spouse visa - min length of employment contract

[rachcammer]

Hello, I’ve searched through the website but can’t find an answer to my specific query, so hope you can help me.

I have been doing voluntary work in Cameroon for almost 2 years now, and have just got married to my Cameroonian boyfriend who will be applying for the spouse visa to come and live with me in the UK.
My contract finishes in March 2008 and I have been already looking for jobs as I know that I don’t have enough savings (only around £3000 sterling once I receive my end of service grant at the end of February 2008) to guarantee financial security for me and my husband.

I have a very good chance of getting a job with a big governmental department, starting straight away in March, and salary of around £30,000 p.a.
HOWEVER, it is only for maternity cover so the contract with be for around 9 months. I am almost certain that the contract will be extended, or I will find other work in that time as I have a lot of experience in my field and have never been out of work, but is the short term contract enough for the embassy to reject my husband’s application?
Do I rather hold out for another job with a permanent contract – is there a minimum length of contract recommended? In my field of work – project management – most jobs are fixed term contracts due to the posts normally being funded by European Commission projects.

As regards other finances, is there a usual minimum that third party sponsors have to assure?

Also, I have my own house with mortgage in the UK and I have a bit of equity in the house – can that count also as available finances?

Is just a contract of employment be sufficient, or do they expect to see a number of months of payslips already, which would mean me having to go home without my husband and working for a few months?

Finally, the Commission here says they don’t accept internet print outs of bank statements in the visa application, but I do internet banking with a ‘paper-friendly’ account, so they send me e-statements instead of paper statements which I have always believed to be just as valid and official as the printed version they send, is this right or will I have to ask the bank specifically for them to print out my bank statement of 6 months – what difference would there be in the bank statements that the bank prints out to ones that I would print out on my own printer?!

Hope you can help!

Thank you
Rachel

[VictoriaS]

I think a nine month contract will be fine.

Get the bank to stamp the statements as authentic if you can.

Victoria

[rachcammer]

thanks Victoria, that's very good news for us!
Great forum

Rachel