passthekimchi

So I'm applying for a spouse visa within the next year and am trying to accumulate the evidence I have of my relationship with my husband. I have a few questions though:

How do you send in pictures with your application? My husband will be applying online. Do we have to send in actual printed photos or do you put them on a USB stick etc?

Is there a way to send video evidence?

We met in early 2013, but our Skype history only goes back to May 2014. So there is basically no evidence that we talked prior to this. Will that be a problem? Would I have to get a mutual friend to testify in a letter that they can confirm we were in a long distance relationship during this time?

How would we send in the Skype history? Should we put it in a Notepad and print? Should we screenshot the whole thing and print? Or do we film a video of us scrolling through the history and send it to them? (I'm guessing you have to send it in such a way that it could not have been tampered with - but text files and screenshots would be relatively easy to edit, so I'm not sure about this.)

I have taken 4 trips to the US to see my husband. But I only have boarding passes from 2 of those trips. Will this be a problem?

I understand I have to supply my "previous passports" with the application. I had a passport as a child, but it is long gone by now. Will this be a problem?

Thanks for any help

BritInParis

You apply online but you still have to submit physical paperwork. Skype history and the like is okay to add a bit of colour to an application but as the primary evidence of your relationship it's pretty useless. How long have you been married and how much time have you spent together since your wedding day?

passthekimchi

Hello and thanks for replying! So the photos have to be physical? Would it be okay if we printed them out on normal A4 paper or does it have to be special photo paper

We have been married for almost a month. We've spent about 2 weeks physically together in the US since the wedding day. Since I came home we have not visited each other. I'm not sure if we will be visiting each other again at all before we make the application. (Flights are so expensive.) Will that be an issue?

I read about a visa that got rejected partly because they couldn't 'prove that they met when they said they did.' So I was worried about proving that we indeed met in 2013.

Tchipy

Yes u put everything on A4 if you using the new barcode system.
It's not a problem if u don't meet but I suggest u keep chat history and phone call logs as evidence to show that u have been communicating all the time

passthekimchi

Oh, I don't know anything about the barcode system. Is this my only option when applying?

BritInParis

Normal paper is fine.

If you've only been married a month I would worry too much. If you had been married for two or three years but had only visited each other a handful of times since then that would raise alarm bells for the ECO. I would write a relationship statement each, explaining how you met, the development of your relationship and your future plans together. Then illustrate this with a dozen or so relevant photos. Make sure you include some of the wedding and both of you with friends and family. If you want also include print-offs Skype, Facebook or similar then do so but again make it relevant to your 'story of us'. Printing off vast reams of online conversations/Skype call records won't do anyone any good.

passthekimchi

Ah this is very helpful! I will write the statement and tell my OH to do the same. Thank you!

chandni

Hi passthekimchi,

I submitted my Visa application on 1st August and I only got married on 30th May.

For relationship evidence, I think it won't matter if you have no Skype logs that go as far as 2013, as long as there is some prior evidence before marriage and some after and the fact that you have actually met before you married.

I think you should submit everything on paper. I am unsure about a USB stick because when I submitted my documents, they literally scan every piece of paper and send it then also posted the original documents with their copies.

Please make sure to make copies of everything and when you go to submit take both the original and copy because on most documents they took both of them from me that is for marriage cert, birth cert, ID, police clearance, bank letter, employer letter, etc...

i submitted the following:

- I took screenshots of Skype logs and printed on regular paper

- screenshots of whatsapp chats as far back as i could get on my phone which is March 2016. I basically took random date screenshots in every month, 4 screenshots per month, the I arranged them on a sheet of 6 screenshots per page and printed those out.

- whatsapp call logs screenshots as well, which i only got from september 2016 on my phone. so i again arranged them on a sheet like the whatsapp chats.

- emails i printed directly from Gmail.

- online gift receipts bought for each other. like bday bouquets etc

- flight tickets to show he came to see me

- Boarding passes that I could gather including the online ones you receive via email when you checkin online.

- if visa was required to visit each other, then show the payment for that IF you have.

- made copies of cards and letters Aswell as submitted the originals

- i printed about 18 pictures as actual photos. but i think on paper too would be ok.

HERE IS MY GOOGLE SHEET THAT I CREATED TO COMPILE EVERYTHING. HOPE IT HELPS.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

GOOD LUCK!

passthekimchi

Thanks Chandni! Very helpful and thanks for taking the time to answer I'll reference your list when it is time to apply.

Does anyone have any advice on previous passports? I had one as a child but I don't have it anymore... Will this cause a problem? Is there a service to order copies of expired passports?

passthekimchi

Also if I may pose another question: If for example they did require more proof of relationship (or any other documents for that matter), would they first contact us to request the missing info, or would they just refuse us immediately?

Also, to clarify the passport question: I am the sponsor. Does that mean I need to send them my previous passport or not?

BritInParis

Providing you include your marriage certificate it's unlikely that you would be refused on relationship grounds unless they think your relationship is bogus.

No.

passthekimchi

I'm really paranoid about them thinking our relationship isn't real. But then again I'm paranoid about the whole application in general... Good thing I don't need my old passport! One less thing to worry about, thank you

Siyami

Hi all i am new in this forum so I dont know how to write on a new page. Pls am planning to put forward my spouse application next month . Please I need help from the good people out here in order to avoid a refusal. I applied and was refused a visitor visa in 2005 with my status being married. I lost my husband in 2007 and remarried in 2010. Can the 2005 information affect my application if I answer NO to the question have you ever been married before. I have equally been refused uk visitor visa 4 times in 4 different years as i tried visiting my husband after we got married in 2010. I have never applied for a spouse visa because back then my husband had but a discretionary leave to remain which didn't qualify him to bring me in as a spouse. It's only last year that he was granted indefinite leave to remain. All my previous applications were done in cameroon and am equally going to apply from Cameroon. Thanks Please help

spouse of scouse

Hi, sorry to hear of the loss of your first husband.

I'm only going to give you one piece of advice, because it's the only one you need. Always be absolutely truthful on your application.

When asked if you've been married previously, you must answer yes.
When asked if you've ever been refused a visa to any country before, you must answer yes.

Best of luck with this application.

Siyami

Thanks alot spouse of scouse. I will stick to your advice. The reason I Was thinking of saying I haven't been married before is because my husband is afraid that it might just complicate things since I don't have a dead certificate of my late husband that gave me the liberty to remarry.we equally thought that since the 2005 application is more than 10 years now home office will hardly still have the information. So if I may ask please,can home office still be in keeping of the information I submitted since 2005. In case they hold the information what can I show as prove apart from a dead certificate that I lost my husband before remarrying. Thanks a lot