Settling at the same time.Accomodation clarification!

[desertmom]

Hi

Im sorry if I am slow to understand things ( fear of failure is making me a bit daft..lol)

My partner,a UK citizen,will take up her position in the Uk in September.

We want to apply for unmarried partner visa and we want to Enter together with our kids,also BRitish citizens.

1. The accommodation that we have to prove we have when applying is a problem before September.We will get a substancial housing allowance from the company for a house but only when she starts working.Interim arrangements unsually include 2 months of furnished accommodation or hotel paid by the company.

How do we go about proving accommodation in this case?Is contact with rental agents and knowing in which town we want to settle enough?What would they expect as proof in this situation?I am sure some people have had to deal with this issue before.

2. The visa consultants says we dont need to submit original documents and that they use a lawyer to certify/attest all documents.I keep seeing originals plus a set of copies are neccessary,which should we submit?

3.If you submit the application online do you then HAND IN THE PASSPORT AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS when you do your Biometrics?(I sound stupid but it says no documents will be accepted after application is made?)

4. In this country you do online application and it seems payment.Then you have to make an appointment (also online) for biometrics.With the new rules that come into effect on the 9th of July,does that mean everything needs to be done beofre the 9th?

5..with testimonials from friends and famly,is that suppose to be affidavits or just letters signed by them?Do they need to put copies of I.D.'s or passports?

As you can see I am a slow learner and really need answers to these questions.
Ive asked some of these questions before and received some answers.I just want to make very sure I understand how strict they are and not to miss anything.I am flying to my home country this week to try and find more documentation that is in storage at home.

Thanks for everyones patience.

[desertmom]

Anyone?

xxo

[2farapart]

1. The accommodation that we have to prove we have when applying is a problem before September.We will get a substancial housing allowance from the company for a house but only when she starts working.Interim arrangements unsually include 2 months of furnished accommodation or hotel paid by the company.

How do we go about proving accommodation in this case?Is contact with rental agents and knowing in which town we want to settle enough?What would they expect as proof in this situation?I am sure some people have had to deal with this issue before.

To cover all bases, you'll need confirmation in writing from the company that they will be providing the housing allowance (preferably on company headed paper), and some evidence to show you've registered with a property agent for the type of property you'd like to let short-term, with a covering note from you in writing to describe your future plans. As said previously, if you cannot nail down a specific property until closer to the date, what is important is demonstrating concrete plans: where you intend to be when you enter the country, how long for, and where next - oh, and proving you can easily afford it (which you can based on the sums you previously mentioned). Because you're not intending to arrive before September, you can ask the property agent to send you details of properties that will be vacant from September onwards. These communications all help prove evidence of accommodation plans and build the complete picture, and you should be fine because you have a significant amount of savings behind the two of you.

2. The visa consultants says we dont need to submit original documents and that they use a lawyer to certify/attest all documents.I keep seeing originals plus a set of copies are neccessary,which should we submit?

Remember me mentioning about expensive advice?! Unless there is anything in great variance with the UKBA in your country, this is bad advice most likely designed to strip you of even more money. You need to send originals for important papers such as birth certificates and non-UK passports (the UKBA site will tell you what they require and what they won't accept). You can send notarised copies of some papers that aren't ordinarily available in paper format (for example: online-only bank accounts where the bank will notarise a set of paper statements for you), but other documents need to be originals. You ALSO need to provide a set of photocopies of all the papers in addition to the originals. You certainly don't need to be paying any lawyers to sign papers.

3.If you submit the application online do you then HAND IN THE PASSPORT AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS when you do your Biometrics?(I sound stupid but it says no documents will be accepted after application is made?)

This varies from country to country and all you can do here is follow the advice of the application process. For example: the online process for US citizens will explain that the applicant will need to book a biometrics appointment and then, AFTER biometrics, all paperwork must be mailed to the UKBA, but for Canadian citizens, all paperwork must be taken for checking at the Biometrics centre. That bit about not accepting papers after you've applied simply means that you cannot 'suddenly remember' something you forgot to send with all your other papers and send it in later.

4. In this country you do online application and it seems payment.Then you have to make an appointment (also online) for biometrics.With the new rules that come into effect on the 9th of July,does that mean everything needs to be done beofre the 9th?

No, the process you follow won't change HOW you apply (that will be the same as always, and it sounds to me that your procedures are similar to the US procedure). The changes coming in on 9th July are all about who qualifies for settlement, and what criteria applicants must meet. You already easily meet the financial criteria and so have no urgency to beat the 9th July deadline. The only criterion affecting you if applying on or after the 9th is that you will need to undergo TWO probationary visas for a period of 30 months each) before being able to apply for ILR in 5 years' time (instead of the current 2 years).

5..with testimonials from friends and famly,is that suppose to be affidavits or just letters signed by them?Do they need to put copies of I.D.'s or passports?

The letters just need to be dated and signed by hand. No other ID needed. These letters are regarded as 'soft evidence' in that they don't really help on their own, but can add weight to the fact the two of you are a couple (and given the 'working relationship' you've both had to live under in order to be discreet, they could indeed help. But they only need to be signed (not notarised or supported with their ID).

[AnAmericanInScotland]

I'll give it a try-I know if I'm wrong or miss anything one of the other posters here will correct or supply missing answers:

Q1-a copy of the contract that specifies the accommodations that are being supplied by the company would probably satisfy on the accommodations concern.

Q2-when in doubt ALWAYS go with what the UKBA site says, and be sure to have either a hard copy print-out of that to show the immigration advisor, or at least the url of the pertinent page(s).

Q3-you are in the ME, right? If yes, then you will make your application online(-pay-book your biometrics appointment online) and in that process you'll be prompted to print out the biometrics booking confirmation, which will have a list of instructions on it, including if you are to bring everything to the biometrics appointment to hand in. Once everything (application and supporting documents) has been handed in, you can't submit any other documents to assist in determining your case-unless the UKBA asks you for something.

Q4-you have officially begun the process the minute you hit submit and pay when the application is done online. As far as I can figure, even if your biometrics appointment is after 9 July, you should be OK-but again, if I'm wrong on that someone will correct me.

Q5-testimonials? If there is mention of those as being usable for unmarried partners, there should be mention of whether or not those need to be certified/notarised or that ID, etc, needs to be submitted alongside. I know there have been a couple of posters who have supplied letters from commanding officers, etc, to attest to the couple's commitment, but I also know those don't hold a lot of weight with the UKBA (except the ones for military members) because the assumption is your friends and family will be, erm, less objective.

Don't worry about the number of questions-this is an incredibly stressful process that takes months of planning; the anxiety level is going to be very high! Worse, (I know, can it get worse, really?!) the UBA rules are by nature complicated and sometimes really difficult to negotiate especially in a high-stress condition.

Try to stay calm-lol, deep cleansing breath and hooooooooooooooooold, now let it out s l o w l y...rinse and repeat as needed. A nice pot of tea (a a cold one if you can get that there, and enjoy a beer or glass of wine, whatever) will help too. And breaks from the process-deep breaths and a walk will go along way towards helping you relax a little.

[desertmom]

Hi,2farapart,thanks a million for patiently answering again.

We are so spoilt and always want someone else to do stuff for us.We went to Globalvisas and paid half and then realized that people say they even are the cause of delays sometimes.

We spend all of today doing a lot of paperwork.We have almost everything sorted except for the official job offer,the accommodation,the language test I have to book tomorrow and and a bank letter stating when we opened the account.Now we will write our cover letters and tomorrow I will go and print copies of all the photographs we want to send.seems like the most important stuff is still outstanding..lol.Will fix all that by the end of this week.

Anamericaninscotland,this is super stressful as I want to travel in the next week for 2 weeks and we want to try and submit before 4 July to be safe to make the 9th for the changes ( weekend on Friday and Saturday here) The 2 year for ILR is really important to us.

2 quick questions.

1. 20 years is a long time with a lot of photographs.Can I print them at home on A4 paper,say 4 per page.That would be a real space saver.

2. Should we leave the UK before I get ILR ( our intention is to stay but work might transfer us before 5 years,that is if we dont make the 9th) could we go back in the future after applying for the same visa again.
ie.can one do the unmarried partner visa twice in one lifetime?We want to retire in the UK but are not quite at that age and we might have another posting before we can retire.

Thanks again for the advice.If we know we will be able to do the same visa again in future this might not be such a rush job after all.Myself and the little one can stay here for 6 months after my partner leaves if need be.

[2farapart]

1. 20 years is a long time with a lot of photographs.Can I print them at home on A4 paper,say 4 per page.That would be a real space saver.

It is!

Yes, you can do that, but all you need to print is a selection from different periods of time. The purpose of the photos is really just to show that you've met each other (and I'd say that over 20 years you've done THAT!), so pick a small selection, but you don't need masses.

2. Should we leave the UK before I get ILR ( our intention is to stay but work might transfer us before 5 years,that is if we dont make the 9th) could we go back in the future after applying for the same visa again.
ie.can one do the unmarried partner visa twice in one lifetime?We want to retire in the UK but are not quite at that age and we might have another posting before we can retire.

Given that you have been living together for 20 years, you might (if you apply before July 9th) be granted a visa with the KOL endorsement. This means that, as soon as you pass the Knowledge Of Life in the UK test, you can immediately apply for the final ILR visa without having to remain on the probationary unmarried partners visa. On your final ILR visa, future travel would be fine because you've been awarded permanent settlement (unless you leave for a certain number of years - can't remember what the number is, but I recall the ILR only remains valid for certain number of years of you being away from the UK).

However, if you apply on or after 9th July (the KOL endorsement is being abolished then), or if you're not awarded the KOL endorsement on your visa (quite a few recent applicants haven't been despite meeting the requirements), you will need to reside here on a probationary visa of either 2 years (applications prior to 9th July) or 5 years (2 x 30-month visas). During probationary visas, you are meant to reside in the UK 'permanently' together. You are permitted to travel for short periods, but anything greater than 3 months out of the UK might mean breaking that period.

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by 2farapart

On your final ILR visa, future travel would be fine because you've been awarded permanent settlement (unless you leave for a certain number of years - can't remember what the number is, but I recall the ILR only remains valid for certain number of years of you being away from the UK).

2 years, unless the new rules have changed it (I don't think it has, as ILR isn't confined just to family migration routes). This is similar to US permanent resident status rule, but US enforces it much more rigorously than UK with re-entry permit etc.

[desertmom]

Ok,I was thinking much more basic.

eg.I get my visa,we live there from Oct 2012 to july 2015 and we get transfered.We live wherever and retire in 2019.want to return to the UK.APPLY FOR UNMARRIED PARTNER VISA AGAIN.Is that possible?

Hope we can file before 9 July.

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by desertmom

Ok,I was thinking much more basic.

eg.I get my visa,we live there from Oct 2012 to july 2015 and we get transfered.We live wherever and retire in 2019.want to return to the UK.APPLY FOR UNMARRIED PARTNER VISA AGAIN.Is that possible?

Hope we can file before 9 July.

Yes, and that's probably the only way, as you will have spent too much time out of UK after getting your ILR in October 2014. So you'll have to start afresh with the rules current at that time.

[desertmom]

Man, our timing sucks!

Having said that another question about the visa (sorry!)

A lot of my papers (proof that we live together) shows my documents being sent to my partners PO Box.We dont have street delivery here.It is adressed.M.Thgfvbn c/o C.Mkjhgnmm.PO Box 123,....
Is that worth anything?

We have bank statements going back 4 years (joint account)
Investments going back 4 years (and failed investments..lol)
A Will going back 4 years
Her tenancy contract and some maintanance company receipts with home adress and my name.
An offshore account going back 5 years (joint)

Do I need monthly records or 2 monthly records of each of these or is a letter from the bank that states when the account was opened and say 12 of each enough?

She wants to rely heavily on the picture trail (you can see us getting old and the kids from birth to today).That is clearly the best evidence but I think we need more official paperwork.

Also,she wants to include her phone records for the past few years showing her calls when she travels.I have a pay as you go phone.
We have no accounts in this country (cash taxfree society)
No utility bills (paid by company)

We also have some sporadic papers from the years before that show I have had my mail send c/o to her PO Box for 20 years.Should we send that too?

Unfortunately when we heard we were moving we had a huge clean up session and chucked a lot of smaller invoices and stuff like that which we didnt consider important.

Is there any other paperwork you can think of that would be helpful to us?

Thanks again.