Wilto

The gift is in my account and the 62.5k threshold has been met.

Today is day 1.
July 13th 2019 is day 180.

Start the countdown.

What is the earliest my spouse can apply for the Visa?
Can we apply July 1st so that we can take care of biometrics (nearest office is approx 3 to 4 hours away) and then patiently wait for the final bank statement to arrive on or around the 20th of July?

Sidenote - I went ahead and booked the one way tickets on july 25th for myself and the kids, $270 per ticket was hard to pass up.
Hoping and praying priority speeds up and we don't have to go more than 2 to 3 weeks without mom!

BritInParis

It's six calendar months so you'll need to wait until after you receive the bank statement that covers at least 14 July onwards. Applying 1 July will see your application refused. You must apply after the date that appears on the documents you are using to support your application. Anything dated after the submission date will be disregarded.

Wilto

Thanks BiP.

On our supporting documentation I am going back 4 years on bank account, showing paychecks, and including the relevant pay stubs to prove our income went into the same joint account.

The statement includes a lot of transactions, what is the best way to draw attention to what needs to be seen?

Highlighting?
Black line underneath?
Star / Asterisk next to the relevant transaction?

BritInParis

If you are relying on savings alone then you don’t need to send any documentation regarding your income, let alone four years’ worth.

Wilto

I am planning on sending it as part of proof of our relationship. I am just sending January statements from 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 showing both our income in our joint account.

BritInParis

I fear you’ll only muddy the waters. Do you have joint utility bills you could send instead?

Wilto

Very valid, would hate to confuse them.

The only things we have joint are as follows -
Mortgage, Home insurance, Car insurance, property tax, car loans.

I can easily make labels for this section to make things clearer, something like this:

Document provided for proof of relationship ONLY
Not required to meet the financial requirement

BritInParis

I would say that is more than enough if you’re married for ten years. Skip the bank statements and add a covering letter each (two sides max) and progressive captioned photos of the two of you with friends and family over the course of your marriage. No more than a dozen pages worth if you’re printing digital photos.

Wilto

As always, thanks BiP.

I feel as though I have 75% of the required docs, just waiting on these 6 months.

HSBC are being a royal pain in the back side with the money, statements etc......, they will be dumped as soon as we move back,

BritInParis

Go with Nationwide. Far better than any UK high street bank.

Wilto

We have accepted an offer on the house with closing expected to take place in mid-May.

Sigh of relief as this was our biggest hurdle.

Still planning on applying mid-July for the spouse visa, myself and the kids will head over at the end of July to get the kids settled in.

Starting to become very real!

Sammy2018

Lilipuddlian

Canadian does not help you much.

Wilto

Things are progress nicely, I have 3 months of original statements, just 3 more to go with the final one arriving on or around July 20th.

Can someone critique my timeline? I know it's risky, one little delay and it throws everything off but in a perfect world is this how it should/would go?

July 14 = My final statement will generate, which is the 181st day of the money being in the account (January 13th to July 14th)
July 15th = Once I can see the statement online my wife will apply via VFS website to get that ball rolling
July 17th = My family in the UK should receive the above statement and they will DX it next day from the UK to the US.
July 18/19th = Hopefully receive the statement
***somewhere in here my wife will complete her biometrics in NOLA/ATL or JAX, whichever one has the closest appointment.****
***once we get bio done we will return home and send everything off****
July 26th = I will be flying out with the kids.

Wife will suffer as she waits earnestly for emails from FCO and Sheffield.

Wilto

In addition I have also located our Geico vehicle insurance which shows our policy for the last 7 years being held jointly.

I have printed off around 15 photos of us with the kids at from the past 5 years. I know you said we had enough but I am ok including this.

I'm going to place the photos on legal sized paper and explain each one, location, ages and a whos who of the family in the photos.

EDIT : I even have all of our wedding receipts from when we got marriedin 2008, do they want that too LOL!