Settlement Visa - Non EU - Wife - Financial Responsibilities

[MattTT]

I am a UK citizen and currently the main child carer of the family, my Chinese wife is the breadwinner. We shall be applying to meet the financial savings requirement component of her UK settlement visa.

I have 3 questions;

1) I am not sure how to answer the question asking if I am financially responsible for any dependents, and if so, how much. As I have no income, should I refer to our joint savings currently held? Or do I defer to my wife as the one financially responsible?

2) Is a printed online UK bank statement, with header, acceptable evidence of my own personal savings? Or should I provide further verification e.g some kind of stamped/bank verification letter?

3) For my wife's savings, kept in Chinese accounts, there are many sub accounts within the same account. The bank has provided a stamped letter (also translated) providing veracity. What further information might we be able to provide to explain the alternate Chinese saving accounts and to prove the money has been held for at least 6 months?

Thanks, in advance.

[MattTT]

Bump. Anybody?

[vinny]

You must satisfy Appendix FM-SE.

I think that wife's or joint savings may be included, but wife's overseas income cannot.

[MattTT]

Thanks vinny. Will refer to joint element of our credit cards for this.

[Wanderer]

Thanks vinny. Will refer to joint element of our credit cards for this.

Credit card limits can't be used as income.

[MattTT]

Thanks wanderer, would only really be relying on the credit card as evidence of some kind of joint arrangement between us in terms of finances. China does not allow joint bank accounts you see, so there can never be any dispute about who is responsible for the money.

[MattTT]

Hi,

My Chinese wife got her settlement visa. Thankyou to everyone's suggestions here. We were sent an email stating a decision had been made, but had to wait 4 days until we were delivered the actual visa to know it was successful.

My question is;

My wife is travelling to the UK on a business visa before the date of entry specified on her settlement visa, we are presuming she will have to re leave the country and enter on her spouse visa? If so, any advice on this? Or indeed any information on whether this will present any complications.

Thank you in advance!

[CR001]

She can travel as long as she has a valid visa and it has not been curtailed and superceded by her spouse visa.

She will need to leave the UK and re-enter on her spouse visa to activate it.

[MattTT]

When applying to renew a 2.5 year FLR(m) visa,2 things;

1) NHS surcharge? My wife pays money into the NHS with monthly deductions, is the 500 pounds then refundable or will she be exempt this time from paying the surcharge. Also, is her primary surcharge refundable from when she first applied?


2) Now my wife is in the UK, is her salary taken into account? Or is it solely our savings or my income?

Thanks

[Wanderer]

When applying to renew a 2.5 year FLR(m) visa,2 things;

1) NHS surcharge? My wife pays money into the NHS with monthly deductions, is the 500 pounds then refundable or will she be exempt this time from paying the surcharge. Also, is her primary surcharge refundable from when she first applied?


2) Now my wife is in the UK, is her salary taken into account? Or is it solely our savings or my income?

Thanks

1. No and no.

2. Yes, both incomes.

[vinny]

1. I don't think that she is exempted.

2. Yes.

(c) The employment or self employment income of an applicant will only be taken into account if they are in the UK, aged 18 years or over and working legally, and prospective employment income will not be taken into account (except that of an applicant’s partner or parent’s partner who is returning to employment or self-employment in the UK at paragraphs E-ECP.3.2.(a) and E-ECC.2.2.(a) of Appendix FM).

[MattTT]

Ok, thanks for the answers (and thread stitching). Although I am surprised at the NHS answers. Should she actually not be paying contributions I wonder?

EDIT: Sorry Vinny, I didn't realise they were links... looking into them now.

[Wanderer]

Ok, thanks for the answers (and thread stitching). Although I am surprised at the NHS answers. Should she actually not be paying contributions I wonder?

EDIT: Sorry Vinny, I didn't realise they were links... looking into them now.

We all have to pay NHS via our NI contibutions if we earn enough, no exceptions there. The surcharge is for the NHS to claw some funds back since we we are effectively doing is importing people who've never paid in and in some case have severe pre-existing conditions the NHS is obliged to treat. Just think about those from places where marrying first cousins is the norm, and the proven links to birth defects...

£200 a year is a bargain for A1 health insurance, covering all pre-exisitng conditions, imagine if the UKVI went the other way and insited all those on FLR had to provide their own fully comprehensive health insurance for those years, you'd be looking at multiple £1,000's per annum and if someone has serious health issues, tens or hundreds of thousands!

[MattTT]

Oh, I understand the charge for those that make no contribution, but for those that do, like my wife (who makes a rather large contribution at the 13.8% of monthly income) it seems rather odd.

[CR001]

Oh, I understand the charge for those that make no contribution, but for those that do, like my wife (who makes a rather large contribution at the 13.8% of monthly income) it seems rather odd.

NI contributions are not only for NHS services. They provide tax for a whole range of public service/expenses.