Hi everyone,
I'd like to share how it's going on with my first application. My husband is EU citizen, living in the UK and I'm from outside of the EU.
Location of Appointment: Ekaterinburg,
Russia.
The application updates are:
Date submitted:
25/05/2017 at 09.47 a.m.;
Biometrics was taken:
25/05/2017 at around 09.55- 10.00 a.m.;
Application transferred to the Embassy:
25/05/2017 at 12.49 p.m.;
UKVI received the application:
31/05/2017 at 18.59 p.m.;
Received an email, saying the application is not straightforward by Sheffield Visa Section:
14/06/2017 at 13.24 p.m.
29/06/2017 my husband phoned the UK Visas and Immigration (the call was about 17 minutes) and he escalated the application. After that nobody has contacted us.
13/07/2017 I emailed UK Visas and Immigration, they said "your application is being considered and is currently awaiting approval"
They confirmed the escalation has been made and someone will get back to me by next week Thursday 20th July, because the escalation takes 15 working days.
We applied with following documents:
Information about me:
- Printed and signed VAF5 application form;
Current passport for travelling abroad - original and copies of all of the pages;
2 expired passports for travelling abroad (with visas) - originals and copies of all of the pages;
Internal Russian passport - copy;
2 expired Italian permits and 1 current Italian permit - copies. The documents were translated from Italian into English by me;
Name Changing Certificate - copy. The document was translated from Russian into English by me;
2 Flat Ownership documents in Russia - copies. Translated by me.
From my husband:
- Certified copy of my husband’s passport;
ID card - copy;
National Insurance Number - copy;
Bank statements (showing what has been paid in and out of his account for up to the previous 6 months; the payments of the salary are shown)- original;
Saving statements - original;
Employment contract - original;
Tenancy agreement (1 bedroom flat in London, he moved in June 2017, the contract is for 1 year and he paid for 6 months in advance (it is shown on the bank transfer)) - original and copies;
Payslips (covering up to the previous 6 months) - copies;
Signed cover letter - copy. In the cover letter, my husband explained how we met in 2011 (at work) and why our official relationship has started in January 2016. He also says that I will be joining him in the UK and he will be supporting me financially once there, saying we will not ask for any benefits etc.
Evidence of the relationship with my husband and any contact between us:
- 2 employment contracts from the company we were both working at the time (2011) - copies;
Marriage certificate (we got married in February 2017) - copy;
Print screens of our connection via email (from 2011 to May 2017);
Print screens of our conversations, calls and video calls via Facebook, WhatsApp, messages. Every video or voice call is about 3h per day every day (it is shown on print screens);
Aeroplane tickets from London to Milan (where I was working at that time) and boarding passes - copies;
Train tickets, confirming we travelled together in Italy - copies;
Hotel Bookings in Italy, France, Thailand, Denmark - copies and originals;
Aeroplane tickets and boarding passes, confirming we travelled together visiting the above-mentioned countries - copies;
Transfer tickets in and out from airports - copies;
Travel insurance cards - copies;
Football game tickets - copies;
Wedding invitation from my husband's colleagues which is in August (our names are written in the invitation) 
- copy;
8 signed photos of us (from 2011 to our wedding ceremony; from the countries we worked in and travelled to: USA, Italy, France, Thailand, Denmark, Sweden).
Haven't seen my husband after our wedding ceremony. Can't wait anymore to be finally reunited
!!