Spouse visa finance question.

[MrWolf]

Hi,

I am a British citizen. My wife is a U.S. citizen. We got married in the U.S. in January. She is currently in the U.S. and I am currently in the U.K.

I am currently unemployed and looking rather frantically for a job, so that I can meet the maintenance requirements of a spouse visa.

My wife just got a job in the U.S. and she has a sister who is very well off who will help us financially in order to help get my wife a visa.

My wife does not have a bank account in the states yet. My account is in credit but not by much, and I have no debts. My wife has large debts and is about to file for bankruptcy.

I am currently claiming income support and carers allowance, but will be cancelling these when I get a job.

I am told that we need to show a certain amount of money coming in to prove we can afford to live. Obviously ideally I would like to be able to show that as pay slips from a job, but I have been looking for months, unsuccessfully, for work.

Does this maintenance money need to be in both our accounts or can it be in either of ours?

How much do we need to have in the bank, or how much do we need to have coming in?

How long back do we need to show money coming in?

Is it possible for my wife's sister to just put a lump sum in my account or my wife's to show we can afford to live?

Is it possible for her sister to put money in regularly to my account as if i have a regular income, or will immigration check that it is actually coming from a job?

If I am on benefits does it count against me? Even if I have a lump sum of money in my account?

I know this is a lot of questions, but i cant seem to find the answers elsewhere.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[archipelago]

Maintenance can come from either the sponsor, applicant or third party support. Read this link as it should help with some of your questions :


http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/polic ... e/ecg/maa/


Putting a lump sum into the bank account before the application would need to be justified with evidence that it does not need to be returned to the family member.

[Casa]

The 3rd party financial sponsor however, must be resident in the UK.

[MrWolf]

Thanks for the replays.

[archipelago]

If your wife has a joint account with her sister this could be used, but you would need at least 3 months statements of this with both names on the account.