settlement vs settlement visa"

No problem .

If I include a cover letter do I need a contents letter?  I do not have any previous applications or criminal history. The only 2 things I wanted to clarify were the DEC payslip and that there is a roommate.

There is only one letter... cover letter = contents letter. We just call it a contents letter to clarify that it should only be about the documents included and not about your personal circumstances or your relationship.

A contents/cover letter from the applicant is only optional and will have no bearing on the visa outcome. However, a sponsor letter of support is mandatory and if it is not included, the visa can be refused.

MANDATORY
Sponsor support letter = should outline how each visa requirement is met (sponsor's UK citizenship, how income requirement is being met, accommodation in the UK, short, factual relationship history)

OPTIONAL
Applicant contents/cover letter = type of visa being applied for, any explanation of the documents included (i.e. roommate and December payslip), any previous visa refusals or criminal convictions for the applicant (if applicable), list of documents included with the application

Happy Holidays! Sorry for the later response 

It's important that the employer letter explicitly states that he is NON-salaried, so that UKVI do the correct calculation for his income.

Noted! I will remind my fiance when he gets the employer letter.

There is only one letter... cover letter = contents letter. We just call it a contents letter to clarify that it should only be about the documents included and not about your personal circumstances or your relationship.

A contents/cover letter from the applicant is only optional and will have no bearing on the visa outcome. However, a sponsor letter of support is mandatory and if it is not included, the visa can be refused.

Does the contents of the cover letter have to be able to fit onto one page?
If so, I was trying to format it so that the list of documents was in two columns of bullet points.
Aside from addressing the entry clearance officer, does the letter need a heading with my name and address?

Also, will I need to scan my fiance's old passport as well? Or just a scan of the photo page on his new passport?

Hello again,

The time is drawing closer and we are continuing to get everything prepped for our fiance visa application.
Here is an updated checklist of what we plan on submitting

Applicant (me)
Passports (new and old)
Biometrics page stamped
the first page of online application
return shipping label and return envelope
cover/contents letter

Sponsor
photo page of his UK passport- he just received his passport in the mail
Letter of support signed with wet signature

Financial
7 months of his payslips the last payslip within 28 days of applying  July 2021-Jan 2022
7 months of bank statements the last statement within 28 days of applying  July 2021- Jan 2022
letter from manager signed with wet signature dated within 28 days of applying
Employment contract
p60

Accommodation
letter on behalf of the landlord with a wet signature
Tenancy agreement
Roommate letter with wet signature
Roommate passport photo page

Proof of Relationship
2 photos of us together 2020 and 2021
Facebook screenshots 3 pages Feb 2019-2022
All Snapchat screenshots
All Whatsapp Screenshots
All Instagram Screenshots
Boarding Passes to and from the US to UK (four trips)

Proof Intent to Marry
Email chain with registration in the UK

Questions
He checked his December payslip and noticed he received sick pay for those days so there is no change. Does this mean I should not have to mention he had time off in December since it does not impact the payslips?

With the letter from the guy that speaks on behalf of the landlord, do I have to mention that in the cover letter or have proof he was granted permission to speak on behalf of the landlord with like an email from the landlord saying that?

Are all letters to be addressed To the Entry Clearance Officer? (cover letter, letter of support, employer letter, landlord letter, roommate letter)

Is the p60 just to demonstrate where he works because we weren't sure if there is an expectation to see specific numbers? I am not familiar with p60, Does the taxable income need to be £18600?

I am assuming I only need to scan his passport photo page and not all of the pages as I did with mine. Also, just the photo page for the roommate.

Also, for the scan of the roommate's passport photo page, is it okay that only his name is visible with his photo and the other details covered?

Sorry  for all the extra posts, I don't know how to add to a previous post if that is possible besides replies. - I just found the modify button!

In regard to my last question, he was wondering if he could provide an alternative ID, (like his driver's license) I assume that is what they're looking for from roommate.

Questions
He checked his December payslip and noticed he received sick pay for those days so there is no change. Does this mean I should not have to mention he had time off in December since it does not impact the payslips?

No, there shouldn't be any need to mention it in the letter after all.

With the letter from the guy that speaks on behalf of the landlord, do I have to mention that in the cover letter or have proof he was granted permission to speak on behalf of the landlord with like an email from the landlord saying that?

I would assume it's best for the landlord letter to state in it that he has permission from the landlord to speak on his behalf.

Are all letters to be addressed To the Entry Clearance Officer? (cover letter, letter of support, employer letter, landlord letter, roommate letter)

Yes, or at least the cover letter, letter of support and the roommate letter should be, as the people writing them (you, your fiance and the roommate) should be aware that the Entry Clearance Officer is the person processing the application.

For the landlord and employer letters though, either Entry Clearance Officer, or 'To Whom It May Concern' will be fine, as a landlord/employer may not be aware of who processes the applications.

Is the p60 just to demonstrate where he works because we weren't sure if there is an expectation to see specific numbers? I am not familiar with p60, Does the taxable income need to be £18600?

The P60 is like a W-2 form... it summarises the total earnings and tax paid in the last financial year - for the UK, this is April 6th to April 5th, so his latest P60 will cover earnings from April 2020 to April 2021.

It's only an optional document, as the guidance says that if they are not convinced that the payslips are sufficient/genuine, they may ask to see the job contract and P60. We only suggest including them so that they don't need to contact you later to ask for them... it just saves some time and means your application won't get delayed while they wait for you to send it to them.

However, since the 2021 P60 doesn't cover any of the period you are using to meet the financial requirement, the numbers on it will have no bearing on the application.

I am assuming I only need to scan his passport photo page and not all of the pages as I did with mine. Also, just the photo page for the roommate.

Yes, only the photo page for the sponsor's passport (and the roommate's) - you are just showing that they are UK citizens.

Also, for the scan of the roommate's passport photo page, is it okay that only his name is visible with his photo and the other details covered?

No, all the details must be visible - it should show the validity dates, his place of birth, his UK citizenship and the issuing authority.

In regard to my last question, he was wondering if he could provide an alternative ID, (like his driver's license) I assume that is what they're looking for from roommate.

It really should be his passport, as they may need to see his UK citizenship, which a driving licence does not show.

Update  with some good news

It really should be his passport, as they may need to see his UK citizenship, which a driving license does not show.

His roommate has agreed to provide his  passport

I would assume it's best for the landlord's letter to state in it that he has permission from the landlord to speak on his behalf.

His landlord will be in town in the upcoming week and so we can get an official letter directly from the landlord now with signature.

Hi, I have a couple more questions now that we are just about ready to apply.

We just got a response from the Cambridge Registration office. Is this sufficient enough for intent to marry?  The email also includes our inquiry with his full name, address, and stating we are applying for a fiance visa inquiring about dates in JUNE JULY 2022

Good afternoon

 

Thank you for your email.  You can check availability and book your ceremony by visiting our website https://www.cambridgeshireceremonies.co.uk/.  You will also find further information about getting marriage and attending notice appointments here.  Please let us know if you need any further information.

 

Kind regards

 

 

Cambridgeshire Registration Service

Regulatory Services – People & Communities – Cambridgeshire County Council

0345 045 1363

 

Also, I just want to make sure my timing is right with the date we apply.  Since we are still waiting on p60 and getting the last letter sorted from the landlord, we would not have everything by FEB 17th to be using his JAN 20th bank statement and JAN 27th payslip as the latest.  His last payslip will be FEB 27th, his last bank statement will be FEB 20th and the employer letter was dated FEB 7th.  I am assuming I would be calculating within 28 days of the farthest date (the employer letter FEB 7th)

so we would need to be submitting the application before MAR 7th for the employer letter to meet the 28-day requirement, correct?

also, his bank statements and payslips for 7 months would not be JULY 2021-JAN 2022 anymore it would now be AUG 2021-FEB 2022
27 AUG 2021
27 SEP 2021
27 OCT 2021
27 NOV 2021
27 DEC 2021
27 JAN 2022
27 FEB 2022

He has paper bank statements from his mail but he is missing AUG 2021 so he contacted his bank. The bank said they can provide an up-to-date statement via online banking for all of the statements he needs and a letter confirming his bank and details are authentic which will arrive in the mail in 5-7days. Would this be sufficient enough? Should we use all the official mailed statements and then the AUG 2021 e-statement with the letter or should we print all the statements from online and attach the letter?

Hi, I have a couple more questions now that we are just about ready to apply.

We just got a response from the Cambridge Registration office. Is this sufficient enough for intent to marry?  The email also includes our inquiry with his full name, address, and stating we are applying for a fiance visa inquiring about dates in JUNE JULY 2022
Also, I just want to make sure my timing is right with the date we apply.  Since we are still waiting on p60 and getting the last letter sorted from the landlord, we would not have everything by FEB 17th to be using his JAN 20th bank statement and JAN 27th payslip as the latest.  His last payslip will be FEB 27th, his last bank statement will be FEB 20th and the employer letter was dated FEB 7th.  I am assuming I would be calculating within 28 days of the farthest date (the employer letter FEB 7th)

so we would need to be submitting the application before MAR 7th for the employer letter to meet the 28-day requirement, correct?

also, his bank statements and payslips for 7 months would not be JULY 2021-JAN 2022 anymore it would now be AUG 2021-FEB 2022
27 AUG 2021
27 SEP 2021
27 OCT 2021
27 NOV 2021
27 DEC 2021
27 JAN 2022
27 FEB 2022

He has paper bank statements from his mail but he is missing AUG 2021 so he contacted his bank. The bank said they can provide an up-to-date statement via online banking for all of the statements he needs and a letter confirming his bank and details are authentic which will arrive in the mail in 5-7days. Would this be sufficient enough? Should we use all the official mailed statements and then the AUG 2021 e-statement with the letter or should we print all the statements from online and attach the letter?

The registry response seems a little generic. I'd maybe include another question and response if you can come up with one.

I'd go with March 6th as the latest, but yes the 28 days is counted from the furthest of the financial evidence. And do make sure you have at least those 7 months worth.

It's maybe easiest to have them send all the statements again, then they will be all in the same format. Either that or just re-issue Aug and combine that with the paper statements you already have.

The registry response seems a little generic. I'd maybe include another question and response if you can come up with one.

I thought so! That's what I was worried about. I will send another question. Thanks!

I'd go with March 6th as the latest, but yes the 28 days is counted from the furthest of the financial evidence. And do make sure you have at least those 7 months worth.

Yes, that's our plan, to apply before March 7th. Hopefully next week! We have all 7 months payslips from HR  which they signed as well. Will it be a problem that his old address is on the payslips from when he first got hired?

It's maybe easiest to have them send all the statements again, then they will be all in the same format. Either that or just re-issue Aug and combine that with the paper statements you already have.

He contacted them about his statements and they said they could send the letter confirming his details. I know e-statements would need signatures/stamps on every page or be authenticated by the bank with a letter. The bank said they do not do signatures or stamps but they can send a letter and the letter is already on the way. His paper bank statements arrive the following month so Feb 20th would not arrive until Mar 20th. So, his Feb statement would also be a printed online statement. That is why I asked if I should just print all or if we should use all the mailed-in ones except for FEB 2022 and AUG 2021. Then I will explain that bit in the cover letter.

Another quick question, If we end up applying next week like FEB 23 or 24th and his payslips are the 27th of each month and bank statements 20th of each month then would be using JULY 2021-JAN 2022 for 7-month payslip and AUG 2021-FEB 2022 for 7-month bank statements?
the 23-24th would be before his FEB payslip so his last payslip would be Jan 27 but his last bank statement would be Feb 13th. He requested his FEB statement early so it's dated from JAN 20-FEB 13.

Update!  unfortunately, we were not able to apply in February, as planned.  However, I would rather have everything right and gather everything we need than try to rush to meet our desired deadline. I did want to mention that there was a miscommunication between my fiance and me about his salary, it turns out he is not non-salaried. Luckily, HR understood what we needed and provided a letter that I think meets the requirements. 

I apologize as this is a really long post, but I just wanted to get all the letters in and a few questions that I havent found the answer to. I included what we have right now and the letters we have with the personal details changed like names, numbers, etc.

As of right now, his last payslip is FEB 27 ,the employer letter was revised today by HR and now dates MAR 1, and the bank statement should be FEB 20th  he is requesting it early since it would usually arrive the following month and it will be an e-statement

Everything listed in the Contents letter is what we will be providing. The only thing we are waiting on is the cambridge registration reply. I was thinking maybe he could give them a call and ask if they could email the discussion we have over the phone to confirm he called to ask about dates and follow-up.

LANDLORD LETTER

To Whom It May Concern,

My name is XX and I am a director of TOBEJA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LIMITED. I have the authority to write on behalf of the landlord. The following letter is written to confirm that Matthew last name is currently residing at address and is currently renting one bedroom and the remainder of the property. The property details confirms that there are two bedrooms, one living room, and one reception room. Matthewlast name has been renting one of the two bedrooms since October 2020. The attached Tenancy agreement will confirm the property details, and that Matthewis currently renting a bedroom and the shared property. Matthew’s fiancé, Elizabeth last name, has permission to reside at the address once her visa is granted. I can confirm that the property will not be overcrowded with Elizabeth last name joining.

Sincerely,
XX

EMPLOYER LETTER

To Whom It May Concern,

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Employment Reference Request for Matthew Hall

It is our policy to confine such references to confirmation of factual data concerning an individual’s Contact of Employment with us.
I would like to confirm that Matthew last name works for us as a Workshop Assistant. He has been employed by the Company since 25th November 2019 on a permanent and full-time basis. Matthew is paid on a monthly basis, working 42.5 hours per week with a gross salary of £20,350.00 per annum.

Official Payslips between July 2021 to February 2022 have been provided.

This information is given in good faith and strictest confidence and should not be divulged to any third party. It is also given without admission of liability on behalf of Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services UK, Limited and its subsidiaries and staff.

Yours faithfully,

XX
Senior HR Administrator
Telephone
Email

ROOMMATE LETTER
To Whom It May Concern, 
 
My name is XX and I am currently living at addressL. I can confirm that I am renting a room on the property and get along well with Matthew last name. I would like to say that I am happy for Matthew’s fiancé Elizabeth last name to live here and have no problem with her joining the property once she has permission to with the visa.  I have included my passport photo page for identification.
 
Kind Regards, 
XX                                16/02/2022

LETTER OF SUPPORT

To the Entry Clearance Officer,

I am writing to confirm my support of Elizabeth X application to enter the UK for a marriage settlement visa under family visa as my fiancé to get married. I meet the qualification to support my fiancé since me, Matthew XX , is a UK citizen and have lived in the UK since birth.

I am currently employed as workshop assistant at Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services UK, Limited. since DATE with starting pay of £20,000 per annum. I am currently earning £20,350 per annum at Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services UK, Limited. I meet Category A of the financial requirement. I have also provided my p60, employment contract, and last 7 months bank statements with a letter from the HSBC bank confirming the statements I provided are authentic.

Once Elizabeth has her visa, we will live where I rent a room in the UK at address. I am renting one bedroom with access to the remainder of the property; a reception room and one living room. I am including my tenancy agreement, a letter from my roommate XX stating he is happy for my fiancé to live here with a scan of his passport photo page and a letter from XX, a director of TOBEJA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LIMITED., who is authorized to speak on behalf of the landlord demonstrating the details of the property not being overcrowded.

I met Elizabeth online in February 2019, and in person for the first time when she departed from the US August 3, 2019 and arrived in the UK August 4, 2019. We started a relationship February 6, 2020 when Elizabeth came to visit in Cambridge and since then she visited me two more times in the UK on September 24, 2020 to October 17, 2020 and April 21, 2021 to June 17, 2021. While we are apart we stay in contact daily mainly via Facebook Messenger through texting, audio calls, and video chats sometimes using other applications like Instagram, SnapChat, and WhatsApp. We got engaged September 27, 2020 and intend to marry at Cambridgeshire Registration office after inquiring via email about available dates in June and July 2022. We wish to settle in the UK because she would prefer to live in the UK with me, I have a steady job here already,  and we both agree living together in the UK is better for our future plans to start a family.

I am including the following documents in support of Elizabeth’s application to show we meet the financial, accommodation, and relationship requirements: letter from employer, employment contract, p60, the last 7 months pay slips and bank statements, letter from the bank, letter from property manager on behalf of landlord, letter from roommate, roommate passport photo page, tenancy agreement, boarding passes from visits, and chat history via social media from 2019-2022.

Sincerely,

Matthew XX

CONTENTS LETTER

To The Entry Clearance Officer,

Please find included my application and supporting documents for a marriage settlement visa to join my fiancé, Matthew XX, in the UK. I am applying under family visa as a fiancé.

I would like to address four aspects of my application. First, there is a tenant renting the other room on the property. I have included a letter from the tenant, XX, stating he has no problem with me moving into the shared property and a scan of the tenant’s passport photo page. Secondly, you will notice Matthew’s bank statements for AUG 2021 and FEB 2022 are printed e-statements and not like the rest which are official bank statements received in the post. He misplaced AUG 2021 and FEB 2022 doesn’t arrive until the following month so we have included a letter from his bank, HSBC, to confirm the bank details provided are authentic.

Next, you will notice the address on the p60 and all payslip still state his previous address but this is just because that was the address at the time he was hired in 2019. The letter from XX, a director of TOBEJA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LIMITED will confirm his current address. Lastly, the landlord letter is written by XX who has the authority to write on behalf of the landlord.

I am including the following documents with my application:

 
My Documents
•   My previous passport book all pages
•   My current passport book all pages
•   Biometrics Appointment Page Stamped
Proof of Relationship
•   2 photos of my fiancé and I together
•   Facebook text and calls from 2019-2022
•   WhatsApp chats 2021
•   Instagram Chats 2019-2022
•   Snapchat Chats 2019-2020
•   Aug3 to Aug 17 2019 Boarding Passes
•   Feb 1 to Mar 7 2020 Boarding Passes
•   Sep 24 to Oct 17 2020 Boarding Passes
•   Apr  21 to Jun 17 2021 Boarding Passes
Fiancés Documents
•   My fiancés passport photo page
•   Letter of Support
Intention to Marry
•   Email chain between my fiancé & Cambridgeshire registration office
Accommodation Documents
•   Landlord Letter
•   Tenancy Agreement
•   Roommate Letter
•   Roommate passport photo page
Financial Documents
•   Payslips AUG 2021 to FEB 2022
•   Bank Statements AUG 2021 to FEB 2022 with letter from bank
•   Employment Contract
•   Letter from Manager
•   P60
 

Yours Faithfully,

Elizabeth XX

Questions
1. The bank letter we have states my fiance's account number, name, and details and confirms his account information is authentic on a mailed letter with the bank official header. Is that sufficient to confirm the 2 e-statements are authentic since it is an official bank letter & it would match the account information on the e-statements?
2. registration has not responded with a follow-up email, will the screenshot I provided earlier of their generic response not be sufficient enough?
3. Is there anything else I should mention in the Contents letter?
4. Will it be a problem his p60 says his old address and his payslips? I thought it would be clarified if I mention the landlord letter confirms his current address.
5. His payslips get deposited different days but it is all around the time his payslip is received, will that be a problem? For example feb was deposited feb 25th but he got his payslip feb 27th.

Update!  unfortunately, we were not able to apply in February, as planned.  However, I would rather have everything right and gather everything we need than try to rush to meet our desired deadline. I did want to mention that there was a miscommunication between my fiance and me about his salary, it turns out he is not non-salaried. Luckily, HR understood what we needed and provided a letter that I think meets the requirements. 

Sorry to hear you weren't able to apply in February. Best to make sure you have everything in order though.

It's important to get the salaried vs. non-salaried part right as it will affect how they calculate his income. As long as it's clear in the letter that he has a fixed annual salary of £20,350, they should do the correct calculation.

As of right now, his last payslip is FEB 27 ,the employer letter was revised today by HR and now dates MAR 1, and the bank statement should be FEB 20th  he is requesting it early since it would usually arrive the following month and it will be an e-statement

If the bank statement is an e-statement, it MUST be either printed and stamped by the local bank branch on every page, or accompanied by a letter from the bank confirming the printed copy is genuine.

In regards to your letters:
- the landlord letter looks fine
- the employer letter doesn't quite meet the requirements... it must also state how long he has been earning his current salary (this is very important as this must be at least 6 months). Also it must include an explanation of any discrepancies between payslip date and amount and bank deposit date and amount.
- the roommate letter looks fine
- the letter of support is too long and can be condensed down quite a lot (I'll put a suggestion below)
- the contents letter is also too long and can be condensed down.. you don't actually need to include any of the explanations you have listed, because they are not the kind of things that needs to be in the letter. The roommate part has already been explained in the Letter of Support so it's not needed again, and the payslip/P60 address is not really relevant anyway as they won't care what address is on them.
The only things you need to explain in the contents letter are:
- anything extremely unusual about the documents, such as large bank transactions (that might be considered suspicious), or why certain required documents cannot be provided
- any criminal convictions you might have
- any previous refused visas or entries to the UK, any previous illegal working or overstaying in the UK

Suggestion for Letter of Support:

To the Entry Clearance Officer,

I am writing to confirm my support of Elizabeth X application to join me in the UK on a Marriage Visa. I'm a UK citizen and have lived in the UK since birth.

I am currently employed as a full-time, permanent Workshop Assistant at Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services UK, Limited. I have been employed with them since 25 November 2019 and have been earning £20,350 annual salary since [DATE]. I am applying under Category A of the financial requirement and have provided the required documents to show this.

Once Elizabeth has her visa, we will live together at [FULL ADDRESS], a 2-bedroom property which I rent with a roommate. I am including my tenancy agreement, a letter from my roommate XX, my roommate's passport photo page and a letter from the letting agency, who are authorized to speak on behalf of the landlord.

Elizabeth and I met online in February 2019, and in person when she visted me in the UK for [X WEEKS] in August 2019. We entered into a relationship on 06/02/2020 when Elizabeth visited me in Cambridge. She also visited the UK 2 more times from 24/09/2020-17/10/2020 and 21/04/2021-17/06/2021. While we are apart we stay in contact daily mainly via Facebook Messenger, Instagram, SnapChat, and WhatsApp. We got engaged September 27, 2020 and intend to marry at Cambridgeshire Registration office in June or July 2022. We wish to settle in the UK because she would prefer to live in the UK with me, I have a steady job here already,  and we both agree living together in the UK is better for our future plans to start a family.

Yours Faithfully,
Matthew XX

And for the Contents Letter:

To The Entry Clearance Officer,

Please find included my application and supporting documents for a marriage settlement visa to join my fiancé, Matthew XX, in the UK. I would like my visa to start on [DATE] as per the Intended Travel Date listed in the application

I am including the following documents with my application:
•   My previous US passport
•   My current US passport
•   Biometrics Appointment Page Stamped
•   2 photos of my fiancé and I together
•   Evidence of regular communication
•   Boarding passes from trips to see each other
•   My fiancés UK passport photo page
•   Fiancés Letter of Support
•   Email chain between my fiancé & Cambridgeshire registration office
•   Landlord Letter
•   Tenancy Agreement
•   Roommate Letter
•   Roommate passport photo page
•   Payslips AUG 2021 to FEB 2022
•   Bank Statements AUG 2021 to FEB 2022 with letter from bank
•   Employment Contract
•   Letter from Manager
•   P60

Yours Faithfully,

Elizabeth XX

Questions
1. The bank letter we have states my fiance's account number, name, and details and confirms his account information is authentic on a mailed letter with the bank official header. Is that sufficient to confirm the 2 e-statements are authentic since it is an official bank letter & it would match the account information on the e-statements?

The point of the letter is to confirm that the e-statements have not been tampered with prior to printing, so it needs to confirm that the information on each individual e-statement is correct and true.

So, usually, you would go into the bank with the printed statements and ask them to either stamp each page to confirm the printed statement is authentic, or to write a letter to confirm the printed statements they have in front of them are authentic

2. registration has not responded with a follow-up email, will the screenshot I provided earlier of their generic response not be sufficient enough?

You need that email... because you have to show that the Registry Office have available dates for the ceremony within the expected 6 months of the visa validity... so you need an actual date, or range of dates, listed by them in an email that are available for you to book.

3. Is there anything else I should mention in the Contents letter?

As mentioned above, you don't actually need anything in the Contents letter except for the document list.

4. Will it be a problem his p60 says his old address and his payslips? I thought it would be clarified if I mention the landlord letter confirms his current address.

Nope, not an issue and does not need to be clarified. The address on them is not relevant.

5. His payslips get deposited different days but it is all around the time his payslip is received, will that be a problem? For example feb was deposited feb 25th but he got his payslip feb 27th.

Yes, an explanation for why the pay was deposited on a different date to the payslip issue must be provided in the employer letter. We have seen visas refused in the past where there was a discrepancy in dates/amounts on payslips and bank statements and no explanation was included.

the employer letter doesn't quite meet the requirements... it must also state how long he has been earning his current salary (this is very important as this must be at least 6 months). Also it must include an explanation of any discrepancies between payslip date and amount and bank deposit date and amount.

What if the change in pay is not at least 6 months, does it still need to be mentioned?

The point of the letter is to confirm that the e-statements have not been tampered with prior to printing, so it needs to confirm that the information on each individual e-statement is correct and true.

So, usually, you would go into the bank with the printed statements and ask them to either stamp each page to confirm the printed statement is authentic, or to write a letter to confirm the printed statements they have in front of them are authentic

Does the letter from the bank have to be signed and dated or is it okay as long as it is an official letter from the bank with their letter head?

You need that email... because you have to show that the Registry Office have available dates for the ceremony within the expected 6 months of the visa validity... so you need an actual date, or range of dates, listed by them in an email that are available for you to book.

He is going to call Cambridge registration and then ask if they can send over an email about discussing wedding dates after the call, you said as long as the email includes a statement saying there are dates available for us. We asked about JUNE JULY 2022

Please find included my application and supporting documents for a marriage settlement visa to join my fiancé, Matthew XX, in the UK. I would like my visa to start on [DATE] as per the Intended Travel Date listed in the application

I have no idea what our intended travel date would be with the time it will take for getting biometrics appointment and then the application process time before receiving a response. Do you have a suggestion? Do we have to include a date?

Yes, an explanation for why the pay was deposited on a different date to the payslip issue must be provided in the employer letter. We have seen visas refused in the past where there was a discrepancy in dates/amounts on payslips and bank statements and no explanation was included.

So the only corrections for his employment letter are to have them add his change in pay date and explain why deposits are completed on different days? Do they need to list each deposit date for each month it varies?

What if the change in pay is not at least 6 months, does it still need to be mentioned?

Yes.

If the pay change was more than 6 months ago, they need explicit confirmation of this to confirm that he meets Category A using the salary of £20,350.

If it’s been less than 6 months since the pay change, then only the old salary can be used to meet Category A (because he won’t have been earning the new salary for the required 6 months yet), so they will only consider the £20,000 salary for the requirements. If it was the case that the old salary was less than £18,600, you would have to apply under Category B instead.

Does the letter from the bank have to be signed and dated or is it okay as long as it is an official letter from the bank with their letter head?

It must be signed and dated… and this date must be no more than 28 days before your online application date.

Same with payslips and bank statements, the latest of each must be dated no more than 28 days before your online application date.

I have no idea what our intended travel date would be with the time it will take for getting biometrics appointment and then the application process time before receiving a response. Do you have a suggestion? Do we have to include a date?

You have to put an Intended Travel Date on the form - it’s a required field… because this is the date they will use to work out when your visa will start - it’s your opportunity to have a say in when you move.

So, you need to decide on the earliest possible date you will be able to move to the UK and put that date. It can be any date you like, regardless of how long the visa processing takes. So if you want to move ASAP, then you can pick a date close to when you apply. But if you know you won’t be able to move for 3 months because of other commitments, you can put a date 3 months out.

If your visa is processed before that date, your visa will usually start 7 days before the Intended Travel Date.

If the date has passed before your visa has been processed, your visa will usually start 7 days after they make a decision (to give you time to receive your passport back).

For example:
- You apply on March 15th and put a travel date of June 8th. Your visa is approved on April 15th… however it won’t be valid until June 1st because you put June 8th, so you will have to wait until June 1st to move

- You apply on March 15th and put a travel date of March 31st. Your visa is approved on April 15th… and starts on April 22nd. You can move to the U.K. on April 22nd.

So the only corrections for his employment letter are to have them add his change in pay date and explain why deposits are completed on different days? Do they need to list each deposit date for each month it varies?

It depends on the reason for the different date. If it’s something standard like the payslip is always dated the last day of the month, but payday is the last working day of the month (which is how my pay works), then it should be okay to just state that fact.

If however, there’s a different reason for individual payslips to be deposited on different days, for example, there was an HR issue or a system failure one month and the deposits weren’t made as planned, then that would need to be explained for the specific payslip(s) affected.


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