# Spouse visa documents photocopies



## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

*spouse visa document photocopies*

Hi All,

Please can someone advise me whether I should include a photocopy of all the original documents, for example bank statements, train tickets, movie tickets etc? Thank you!!!


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## Peteslady (Mar 24, 2011)

you can if you want for peace of mind but it is really unnecessary..I went thru the Chi office an didn't add copies an all went fine..best of luck!!!


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## Lily Bart (Jun 2, 2011)

I'm applying for a completely different visa and from a completely different location, but for every supporting document I have to submit both the original and a photocopy. I thought this was a general requirement.

I've been making two sets of photocopies, one for the UKBA and one for myself (in case the unthinkable happens and my originals are lost).


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## peppera-ann- (Feb 4, 2008)

laurayang said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Please can someone advise me whether I should include a photocopy of all the original documents, for example bank statements, train tickets, movie tickets etc? Thank you!!!


Hiya-
I included a copy of any ID documents and bank statements, just in case they wanted to keep them. I put them in the back of the notebook with a post it note- but they didnt use them. So my advice is, better safe than sorry! 
Pepper Ann


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## peppera-ann- (Feb 4, 2008)

Lily Bart said:


> I'm applying for a completely different visa and from a completely different location, but for every supporting document I have to submit both the original and a photocopy. I thought this was a general requirement.
> 
> I've been making two sets of photocopies, one for the UKBA and one for myself (in case the unthinkable happens and my originals are lost).


Definitely a good idea to take a copy of EVERYTHING you send in and keep for yourself in case it gets lost!


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

peppera-ann- said:


> Hiya-
> I included a copy of any ID documents and bank statements, just in case they wanted to keep them. I put them in the back of the notebook with a post it note- but they didnt use them. So my advice is, better safe than sorry!
> Pepper Ann


Hi Pepper Ann, Thank you very much for sharing with me. I have so many documents!!! It's a lot of photocopies to do!!! I am a bit worried though, if I don't provide the photocopies. Is there an official guideline on the home office website regarding photocopies?? Does any one know??? Please advise me!! Thanks in advance


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

laurayang said:


> Hi Pepper Ann, Thank you very much for sharing with me. I have so many documents!!! It's a lot of photocopies to do!!! I am a bit worried though, if I don't provide the photocopies. Is there an official guideline on the home office website regarding photocopies?? Does any one know??? Please advise me!! Thanks in advance


This: Supporting documents and the link for Settlement guidance.
What do you want to know? All you need is to provide an original of every document requested/you decide to submit, and just make a photocopy of it. It can be just black and white, and can be on any standard paper, such as US Letter or European A4. Put the two together in one plastic punched wallet, put a table of content at the front of your dossier and tabbed index for supporting documents.


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## kellyo (Jun 8, 2011)

Photocopies can't hurt - better to have too much than not enough! 

I don't know how far along you are in the process, I had an agent help me when I moved from London to Australia. I just scanned in photos onto a couple of pages with an explanation of who the photo was of and the date etc. 

One thing that was important was copies of bank statements proving that you transfer money to each other / share money for living together etc. Any documents like car insurance with both names mentioned or something is also good. Don't bother with birthday cards etc - thats not considered evidence! 

Good luck with it all!


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

Thank you Joppa and Kellyo!!! It's very nice of you both. I changed my appointment from the 14th to the 21st, I hope I can get everything ready soon. Thank you again for your advice.


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

Thank you all for your replies!!! You are all stars!!!


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

Joppa said:


> This: Supporting documents and the link for Settlement guidance.
> What do you want to know? All you need is to provide an original of every document requested/you decide to submit, and just make a photocopy of it. It can be just black and white, and can be on any standard paper, such as US Letter or European A4. Put the two together in one plastic punched wallet, put a table of content at the front of your dossier and tabbed index for supporting documents.


Hi Joppa, thank you for your reply! the link you give is for applicants applying from outside UK, do you know where can I find supporting documents links for people applying in the UK? (spouse visa, FLR(M)). I look forward to your reply!


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2011)

Laura, I tried to reply on your thread regarding how many emails to print but there seems to be a glitch so I'll reply here if you don't mind.

I just got word that my visa has been issued, so apparently my method worked, lol. 

I printed out at least one from each month to show when we started emailing, and that each progressive month we were continuing to have email contact, right up to and including emails we've exchanged while I've been in the US preparing for and making the visa application. 

Quite a wad of paper that was, too, lol, since we've been emailing for nearly three years now, from the first email sent when we started conversing as friends through to the newly-wed and separated during the visa process! 

LOL, I feel sorry for the poor Entry Clearance Officer who had to wade through that lot, some of it was pretty mushy after we realised we were falling in love!


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

AnAmericanInScotland said:


> Laura, I tried to reply on your thread regarding how many emails to print but there seems to be a glitch so I'll reply here if you don't mind.
> 
> I just got word that my visa has been issued, so apparently my method worked, lol.
> 
> ...


Hi AnAmericanInScotland,

Congraulations!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooooooo happy for you!!! It must be very exciting and happy for you!!! :clap2:

Thank you very much for your reply!! I was just reading my emails with my husband; some of them are very mushy!! 

Please would you tell me what supporting documents I need as I am applying from UK? I just realized that the link for supporting documents I found on this site are for people applying from outside UK. Thank you in advance  congraculations again!!! I am so happy for you!!


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2011)

laurayang said:


> Hi AnAmericanInScotland,
> 
> Congraulations!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooooooo happy for you!!! It must be very exciting and happy for you!!! :clap2:
> 
> ...


Thank-you, we're over the moon that I'll be home next week, just thrilled!

As for the supporting documents info for applications within the UK, try this link, and follow the prompts:

UK Border Agency | Applying as a husband, wife or civil partner from inside the UK

TIP: Bookmark this page so you can come back to it often. 

Follow any links on that page that look applicable to your situation, and again, remember to bookmark.


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

AnAmericanInScotland said:


> Thank-you, we're over the moon that I'll be home next week, just thrilled!
> 
> As for the supporting documents info for applications within the UK, try this link, and follow the prompts:
> 
> ...


Thank you very much!!! You are so nice! I should buy you a drink when I go to Scotland


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2011)

laurayang said:


> Thank you very much!!! You are so nice! I should buy you a drink when I go to Scotland


LOL, not much of a drinker, but I know some great pubs in Edinburgh with excellent lemonade We'll have to stay active on the expat boards here, and when you are in the country, PM me


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

AnAmericanInScotland said:


> LOL, not much of a drinker, but I know some great pubs in Edinburgh with excellent lemonade We'll have to stay active on the expat boards here, and when you are in the country, PM me


My husband's father is from Scotland, he has been saying taking me to Scotland for a long time. But we have been so busy with work and study!! I am not a drinker either, would love to go for the excellent lemonade  We should definitly meet up  You are welcome to visit me in England, I am in Bath, a lovely little town, I can show you around


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2011)

laurayang said:


> My husband's father is from Scotland, he has been saying taking me to Scotland for a long time. But we have been so busy with work and study!! I am not a drinker either, would love to go for the excellent lemonade  We should definitly meet up  You are welcome to visit me in England, I am in Bath, a lovely little town, I can show you around


Sounds great


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## Shelby (Feb 9, 2011)

I just got my visa issued today.

I didn't photo copy anything I wasn't bothered about getting back. My husbands pay slips/bank statements etc.

I sent my husband's original passport, just to be on the safe side as he didn't need it until I go back home.

I didn't send any emails between us as we'd been living together for the last 6 months, I did print out a google chat log summary screen showing he'd been chatting with me from work while I was there. 

Good luck with your visa, it took a total of a week from applying online to getting the "you've got visa" mail - well woth the extra $300 if you're impatient like me.


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

AnAmericanInScotland said:


> Sounds great


Please can you tell me what you wrote in the personal statement? How many words did you write? How did you organize the content? Thank you in advance


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

Shelby said:


> I just got my visa issued today.
> 
> I didn't photo copy anything I wasn't bothered about getting back. My husbands pay slips/bank statements etc.
> 
> ...


Congratulations Shelby!!!  I have booked a premium service too. Thank you for your advice. 

Please could you tell me what you wrote in your personal statment? How many words you wrote? How did you orgainze the content? Thank you in advance


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## Shelby (Feb 9, 2011)

laurayang said:


> Congratulations Shelby!!!  I have booked a premium service too. Thank you for your advice.
> 
> Please could you tell me what you wrote in your personal statment? How many words you wrote? How did you orgainze the content? Thank you in advance



Hi Laura, I didn't actualy do a personal statement, I had no idea that I had to. My husband wrote a few things in the sponsor letter confirming we were married and I sent a load of photos, my mother in law also wrote a letter approving of the marriage etc.

I bought a folder from the pound shop, it was a reallly slimline one with plastic wallets inside, put all the sponsor stuff in one (bank statements etc) put all of my stuff in another, put photos etc in another, I clipped the photos to the front along with all of the receipts.


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

Shelby said:


> Hi Laura, I didn't actualy do a personal statement, I had no idea that I had to. My husband wrote a few things in the sponsor letter confirming we were married and I sent a load of photos, my mother in law also wrote a letter approving of the marriage etc.
> 
> I bought a folder from the pound shop, it was a reallly slimline one with plastic wallets inside, put all the sponsor stuff in one (bank statements etc) put all of my stuff in another, put photos etc in another, I clipped the photos to the front along with all of the receipts.


Hi Shelby, thank you for your reply. Did you apply from the US? Or did you apply within the UK? I think the process is different for outside/within the UK. Now I come to realize I don't even need to fill in the Sponser form if I am applying within the UK. 

Did you fill in the sponser form? at page 2 the 'For Official Use Only' part, who signs that? in the Home Office or you need to find some official to sign?


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## Shelby (Feb 9, 2011)

laurayang said:


> Hi Shelby, thank you for your reply. Did you apply from the US? Or did you apply within the UK? I think the process is different for outside/within the UK. Now I come to realize I don't even need to fill in the Sponser form if I am applying within the UK.
> 
> Did you fill in the sponser form? at page 2 the 'For Official Use Only' part, who signs that? in the Home Office or you need to find some official to sign?


Hi Laura, I applied from in the USA, I returned to the USA last Friday and applied then, whole thing only took a week.

My husband had to do a sponsor letter but there were no forms to fill in, everything was done online. 

Because I did it from the USA, I didn't have to fill in any paper forms, if you're doing it from the UK then I don't know what they ask, you'd think the actual criteria would be the same though?


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## Guest (Jun 11, 2011)

@Laurayang-as a former US government paper-pusher, lol, aka 'bureaucrat', I can tell you that anytime you see *a box labelled "Offical Use ONLY"* it *means-DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING IN THIS AREA!*". Those boxes are for notes and initials of whatever entity is inspecting the form after you, the user, has filled it in.

World-wide, bureaucrats are trained to teach our eyes to automatically look at those boxes to see if it's passed through the official before us, ROFLOL!

It's actually a very efficient way of processing huge quantities of paperwork in the quickest amount of time.

So, leave it blank-that's a place for the UKBA to make their notes


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

Shelby said:


> Hi Laura, I applied from in the USA, I returned to the USA last Friday and applied then, whole thing only took a week.
> 
> My husband had to do a sponsor letter but there were no forms to fill in, everything was done online.
> 
> Because I did it from the USA, I didn't have to fill in any paper forms, if you're doing it from the UK then I don't know what they ask, you'd think the actual criteria would be the same though?


Hi Shelby, Thank you for your reply. You are so patient and nice to answer all my questions


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

AnAmericanInScotland said:


> @Laurayang-as a former US government paper-pusher, lol, aka 'bureaucrat', I can tell you that anytime you see *a box labelled "Offical Use ONLY"* it *means-DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING IN THIS AREA!*". Those boxes are for notes and initials of whatever entity is inspecting the form after you, the user, has filled it in.
> 
> World-wide, bureaucrats are trained to teach our eyes to automatically look at those boxes to see if it's passed through the official before us, ROFLOL!
> 
> ...


Hi AmericanInScotland, thank you for your reply.  It's good to be a US bureaucrat!! SO much to learn from that experience . 

Please can you tell me what you wrote for your personal statement? How many pages? And how did you organize the content? Thank you in advance


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## Guest (Jun 13, 2011)

laurayang said:


> Hi AmericanInScotland, thank you for your reply.  It's good to be a US bureaucrat!! SO much to learn from that experience .
> 
> Please can you tell me what you wrote for your personal statement? How many pages? And how did you organize the content? Thank you in advance


LOL, yup, I learned a lot in those years of working as a bureaucrat. Actually really enjoyed it. Part of my job was guiding my team (I was a supervisor) in the right way to connect with the public-our real employer! It's quite frustrating for the average citizen to have to deal with all of the rules involved in paperwork, and if we can find the right words to explain why those rules exist, it eases the frustration for the public and we can get the paperwork moved through quickly.

Once people understand there is usually a really good reason for why we need forms in triplicate, or filled out just so, and that we understand we work for the public first and foremost, they are more willing to help us help them

*RE the personal statement*: I kept it brief (very, about two paragraphs). I explained in one sentence how we met, the next sentence how we moved from a shared interest (current events), to friendship, and then to romance; in another single sentence that the romance part was developed through primarily emails with a weekly transatlantic phone call to keep costs down. Next sentence that after a couple of years he invited me to visit him in the UK and that after a month together in the UK we knew it was a real lifetime relationship so we married, and I returned to the US to go through the visa process.

I included wedding pictures-LOL, I think they figured if two worn out middle-agers were willing to care for each other on a budget (he's retired and I'm a homemaker at this point), they weren't going to stand in our way :clap2:


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## laurayang (May 27, 2011)

AnAmericanInScotland said:


> LOL, yup, I learned a lot in those years of working as a bureaucrat. Actually really enjoyed it. Part of my job was guiding my team (I was a supervisor) in the right way to connect with the public-our real employer! It's quite frustrating for the average citizen to have to deal with all of the rules involved in paperwork, and if we can find the right words to explain why those rules exist, it eases the frustration for the public and we can get the paperwork moved through quickly.
> 
> Once people understand there is usually a really good reason for why we need forms in triplicate, or filled out just so, and that we understand we work for the public first and foremost, they are more willing to help us help them
> 
> ...


Thank you for your reply  Your story sounds really romantic  It would be lovely to meet you both up in Sctoland. I will PM you when we go up there.


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## Guest (Jun 13, 2011)

laurayang said:


> Thank you for your reply  Your story sounds really romantic  It would be lovely to meet you both up in Sctoland. I will PM you when we go up there.


Looking forward to it


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## Shelby (Feb 9, 2011)

laurayang said:


> Hi Shelby, Thank you for your reply. You are so patient and nice to answer all my questions


That's no problem at all Laura, this time last week I was stressing as I had just send in the forms so I know how it all feels


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