UK Spouse visa last minute checklist

[GarryUK]

So I've read the UK Settlement Visa Basics and over the last year asked various questions and read many posts and replies, but I'd like if you'll indulge me to make a final check that I have (or know) everything we need for the wife-to-be to get a spouse visa.

In less than 1 hour we'll be leaving for the airport as she's been here on a tourist visa since June - don't worry, I'm not setting an unrealistic deadline for answers, I'll read the forum while I'm in Thailand. If we get the affirmation, translations and everything done in time the plan is to marry on Thursday 10th October being the 1 year anniversary of the day we met. I did just suggest to her not to change her passport, but it expires January 2015 and we won't have gone back to Thailand in that time so she's set on changing it. No problem.

So once she has it back we can't start the visa application process. We'll have the marriage certificate, she passed her English exam while in the UK with distinction and has the certificate for that, and once we get to Bangkok we'll contact the IOM to sort out a TB scan. I forgot to get a letter from my employer stating I'm currently employed and earning xx which I'll post on to her when I get back, but should I get a copy of my last P60 (which I seem to have lost) and will I need to include 6 months wage slips as well for proof of meeting the financial requirements? We have the photos used for the tourist visa and I've added 2 pages of us together in the UK so that proves we've met, but will I need any further proof of relationship? What about the Facebook chat screenshots and Skype video logs (which of course stopped when she came to the UK)? And the visa stamps from my passport to show 4 trips to Thailand (including this one)? And what do I need for accommodation, will last years mortgage statement and a description of the property in the visa application suffice?

What else will I need?

This is an expensive one, I'd hate to miss something that's obvious after someone points it out, so help me pleeeeeeeeease

Garry

[GarryUK]

PS: Will be in Thailand by the time I read any replies, woohoo

[robhufton]

I have recently got settlement visa for my wife and she is now in the UK with me. It seems that the most thing they were interested in was my financials and ability to support her.

One thing to take into account with your planning, they are delaying the applications and taking the full 12 weeks to approve now.

[MRGTINGTONG]

Make all your photo,s together are time dated.

Copy of your council tax bill and utilities aswell, bank statements, mortgage statements etc.

To have more than enough is better than less.

All the best and good luck.

[ableguy]

Nice to see some positive constructive replies for a change, as opposed to the usual run like hell clutching your ATM cards

[hudson75]

So I've read the UK Settlement Visa Basics and over the last year asked various questions and read many posts and replies, but I'd like if you'll indulge me to make a final check that I have (or know) everything we need for the wife-to-be to get a spouse visa.

In less than 1 hour we'll be leaving for the airport as she's been here on a tourist visa since June - don't worry, I'm not setting an unrealistic deadline for answers, I'll read the forum while I'm in Thailand. If we get the affirmation, translations and everything done in time the plan is to marry on Thursday 10th October being the 1 year anniversary of the day we met. I did just suggest to her not to change her passport, but it expires January 2015 and we won't have gone back to Thailand in that time so she's set on changing it. No problem.

So once she has it back we can't start the visa application process. We'll have the marriage certificate, she passed her English exam while in the UK with distinction and has the certificate for that, and once we get to Bangkok we'll contact the IOM to sort out a TB scan. I forgot to get a letter from my employer stating I'm currently employed and earning xx which I'll post on to her when I get back, but should I get a copy of my last P60 (which I seem to have lost) and will I need to include 6 months wage slips as well for proof of meeting the financial requirements? We have the photos used for the tourist visa and I've added 2 pages of us together in the UK so that proves we've met, but will I need any further proof of relationship? What about the Facebook chat screenshots and Skype video logs (which of course stopped when she came to the UK)? And the visa stamps from my passport to show 4 trips to Thailand (including this one)? And what do I need for accommodation, will last years mortgage statement and a description of the property in the visa application suffice?

What else will I need?

This is an expensive one, I'd hate to miss something that's obvious after someone points it out, so help me pleeeeeeeeease

Garry

wish you all the best mate, our settlement visa application went in on 12th august. You mention about your p60 for last year and yes this will be required and also 6 months wage slips and bank statements.

Edited October 6, 2013 by hudson75

[hudson75]

You have to prove that the relationship is subsisting ie chat records, skype facebook however you communicate, photos of you both together dated and locations

[GarryUK]

You have to prove that the relationship is subsisting ie chat records, skype facebook however you communicate, photos of you both together dated and locations

That was the case for the tourist visa but I'm not so sure by the time we're married in the next few days that this is so relevant, although we will be reusing the photos after updating them to include 2 more pages from her time in the UK and another covering the wedding and this latest visit. For the tourist visa we had to work out how to show we chatted in FB every day (in the end I did 21 print screens and pasted them into Word), and how to show we talked via video every day (viewed the logs in Skype, select all, pasted into Excel then edited out what I didn't want to include).

I imagine the UKBA will be aware of the previous tourist visa application, but then I assumed some things were obvious in our first (tourist visa) application which was refused, so I'm at least going to mention the previous visa applications and UK visit in a covering/supporting letter to include with the documentation this time.

[Thai at Heart]

I have recently got settlement visa for my wife and she is now in the UK with me. It seems that the most thing they were interested in was my financials and ability to support her.

One thing to take into account with your planning, they are delaying the applications and taking the full 12 weeks to approve now.

Where did you hear about this delay? What's the reasoning? My missus is submitting hers this week and I am already here with the kids.

She is desperate to get over here for Xmas.

[hudson75]

Garry best thing to do is dont assume that the eco knows anything at all when preparing your visa. As he will make his decision only on the evidence provided with the visa application.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Kevin1908]

I didn't think that you could get copies of a P60. O always rember the P60 saying keep this safe as you can't get a copy.

[GarryUK]

I didn't think that you could get copies of a P60.

We'll see when I get back to the UK, though with a letter from my employer and 6 months of wage slips I don't think it will be a big problem as the wage slips will corroborate what the letter says with regard to how much I earn, and it appears this is the most important part of the application.

[Kevin1908]

I didn't think that you could get copies of a P60.

We'll see when I get back to the UK, though with a letter from my employer and 6 months of wage slips I don't think it will be a big problem as the wage slips will corroborate what the letter says with regard to how much I earn, and it appears this is the most important part of the application.

Just in case you could ring HMRC and ask them to produce your SA302. Allow about 2 weeks to get it. It would be as well to have it just in case. They asked me for my P60 which I didn't have but I had already sent them the SA302 from the previous year. I just needed to get the most recent one.

[GarryUK]

Wow, how time has flown. We're heading back to Bangkok tomorrow for the last few days before I fly back (alone) to the UK and she heads back home to her parents. The plan is to get the marriage certificate and name change documents translated into English and certified at the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs in case any of them are ever needed in the UK in the future (for anything, not just the visa process). The wife wasn't able to get her TB scan done while I was here as apparently she needs her new passport, and that won't arrive until next Tuesday so once she has that and my missing financial information (which I'll have to post to her when I get home), she'll have to come back to Bangkok for the scan and to submit her visa application.

So, aside from the information she'll provide on the visa application form we'll be including the following supporting documentation, anyone see anything missing?

Her new passport in her married name for the visa

Her old passport (to show she was granted a visitor visa and spent 4 months with me in the UK*)

Our marriage certificate and related translations

A copy of my passport (including visas for my 4 trips to Thailand)

Photos from all 4 trips to Thailand and her time in the UK

Her English test certificate

Her TB scan results (assuming they're clear of course)

A letter from my employer indicating I'm currently employed and showing my earnings

My last P60 if I can find it (or a copy if I can get one in time)

6+ months wage slips

6+ months bank statements

My last council tax bill

A covering letter from me briefly detailing the relationship and supporting documentation provided, and describing my property.

*NOTE: for whatever reason there's no exit stamp when she left the UK so I'll include the boarding passes for our flight to Thailand on October 5th which, coupled with the fact that she'll attend Regent House to submit her visa application, must be enough proof she complied with the visit visa and left the UK.

Fingers crossed....

Edited October 16, 2013 by GarryUK

[ThaiVisaExpress]

The eco will be aware of your case background i would include a copy of the covering letter for your previous tourist visa application.

Have you included evidence you own/rent the property ?

[GarryUK]

The eco will be aware of your case background i would include a copy of the covering letter for your previous tourist visa application. Have you included evidence you own/rent the property ?

In the previous applications I included my last mortgage statement (December 2012) which I see I missed from the list above, but otherwise nothing relating to the accommodation other than a brief mention in the covering letter. I'll send the wife copies of the (successful) tourist visa covering letter and mortgage statement.

In that application I sent copies of phone records, Facebook chat and Skype video calls to prove regular communication, and proof of financial support. I take it the marriage negates the need to resend proof of a relationship (although I am including the photos and visas from my visits to Thailand again)? And proof of income negates the need to send evidence of financial support in Thailand as she'll be moving to the UK?

Thanks.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

You must include a mortgage statement with the application.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app