VFS global help

[Fizzy513]

Hi everyone just need a bit of advice. I got married recently and wish to apply for spouse visa for my partner. She lives in Afghanistan and I have been in the uk since birth. I have got the marrige certificate translated and got it signed and stamped by the courts including ministry of foreign affairs Islamic republic of Afghanistan so it's all official. I have also got her to give me the original A1 life skills ielts pass certificate and will get her to post her original tuberculosis medical certificate.

What I want to know is do I need her to post any other documents such as the application form once it's stamped by attending the biometrics appointment. If so what happens if it exceeds the 14 days and I cannot get my supporting documents in time to either Sheffield or the application centres on time? Worst case, what happens if they get lost in the post whilst coming from either Afghanistan or Pakistan?

Should I also use the closest post office address as her home address because they do not have Road names or postcodes in Afghanistan?

As I cannot apply directly through Afghanistan the government website suggests we apply through Pakistan. I wish to apply and pay for extra services using vfs global. I want to pay extra for priority service but for some reason it does not allow online as it says not available at this centre. However, looking at the Pakistan timescale for spouse visa applicants I can see that they have managed to get priority service through Pakistan Islamabad. I will also pay for her to keep her passport whilst her visa is being prepared because she will need her passport to travel back to Pakistan. Has anyone had experience of this before? I also want myself to take all the documents into the visa centre in London instead of posting and I believe it costs 75 pounds. Any one had any experience of this?

When submitting the application I will be booking the biometrics appointment. Will you be able to reschedule if so how? Reason I ask is because it takes some time for afghan citizens to apply for Pakistan visa.

I will be living with my parents and they have a mortgage. What documents do I need apart from a letter from my parents allowing us to stay? Do I need to show mortgage payments are up to date, house survey if so how do I go about this etc?

[Fizzy513]

Hi, my partner lives in afghanistan and has to apply through pakistan. On the application, one of the questions is Are you a national of the country in which you are applying?

I'm guessing I have to select No.

It then says Please Enter Details of what permission you have to stay in this country

Do I say that I have got a visitor visa.

Thanks

[Fizzy513]

Hi I just want some advice. I understand it's probably best to speak to lawyer etc. On my certified translated marriage certificate. One of the sections says date of birth. It has got my partners correct date of birth. For some reason next to it they have mentioned 23 years of age in 1397 (Persian year/afghani year) which is also correct but then says same as 23 in 2018.

The last bit is incorrect. She was born Feb 1996 so turned 23 in 2019. Do you think UKVI will reject even though it has the correct date of birth and that's what the box is mainly asking for?

[CR001]

Topics Merged - It is not necessary to start a new topic with each question you have on the same application. Keep ALL questions in ONE thread please (click to read forum rule)

[Jhelumi]

Hi everyone just need a bit of advice. I got married recently and wish to apply for spouse visa for my partner. She lives in Afghanistan and I have been in the uk since birth. I have got the marrige certificate translated and got it signed and stamped by the courts including ministry of foreign affairs Islamic republic of Afghanistan so it's all official. I have also got her to give me the original A1 life skills ielts pass certificate and will get her to post her original tuberculosis medical certificate.

What I want to know is do I need her to post any other documents such as the application form once it's stamped by attending the biometrics appointment. If so what happens if it exceeds the 14 days and I cannot get my supporting documents in time to either Sheffield or the application centres on time? Worst case, what happens if they get lost in the post whilst coming from either Afghanistan or Pakistan?

Should I also use the closest post office address as her home address because they do not have Road names or postcodes in Afghanistan?

As I cannot apply directly through Afghanistan the government website suggests we apply through Pakistan. I wish to apply and pay for extra services using vfs global. I want to pay extra for priority service but for some reason it does not allow online as it says not available at this centre. However, looking at the Pakistan timescale for spouse visa applicants I can see that they have managed to get priority service through Pakistan Islamabad. I will also pay for her to keep her passport whilst her visa is being prepared because she will need her passport to travel back to Pakistan. Has anyone had experience of this before? I also want myself to take all the documents into the visa centre in London instead of posting and I believe it costs 75 pounds. Any one had any experience of this?

When submitting the application I will be booking the biometrics appointment. Will you be able to reschedule if so how? Reason I ask is because it takes some time for afghan citizens to apply for Pakistan visa.

I will be living with my parents and they have a mortgage. What documents do I need apart from a letter from my parents allowing us to stay? Do I need to show mortgage payments are up to date, house survey if so how do I go about this etc?

Hello,

If you plan to post anything direct to Sheffield or go to VFS London then your Mrs don't need to send anything to you.

When you fill in your application online, it will provide you with a biometric appointment letter (place, time and date of your choice).

Your Mrs will need the appointment letter and the IHS Fee Payment receipt (when you pay for the application online). These, your Mrs can print off in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

Just email the application to your Mrs or forward it via WhatsApp. She should be able to get it printed out over there from a photocopier shop.

So, when your Mrs goes to her appointment, she needs to take with her:
• Her passport
• Appointment letter
• IHS Fee Payment slip
(alternatively, just ask her to take the entire printout of the application if she's not sure).

You will need a host of documents to send:
Applicant
Photocopy of Mrs Passport
Online Application (two payments totalling £3,060)
Appendix 2 VAF Form
IELTS Certificate
TB Test Certificate

Sponsorership
Photocopy of your passport (attested)
Sponsorship letter from you

Employment
Wage Slips (6 months)
Savings (6 months, not important if your annual wage is over £18,600)
Letter from your employer

Maintenance
Payment receipts to show you send her money to support her financially
Joint Bank Account Statements if you have one

Communications
Printout of WhatsApp Chat
Airline Tickets when you visited her
Around 20 photographs of wedding and post wedding. Photographs must show both of you together

Accomodation
Copy of Land Registry
Survey Report of where she will be living
Permission letter from the owner of the property
Photocopy of property owner's passport

Also post with the above a blank self-addressed envelope to yourself, special delivery so Home Office can return the documents to yourself.

Thanks

[Jhelumi]

^ Also, don't forget to send the Original Marriage Certtificate and it's translation.

[Fizzy513]

^ Also, don't forget to send the Original Marriage Certtificate and it's translation.

Hi thank you so much for replying. How comes I need to pay two lots of application fees?

Also any help with the typo on the translation of marriage certificate. The section where it has my partners date of birth is correct. However on the same box it mentions 23 years old in 1397 (Persian/afghan) year same as 23 in 2018. She was intact 22 in 2018.

The Persian new year is in march each year and her birthday is feb. So for 1397 Persian year she was 23. However in 2018 she was 22 but the box states 23. Saying this, it actually only asks for date of birth which is correctly written. So I'm unsure how this affects the overall situation. Thanks

[seagul]

^ Also, don't forget to send the Original Marriage Certtificate and it's translation.

Hi thank you so much for replying. How comes I need to pay two lots of application fees?

Also any help with the typo on the translation of marriage certificate. The section where it has my partners date of birth is correct. However on the same box it mentions 23 years old in 1397 (Persian/afghan) year same as 23 in 2018. She was intact 22 in 2018.

The Persian new year is in march each year and her birthday is feb. So for 1397 Persian year she was 23. However in 2018 she was 22 but the box states 23. Saying this, it actually only asks for date of birth which is correctly written. So I'm unsure how this affects the overall situation. Thanks

HO will only care/follow the English year/calendar and if the date of birth matches with passport then should be no issue otherwise you should rectify it.

[Fizzy513]

^ Also, don't forget to send the Original Marriage Certtificate and it's translation.

Hi thank you so much for replying. How comes I need to pay two lots of application fees?

Also any help with the typo on the translation of marriage certificate. The section where it has my partners date of birth is correct. However on the same box it mentions 23 years old in 1397 (Persian/afghan) year same as 23 in 2018. She was intact 22 in 2018.

The Persian new year is in march each year and her birthday is feb. So for 1397 Persian year she was 23. However in 2018 she was 22 but the box states 23. Saying this, it actually only asks for date of birth which is correctly written. So I'm unsure how this affects the overall situation. Thanks

HO will only care/follow the English year/calendar and if the date of birth matches with passport then should be no issue otherwise you should rectify it.

Hi thanks for replying. So the English translation has got the correct date of birth. However it states 23 years old in 2018 when she was in fact 22 years old in 2018. The box is only asking for date of birth but for some reason the translation also states this. Will this cause a problem or will they only look at date of birth. Thanks.

[seagul]

Spouse visa application form do ask that what age you and your partner were married. If the age is written wrong then better to rectify it.

[Fizzy513]

Spouse visa application form do ask that what age you and your partner were married. If the age is written wrong then better to rectify it.

Hi thanks for replying. I will be able to answer that. The mistake is in the English translation where it states in the date of birth. It has my partners correct date of birth but then mentions 23 years of age in 2018 which is wrong as she was 22 in 2018. However, I'm not sure why the translation mentioned that as it only asks for the date of birth which is written correctly. Will this be an issue? Thanks

[seagul]

Spouse visa application form do ask that what age you and your partner were married. If the age is written wrong then better to rectify it.

Hi thanks for replying. I will be able to answer that. The mistake is in the English translation where it states in the date of birth. It has my partners correct date of birth but then mentions 23 years of age in 2018 which is wrong as she was 22 in 2018. However, I'm not sure why the translation mentioned that as it only asks for the date of birth which is written correctly. Will this be an issue? Thanks

Try date to date calculator and if age is showing wrong then it should be rectified because it may affect.

[Fizzy513]

Spouse visa application form do ask that what age you and your partner were married. If the age is written wrong then better to rectify it.

Hi thanks for replying. I will be able to answer that. The mistake is in the English translation where it states in the date of birth. It has my partners correct date of birth but then mentions 23 years of age in 2018 which is wrong as she was 22 in 2018. However, I'm not sure why the translation mentioned that as it only asks for the date of birth which is written correctly. Will this be an issue? Thanks

Try date to date calculator and if age is showing wrong then it should be rectified because it may affect.

Hi thanks for replying. Her date of birth is correct and the translated marriage certificate also states the correct date of birth. However next to it states 23 years old in 2018 when she was in fact22.
I'm unsure why the translater mentioned the age as it was only asking for date of birth. Will this cause an issue? Thanks

[ariamus]

What is date of translation and is this after the 2018 Birthday, just in case age is correct.

But it’s best you get the translation corrected because the age/date of birth of applicant is important.

If they notice this error, how many other errors will they think there are?

The small cost to correct the error, you will save time and money in long run and also you won’t be worrying like you are now.

[ariamus]

How comes I need to pay two lots of application fees?

You need to pay:

1. Visa fee

2. International Health Surcharge (IHS) fee.
This is £400 per year so for the first entry visa it will be £1,200 because visa will be longer than 2 and 1/2 years - usually 2 years and 9 months.

[Fizzy513]

What is date of translation and is this after the 2018 Birthday, just in case age is correct.

But it’s best you get the translation corrected because the age/date of birth of applicant is important.

If they notice this error, how many other errors will they think there are?

The small cost to correct the error, you will save time and money in long run and also you won’t be worrying like you are now.

Hi thanks for replying. We got married 11th April. I got the marriage certificate translated on the 14th April 2019 in Afghanistan. My partners date of birth is feb 1996 so she has just turned 23 recently.

The marriage certificate where it says date of birth has got the correct date of birth mentioned. However next to it, it has got this statement written. 23 years old in 1397 same as 23 in 2018. The first part of the sentence is correct but the second part is out by a year. She turned 23 in 2019. I'm not too sure how important this is as it's really only asking for date of birth which is correctly written.

The issue is if I was to get this corrected I will need to get it stamped by the government again and misitry of foriegn affairs Islamic republic of Afghanistan. It has initially been stamped so not sure why they didn't see the issue unless it is the right way of doing it there. Thanks

[ariamus]

You can get in translated from here in England if that is easier, although I guess the cost may be higher.

Make sure any translation covers the requirements:

(j) Where any specified documents provided are not in English or Welsh, the applicant must provide document in the original language and a full translation that can be independently verified by the Entry Clearance Officer, Immigration Officer or the Secretary of State. The translation must be dated and include:
(i) confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the document;
(ii) the full name and signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company;
(iii) the translator or translation company’s contact details; and
(iv) if the applicant is applying for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain, certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company’s credentials.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration ... d-evidence

[seagul]

Getting it re-translated again in UK through ukvcas seems better idea than attaching the document with wrong age.

[Jhelumi]

Hi thank you so much for replying. How comes I need to pay two lots of application fees?

Hello,

Two fees breakdown:
Visa Application Fee: £1,736.29
Currency Fee: £1.25

IHS (NHS): £1,320.37
Currency Fee: £1.25

Total: £3,059.16

[Fizzy513]

Getting it re-translated again in UK through ukvcas seems better idea than attaching the document with wrong age.

Thank you for replying. My original marriage certificate has been stamped by ministry of foreign affairs Islamic republic Of Afghanistan. So has my translated English version. If I get it translated through ukvcas how do I go about getting these stamps? Thanks

[ariamus]

You don’t need those actual stamps on the translation.

The translation is of the typed/written words and not the stamps.

For example if you went to a UK solicitor, they would use their own stamp on the translation.

I’m not sure if you have access to UKVCAS though on an entry visa? Although here is some info https://www.ukvcas.co.uk/additional-services/detail

[Fizzy513]

You don’t need those actual stamps on the translation.

The translation is of the typed/written words and not the stamps.

For example if you went to a UK solicitor, they would use their own stamp on the translation.

I’m not sure if you have access to UKVCAS though on an entry visa? Although here is some info https://www.ukvcas.co.uk/additional-services/detail

Thank you for the help. So as long as the oringianl untranslated has the stamps it's all good?

[ariamus]

Yes, definitely.

[seagul]

You don’t need those actual stamps on the translation.

The translation is of the typed/written words and not the stamps.

For example if you went to a UK solicitor, they would use their own stamp on the translation.

I’m not sure if you have access to UKVCAS though on an entry visa? Although here is some info https://www.ukvcas.co.uk/additional-services/detail

Thank you for the help. So as long as the oringianl untranslated has the stamps it's all good?

Don't be confused from stamps because many authorities/bodies don't stamp rather use their own letterhead stationary which don't need any further stamp. If you choose UKVCAS then they too more likely translate into their own letterhead.

[Fizzy513]

You don’t need those actual stamps on the translation.

The translation is of the typed/written words and not the stamps.

For example if you went to a UK solicitor, they would use their own stamp on the translation.

I’m not sure if you have access to UKVCAS though on an entry visa? Although here is some info https://www.ukvcas.co.uk/additional-services/detail

Thank you for the help. So as long as the oringianl untranslated has the stamps it's all good?

Don't be confused from stamps because many authorities/bodies don't stamp rather use their own letterhead stationary which don't need any further stamp. If you choose UKVCAS then they too more likely translate into their own letterhead.

Hi thanks for that. Will it matter if I have saved my partners name differently to what it's spelt on WhatsApp. The number shows and has always been the same just been using a different name for her.

For example, her name is sareeha and I've named t as saria. Will this matter? If so, am I better off to rename her as sareeha and then take screenshots of chats etc. The only problem is my previous screenshots will have Saria and not sareeha. Thanks