ESC

Click the "allow" button if you want to receive important news and updates from immigrationboards.com


Immigrationboards.com: Immigration, work visa and work permit discussion board

Welcome to immigrationboards.com!

Login Register Do not show

Sponsor Finances for Fiance Visa

Family member & Ancestry immigration; don't post other immigration categories, please!
Marriage | Unmarried Partners | Fiancé/e | Ancestry

Moderators: Casa, push, JAJ, ca.funke, Amber, zimba, vinny, Obie, EUsmileWEallsmile, batleykhan, meself2, geriatrix, John, ChetanOjha, archigabe, Administrator

Locked
MrDodge
Newly Registered
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 5:43 pm

Sponsor Finances for Fiance Visa

Post by MrDodge » Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:06 pm

Hi folks,

I'm a British citizen & resident, and my girlfriend is from Venezuela. We are planning to submit a fiance visa for her in May. My main concern regards finances and employment. I haven't worked for 2 years, but have substantial savings which we've been living off. Last year I sponsored her student visa, and the Home Office accepted my savings statements back then. Neither of us have ever claimed any kind of state benefit, and I cannot imagine that there will be any other problems with the application.

Soooo, my question is, what level of savings would be deemed sufficient to qualify? Is there any guidance on what the minimum figure would be.

thanks in advance for any help.

D.

Pakhtoon
- thin ice -
Posts: 889
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:57 am
Location: Warsaw, Poland

Post by Pakhtoon » Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:12 pm

No work for two years and substantial savings ?? sounds dodgy Mr. Dogde !
“Terrorism is the war of the poor; war is the terrorism of the rich.â€

djb123
Member of Standing
Posts: 464
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:33 pm

Post by djb123 » Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:30 pm

Work out your realistic living expenses for the next two years or so for the both of you, add on the cost of a wedding, any flights, and the costs of visas (£2K maybe). If your figures add up (ie savings more than expenses) then provide the details with the application. If not you may need to look for a job...

ElenaW
Diamond Member
Posts: 1525
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:14 am
Location: Back and forth between California and Norwich :D

Post by ElenaW » Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:27 pm

After rent and council tax you should have £101/week left over.
I tell it like it is.

John
Moderator
Posts: 12320
Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:54 pm
Location: Birmingham, England

Post by John » Tue Feb 16, 2010 8:08 pm

MrDodge, where is your fiancée now? Is she still in the UK on the student visa you mention?
inwarsaw wrote:No work for two years and substantial savings ?? sounds dodgy Mr. Dogde !
What on earth do you mean? Are you saying that people cannot be rich, and everyone must have a need to work?
John

Pakhtoon
- thin ice -
Posts: 889
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:57 am
Location: Warsaw, Poland

Post by Pakhtoon » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:27 pm

John wrote:MrDodge, where is your fiancée now? Is she still in the UK on the student visa you mention?
inwarsaw wrote:No work for two years and substantial savings ?? sounds dodgy Mr. Dogde !
What on earth do you mean? Are you saying that people cannot be rich, and everyone must have a need to work?
It was supposed to be a joke.

True what you said. I just finished reading about this couple who won 56 Million pounds and now I am depressed, going for a smoke.
“Terrorism is the war of the poor; war is the terrorism of the rich.â€

John
Moderator
Posts: 12320
Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:54 pm
Location: Birmingham, England

Post by John » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:43 pm

A joke? I would not have guessed. I think we need to be careful on a board like this that comments cannot be misinterpreted.
John

batleykhan
Moderator
Posts: 3573
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:58 pm
Location: West Yorkshire
Contact:

Post by batleykhan » Tue Feb 16, 2010 10:30 pm

I have known a number of people with savings in the region of £2000-£2500 to be granted visas.

The ECO obviously would be interested in the prospect of both of you getting some kind of a job to support yourself in teh long term, then they will probally grant you visa

MrDodge
Newly Registered
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 5:43 pm

Post by MrDodge » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:14 am

thanks all for the replies
MrDodge, where is your fiancée now? Is she still in the UK on the student visa you mention?
She's still in the UK on a student visa which expires at the end of April. As I understand it, we can still try to get a CofA and get married before her student visa expires, but that's a lot of hurdles to jump in only 2.5 months. Just to make things harder for us, she was previously divorced in Venezuela, and the Venezuelan embassy say that in order for her divorce papers to be accepted in the UK, they need to be "legalized" at a specific place in Caracas. I'm not sure I believe them, but who would know better than the embassy? As I understand it, she cannot swap from being a student to a fiancee without leaving the country and re-applying from her home country. I cannot see why they have this rule, but that's how it is apparently.
Work out your realistic living expenses for the next two years or so for the both of you, add on the cost of a wedding, any flights, and the costs of visas (£2K maybe). If your figures add up (ie savings more than expenses) then provide the details with the application.
Is that what you consider sensible, or is that the guidance that the Entry Clearance Officer has? I think I would be able to provide a bank statement showing enough money to cover 2 years living expenses + visas+ wedding costs.

Why do you think it costs £2K on visas?
According to this link, it would be be £585 for a fiance visa, and another £585 for a spouse visa.
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/visafees/
After rent and council tax you should have £101/week left over.
Yes, I've seen this figure mentioned, but over what time period though? How many years would I need to be able to fund this amount? 2 years, 10 years, indefinitely?

What I really want to know is what guidance the clearing officer has in front of them.

djb123
Member of Standing
Posts: 464
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:33 pm

Post by djb123 » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:38 am

Providing details of a budget seems to me to be the best way of proving to the ECO that you have enough money to live on without resorting to public funds - which is the main aim. After two years or so your wife should be eligible to claim public funds hence why I suggested that time period.

A fiancee visa is only the first stage, within 6 months you need to apply for another visa , then after 2 more years you need to apply for yet another visa. This currentlyl add up to around £2k or even more if you apply in person using the premium service. The rules are changing so it is almost certain that you will have to apply for citizenship or permanent residency after that.

John
Moderator
Posts: 12320
Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:54 pm
Location: Birmingham, England

Post by John » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:47 am

As I understand it, we can still try to get a CofA and get married before her student visa expires, but that's a lot of hurdles to jump in only 2.5 months.
True but ... given the CoA application is free, absolutely no harm getting the process under way.

The divorce certificate? She already has the divorce certificate in the UK? I think proceed to apply for the CoA. You might also like to phone the British Embassy in her country and ask them about this. Contact details on this webpage.
John

MrDodge
Newly Registered
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 5:43 pm

Post by MrDodge » Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:05 pm

The divorce certificate? She already has the divorce certificate in the UK? I think proceed to apply for the CoA. You might also like to phone the British Embassy in her country and ask them about this.
Yes, she has a notarized copy of her divorce certificate in Spanish with her here in the UK. (The original versions are always kept by the public records office in Venezuela.) She called the Venezuelan Embassy here to ask for a certified translation, as required for the CofA, but they said she has to get it legalized at a special office in Caracas. Not exactly convenient! Presumably the legalization stamp would also be required to get a Fiance visa.

I'll call the British Embassy in Caracas to see what they say - thanks for the tip.

MrDodge
Newly Registered
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 5:43 pm

Post by MrDodge » Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:08 pm

Providing details of a budget seems to me to be the best way of proving to the ECO that you have enough money to live on without resorting to public funds - which is the main aim. After two years or so your wife should be eligible to claim public funds hence why I suggested that time period.
OK, thanks. I'm planning to consult an immigration lawyer now, but its useful to discuss it on here so that I can at least ask the right questions.

Locked
cron