Although it took exactly 60 days to hold the decision in hand, the application was incredibly smooth and neither I (sponsor), nor my husband (the applicant), and my employers received any contact or questioning at any point. I had a load of questions in my head like anyone sponsoring a spouse would but some are more relevant to combining Category A and D (income from employment and cash savings held for at least 6 months). There were some minor discrepancies in a couple of payslips (that couldn't be reissued) and the actual pay received in my bank account, but my employers covered the fact that it was a clerical error. The applicant was in Pakistan, so documents had to be submitted here in Sheffield. Here's a list of everything I provided (in this order) to support the application:
1. Visa application form (Signed with passport photo attached)
2. Appendix 2 form
3. Sponsor cover letter
4. Document checklist (signed and attested by my solicitor confirming everything is here)
5. English Language test certificate
6. TB test certificate
7. SU07 form (not required according to guidance, sometimes requested by caseworkers)
8. Sponsorship declaration (official declaration to include where savings have come from, attested by solicitor)
9. Attested copies of sponsor birth certificate and Pakistani NIC
10. Certified copies of sponsor passport
11. Copy of sponsor travel reservation details (to visit applicant while application is under process)
12. Urdu Nikah Nama + attested English Translation + Letter from Tehsil Mufti confirming marriage registration + wedding card
13. 27 Marriage photographs + 24 After marriage/relationship photographs (stapled 3 vertically per a4 page,
14. Greeting cards sent and received (Eid, miss you, thinking of you) + Post office receipts for cards/gifts sent/received
15. Itemised telephone call records (Feb-July Lyca call and top up logs and Jan-July Facetime call logs extracted from both of our phones using iExplorer)
16. Whatsapp internet chat conversation records (4-6 pages of export covering beginning/middle/end of each month Jan-July)
17. Whatsapp 'Account>Storage' screenshot from both of our phones (showing number of messages/pictures/voice recordings received and sent)
18. Letter from sponsor's employer (included additional information section to confirm that I receive my payslips by email + explanation of error underpayment in Nov15 plus how they rectified them with an overpayment in March16 + note that I would be taking annual leave)
19. Contract of employment
20. Payslips (x6)
21. P60
22. Bank statements (6 month period covered)
23. Letter from property owners alongwith passport copies
24. Copy of HM land Registry title deed
25. Property Inspection Report
26. Photocopies for the Home Office
Everything was whole punched in the top left hand corner and secured using a treasury tag, and 2 elastic bands. I received all my documents back, including the photocopies I attached for the HO.
Thank you to everyone who helped me out before and during the process. My husband will join me in time for our first anniversary
All the best to those about to apply and anyone still waiting for an answer