Visit Visa and ILR application at the same time

[imranh]

Hi Everyone

I am in a dilemma which I hope someone can help with. I have searched the forum but cannot find a similar situation to get the answer. Please read the information below with regards to my wife.

my wife is Pakistani and is here on a settlement visa. She is not working i.e. is a housewife and I am permanently employed earning about £28k basic salary with about £15k in the bank to show. My wife arrived in the UK in December 2010 and her visa expiry as appears on the passport is February 2013.

Now my issue is that my family pressuring me to sponsor my cousin from Pakistan on a visit visa to the UK. I will be acting as his sponsor. They want me to do this asap which means it will be done either before my wife applies for ILR or during her ILR application.

Can I sponsor my cousin on a visit visa whilst my wife is applying or going to apply for ILR?? I will be sponsoring 2 people - my wife and my cousin. Can I do that? I really dont want my wife's ILR application to be compromised in any way which of course is main priority!!!!

Please can anyone advise/help?? I will be really greatful. Please let me know if you need further info about my situation

[cs95tdg]

You acting as the sponsor for a family visitor is independent to you sponsoring your spouse and it has no effect on your wife's ILR.

All you have to be concerned about when sponsoring your cousin is that you can meet the sponsorship requirements for a visit visa.

I take it that you are settled in the UK, i.e. either have ILR or are a UK citizen.

See below for Visit visa sponsorship requirements:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... gavisitor/

[imranh]

You acting as the sponsor for a family visitor is independent to you sponsoring your spouse and it has no effect on your wife's ILR.

All you have to be concerned about when sponsoring your cousin is that you can meet the sponsorship requirements for a visit visa.

I take it that you are settled in the UK, i.e. either have ILR or are a UK citizen.

See below for Visit visa sponsorship requirements:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... gavisitor/

Thanks for the reply. much appreciated.

Yes I am British born and bred.

I thought I would just ask to clear any doubts that I had. Infact I had the following doubts based purely on personal anxiety in my head
1) I thought you could only sponsor 1 person
2) They may have questioned my financial ability to sponsor 2 individuals
3) Some documentation are needed for both applications e.g. wage slips and bank statements. I didnt want to risk losing these docs for when my wife applies for ILR. (But after checking the UKBA link above it states copies are needed of wage slips and bank statements which will put this doubt to bed).

Maybe it was just me being paranoid !!!

Thanks for the advice - once again. I presume none of my doubts above are factual

[cs95tdg]

1) I thought you could only sponsor 1 person
2) They may have questioned my financial ability to sponsor 2 individuals
3) Some documentation are needed for both applications e.g. wage slips and bank statements. I didnt want to risk losing these docs for when my wife applies for ILR. (But after checking the UKBA link above it states copies are needed of wage slips and bank statements which will put this doubt to bed).

1) No. There is no explicit limit. E.g. several members of your family may visit you together & you may sponsor them all if you meet the necessary sponsorship requirements.
2) This is certainly a factor for you as the sponsor to consider. Note that sponsorship may not necessarily conver financial support for the visitor while here. For example you could provide sponsorship which only covers their accomodation for the visit. In this case then the visitor will need to provide evidence of their own finances to support their stay in the UK along with all other evidence to support the application.
3) Generally speaking evidence to support an application will either need to be originals or certified as true copies if you are providing photocopies.

[imranh]

2) They may have questioned my financial ability to sponsor 2 individuals

2) This is certainly a factor for you as the sponsor to consider. Note that sponsorship may not necessarily conver financial support for the visitor while here. For example you could provide sponsorship which only covers their accomodation for the visit. In this case then the visitor will need to provide evidence of their own finances to support their stay in the UK along with all other evidence to support the application.

Thanks again for your reply - I am really grateful for your advice.

Ok so I could potentially have an issue with my wife's ILR application. I am expected to provide financial support and maybe accomodation support aswell. But then again I thought my wife's ILR application is more about the following 1) proving me and my wife living together as a married couple 2) her not having access to public funds 3) my wife progressing in terms of ESOL course. I thought these points were more important rather than my financial capabilities to support my wife.

On the UKBA website there is no method to help to determine whether I can cover both applications. Surely a salary of £28k and £15k in the bank account should be enough for both applications???

any further advice will be greatly appreciated

Many Thanks

[cs95tdg]

Ok so I could potentially have an issue with my wife's ILR application. I am expected to provide financial support and maybe accomodation support aswell. But then again I thought my wife's ILR application is more about the following 1) proving me and my wife living together as a married couple 2) her not having access to public funds 3) my wife progressing in terms of ESOL course. I thought these points were more important rather than my financial capabilities to support my wife.

On the UKBA website there is no method to help to determine whether I can cover both applications.

My response above was for you to determine whether you can satisfy the financial requirements for both your wife's ILR application & visitor sponsorship. Theres no reason for documentation for both of these to be posted together on the UKBA website, as they are independent visa/immigration categories. You will need to look at the information for each seperately yourself.

1) Go through the requirements/guidance notes for your wifes ILR application. I'm sure you would have already done this. If not you should do so.
2) Go through the requirements/guidance notes for sponsoring a family visitor. I provided a link in my original response which you need to go through. The supporting documents for a visitor are detailed in the link below. It includes what needs to be provided by both the applicant and sponsor (if someone is sponsoring them). From what I can recall for a visit visa the sponsor or applicant needs to provide 6 months bank statements/payslips.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... sitors.pdf

Please take a look & read through the information for both to begin with.

[imranh]

Ok so I could potentially have an issue with my wife's ILR application. I am expected to provide financial support and maybe accomodation support aswell. But then again I thought my wife's ILR application is more about the following 1) proving me and my wife living together as a married couple 2) her not having access to public funds 3) my wife progressing in terms of ESOL course. I thought these points were more important rather than my financial capabilities to support my wife.

On the UKBA website there is no method to help to determine whether I can cover both applications.

My response above was for you to determine whether you can satisfy the financial requirements for both your wife's ILR application & visitor sponsorship. Theres no reason for documentation for both of these to be posted together on the UKBA website, as they are independent visa/immigration categories. You will need to look at the information for each seperately yourself.

1) Go through the requirements/guidance notes for your wifes ILR application. I'm sure you would have already done this. If not you should do so.
2) Go through the requirements/guidance notes for sponsoring a family visitor. I provided a link in my original response which you need to go through. The supporting documents for a visitor are detailed in the link below. It includes what needs to be provided by both the applicant and sponsor (if someone is sponsoring them). From what I can recall for a visit visa the sponsor or applicant needs to provide 6 months bank statements/payslips.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... sitors.pdf

Please take a look & read through the information for both to begin with.

Thanks again for your reply. Much appreciated. I am looking into the requirements as you have advised. I think I should be ok as I am more than comfortably supporting my wife currently as my disposable income is high compared to my actual wage as I dont pay rent/council tax althogh I pay for the other bills.
My cousin will not be paying any rent as he will stay with his uncle. I will pay for my cousins costs which will basically be travelling/petrol/food - so it wont be too much.

One other question that has come to mind is that if something adverse/"bad" happens to my cousin's visa with me being the financial sponsor (e.g. he breaks the law, gets deported for not adhering to his visa regulations, stays beyond his expiry date, gets caught working when he should'nt etc etc) - could that adversely impact my wife's ILR application when she applies after? or will they be treated seperately, isolated cases? I hope I make sense !!!!

Thanks

[cs95tdg]

One other question that has come to mind is that if something adverse/"bad" happens to my cousin's visa with me being the financial sponsor (e.g. he breaks the law, gets deported for not adhering to his visa regulations, stays beyond his expiry date, gets caught working when he should'nt etc etc) - could that adversely impact my wife's ILR application when she applies after? or will they be treated seperately, isolated cases? I hope I make sense !!!!

You appear to be going to great lengths in thinking of negatives, and the examples given appear to indicate a lack of confidence on your part, in your cousin obeying the law once in the UK. If you feel the scenario's you have outlined are likely to occur, it is indeed strange that you would even consider sponsoring him. Having said that the two (ILR for your wife, and this visitor visa) are two seperate applications & you as a sponsor for a visitor cannot be responsible for his actions (though I don't personally know what the implications would be if a serious offence was committed).

[imranh]

One other question that has come to mind is that if something adverse/"bad" happens to my cousin's visa with me being the financial sponsor (e.g. he breaks the law, gets deported for not adhering to his visa regulations, stays beyond his expiry date, gets caught working when he should'nt etc etc) - could that adversely impact my wife's ILR application when she applies after? or will they be treated seperately, isolated cases? I hope I make sense !!!!

You appear to be going to great lengths in thinking of negatives, and the examples given appear to indicate a lack of confidence on your part, in your cousin obeying the law once in the UK. If you feel the scenario's you have outlined are likely to occur, it is indeed strange that you would even consider sponsoring him. Having said that the two (ILR for your wife, and this visitor visa) are two seperate applications & you as a sponsor for a visitor cannot be responsible for his actions (though I don't personally know what the implications would be if a serious offence was committed).

thanks for the reply.

lol - I am just being very cautious and just want to envisage every scenario.
I trust my cousin 100% and he is of good character and will act accordingly. Its just for my own peace of mind. I just dont want my wife's ILR application to go wrong in any way . I was under alot of stress (on the verge of breakdown at times) for her settlement visa application even though she got the visa first time. i just want to be well prepared.

Thanks for your help.