Ludovico

Firstly thank you to all the help on various items!

We are about to submit our spouse visa application and wanted to get everyone's thoughts on the documentation to make sure we haven't missed anything.

Wife is an American citizen, I'm British, both our kids hold dual nationality and have UK and US passports. We are applying via the savings route and meet that requirement. We are submitting the application online.

Applicant

Application Form (VAF4A)
IHS Payment Confirmation
Cover Letter
Passport
Birth Certificate (Certified copy)
Passport Photo x 2
TB Test (Not required - US citizen)
English Test (Not required - US citizen)
Biometric Appointment Conf

Sponsor

Sponsor Appendix 2 (VAF4A - Appendix 2)
Sponsor Cover Letter
Sponsor Passport (Colour Copy)
Sponsor Bank Statements x 6 mths
Marriage Certificate
Photos (Family Photos)
Wedding Photos
Wedding Invites
Kids birth certificates
Joint tax returns
Evidence of living together - HMRC Letter in my name
Evidence of living together - CC Bill in wife's name
Evidence of living together - Utility Bill in my name
Health plan information - whole family listed

Landlord

Letter from Landlord - My parents where we are staying for the first few months
Landlord Passport Copy (both parents)
Land registry document (showing ownership)
Council Tax Statements (copy - not original)
Utility Bill (copy - not original)
Picture of House (rooms, garden, etc)

A couple of questions:
1) Do we need to get my wife's passport photos countersigned by a British citizen?
2) The bank statement is an original but is not notarised. Should we have it notarised? Is it mandatory?
3) What is the best route to send the hard copy information from the US to the UK?
4) Anything else we are missing from the list above?

Finally the VAF4A Appendix 2 I've typed over the Adobe PDF. Should I print and complete in ink or is that okay?

Thank you so much for your help. We're aiming to be back in the UK for January 1 so the timeline is pushing it for submission....!

LT

arnoldnayely19

Hi guys! I'm new to this forum. I only have a few questions to ask regarding accommodation. Me and my wife are applying for a spouse visa. I'm the applicant and my wife is a british citizen. The landlord didnt issue a letter to my wife but we've got her tenancy agreement, council tax bill, utility bills and property inspection report. the flat has got 3 rooms and only 2 tenants my wife and her friend. If the visa is granted my intended entry will be in march. The contract finish in July. Would that be an issue if we don't get letter from the landlord and there's only 4 months left upon my arrival in the UK. Please I want to hear your thoughts. Thank you in advance

Novocastrian

Not a problem. Most people move on after a few months anyway.

arnoldnayely19

Thank you novo. How about the letter from the landlord? Is that a must? I believe my wife didn't manage to get one.

angie_329

To avoid any doubt I would get the letter from landlord saying your name can be added to tenancy agreement, subject to your visa being granted.

see this

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...l-requirements

'That (where applicable) the permission of the owner of the accommodation has been given'.

arnoldnayely19

Thanks for the reply angie. For some reason the landlord is not issuing a letter to my wife. Is it possible for her and her flat mate to just make the letter and they will sign it agreeing about my stay there. Is that possible?

angie_329

It has to be the owner of the property to give consent not the tenants.

is there a reason he will not do it? Is it to do with right to rent checks or the fact you may not be able to be credit checked as no history in the UK?

what sort of lease does your wife and her friend have? is it a shorthold assured tenancy? has it been rented via an estate agency?

does it state their names both and somewhere say for the use of x and their immediate family?

There is another sentence in the guidelines:

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...l-requirements

The onus is on the applicant to provide confirmation that there is no objection to an additional resident moving into the accommodation.

arnoldnayely19

My wife was saying that the neighbours ruined their names to the landlord. Complaining everything even the laugh of my wife and her flat mate is an issue to the neighbours. Basically they are the worst neighbours they ever had. One more she's telling me that the landlord does want to get involve when it comes to illegals. Few days ago there's a lot of immigration officers in their area checking for illegals. So the fact that I'm applying for visa the landlord don't want to get involve.

One more thing my wife will move out and rent a new place at the end of February before I will arrive in the UK. So basically we're only using her current address for visa application purpose only. She is renting a 3-bedroom cottage with her British friend. That's it 2 tenants in 3 bedroom flat. Based on what I've seen on the tenancy agreement the contract is yearly. She's been into that place nearly 2 years now. It says on the contract assured shorthold tenancy.

angie_329

Well it sounds like the landlord will not renew the current contract but your wife is leaving anyway. However she may need a landlord's reference for the next property?

I would use the new property as your spousal accommodation . A covering letter ( with the application) can be written by your wife explaining she is sharing with a friend but has organised a new property for when you arrive (one other person living there is not a problem in that size). Then show details of that property.

This time she should ask the agent or landlord beforehand (before signing the tenancy) in writing if you can as her husband, be added to the AST ( assured shorthold tenancy) SUBJECT to your obtaining a spouse visa. As soon as you have the visa you can show it to the landlord via skype ( requirement is face to face) or on arrival.

All occupants need to be listed on an AST.

arnoldnayely19

My next concern now is that if we submit the new tenancy agreement she have arranged for the new place there might be a dispute when it comes to her address on all her documents like payslip and bank statement and at the same time she cannot present any utility bills from the new place because what she have now is the current address.

angie_329

Not if it is explained that your wife is living in one place now and when you arrive you are moving into suitable larger accommodation which will be permanent. In which case you obviously do not yet have bills. many people arrive and have temporary accommodation until they find permanent.

you can go with what you have, but there is a risk that without landlord's letter of consent for you being added on the AST , the application may be refused.

has the relationship with landlord broken down completely? is there no way your wife could ask him for a letter of consent subect to your being granted the spouse visa?

You can maybe ask a visa agent to check the application,as they have experience on what will pass, as they deal with this daily.

angie_329

I found these guidelines.. BIP posted them in another thread about accommodation.
it does not specifically answer this point in 8.2 but 5.7 is about evidence of housing costs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...Annex_1_7A.pdf

arnoldnayely19

Thank u angie for all the effort trying to answer all my queries. I will speak to my wife and see what we can do about this. God bless

angie_329

ok good luck.. possibly as you qualify, I assume, on the financial side and the accommodation is not overcrowded, it may be alright. However its always best to be sure on paperwork when you are paying a lot of money for the visa.

Perth

May I ask, are the passport photos for the applicant standard to your country or are they required to be the size of British passport photos?