# Spouse Visa (Document checklist)



## LDE8N (Aug 8, 2012)

I just want to make sure I haven't missed anything or overlooked something. I also have some questions. Im applying from Mexico. 

*Applicant*
Introduction letter 
Visa application (Submitted 3 Oct)
Appendix 2
Passport
2 colour passport photos
Biometric Evidence (Apt. 30 Oct)
English Test certificate

*Sponsor*
Introduction/support letter
Passport info page (copy)
Birth Certificate (copy)
Employment contract (copy)
Employer letter 
Pay slips 6 (6th payslip dated 30 Sep. Originals + Copies)
Bank statements 6 (will be dated 19 Oct. Originals + Copies)
P60 (Original + Copy. With note attached)
Tenancy Agreement (copy)
Landlord Letter
Council Tax (Bill or receipt?)
Sponsorship Undertaking form 

*Applicant/Sponsor Relationship*
Marriage Certificate (Translated, Original + Copies) 
Photos (15-20 be enough, or should I add more)
Myspace messages, Fb messages, Skype log

*Third Party Support* ( Sponsor's Parents)
Support Letter 
Passport Info page

I know that we don't need third party sponsorship and they will probably overlook it but I thought Its good to include it so they know that other people will step in so we don't fall in public resources if need be. 

*Questions*
Does the marriage certificate have to be apostille? I have a apostille one and a normal one that we got from my town's registrar. 

In appendix 2, there is a question asking: Is your sponsor in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or Council Benefit. Will I answer with a yes or a no. My husband doesn't receive any money from the council nor is he in a council house but he receives single person council tax reduction 25% off because he is the only person living in the flat. He will obviously stop receiving the reduction because It wont be one person anymore when im there. 

Do I have to include my birth certificate?

Do I need to add a C.V. for either of us?

Do I need to include any of my bank statements? To show that I have enough money in there to buy my plane ticket just in case they don't think my husband has enough for it. Does it matter? 

And am I ok timeline wise?

Is that order fine, or should I re arrange it?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

GABII said:


> I know that we don't need third party sponsorship and they will probably overlook it but I thought Its good to include it so they know that other people will step in so we don't fall in public resources if need be.


Still not needed, and will be ignored. And they may just think you don't meet the requirement without their support.



> *Questions*
> Does the marriage certificate have to be apostille? I have a apostille one and a normal one that we got from my town's registrar.


Not required. 



> In appendix 2, there is a question asking: Is your sponsor in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or Council Benefit. Will I answer with a yes or a no. My husband doesn't receive any money from the council nor is he in a council house but he receives single person council tax reduction 25% off because he is the only person living in the flat. He will obviously stop receiving the reduction because It wont be one person anymore when im there.


Don't worry about it. 25% single household discount is standard. 



> Do I have to include my birth certificate?


Normally no, unless your passport name is different from your birth name.



> Do I need to add a C.V. for either of us?


Again no.



> Do I need to include any of my bank statements? To show that I have enough money in there to buy my plane ticket just in case they don't think my husband has enough for it. Does it matter?


Not needed. 



> And am I ok timeline wise?
> 
> Is that order fine, or should I re arrange it?


Ok I think. Take out third-party support section as it's irrelevant and misleading. Just put the documents in two piles, originals and copies, in identical order. You can use cover sheets to separate the various sections but no tabs, indexes or binders. 
If your accommodation will only be occupied by you and your partner, fine but if it's shared with someone else, you should get property inspection report.


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## LDE8N (Aug 8, 2012)

Thank you once again Joppa! Im glad you responded. I will take out the third party support, I thought it would be misleading but I wasn't sure, thanks for clarifying. Good I will get the normal marriage certificate translated tomorrow. I have no binders, tabs or indexes so that is not a problem. You said the single person reduction is standard but should I answer with a yes or no? The flat will indeed be occupied only by my husband and I. Also should I include the bill or the receipt of the council tax?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Answer no to public funds.
Utility and council tax bills will be useful confirmation of occupancy.


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## LDE8N (Aug 8, 2012)

I asked if bills or receipt because we only have the first bill which states the amount, when the first installment begins and when the other 7 installments have to be paid. This first bill also shows the single person reduction. This bill is dated 31 May 2013. My husband doesn't consecutively receive bills from the council tax, it was just this one. We do however get receipts every time we pay, the most recent is dated 1 Oct. I wasn't sure which one to include. Ok so I answer no. I don't have to explain to them that he gets this reduction at all?


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

That's fine. Latest bill and no explanation needed.


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## LDE8N (Aug 8, 2012)

Almost forgot, how about a proposed flight itinerary, Is this needed? I do hope that the bill being dated May is not a problem.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

Yes, include a proposed itinerary. Council tax bills are only issued once a year.


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## Angelbub (May 3, 2013)

Hello Gabii,

I am glad to find another Mexican applying for spouse visa in this forum. Good Luck with your application!

Your supporting document list is very similar to mine, it looks very complete to me.
Once i get home tonight from work, i will post mine on this forum as well to get some recommendations.

I will be submitting the online application around Oct 18, and i have some questions and probably you could help me answer them, please:

1.- How busy does the agenda at the embassy looks?? i see you applied on Sept 30 and your biometric appointment is until Oct 30 (one month later). Did you choose that date or it was the closest date they had available?

2.- Will you pay online for the return of your documents?

I'd appreciate your help. Thank you.

Wish you all the best!


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## LDE8N (Aug 8, 2012)

Hello! 

Thank you, I hope all goes well with your application too.

I submitted my online application Oct 3. You Can choose a date yourself but they only have appointments Monday trough Thursday from 8:30 am to 10:15 am 
The embassy doesn't look busy at all from what I saw. The earliest appointment I could book was Oct 7 and the latest was mid November. You can change your appointment if need be. 

When you pay for your application online you have an option to pay for return postage. I assumed it was return postage from the British embassy in Mexico City to my hometown so I paid $20 USD for it.


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## LDE8N (Aug 8, 2012)

Quick question. I didn't want to start a new thread for this. Do all the Documents have to be in A4 paper size or is it just the application. What is the exact size of an A4? Thank you.


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## Angelbub (May 3, 2013)

Hello Gabii and Joppa,

Thank you for your reply. I didnt have time to get on this forum earlier and i am so glad to see your reply 
Thank you for the good wishes too.

Ok, i am glad their agenda doesn't look busy and that they can send me the documents to my hometown provided that I pay the 20 USD for it.

This is my supporting document list: Applying under Cat A/non salaried employment.

I. VISA APPLICATION DETAILS
1.	Stamped biometric receipt (after my appointment)
2.	Visa Application Form VAF4A. 
3.	Appendix 2 FM. Filled by hand. 
4.	Applicant’s Letter of introduction 
5.	Applicants’ Passport
6.	2 color passport-sized photos
7.	Applicant’s Birth certificate (optional) officially translated 
8.	English test certificate
9.	Proposed flight itinerary to settle in England
10.	Applicant’s utility bill
11.	Copy of my US visa (I will transit through the US on my way to UK). Not sure if its needed
12.	Sponsor’s Letter of Introduction
13.	Sponsor’s Notarized Copy of Passport Bio Page and old passport
14.	Sponsor’s Original Birth Certificate/and apostille
15.	Sponsor’s Criminal Record report. Not sure if its needed

II. FINANCIAL
1. 6 months Bank statements – Stamped and signed by the bank.
2. 6 months Pay slips (26 pay slips)
3. P60 
4. Letter of Employment from AGENCY (my husband is an agency worker)
5. Employment Contract from AGENCY 


III. ACCOMMODATION
1. Letter by Sponsor’s parents verifying accommodation’s agreement
2. Lands registry official copy-mortgage
3. Home inspection report
5. Photos of the 4 Bedrooms
6. Couple’s List of expected monthly expenses paid with salary after tax
7. Council Tax Bill


IV. RELATIONSHIP
1. Marriage certificate + Apostille
2. Wedding photos
3. Flight confirmations from visits/Boarding passes
4. Skype Video-Call log- provided by husband
5. Hotmail mail log - provided by husband
6. Facebook messages - provided by husband
7. Photos of visits spent together
8. Paypal deposits from husband to wife.

That is all we are planning to send. What do you think of the list? any suggestions?

Thanks for your help.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

Angelbub said:


> Hello Gabii and Joppa,
> 
> Thank you for your reply. I didnt have time to get on this forum earlier and i am so glad to see your reply
> Thank you for the good wishes too.
> ...


You don't need: either of your birth certificates as your passports confirm your age, applicant's utility bill as it serves no purpose, US visa as you will have detailed your travel history on the application. 

I don't think you need your sponsor's criminal record.



> II. FINANCIAL
> 1. 6 months Bank statements – Stamped and signed by the bank.
> 2. 6 months Pay slips (26 pay slips)
> 3. P60
> ...


Looks fine.




> III. ACCOMMODATION
> 1. Letter by Sponsor’s parents verifying accommodation’s agreement
> 2. Lands registry official copy-mortgage
> 3. Home inspection report
> ...



You don't really need the photos if you have a property inspection and you don't need a list of your expected expenses. They don't care about your expenses, only gross income if you are applying under Category A.



> IV. RELATIONSHIP
> 1. Marriage certificate + Apostille
> 2. Wedding photos
> 3. Flight confirmations from visits/Boarding passes
> ...


Seems fine but do remember not to go overboard.


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## Angelbub (May 3, 2013)

Hello Nyclon,

Thank your for your help. Ok, i will get rid of those extra documents then.

My only concern is that our Bank Statements are not original (1 or 2 original statements are missing) but my husband went and got duplicates from the bank (they look like photocopies) but the good thing is that the bank stamped and signed them.

My husband went and got the duplicate statements after we read someone else's post having the same situation and someone advised such person to go and do it... so we also did.

Question: Will those signed/stamped duplicate statements be sufficient?

Please help. Thank you.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

Yes, that should be fine. If you can't provide original statements you need to have them stamped by the bank confirming they are true copies. You did that so it should be fine.


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## Angelbub (May 3, 2013)

Thank you Nyclon again. 

If i have some other questions I will start a new thread as i don't want to mess up with Gabii who was the one that started this one.

Thank you again for giving me peace of mind.


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## LDE8N (Aug 8, 2012)

Angelbub, Joppa mentioned that the marriage certificate doesn't need an appostille. I dont know how time consuming it was for you to get it done or how much in general it was but thats a process I prefer not to do again if I can avoid it. Since there is a chance they can keep the original we are going to use a normal un-appostilled certificate. We much rather use the appostilled certificate as the one that will be deposited in the Uk.


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## Angelbub (May 3, 2013)

Hello Gabii,

Thank you for your concern. Fortunately the State where I live is not very crowded (BC) and things get done a bit faster than the rest of the country however i had to go to the Capital of my State to get it done. i went to the Apostille place and i didnt have to wait long to get it apostilled, and it was 347 pesos, i did it because i had read that it was necessary but now after a bit more of research i have found that such apostille is not needed. The good thing is that it didn't cause much hassle.

In order to try to avoid the ECO keeping my original i will put 2 sets in one folder (one of the sets will be the original documents and the other one will be copies of the whole lot of originals (each set tied with strings as joppa suggested), you should probably do the same, in case you have not yet 

This is just to make sure you get your originals back. Also you should make another copy to keep at home just in case the pile you send gets lost, so you have a back up, you never know.

I love this forum! People like you, Joppa, Nyclon, etc have helped me loads.

Thanks again.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

GABII said:


> Angelbub, Joppa mentioned that the marriage certificate doesn't need an appostille. I dont know how time consuming it was for you to get it done or how much in general it was but thats a process I prefer not to do again if I can avoid it. Since there is a chance they can keep the original we are going to use a normal un-appostilled certificate. We much rather use the appostilled certificate as the one that will be deposited in the Uk.


You don't need to deposit your marriage certificate in the UK.


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## LDE8N (Aug 8, 2012)

Angelbub- I am indeed making two sets of originals and copies, I only said this because 4 years ago when I got my passport they asked for my birth certificate and a copy yet they still kept both. Just taking a little precaution I guess. I love the forum as well, its very helpful. Thank you for your advice as well.


Nyclon- Thanks, I know its not necessary but we would like to. I might post a new thread on this subject later on; A woman's surname doesn't change once she is married here in Mexico. I really like the idea of taking my husbands, I know depositing it wont change that. We just want to make our marriage legal and known in both our countries. I don't want to have a different surname than my husband, specially once we have a child. Hopefully my visa application goes well and after that this will be my next step.


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## Angelbub (May 3, 2013)

Hi Gabii,

Oh you have come up with a very interesting issue regarding surnames. This is a subject i'd like to search around a bit more. My husband got a bit sad when I told him that here in Mexico things are different and women keep their maiden name legally and we dont take our husband's surnames for legal matters. He started making questions and i couldnt give him a clear answer, he said he would like me to have his last name and sure i'd want to but we dont know the steps to take to make it work like that (even though according to the Mexican legislation I will always be ("Mrs. maiden name keeping my 2 last names"). 

Where do couples who got married overseas register their marriage in the UK? Any idea?

Thank you again. If i find some info out, i will let you know.


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## LDE8N (Aug 8, 2012)

From what I know, you will never be able to change your surname in Mexico, even if there was a slight chance you could, it would consume A LOT of time and money. Mexico is a lost case when it comes to changing your surnames to your husband's. 

I don't think its possible to register your marriage in the UK, you can only deposit the certificate with the General Register Office; This is so you can have access to your marriage certificate easier while in the UK. If we can't register our marriage then how does the UK know my husband is now married, they don't, the UK sees my husband as not married. 

I am completely lost as to how to go about this. Like I said I don't want to have a child and have a different surname than both my husband and child. We have thought about getting married again in a register office once i have my spouse visa but that doesn't really make much sense, I don't even know if we are allowed to. 

This is a subject I know little about and want to know more. I will be posting a new thread soon to see if I can get some help with this. 

To deposit your marriage: https://www.gov.uk/deposit-foreign-marriage


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## Angelbub (May 3, 2013)

Gabii,

Thank you very much for the info. I really appreciate it. Yes, it is impossible to change your surname in Mexico, the good thing is that once you have a child abroad you can register him abroad and bring his birth certificate to Mex to register him/her here and the child will take the last name of the father and then the mother's last name.
I also need to get more info about this.

It would be good to get info like this from Mexicans who have gone through that with their children or simple get the info from the Civil Registry in Mex.

Thank you for all your help. Lets keep in touch .


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## sadiafaisal (Dec 11, 2013)

Hi Joppa. From what I read here you seem to have good knowledge on visa/immigration. I also have something to ask you. How can I contact you plz.

Sadia.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

You can't. I don't normally answer PM on visa questions. Just ask here and I or someone else will try to reply.


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## jimbo5 (Oct 19, 2013)

GABII said:


> I just want to make sure I haven't missed anything or overlooked something. I also have some questions. Im applying from Mexico.
> 
> *Sponsor*
> Introduction/support letter
> ...


Hey! My wife is also applying from Mexico. How did your application go? I was wondering how did your sponsor provide the documents, did they send them to you in Mexico? Did they fill out a SU07/12 form?


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