SET(M) Interview - Acceptable Documentation?

[Andrew75]

Hi,

My wife is going for her SET(M) interview, and we are preparing documentation.

The guidelines ask ideally for bills sent to us both at our shared address, however since I tend just to pay the bills myself we unfortunately have very little in her name.

We were advised by the HO that in this case we should just bring as much correspondence as possible sent to both my wife and myself at our shared address.

If anyone has had the same experience and could advise us what to expect, (i.e. they had no problem, or they were rejected) it would be very helpful! Also any other advice for the interview would be greatly appreciated

[John]

The form SET(M) contains a lot of guidance about the sort of documentation that IND like to see. The two of you need to prove that you have been living together. Treat with aspect of the application very seriously, otherwise IND may get the impressive (obviously wrongly) that it is a marriage of convenience!

As the form SET(M) says, it is not just bills. Bank statements in her name? A tax form ... a Notice of Coding .. indeed anything from a Government Department ... etc etc.

And anyone else here on a two-year spouse visa .... plan ahead ... evidence will be needed to prove the marriage is real! I know of people where the spouse has only recently come to the UK and they are already starting to think about the evidence to be produced in nearly two years time.

[Andrew75]

Thanks John!

Yes, I wish I had taken a look at the form two years ago, and arranged joint bills for us!

My wife has good and strong evidence, but it would be nice to be sure that the documentation we submit was valid, rather than 'hope' it will be on the day.

Anyone else reading this... take John's advice and start saving those bank statements and bills now!

[John]

Andrew, if anything it is worse than you might think! Had you looked at the version of the form SET(M) that was around two years ago then you would have seen it mentioned documentary requirements noticeably less than the current form states.

I know of a number of people who are really struggling on the current requirement and really because of poor advice given by IND in the past.

Part of the history of this relates to the fact that spouse visas used to be of only one year duration, but those issued on or after 01.04.03 were of two years duration. In other words, previously ILR would have been applied for after just one year; now of course it is after two years (well nearly two years). That change was not reflected in the form SET(M) for some time leading to quite a few people having a genuine problem not really of their making.

So holders of two-year spouse visas .... start collecting that evidence!

[Andrew75]

I really understand the Home Office wanting evidence, but they should make it more clear when they awarded the initial Visa! This really makes it easy for legitimate couples fall into a grey area.

If the resident spouse is already living in this country, then it probably wouldn't occour to most of them (myself included) to change the recipients on the gas bill, even if their new partner is working.

Has anybody experienced a rejection for reasons of 'insufficient evidence'? And if so, what is the next step/remedy? (i.e. Further proof requested, scheduling another interview)

[John]

Andrew, a couple of points. Firstly I believe it is totally possible to provide all the evidence that IND want without needing to resort to getting the name changed on any utility bill. That list on the form SET(M) is quite extensive. But I am not saying that no one should get the bill name changed .... simply look at the other possibilities before resorting to that.

Secondly, anyone refused? I don't know of anyone refused ... BUT ... I know of a couple who went to the PEO in Croydon and did not get the ILR that day because none of their documentary evidence covered the first three months of the visa period. They were asked to come back with more evidence, which they did, and then the visa was indeed granted.

Just pleased to have got the ILR way out the way back in 2002 at the end of my wife's one-year spouse visa ... the requirements then were a lot easier to deal with.

[Andrew75]

Hi John,

Thanks again. Actually, we hadn't considered the evidence from the first three months, and have realised that we have none.

The reason for this was that my wife returned to her home country for a couple of months shortly after we were married.

I just spoke to the HO adviser, and she said that as long as we have my wife's passport with the exit and entry visas, then that could be considered by the case worker. (note 'considered', not 'accepted')

I guess all we can do is have as much evidence as humanly possible, and take it from there.

[sreeni]

Hi John, I think i was lucky to be looking at this forum as i know i would be in trouble for certain in 2 years time, as alot of my stuff is still to my old address/parents house.

All my wifes stuff is going to our new address and a i have managed to change a few of my things to the new address. Bank and Pay slips show the new address (still yet to change the credit cards). This evidence they ask for which is more important the wifes ( from india) or mine? as mine are all a mess some at old some at new address, as I am in process of gettin all my stuff changed but havent been as zealous as i should be as the old address is my parents house across the road. Will this mix of addresses be ok?

[John]

I think that IND will have no problem accepting that it takes a little while for all addresses on statements and bills to change after actually moving. So don't think you will have a problem. But obviously proceed to get everything addressed to your new address as soon as possible, so that it is clear that the two of you are actually living together.

On the form SET(M) the current address and former address(es) need to be shown, so it will be very obvious that the two addresses are close by to one another.