Self uploading documents through VFS Global

Hi

I've been completeing a UK spouse visa application for someone outside of the UK (Bangladesh) for the past couple of weeks and when I logged in today, there was a message saying the application form has been updated by UKVI. I noticed they rephrased one of the questions and at Declaration they aren't asking for the IHS payment. Also the application fee can be paid online now.

One thing that has confused me though is the note about the Payslips evidence. The guidance on the official site says to provide 6 months payslips, now the revised online application checklist says to provide:

Payslips covering any period of salaried employment (current and previous) in the period of 12 months prior to the date of application.

The sponsor was only planning to show 6 months payslips as they only got this job in th middle of January and the January payslip only shows pay for the two weeks worked.

Are we still ok to submit only the 6 months payslips Feb-Jul? Or should we include January and make a note why it's less than the other months?

just jak wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:41 pm

Hi

I've been completeing a UK spouse visa application for someone outside of the UK (Bangladesh) for the past couple of weeks and when I logged in today, there was a message saying the application form has been updated by UKVI. I noticed they rephrased one of the questions and at Declaration they aren't asking for the IHS payment. Also the application fee can be paid online now.

One thing that has confused me though is the note about the Payslips evidence. The guidance on the official site says to provide 6 months payslips, now the revised online application checklist says to provide:

Payslips covering any period of salaried employment (current and previous) in the period of 12 months prior to the date of application.

The sponsor was only planning to show 6 months payslips as they only got this job in th middle of January and the January payslip only shows pay for the two weeks worked.

Are we still ok to submit only the 6 months payslips Feb-Jul? Or should we include January and make a note why it's less than the other months?

Hi which question was rephrased please?

Also is the applicant paid the same each month or different?

If you have been working for your employer from at least 6 months then only 6 months of payslips and bank statements will be needed although there is no harm in attaching 12 months of payslips with bank statements if you have earned £18600 during the last 12 months.

Kimn - one of the questions under English Lanaguage was: Did the test assess your speaking and listening skills at a level equivalent to CEFR B1 or higher? This has now been changed to: Did the test assess your speaking and listening skills at a level equivalent to CEFR A1 or higher? Makes more sense now since those entering the UK only need

The application also gives a checklist of sorts for the documents you'll need to provide for the application, which it didn't before (previously it only listed the mandatory documents for the applicant).

The basic salary amount is the same but when the sponsor works weekends, they get a small enhanced rate so the Net Pay is up by a few pounds. The payslips show a breakdown but we will also explain in covering letter.

Seagul - The sponsor was unemployed prior to getting this new job in mid-Jan so their income for the last 12 months wouldn't meet the required amount. However, the annual salary is over 19K now so going forward they will meet the requirement. Should we go by the guidance that says show 6 months payslip or what it says in this new revised application? Don't want to cause trouble by submitting January payslip as it's not a true reflection of the monthly amount.

just jak wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:36 pm

Kimn - one of the questions under English Lanaguage was: Did the test assess your speaking and listening skills at a level equivalent to CEFR B1 or higher? This has now been changed to: Did the test assess your speaking and listening skills at a level equivalent to CEFR A1 or higher? Makes more sense now since those entering the UK only need

The application also gives a checklist of sorts for the documents you'll need to provide for the application, which it didn't before (previously it only listed the mandatory documents for the applicant).

The basic salary amount is the same but when the sponsor works weekends, they get a small enhanced rate so the Net Pay is up by a few pounds. The payslips show a breakdown but we will also explain in covering letter.

Seagul - The sponsor was unemployed prior to getting this new job in mid-Jan so their income for the last 12 months wouldn't meet the required amount. However, the annual salary is over 19K now so going forward they will meet the requirement. Should we go by the guidance that says show 6 months payslip or what it says in this new revised application? Don't want to cause trouble by submitting January payslip as it's not a true reflection of the monthly amount.

I thought it might be that question. That’s so annoying! Had to put no for that part of the question because the test passed was A1 not B1 so answering yes would’ve been an incorrect answer - even though it’s what they meant to ask! Hope it doesn’t make a difference to my application.

Ok I ask because I didn’t have that come up in my application, but someone I know did have the 12 months come up in their checklist and they selected
Not the same amount continuously, above the financial requirement amount whereas mine was the same amount continuously.

just jak wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:36 pm

Seagul - The sponsor was unemployed prior to getting this new job in mid-Jan so their income for the last 12 months wouldn't meet the required amount. However, the annual salary is over 19K now so going forward they will meet the requirement. Should we go by the guidance that says show 6 months payslip or what it says in this new revised application? Don't want to cause trouble by submitting January payslip as it's not a true reflection of the monthly amount.

Yes follow the guidance and simply supply 6 months of payslips and corresponding bank statements and employer letter. Also in additional info section of the form clarify it.

Thanks!

Kimn - I'm sure it won't be a problem for your application as you answered according to how the question was asked.

BTW, did you provide a housing report to confirm you had adequate accommodation? Sponsor lives with parents and was going to provide a no objection letter from father (property owner) and land registry document. There's no overcrowding issue.

just jak wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:46 pm

Thanks!

Kimn - I'm sure it won't be a problem for your application as you answered according to how the question was asked.

BTW, did you provide a housing report to confirm you had adequate accommodation? Sponsor lives with parents and was going to provide a no objection letter from father (property owner) and land registry document. There's no overcrowding issue.

I live with my parents so provided a letter from my dad, I got a property inspection report done. Someone on here did post about their experiences of the process after their spouse visa was granted and said he didn’t get a report done. There are mixed opinions and people have said it’s not required if sponsor is living with family, but I thought it was better to be safe.

Hi

I don't know if I'm fretting too much now as we're almost ready to submit the application.

My brother who is sponsoring his wife's spouse visa has good income so financial requirment is met. However, late last year we had a niece (who had come over to the UK earlier in the year) who unfortunately ended up being a victim of domestic violence, and then sought refuge with our family. She was entitled to universal credit but because she didn't have a bank account, the money was paid into my brother's account for several months (as a temporary measure) until she was able to open her own account - as a DDV case we didn't know if she'd be allowed to stay so banks wouldn't open her an account until HO concluded the case positively. From next month, the payments will go into her account but for the last 6 months they were paid to my brother's account.

Do ECOs look closely at deposits on statements? Should my brother explain this benefit payment? Was thinking of adding a statement of clairifcation in the covering letter and providing a statement from niece and copies of her UC statements. Will that be ok or is it too much?

Thanks

No issue

How your benefits are paid
You’ll be asked for bank, building society or credit union account details when you claim. You can only get paid in a different way if you have problems opening or managing an account.

https://www.gov.uk/how-to-have-your-benefits-paid

So should i include the explanation and provide the statements from niece?

just jak wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 27, 2019 9:42 pm

So should i include the explanation and provide the statements from niece?

No harm in doing so

Hi, I've hit a hurdle with getting the bank statements from NatWest. We requested 01Jan-31Jul statements from Natwest on 01/08/19 but as yet they haven't arrived in the post. We chased again on the 10th and still nothing. Bro just logged into his online account and can see they generated a combined statement showing my transactions from 02Jan-31Jul. The letter isn't dated but includes letterhead.

Does anyone know if we can use this combined statement or does it have to be individual statements that are dated 18/01/19-17/02/19 and so forth?

Does the combined statement letter have to be stamped by a branch as it hasn't come in the post - not sure how different it'd look if it did?

It seems NatWest have made loads of changes to the statements and I cannot now download a PDF of transactions since 17 July 2019 (since last statement). I still have to go into the branch to request that.

BTW, is colour printing advised?

I need to get it stamped tomorrow AM due to work so hope someone can help me out tonight. The application will be submitted on Saturday. Very anxious as we don't want to fall foul of the 28 day rule and need to get my sis-in-law over for a family wedding end of October so gotta get it in quick.

Thanks for your help all.

Your brother is sponsoring his wife's spouse visa, but you appear to be referring to your own bank statements. Do you have a joint bank account with your brother? Can you clarify this?

Sorry, I do mean my brother's bank statements not mine. I'm helping them with the application.

just jak wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:07 pm

Bro just logged into his online account and can see they generated a combined statement showing my transactions from 02Jan-31Jul.

In which case, what do you mean by the above

Of course i meant his transactions! I wrote the post in first person and then amended it - I guess I missed one or two out as I'm typing in a rush (I've kind of become my brother in this process lol). Sorry for the confusion.

just jak wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:07 pm

Does anyone know if we can use this combined statement or does it have to be individual statements that are dated 18/01/19-17/02/19 and so forth?

Does the combined statement letter have to be stamped by a branch as it hasn't come in the post - not sure how different it'd look if it did?

Combined statements are fully acceptable as long as they are original or stamped by the bank (if online version)

Thanks for responding Seagul. Luckily Natwest stamped and signed every single page without any issue.

Hi all

This is for the initial spouse visa, applying from Bangladesh.

The application was submitted on 17/08/19. We're in the process of uploading the supporting documents now before fixing the biometrics appointment but the folders available are a little confusing.

1. There's a folder called 'Sponsors Evidence' and we're thinking everything from sponsor such accommodation, bank statements, payslips, job contract and employer letter can go in here. However, there are individual folders too for Accommodation, Employment and Finance evidence so not sure if sponsors relevant docs need to go in these. Should i duplicate them or just leave in sponsors folder? The application doesn't ask applicant to provide evidence of their home accomm in Bangladesh, if they are employed etc.

2. Also it doesnt let you add a file name for each document so it ends up as if your naming a group of documents. Or am i meant to name and upload say payslips, then name and upload employer letter, bank statements and so forth?

3. I was going to add image files directly as the date and location for each image is in its filename. But the way it looks, im not sure the ECO will see this information. Did others put there photos in PDF annoting each pic or just add them?

4. Also some of the pics looked skewed after uploading but ok in windows image viewer.

Hoping someone who has recently uploaded docs can confirm what they did.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Has anyone had success after self-uploading supporting documents for the entry clearance spouse visa? Can you share what categories you used please?

Unfortunately, we have to complete uploading before sis-in-law has biometrics done - hopefully it'll be this Thursday.

just jak wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:50 pm

Has anyone had success after self-uploading supporting documents for the entry clearance spouse visa? Can you share what categories you used please?

Unfortunately, we have to complete uploading before sis-in-law has biometrics done - hopefully it'll be this Thursday.

Hi

My husband applied for his spouse visa on 23rd July and we needed to upload everything on the VFS website. As the majority of the documents that needed to be submitted were mine (sponsor) I decided to do this on my side.

Saying that i have NEVER been so frustrated with anything in my whole life would actually be an understatement - the VFS website is not fit for purpose. I uploaded documents many times (or atleast attempted to) the wesbite would constantly crash. We had to re-arrange my husband's biometrics due to not being able to upload the documents (we have to upload before biometrics). When I was finally able to upload the documents, when i viewed them, either the system would crash, or the documents would disappear despite seeing the successful upload notification. I ended up combining a lot of the documents into PDF's and sending appendix sheets with it.

I think i uploaded in the following categories:
Sponsor Details
Proof of relationship
Educational (IELTS)
And one for the TB Test certificate - can't remember what that was called.
It physically would not allow me to upload under any of the other categories and kept crashing.

I spent 2 whole weeks trying to upload documents.

I haven't yet heard back - so not even sure if the documents are OK when being viewed on the other side.

I would advise paying and allowing the VFS team to upload on the day of biometrics?

Thanks for responding Fififadi. That sounds awful. I uploaded quite a few documents yesterday and was hopeful it'd be ok but the site is playing up even more today - I removed some docs too so I can put in a different folder so that hasn't helped. I just hate the thought of having to print all these documents just to have then scanned and uploaded when I already have them scanned and just need to upload.

just jak wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 19, 2019 5:22 pm

Thanks for responding Fififadi. That sounds awful. I uploaded quite a few documents yesterday and was hopeful it'd be ok but the site is playing up even more today - I removed some docs too so I can put in a different folder so that hasn't helped. I just hate the thought of having to print all these documents just to have then scanned and uploaded when I already have them scanned and just need to upload.

I know - just my WhatsApp conversation history even after being trimmed down was about 300 pages long - imagine having to print that!!

Good luck with the uploading. Keep at it - I feel the frustration. Tbh, when my husband when for his biometrics, he wasn't seen until 3 hours after his appointment, because the VFS team were struggling to upload the documents due to the system crashing - so i think it's quite frequent.

I finally finished uploading the documents last night and have booked the biometric appointment for Thursday. Hopefully everything is fine.