Unclassified email

[wil5924]

Hello guys I am a 35 year old British citizen working in the military and living in Germany. Got married to my filipino wife who is a pharmacist in march 2013. Anyway she recieved an email today for her visit visa it says The title is UNCLASIFIED. The content is my visa/passport will be dispatch shortly after 3 working days. Then she recieved an other email your visa application has been processed and recieved by visa application centre and is ready for collection. Then she recieved an SMS your visa application is out for dispatch with local courier within 24- 72 hrs. Does that mean she has been accepted. It's our 1stvisa application

[wil5924]

Hello my wife applied for uk visit visa. She recieved this email today from the British embassy The title is UNCLASIFIED. The content is my visa/passport will be dispatch shortly after 3 working days. Then after 2 hours she recieved an email from Vfs saying her visa application number has been processed and recieved to the application centre and is ready for collection. Then she recieved an SMS your visa has been dispatched by courier and you should receive it within 24-72 hrs. It's our1st visa application and we are nervously waiting its only been 9 working days since we made the application. What I was worried was we never produced any bank statements. I just submitted 6 month payslips. But I guess because I am I the British army and the government provide us with married house. Surely it can't be this easy as I have read so many horror story's on this forum. The reason for a uk visit visa is the military will hen apply for her sofa stamp for her onward travel to Germany where she will live with me in married quarters. I am hoping they have approved her visa.

[raynaputi]

If the content of the email is "Your visa will be despatched shortly", then visa is granted (based on the same message the members here got). :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[raynaputi]

By the way, I just merged both your threads.

[wil5924]

Thank you :) I'm quite shocked how easy it was. Especially after everybody was saying you have to submit 6. Month bank statements. I never submitted any bank statements or any evidence that I could maintain my wife. There is evidence that a uk visa can be obtained without bank statements. Happy days.

[blessed_ekim0826]

Most cases with that email, its granted. Congrats in advance :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[wil5924]

Thx mike :smile:

[Michael Parnham]

Congratulations on your success Wil, welcome to the forum:Hellooo::Hellooo::xxgrinning--00xx3:

[aprilovez]

wow conragts .. sooon will be spouse visa hehe ... :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[mendoza82]

congratulations:Jump::Jump:

[wil5924]

I'm not to worried about the spouse visa because she will have a sofa stamp for Europe . When I get posted back to the uk the armed forces pay for the spouse visa. In theory the armed forces are using government money to pay for the visa which will end up going back to the government. I guess there are perks of being in the military :smile:

[joebloggs]

your a bit lucky to get a visit visa for a spouse, i take it your wife is visiting you in the UK and not Germany? also your even more luckier to get the visa without sending evidence that your wife\you can fund her visit.

but it looks like you've got the visit visa :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[joebloggs]

I guess there are perks of being in the military :smile:

there are but some of them perks recently ended, but i cant remember what they were at the moment :doh i know it was to do with settlement.

[wil5924]

Yes under the armed forces agreement she has to apply uk visit visa. Once this is obtained the ministry of defence process her sofa stamp in the uk which takes upto 3 weeks. She then flys to Germany with me on a military troop flight payed for by the government. Then she will live with me in married quarters in Germany. She is the free to go back and forth to the uk or anywhere in Europe hehehehe. When I get posted back to the uk then the military pay for her spouse visa for indefinite leave to remain. All I included was a letter from the army welfare officer saying she would be living in suitable service accommodation . And I issued also my last 6 month payslips. I guess they can't say that I can afford her trip as I am a civil servant payed by the government. Hehehhehe

[Terpe]

Yes under the armed forces agreement she has to apply uk visit visa. Once this is obtained the ministry of defence process her sofa stamp in the uk which takes upto 3 weeks. She then flys to Germany with me on a military troop flight payed for by the government. Then she will live with me in married quarters in Germany. She is the free to go back and forth to the uk or anywhere in Europe hehehehe. When I get posted back to the uk then the military pay for her spouse visa for indefinite leave to remain. All I included was a letter from the army welfare officer saying she would be living in suitable service accommodation . And I issued also my last 6 month payslips. I guess they can't say that I can afford her trip as I am a civil servant payed by the government. Hehehhehe

Might be worth checking on the entitlements with the SOFA stamp. Work etc.
Also could be worth checking on immigration rules for Military spouse and entry to UK

[wil5924]

Your visa will be despatched shortly. Passports can normally be collected from the Visa Application Centre after 3 days. Applicants in Australia and New Zealand should allow 3 days before tracking their documents via the local post. UKBA-Manila Visa Hub


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*********************************************************************************** that was the email she recieved from the British embassy. It's funny because my wife got turned away at vfs Cebu for having incorrect documents. They told her my bank statements where very important and she needed them. After 4 emails and getting nowhere with vfs I asked them to forward my email to the manager at vfs and I quoted this statement which is taken from ukba website policy and law entry clearance officer guidelines. This is what it states ARF13 How can dependants of members of HM armed forces transit the UK to join sponsor on their posting overseas?
Dependants of HM armed forces personnel required to transit the UK in order to travel to join their sponsor overseas should apply for a general visit visa to transit the UK.

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ARF14 What documents do the dependants of members of HM armed forces need to provide?
Dependants of HM armed forces and those exempt must, first and foremost, be able to show that they are the spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, same-sex partner or child of a member of the armed forces (the 'sponsor') in case of children, original birth certificates, adoption papers, etc should be supplied with the application and should be requested if not supplied.

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ARF15 What documents does the sponsor need to provide?
If the sponsor is a member of HM armed forces, they will need to provide:

a letter from their sponsor's Unit confirming the date of their enlistment and their expected final date of service with HM Forces;
a letter from the unit referred to above. If the letter is not recent (dated within the last 6 months), caseworkers may wish to contact the unit concerned, to ensure that the service details provided remain valid and:
evidence of their marriage or civil partnership (including the original marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate.
It clearly states that no bank statements are required. All I need is a letter from the army and marriage certificate which we supplied. I then had an apologies email from the vfs manager in Cebu. Thankyou for notifying us of these arrangements. My staff were unaware of this and I wil inform them accordingly. Please make another appointment and I will ensure your wife submits her documents with no hindrance. :) result achieved with a little perseverance. I also copied and paste the arf 13 to arf 15 into my sponsor letter and told the caseworker I have submitted all documents as set out under the ukba website policy and law :) I'm just hoping now that she will recieve the visa. But I am pretty sure it has been accepted with an email from the embassy saying your visa has been dispatched. Just a word of advice just dig deep into immigration policy and spell it out to the caseworkers. They have to follow these government guidelines. And I would guess half of them don't know the policy inside out.

[Rosie1958]

Congratulations on securing a visa for your wife and welcome to the forum! :xxgrinning--00xx3: :Wave:

[wil5924]

Yes its true my wife has just recieved her passport back and she has her visa.excellent news.for everybody who told me i wouldn't recieve a visa without providing bank statements.i am living proof it can be done.so happy :)

[joebloggs]

there are but some of them perks recently ended, but i cant remember what they were at the moment :doh i know it was to do with settlement.



Written statement to Parliament
Armed Forces family migration
to come into force on 1 December 2013.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/armed-forces-family-migration