Spouse visa renewal: application questions confusion with Covid-19 complications!

[minty_fresh_anus]

Hi all!

I've compiled the below list of documents for cohabitation, covering the last 2.5 years. If anyone has any comments?

2019

sept: Tenancy agreement (joint names)

Dec: Letter from bank (me) + NI number confirmation letter (spouse)

2020:

March: council tax bill (joint names)

June: Credit card statement (me) + HMRC tax summary (spouse)

Aug: tenancy agreement (joint names)

Nov: Gas bill (me) + Monzo bank statement (spouse)

2021:

Feb: HMRC tax code letter (me) + monzo bank statement (spouse)

Apr: Work pension letter (me) + work pension letter (spouse)

Aug: tenancy agreement (joint names)

Nov: credit card statement (me) + Hargreaves LISA investment report (spouse)

2022:

Jan: HMRC tax code letter (me) + NHS cancer screening invitation letter (spouse)



I know it may be quite a bit, but we feel safer providing a bit extra in case some of our documents aren't considered adequate!

I also know that they only ask for the last two years, so the stuff from 2019 is not necessary, however due to Covid my wife got stuck abroad in her home country (China) between jan 2020 and august 2020, so we felt we needed to show cohabitation proof before this time of absense. We will also explain this in a cover letter.

Thank you in advance!

[AmazonianX]

You should be OK and the premises of explanation on providing evidence for 2.5years

[minty_fresh_anus]

Hi all!

To cut a long story short - my wife joined me in the UK in august 2019 on her current spouse visa. In january 2020 she went back to China for chinese new year with the plan to stay out there for 8 weeks for a visit and travelling with friends to Thailand etc. before she settle into a permanent job in the UK. Then the pandemic broke out, her flights got cancelled and her hometown went into lockdown. It wasn't until august 2020 (7 months later) that she was able to get a flight back to the UK due to travel complications.

In the online application it asks multiple questions in the same vein: 'Have you lived in the UK continuously in the last 2 years?', 'Have you lived apart during your marriage?', 'Have you lived at a different address in the last 2 years?' and we are confused how to answer these questions.

Earlier in the application form where it asks about times spent outside the uk/in another country we have given the timeframe she was in China and explained why. So how should we approach the above questions? Because she never intended to live outside the UK for this period, it was basically forced on her due to the situation. She stayed with family during the time, but was still on a tenancy agreement / paying rent for our apartment here. Did she 'live' in China during this time, or was it just a prolonged visit?

How would you approach these questions if in our situation? We don't want to come across as deceptive answering that she has continuously lived in the UK in the last 2 years etc. but at the same time we have made her absense clear elsewhere in the application and will explain in our cover letters (along with proof such as flight tickets etc.). Equally, we don't want to discredit our case by making it appear that she wasn't commited to living in the UK and didn't have a place to stay here during that time. I guess we are stuck on what would be defined as 'living' somewhere and 'visiting' somewhere for a long time.

Sorry for the essay! But all help will be massively appreciated to clear things up.

Thanks!

[AmazonianX]

Hi all!

To cut a long story short - my wife joined me in the UK in august 2019 on her current spouse visa. In january 2020 she went back to China for chinese new year with the plan to stay out there for 8 weeks for a visit and travelling with friends to Thailand etc. before she settle into a permanent job in the UK. Then the pandemic broke out, her flights got cancelled and her hometown went into lockdown. It wasn't until august 2020 (7 months later) that she was able to get a flight back to the UK due to travel complications.

In the online application it asks multiple questions in the same vein: 'Have you lived in the UK continuously in the last 2 years?', 'Have you lived apart during your marriage?', 'Have you lived at a different address in the last 2 years?' and we are confused how to answer these questions.

Earlier in the application form where it asks about times spent outside the uk/in another country we have given the timeframe she was in China and explained why. So how should we approach the above questions? Because she never intended to live outside the UK for this period, it was basically forced on her due to the situation. She stayed with family during the time, but was still on a tenancy agreement / paying rent for our apartment here. Did she 'live' in China during this time, or was it just a prolonged visit?

How would you approach these questions if in our situation? We don't want to come across as deceptive answering that she has continuously lived in the UK in the last 2 years etc. but at the same time we have made her absense clear elsewhere in the application and will explain in our cover letters (along with proof such as flight tickets etc.). Equally, we don't want to discredit our case by making it appear that she wasn't commited to living in the UK and didn't have a place to stay here during that time. I guess we are stuck on what would be defined as 'living' somewhere and 'visiting' somewhere for a long time.

Sorry for the essay! But all help will be massively appreciated to clear things up.

Thanks!

There are some of the questions where you have to repeat same answer as it appears the questions are reworded and the answers given is to check consistency/truthfulness( my opinion). So repeat answers depicting true situation and reiterate same in cover letter.
Do note that there is no absence limit on spouse visa.