UK Settlement Visa Supporting Docs

Old Jul 3rd 2011, 3:11 pm
  #1  
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Default UK Settlement Visa Supporting Docs

Dear Group,

This is my first visit here.

I'm a US citizen living in Belgium (US passport, Belgian residence permit) getting ready to apply for a UK settlement visa in order to marry (civil partnership) my partner. We met in the UK, lived together in the UK for 9 months before I came over here on a work contract and allowed my UK residence visa to expire.

Thus far, the application process appears relatively straight forward but I have a question or two about the ambiguous supporting documents which "prove" the veracity of our relationship.

1) Must photos from our holidays together be of both of us? Potentially stupid question but almost all of our holidays have been just the two of us taking photos of one or the other rather than having a passerby taking one of the two of us.
2) If we decline to submit our personal correspondence (I find it unappealing to have someone else read our private correspondence), how much will that count against us, if at all?
3) Will letters of support from friends who know us also bolster our case?

Many thanks and kind regards,

C
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Old Jul 3rd 2011, 3:43 pm
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Default Re: UK Settlement Visa Supporting Docs

1) Do you have photos taken at home together on occasions such as Christmas etc? They don't have to be holidays.

2) It would count against you and I wouldn't worry about them seeing this stuff, we didn't! They see it all the time, they don't know you, it is just like a doctor examining you! You wouldn#t let anyone do that, you only let the doctor do it 'cos it's his job. It is these peoples' jobs to scrutinise your relationship.

3) Yes letters from people who know you would be good.

The most important things are joint bills etc.

However, as I understand it, you are applying for a visa as a prospective civil partner, therefore the requirements are the same as those of a fiance visa. Therefore they don't expect too much evidence tying you together as if you were already married or in a CP. Legally, you only have to have met once. Can you also get a letter from the register office where the CP ceremony will be to say you have booked a provisional date? Do you have a copy of an invite to the ceremony and/or evening shindig? Are you exchanging rings which you could provide receipts for? How about phone bills that show you have called each other frequently? Boarding passes from visits to each other?
Everything you can think of that ties you together.

However bear in mind that as a Brit/American couple you are unlikely to come up against the type of scutiny that a Brit in a relationship with someone from a developing country would get. (That's purely because people from certain countries have more of a history of bogus relationships).
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Old Jul 3rd 2011, 4:11 pm
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Default Re: UK Settlement Visa Supporting Docs

I had gathered that it can be more difficult to apply if one of the party is from a developing nation. Hmmm....

You are correct about the correspondence just looking to make sure we are a real couple...I just don't like the idea of it even though I realise we may have to do it.

Question: Majority of our correspondence is in emails so will print outs of them suffice in addition to cards, most of which are undated?

We have booked the civil partnership registration and the civil ceremony but the registry office refuses to give us written confirmation despite having explained to them why we need it. We even emailed them in hopes that the would respond in kind and instead they left a voice mail stating this was the only confirmation we would get. What cheek!

But, we have the reception venue and honeymoon booked. Rings are my grandmother's so there is only a receipt for having one re-sized.

Photos....I hate having my photo take so there are very few of us together. I can only dig up what I have.

Advice: What should our friends/family say in their letters of support? We are all a bit clueless.

Again, many thanks!
C
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Old Jul 3rd 2011, 5:46 pm
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Default Re: UK Settlement Visa Supporting Docs

You may want to ask the same questions over on www.uk-yankee.com where there are a lot of Americans who are doing or have done what you are trying to do
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Old Jul 3rd 2011, 9:59 pm
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Default Re: UK Settlement Visa Supporting Docs

The letters should say that they know you as a couple and how long they have known you both, maybe how they got to know you, places they have met you together...? Not really sure we didn't do that.

We only sent a couple of letters but maybe half a dozen would be better. (We were snail mail penpals). Choose emails that aren't too personal but clearly show your relationship. For example where you are talking about plans for visiting each other.

How annoying about the registry office, I've heard some are like this, ours voluntarily gave us a cert comfirming the provisional booking. You can just write a letter to state that you have booked such and such a venue and the date, I remember reading that would suffice. Anything else really that is booked, musician etc, receipt or correspondance for the cake, booze, reception venue hire?

Try to present your evidence in a tidy manner with labelled sections maybe with tabs eg one section for evidence of intention to form a CP, one section for finances, one for accomodation, one for passport photos etc

Remember don't sweat, these things are rarely denied, they are more likely to just contact you to say something is missing rather than charge you and make you apply again, so make sure you give clear contact numbers.
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