Documents for spouse visa

[ridiculous]

Mind if I run through the docs I've put together for our premium service appointment a month from now?

We're applying for the spousal visa from inside the country - I'm here on a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa and we've been living together with his parents since I got here. He's a British-born citizen.

So here's what we've got:

• FLR(M) completed
• Both our passports (he's also including his old one, but I've only had one)
• Both our birth certificates + copies
• Marriage certificate + copy
• Two passport-sized photos of me (applicant)
• One passport-sized photo of him (sponsor)
• Statement letter from applicant
• Statement letter from sponsor

His financial stuff:

• Job contract which includes salary of 27k + copy
• Pay slips for 6 months (actually we have even more than that if they want 'em) + copies
• Bank statements for 6 months (printed off and stamped by the bank) + copies
• P60 + copy

My financial stuff:
Job contract which includes wage + copy
No pay slips as I haven't started yet

Do I need to include bank statements? I only have ~6 quid in my British bank account. I've got a Canadian account with ~1000 dollars - would they want to see that? I really should have gotten that in order earlier if so.

Accommodation

• Letter from his parents confirming how long we've lived with them, that we're here rent-free and with their permission, that we have our own room in a 3 bedroom house, and that they approve of our marriage
• Proof that they're the owners of the house (Council bills, deeds to the house, and letter from the bank about their mortgage - do we need all three?) + copies

Extra stuff:

• Pictures of us over the years
• Facebook screenshot of us announcing our engagement and ~40 people liking/commenting
• Cards we got from people congratulating us on getting engaged, then married
• Wedding pictures (including family shots as well as ones of just us)

So how does that look? Is there anything else I could add? Any ideas about my bank information?

Thanks!

[daniella-mum of 2]

Hi
Me and my husband also included a budgeting plan to prove we could live on our money without recourse to public funds. This is always an issue and if they think your money is not enough to live on they will throw this at you. If you prove to them you can live on both incomes and have surplus money then they can't say that to you. Just work out what both incomes are each month or you can do it yearly and let the computer do all the work. I can't imagine your out goings will be much but it's good to prove to these people as they are very strict on the recourse to public funding.

All the best with your visa application

[daniella-mum of 2]

Also the application is incomplete without your wage slips so I would recommend submitting your documents in when you have atleast 2 months of pay slips as me and my husband got refused on the basis we didn't provide pay slips as proof of income. These people like to see money and plenty of it.
These visas are hard to get and you really don't wanna waste £800 for them to say no and have to go through the whole process of appealing if you don't have to.
They won't give you chance to submit anything after you have put all your documents in so I really would recommend putting pay slips in once you get them and re book your appointment to submit documents.
Best of luck

[deco]

Is the budgeting thing necessary? I thought that was the whole point of introducing the £18,600 income limit (the minimum required without recourse to public funds). Also, would it be necessary for her to include her wage slips, since her husband already exceeds the income requirement?

To the OP: Does the letter from the parents include how many occupants are in the house? If this is a temporary arrangement while you both save money, you may want to state this, as well as any plans you may have on the practicalities of living together.

Do you both have any shared financial responsibilities that you can include?

Good luck!

[deco]

Oh, your husband may want to include a letter from his employer that includes the following:

Letter from the employer confirming the person’s employment and annual salary, the length of their employment (and the period over which they have been or were paid the level of salary relied upon in the application), and the type of employment (permanent, fixed-term contract or agency).

[daniella-mum of 2]

You maybe right but my husband has got a job contract stating he would be earning £22k once visa is approved and they still refused and stated he would not be adequately maintained in the UK without recourse to public funding and this was before law changed in July also I am earning £5k a year so that would total £27k a year joint income.
I just suggested it of course it's entirely upto you, these visas are very hard to get and lots of prep will look good on your part

[ridiculous]

Daniella: Unfortunately we can't wait until I've got two pay slips as I still don't know my start date, and my current visa expires in November so it could potentially be a very close call. As we're well above the income requirement, the only reason I had for including it was to demonstrate that I won't be a drain, that I intend to contribute to our living costs as well. I will take your tip about the budget though - I'd rather have too much paperwork than too little!

We don't have any shared financial responsibilities, unless you count the dog.

Deco: We've got plenty of my husband's pay slips, as well as his employment contract which includes date started, that it's permanent, and salary and whatnot - would you still recommend getting a letter from his employer? Actually, he did get a raise since the contract - so the pay slips would show more income than the contract states - would that be a good reason to get a letter?

[ridiculous]

Oh, forgot to mention to Deco, yes living with his parents is temporary while we save up money to buy a house - I've mentioned that in my letter of introduction but I'll ask his parents to mention it in their letter as well.

[deco]

How long ago did he get his raise? You can count his gross annual salary at its lowest level in the past 6 months (i.e. if he got his raise less than 6 months ago, then you report his salary as it was before the raise). I would definitely include the letter. It shouldn't take too long for his employer to whip up. To quote one of the UKBA documents:

The evidential requirements are:

a. Salaried employment: All of the following must be submitted:

• P60 (if this has been issued) and wage slips for the six month period prior to the application, or as appropriate, for the 12 month period prior to the application.

• Letter from the employer confirming the person’s employment and annual salary, the length of their employment (and the period over which they have been or were paid the level of salary relied upon in the application), and the type of employment (permanent, fixed-term contract or agency).

• A copy of the employment contract.

• Bank statements corresponding to the same period as the wage slips, showing that the salary has been paid into the person’s account.

[ridiculous]

Ahh, he got the raise in May, so I guess we'll have to report it at the pre-raise rate (25k). We've got every pay slip since he started though so I'll bring 'em all.

He's just asked his boss to write him a letter detailing how long he's been there, that his position is permanent, and the new salary after raise. We'll still include the original contract, too, of course.