Spouse Visa/Maintenance

[ghuraba]

Hi there

My question or questions are as follows.

I am a British National born here. I am thinking of marrying a woman from Morocco. She has a 4 year old daughter from a previous marriage. I would be applying for a Spouse Visa and child. I realise I have to be able to financially maintain both. From what I have read on this forum it would be around £170 for all 3 of us excluding rent and council tax. I also realise that I would need 3-6 months bank/wage slips. This is where my real question comes in. I have been employed for 3 1/2 years. As of this April 2012 I will be earning £300 gross and £252.69 net. At the moment I am only working 16 hours a week earning the minimum wage of £97.28. I am also renting accommodation and in receipt of Housing Benefit of £213 a month. As of the 6th April 2012 I will no longer be in receipt of any Housing Benefit or Council Tax concessions. I will be paying rent, Council Tax, National Insurance and Income Tax on my new salary. Irrespective of whether I decide to marry or not this will be the situation.

If I decided to marry I was thinking of doing this in July 2012. This would mean I can provide 3 months bank statements and 3 months wage slips from April to June 2012. Showing I am earning £252 a week take home pay and not in receipt of any public funds. Or I could hand in the previous 6 months bank statements and wage slips which contain a mixture of figures. Three months wage slips from January -March 2012 when I was employed 16 hours a week earning £97.28 and in receipt of Housing Benefit of £213 a month. Along with 3 months of wage slips/bank statements from April -June 2012 when I will be working full time and earning £252.69 a week and no longer in receipt of any public funds like Housing Benefit or Council tax reductions.

So my question is would this harm me or possibly go against me in any way if I handed in 3 wage slips and 3 bank statements from April-June 2012 with my new financial situation. Or handed in the last 6 months from January to June 2012 with a mixture of figures?

I hope you understand I have tried to keep it simple.

Thanks

[MelC]

Hi there

My question or questions are as follows.

I am a British National born here. I am thinking of marrying a woman from Morocco. She has a 4 year old daughter from a previous marriage. I would be applying for a Spouse Visa and child. I realise I have to be able to financially maintain both. From what I have read on this forum it would be around £170 for all 3 of us excluding rent and council tax. I also realise that I would need 3-6 months bank/wage slips. This is where my real question comes in. I have been employed for 3 1/2 years. As of this April 2012 I will be earning £300 gross and £252.69 net. At the moment I am only working 16 hours a week earning the minimum wage of £97.28. I am also renting accommodation and in receipt of Housing Benefit of £213 a month. As of the 6th April 2012 I will no longer be in receipt of any Housing Benefit or Council Tax concessions. I will be paying rent, Council Tax, National Insurance and Income Tax on my new salary. Irrespective of whether I decide to marry or not this will be the situation.

If I decided to marry I was thinking of doing this in July 2012. This would mean I can provide 3 months bank statements and 3 months wage slips from April to June 2012. Showing I am earning £252 a week take home pay and not in receipt of any public funds. Or I could hand in the previous 6 months bank statements and wage slips which contain a mixture of figures. Three months wage slips from January -March 2012 when I was employed 16 hours a week earning £97.28 and in receipt of Housing Benefit of £213 a month. Along with 3 months of wage slips/bank statements from April -June 2012 when I will be working full time and earning £252.69 a week and no longer in receipt of any public funds like Housing Benefit or Council tax reductions.

So my question is would this harm me or possibly go against me in any way if I handed in 3 wage slips and 3 bank statements from April-June 2012 with my new financial situation. Or handed in the last 6 months from January to June 2012 with a mixture of figures?

I hope you understand I have tried to keep it simple.

Thanks

the 6 months would "show" that you take the responsibility and obligation of marriage very seriously? which in marriage to a Maghreb woman you are expected to do.

your receipt of Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit previously will not harm your application, if you were to be in receipt of them when your wife applied it would not go against you if you met the DWP threshold for a family of your size (2 adults and 1 child) you would only have to show that the 25% reduction that you were receiving as a single person, you could afford to pay as this reduction would no longer be available to you.

good luck

[MelC]

I meant to add, before i leaned on send,

be aware of the very high possibility of changes in the regulations, and that your salary may not be sufficient under the changes, so if its possible to do things sooner rather than later, it would not be the worst thing you could do.

[ghuraba]

Thanks for the reply.

I actually forgot to ask about that regulation change. Can somebody give me any concrete details. I read on here some proposal to raise the income to between £18-£24K a year. Is this going to be law in the next 3-4 months?

I also realise that the Council Tax would be the full whack with no single occupant discount. I have calaculated for all of this.
Thanks

[MelC]

Thanks for the reply.

I actually forgot to ask about that regulation change. Can somebody give me any concrete details. I read on here some proposal to raise the income to between £18-£24K a year. Is this going to be law in the next 3-4 months?

I also realise that the Council Tax would be the full whack with no single occupant discount. I have calaculated for all of this.
Thanks

you have no idea how many people forget to calculate that 25% and their budget sheet doesn't add up!

no concrete details yet, but June looks good or bad depending on your point of view. no exact amount given as yet, the UKBA don't know yet.....