About to apply for visa for my wife in Egypt

[PrinceEgypt]

Hi

I am a British national aged 32. I got engaged and married (July 2011) to my step-father's niece in Cairo (so we are not blood related).

I just dont know where to get help and I was wondering if anyone was kind enough to help me. My questions are...

1. I am on Working Tax Credit (£86 per week) as my salary is only £12,000p.a. Does this mean that I cannot apply for a visa for my wife as I am claiming public funds?

2. I am also on Disability Allowance lower rate (£78 per month) as I have a disability. Does this also effect my application

3. As rent is not cheap nowadays, I will be moving into my fathers council flat, but also contributing towards the rent - so there is accomodation available. Is this going to affect the application?

4. Who do I need to contact about the English test that I have been informed that she has to pass?...I dont know where to begin or where to look. Is the test automatically given to her when we apply for the visa?

All this would be so much help if I could get answers.

Best Wishes

Nabil.

[raam123]

1. What I personally did is you need marriage certificate with as much as you can photos of both of you, marriage invitation letters and most important is to prove marriage is subsisting.i.e. you still in contact either throw visits or email or SMS but not phone cards as they not accepted.
2. Salary 1200 is good enough to be accepted.the main rule as guys explained here is your salary - (tax and ni. contributions +council tax+rent) you should left with at least 120 per week.
Wtc is not affect, I had it it's ok. It's money so don't worry.dla is same no orb.
3.accomodation that is your weak point. Living on your dad flat is a bit tricky. How many bedroom is the flat. How many person living in flat. Is your wife pregnant? Are you paying your part of rent?
4. Your wife have to do the exam before apply for visa,otherwise she will be refused stright away. Where in Egypt it wife?

[PrinceEgypt]

1. What I personally did is you need marriage certificate with as much as you can photos of both of you, marriage invitation letters and most important is to prove marriage is subsisting.i.e. you still in contact either throw visits or email or SMS but not phone cards as they not accepted.
2. Salary 1200 is good enough to be accepted.the main rule as guys explained here is your salary - (tax and ni. contributions +council tax+rent) you should left with at least 120 per week.
Wtc is not affect, I had it it's ok. It's money so don't worry.dla is same no orb.
3.accomodation that is your weak point. Living on your dad flat is a bit tricky. How many bedroom is the flat. How many person living in flat. Is your wife pregnant? Are you paying your part of rent?
4. Your wife have to do the exam before apply for visa,otherwise she will be refused stright away. Where in Egypt it wife?

1. I have everything - lots of wedding photos with all the family, and even the wedding video!, all contact and messages between us has been saved on my laptop when we talk on Windows Live Messenger or on Skype.

2. I have more than 120 a week in salary - that should be ok then.

3. Yes its 1 bedroom but the bedroom is big enough for two persons and my father sleeps on the sofa-bed in the living room.

4. My wife is learning English now and she is ok with the language problem as she is doing some mock tests at the moment.

[Casa]

You need £105.95 weekly remaining after paying any contribution to rent/mortgage, council tax and making any loan/credit repayments. This is under current regulations, which may be subject to change this year.
As your father rents his property you'll need a letter from the council as landlords agreeing to you living there. This may be considered by the council as suitable only for a single person.

[PrinceEgypt]

You need £105.95 weekly remaining after paying any contribution to rent/mortgage, council tax and making any loan/credit repayments. This is under current regulations, which may be subject to change this year.
As your father rents his property you'll need a letter from the council as landlords agreeing to you living there. This may be considered by the council as suitable only for a single person.

Yes I agree with the accomodation part - However, I am entitled to a 1 bedroom flat from the council if I am living with a partner. So I am hoping they won't object to us living with my father for a few weeks until the council find us suitable accomodation(which I will be entitled to). Do you think that will be ok?

[CR001]

Hi,
Council Housing is considered public funds which your wife is not entitled to due to 'no recourse to public funds'.

My British uncle's wife has been stuck in South Africa for two years because her first application for spouse visa was declined due to my uncle being housed in council housing and the letter this as the reason.

She has now submitted her second application as the accommodation is private now and has already been waiting over 4 weeks for a decision when they are normally decided within 10 days in South Africa. The reason for the delay is that they will now be checking everything in her application to make sure it is 100% legitimate with no public funds by the spouse in terms of accommodation.

When I switched to spousal two years ago, they queried, checked and took forever to issue the visa because my husband (british) claims child benefits for my daughter and we were questioned again abou the child benefits when I applied for ILR last week.

Your tax credits and disability allowance is fine as you are entitled to that, but I would seriously look at other options for accommodation.

Hope this helps and that you manage to come right.

Thanks

Char

[SoHopeful]

Hi,
Council Housing is considered public funds which your wife is not entitled to due to 'no recourse to public funds'.

My British uncle's wife has been stuck in South Africa for two years because her first application for spouse visa was declined due to my uncle being housed in council housing and the letter this as the reason.

I don't quite understand why they refused due to social housing... countless people on here and others i know personally live in council housing or housing associations and the accommodation was accepted. 'No recourse' only applies, when the size of the property required is affected by the presence of the spouse on visa. But as a couple or single person are still entitled to the same bed space this is rarely an issue, unless there are other residents.

[PrinceEgypt]

Hi,
Council Housing is considered public funds which your wife is not entitled to due to 'no recourse to public funds'.

My British uncle's wife has been stuck in South Africa for two years because her first application for spouse visa was declined due to my uncle being housed in council housing and the letter this as the reason.

I don't quite understand why they refused due to social housing... countless people on here and others i know personally live in council housing or housing associations and the accommodation was accepted. 'No recourse' only applies, when the size of the property required is affected by the presence of the spouse on visa. But as a couple or single person are still entitled to the same bed space this is rarely an issue, unless there are other residents.

I hope you are right!..for my sake! - I think as long as you have somewhere to live, it should be ok. Who can i ask? .... The Home Office? ..

[CR001]

Hi,
I am advising you based on experience and fairly good knowledge about the spousal visa route.

Have a look at this link and if in doubt, speak to the Home Office or contact your Citizens Advice Bureau.

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

But I am know for a fact that, until my ILR was granted, I was not able to get any assistance, not even JSA when I was unemployed and the only benefits my British spouse claimed was child benefits for my daughter and we were question about this twice at the Home Ofice in two years.

It is a lot of money to lose and to pay again if application is not right the first time. Bear in mind that there are potential big changes coming in for spousal visas as well (minimum stay of 5 years before ILR and minimum income for sponsor of £25,700).

Wishing you all the best for your application.

Thanks
Char