Fiancé Visa Checklist

[has876]

Hi,

Does anybody know what DIFFERENT documents need to be submitted for a fiancé visa as suppose to a tourist visa?

I've already successfully applied for two tourist visas and I am now planning to apply for a fiancé visa in November.

My girlfriend is currently in the UK and she is planning to do the Cambridge ESOL KET English test this month. When she returns to Bangkok she will take TB test and then submit the application. Is there anything else I need to submit? Am I right in thinking that her financial circumstances are not relevant in this application i.e her employment & bank statements?

Thanks

[fatpig2]

Assuming your wife has reasonable Enlish (as she is already in the UK), then try and do the Life in UK test instead.

[7by7]

She needs to show:

1) The relationship with you is genuine and that your marriage will take place within the 6 months life of the fiance visa.

2) That she can be adequately accommodated and maintained without recourse to public funds or her working. Fiances cannot work until after the marriage has taken place and she has obtained her 24 month Further Leave to Remain.

As a fiance visa is a settlement visa she obviously will not need to show a reason to return to Thailand.

See:

Settlement; Fiancé(e)s

Maintenance and accommodation

You may also find the UKBA guide to supporting documents and this pinned topic helpful. However, you should remember that these are both guides and you should adapt them to suit your own circumstances.

[7by7]

Assuming your wife has reasonable Enlish (as she is already in the UK), then try and do the Life in UK test instead.

As the LitUK test does not contain a speaking and listening element, it's written, there is doubt as to whether it will satisfy the requirement for the initial settlement visa, which is speaking and listening.

Numerous queries to the UKBA have not resulted in any definite answer on this.

Up to you if you want to be the guinea pig.; but remember that you will not get a refund of the fee if her visa application is rejected because she has taken the wrong test.

[malct]

My GF is going for her speaking and listening test on wednesday and i doubled checked to make sure that the Test is good enough for the UKBA .

check out the Link

http://www.trinitycollege.co.uk/site/?id=2094

[fatpig2]

As the LitUK test does not contain a speaking and listening element, it's written, there is doubt as to whether it will satisfy the requirement for the initial settlement visa, which is speaking and listening.

There is no doubt at all. It is acceptable.

Numerous queries to the UKBA have not resulted in any definite answer on this.

From you......

For clarity, OP, I am a consultant for awarding bodies such as Cambridge and was instrumental in putting together its application to the UKBA.

As I said above, your Mrs should go straight to the life in UK test if she is above B1 (EL3)

Up to you if you want to be the guinea pig.;

Disregard this misinformation.

but remember that you will not get a refund of the fee if her visa application is rejected because she has taken the wrong test.

Pure scaremongering born from 7by7's lack of knowledge. 7by7, one should not offer one's ill-informed opionion as fact.

[7by7]

I would be overjoyed if passing the LitUK test whilst on holiday in the UK satisfied the requirement for the initial settlement visa; it would certainly make sense were it so.

However, as already said, every attempt to obtain clarification on this point, by myself and others, has failed to elicit a definitive answer from the UKBA or anyone else in an actual position to give one.

Until you, or anyone, can provide either official confirmation from the UKBA or the Home Office that passing the LitUK test negates the A1 requirement for a settlement visa or evidence that someone has actually presented a LitUK pass certificate instead of an A1 pass certificate with an initial settlement application and been successful, then my advice will remain as previously posted.

No matter how many 'awarding bodies' you claim to be a consultant for.

(Consultant? Didn't you previously say that you were a salesman for one of them? Doesn't that mean your job is to try and sell their courses/exams to language schools? Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong in being a salesman; where would commerce be without them? But consultant? Be real!)

[fatpig2]

Doesn't that mean your job is to try and sell their courses/exams to language schools? Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong in being a salesman; where would commerce be without them?

I used to be the Cambridge ESOL Sales Director, actually. I am now semi-reitred and prostituting myself to various awarding bodies (without quotes) in the form of 4 consulatancy agreements.

As I said above, you are wrong. Accept it gracefully and understand that, sometimes, you do not actually know everything. And the misinformation you are peddling here, solely to fuel your over-excited, self asborbed ego as fact is detremental to peoples' lives

Aside, I can tell you with absolute confidence that any of my past salesmen (BDMs) (or indeed the sales execs) would know their product enough to offer correct, informative advice.

But moving onto you, what qualifies you to offer this huge assumtions? What, exactly, do you do for living 7by7? I have spent some 25 years working for awarding bodies from Cambridge, City and Guilds, the old LCCIIEB, PAAVQSET etc etc etc.

[fatpig2]

However, as already said, every attempt to obtain clarification on this point, by myself and others, has failed to elicit a definitive answer from the UKBA or anyone else in an actual position to give one.

With the best will in the world who are you? Some mod on a forum in godknowswhere. Who are you contacting? Would you like me to set you up with one contact at the UKBA who deals with ABs? Perhaps then you will cease offering illthoughout and frankly incorrect advice?

[7by7]

I am an amateur, and have never hidden that. My advice is based upon my own experiences, those of others and a reading of the immigration rules, ECGs etc. I have never attempted give the impression that I was anything I'm not.

I have contatcted the UKBA as someone they these days call 'a customer' seeking advice. Others have done so as they actually were customers. The replies simply refferred one to the guidance on this test, which does not mention the LitUK test at all.

None of the guidance on this test the UKBA provides to it's customers or it's staff does.

The closest the ECGs come is to say that paper based tests do not count

Para SET 17.4

ETS TOEFL paper based tests alone can no longer be accepted as evidence of meeting the English language requirement as they do not test speaking skills, unless the applicant has provided additional evidence of meeting the speaking skills requirement to the A1 level, the ETS TOEFL paper based tests alone would not be acceptable as evidence of meeting the English language requirement.

The only mention the ECGs make of the LitUK test in this regard is a reminder that KOL is still required for ILR.

The immigration rules say

the applicant provides an original English language test certificate in speaking and listening from an English language test provider approved by the Secretary of State for these purposes..............(my emphasis).

The LitUK test does not contain a speaking and listening element.

If your position as a sales director for a language course/exam provider means that you are privy to the innermost workings of the UKBA and so have definite proof from them, or the Home Office, that even though it has no speaking or listening element that the LitUK test is an acceptable way of satisfying the initial speaking and listening requirement, please provide it.

I will then, gladly, accept that I was wrong.

Until then, my advice is as previously stated.

[RAZZELL]

However, as already said, every attempt to obtain clarification on this point, by myself and others, has failed to elicit a definitive answer from the UKBA or anyone else in an actual position to give one.

With the best will in the world who are you? Some mod on a forum in godknowswhere. Who are you contacting? Would you like me to set you up with one contact at the UKBA who deals with ABs? Perhaps then you will cease offering illthoughout and frankly incorrect advice?

Well, post your proof then

RAZZ

[fatpig2]

The offer is there, if 7by7 wants to tke it. I will put him in direct contact with the UKBA's main contact with the ABs.

[has876]

Thanks for all your interesting replies...but do I need to submit anything regarding her financial circumstances?

I've already enrolled her for the Cambridge esol ket exam and also she is currently in the UK on s tourist visa.

Thanks

[7by7]

You need to show that she will be supported and accommodated without recourse to public funds.

The finances for this can come from her resources, yours, a third parties or any combination of these. Whoever is contributing to the finances will need to provide evidence of their ability to do so; see the links provided earlier.

[7by7]

Apols to has876 for going off at a tangent again.

The offer is there, if 7by7 wants to tke it. I will put him in direct contact with the UKBA's main contact with the ABs.

As you are unable to supply any other confirmation that your assertions are correct, then please do so. As I have repeatedly said, I would be very happy to have confirmation that a LitUK pass will satisfy the A1 requirement. I have been attempting to get this since last October!

Obviously this person will be very unhappy were you to publish their details on an open forum, so PM them to me. Of course, as you have blocked PMs to and from me you'll have to unblock first.

BTW, I have not blocked your account in anyway; the forum software automatically blocks flood posting and the posting of links for all new accounts for the first 72 hours as a measure to deter spambots; nothing to do with me.

I would have told you this by PM; but you've blocked me.

[bobrussell]

I cannot see how passing the LitUK can be accepted as it does not cover speaking skills at all. It is also not on the list of approved providers so by definition it cannot be accepted. ESOL courses obviously are very different as speaking and listening skills are at the core of the course.

It seems a bit strange that someone has taken such an aggressive stance against a moderator with a lot of experience (albeit a little blunt and to the point on occasions). I wonder what the hidden agenda may be!

Money where the mouth is - if you stand by the LitUK being acceptable in place of A1 prove it. The UKBA site suggests otherwise and with the application fee now close to £1000 I for one would not take the chance.

There is one thread on this site indicating a refusal on the grounds of the date an A1 test was taken so getting it wrong is likely to be a very expensive mistake!

7by7 can look after himself but ignore his advice at your peril. If you can show he is wrong please show why. I am sure he will be delighted to be kept up to date and will stand corrected.

[has876]

Thanks for all your interesting replies...but do I need to submit anything regarding her financial circumstances?

I've already enrolled her for the Cambridge esol ket exam and also she is currently in the UK on s tourist visa.

Thanks

[bobrussell]

Thanks for all your interesting replies...but do I need to submit anything regarding her financial circumstances?

I've already enrolled her for the Cambridge esol ket exam and also she is currently in the UK on s tourist visa.

Thanks

As 7by7 has stated above (a bit lost in the heated discussions that have followed) the applicant must show that she will can support herself or be supported while she is in the UK. At the top of the thread is a list of suggested documents.

As your fiancée will not be able to work until you have married and she has received FLR this usually means that you have to supply financial information including bank statements etc to show that she can be supported by you with no recourse to public funds.

Her financial circumstances may not be particularly important unless they help your case (is she a wealthy heiress for example?). If she is still working in Thailand it would do no harm to show the details but I presume she will settle here and previous employment will not be particularly relevant.

It rarely hurts to give more information but the ECO will be looking at her circumstances when in the UK rather than at present in Thailand.

[7by7]

Bob is correct.

As I said before

You need to show that she will be supported and accommodated without recourse to public funds.

The finances for this can come from her resources, yours, a third parties or any combination of these. Whoever is contributing to the finances will need to provide evidence of their ability to do so; see the links provided earlier.

Obviously any income she has from a job in Thailand will not be taken into account as this income will cease when she leaves for the UK. Nor will potential income once she is in the UK as she cannot work while on her fiancé visa; she can only work once the marriage has taken place and she has FLR.

If she has savings, then these can be used toward the financial requirements. Otherwise all the finances will need to come from you, with help from a third party if required.

Apologies again for your questions getting lost in the mêlée and for my part in that.

Note to all.

Any further posts in this topic on whether or not the LitUK test is an acceptable substitute for the A1 test will be deleted.

If anyone wishes to continue that discussion, start a new topic.

[7by7]

Four posts by one member and one response to them deleted.

Note to all.

Any further posts in this topic on whether or not the LitUK test is an acceptable substitute for the A1 test will be deleted.

If anyone wishes to continue that discussion, start a new topic.

Any more posts attempting to continue that discussion in this topic earns the poster a holiday.

Clear, I hope.