jjonesuk

Hi All,

I have been reading all over the place to try and get a solid idea of exactly what documents I need to prepare and the process for applying for a spouse visa for my Chinese wife. I will detail our situation and current understanding, and it would be great if you all could help me fill in the blanks so I can get this right.

Background
I am a British Citizen who moved to China in 2012 to meet my then Chinese girlfriend. We were married in 2014 in China, and have recently decided to move back to the UK to be closer to my family and work. We have no children/dependents.
I have lived in china full time since 2012 (with the exception of a few weeks each year for renewing Chinese visas)
In my entire time living in china I have worked for British Companies (first as freelancer, now as salaried)

Current Situation
I am employed in a full time salaried position at a British Company working remotely since Oct 2016. The starting salary was £36k, and in April 2018 I received a raise to £40K. I am paid to a UK bank account.
Q: In my application, what should I list as my salary? 36k or 40k?
When we move to the UK, the plan is to stay with my mother for a couple of months until we find our own place to rent. The house is within commuting distance of my work so that wont be an issue.
Q: Does it make a difference if my mother is in a housing association house or receiving housing benefits through universal credit?
Q: What documentation is required to support our application if we stay with my mother?
My wife is a Chinese Citizen and we are making the application from Mainland China.
Q: What do we use as proof of her right to reside in China, is her passport being Chinese enough or is more needed?
She has taken and passed her IELTS A1 exam so there is no issues there.

Questions about the application Process.
When do we send our documents in? and too where?
Is there a particular way of ordering the documents, I have seen reference to barcoding, is this required for all documents?
Is it possible for us to send all/the majority of our documents to my mother in the UK who will then mail them to Sheffield? I ask because we have some here in China, and others will be in the UK.
Do we need to get our Chinese Marriage certificate translated?
Is there a particular certification that translators must have?

The list of documents we have planned so far are:
Employment evidence

• Letter from sponsor’s employer
• Six months of payslips (originals)

Financial evidence

• Last six months bank statements (originals)

Education evidence

• IELTS certificate (original)

Sponsor evidence

• Last six months payslip (original)
• 2 recent passport photos of sponsor (45mm×35mm )
• Sponsor's photocopy of his passport and stamp pages ( include blank page)

Consent letter and proof of relationship

• Marriage certificate (And translation?)
• Applicant's statement ( Explaining relationship history and our plans for our future together)
• Letter from sponsor confirming relationship history and future plans detailed in applicant’s letter
• Photos from our time together in china

Accommodation-Permanent/Temporary

• Letter from my mother inviting us to stay in the spare bed room
• Council Tax bill in my mothers name for the property
• Utility Bill in my mothers name for the property

Other

• TB Test results showing clean bill of health

Is there anything we are missing? I'll be happy to answer any questions if needed and I hope this is the right forum to be asking in!

Thanks

SanDiegogirl

What documentation do you have to show that you have a job to go to in the UK? Are you continuing in your current post but now in the UK?

jjonesuk

I have a signed contract for my position with my current UK employer and they will provide me with the required letter, as well as pay stubs from that employer. I will be staying in the same post as I am now, the only change to my employment is I will stop working remotely and spend more time in the office.

SanDiegogirl

Then apart from the documents you list above, you need a new employment letter/contract detailing your new job/salary/etc in the UK.

Also permission from the landlord/housing association to stay in your mother's home.