Evidence - how much to send?

[mattb1970]

Hello everyone,

Just a quick question or 3... I got married to my beautiful filipina last month and we are about to apply for a spouse visa however we have a large amount of evidence of relationship and it's rather heavy!

My wife wants to know whether to send all the evidence to UKVACS or just the most important stuff? This stuff weighs a ton! What's the best way of packaging and sending it?

Also, should she send the originals or photocopies?

We want some the evidence to be returned (letters, cards and my pay slips!). Should we enclose a pre-paid envelope for this or are UKVACS good at returning evidence?

Many thanks for any advice you can give...

MattB.

[Anne]

You have two options, phone the UKVACS and they will booked an appointment to pick up your application/documents from her (applicant) house OR go to their office with your application/documents:

as far as I know, you will have to fill up a little list that they only required (the most important, ie: sponsor's financial, accomodation, relationship, Birth C., copy of sponsor's passport, £260 fee and etc.) to submit with your application to the embassy. I'm not quite sure if you need to send the copy ones but you must submit original ones to the UKVACS, anyway, just bring all the documents you have including copy ones, incase you need. You dont need to buy an envelope, don't worry, the UKVACS will tell you what to do, just have all the application/documents, fee for the application and fee for the courrier (UKVACS) and the UKVACS will do the rest! Or why not phone UKVACS??!

The ECO will look at the other docs on the day of the interview. That's why they want you to have a copy of each of your supporting paper because they will keep the copy ones and original ones will returned to you after the result/interview.


Anne

[baboyako]

how much to send? ALL OF IT

fill up a couple of box files if required. Your reason for refusal will not be "on the balance of probabilities you have supplied too much evidence"

[mattb1970]

Hi,

Thank you for your replies style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

I suppose if the CEO needs photocopies we&#39;ll have to send them with the originals in case they don&#39;t request an interview (fingers crossed&#33;). I think I&#39;ve copied all the relevant documents so we should be ok there.

I think a phone call to the UKVACS will be needed once we get the marriage certificate back.

Yep, I think we&#39;ll fill at least couple of box files&#33;&#33;

Thanks again,
Matt.

[ivor&mel]

Matt,

It might be an idea to make a preliminary call to UKVACS to ask them about any limitations on the size of the documentation you are submitting. When we did it in Feb, we had to fit everything into one big plastic envelope: that was the only format they would accept.

Ivor and Mel

[Irelandken]

Hi, when we applied in person at UKVACS in April, we had enough to fill about 3 box files and they refused to take it all. They said if we wanted to send it we would have to pay a premium for extra courior fees. We settled for the max they allowed which was 2 of the plastic envelopes they supply, and just cut back on sending every single chat transcript, just a sample from each date. Then added a note on the file to say the rest had been removed at UKVACS Infact the officials could&#39;nt understand what it was all for, they said "just send whats asked for on the application, u dont need all that stuff style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif " Its a bit worrying...

[ginapeterb]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Irelandken &#064; Jun 6 2006, 07&#58;20 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Hi, when we applied in person at UKVACS in April, we had enough to fill about 3 box files and they refused to take it all. They said if we wanted to send it we would have to pay a premium for extra courior fees. We settled for the max they allowed which was 2 of the plastic envelopes they supply, and just cut back on sending every single chat transcript, just a sample from each date. Then added a note on the file to say the rest had been removed at UKVACS Infact the officials could&#39;nt understand what it was all for, they said "just send whats asked for on the application, u dont need all that stuff style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif " Its a bit worrying...
[/b][/quote]


I think after reading some of these posts regarding Evidence of Relationship, many applicants are basing the requirement on what has been asked for in the past, if the current regime does not require lots of evidence, then that is fine, I think one has to use common sense here, and let that prevail, I know many applicants rely very much on my own personal website, but people simply have to realize that my website is only a guide to entry clearance, it will not cover every situation,

WE ARE NOT MIND READERS &#33;&#33;

When the web site was constructed, Evidence of Relationship was very much one of the reasons that so many visa applicants were denied visa&#39;s, what we have consistently said at this Forum, is that the more Evidence of Relationship that an ECO see&#39;s the more chance they have of confirming that the relationship is genuine and subsisting.

If UKVACs have said that lots of the Evidence is not neccessary, well they are not the ones whose life and liberty hang on a thread, I am of course talking here about the Filipina Applicant &#33; UKVacs couldnt give a toss whether your visa is granted or refused, they still get paid for doing a job, its all in a days work to them, if they retort that this or that is not required, then the simply answer is to take a flight to Manila at your expense and deliver the paperwork directly to their office in Ayala Avenue, when it comes to ones liberty and livelihood and future life together in the UK, then don&#39;t take any chances, the fact of the matter is, some of us were so concerned about our prescence at the British Embassy, that we stood outside for 8 hours all day while our spouse was inside waiting to be interviewed, now that is what we call a commitment to the process.

Some other sponsors do not even go back to the Philippines for one reason or another, that is a risk they take, I must stress on this forum, that their is no point in blaming anyone else but yourself, if your fiancee/spouse is denied a visa due to lack of evidence of relationship, there is little point in saying that we had it all, but UKVacs would not take it, thats a matter for you the sponsor.

If you get away with it, and your fiancee&#39;s visa is granted, then good for you, you got lucky &#33; keep quiet and get on with life, other applicants have not been so lucky &#33; even when they have taken great pains to get the paperwork to the UKVacs people, their visa has still been denied for one reason or another, I must stress yet again, that UK Entry Clearance is not an exact science.

The whole point of this forum is to lessen the risk of a denial, thats why we all take time to give advices on what we think is important, there is a mass of ingredients here at this forum, it is then up to each sponsor and applicant to take the information they have recieved and make their own informed judgment on the action they will take.

If I say on my website that I firmly believe Evidence of Relationship is important, then that is because in the past and based on my own experience it is a requirement, in my own case, we arrived at the British Embassy, with a Large Rustans carry bag of photos, and other information, we looked kind of funny, walking outside the Embassy with a large carry bag, was I bothered ?? nope &#33;, the fact is the visa was granted, although the ECO did not look at all of the enclosures, he did look at some of it &#33;, the fact is, who is to know what they will ask for ? you will look pretty stupid, if your visa is denied because quote :

The Applicant has failed to demonstrate a subsisting relationship.

Keith has always said, "Overwhelm them with as much as possible"

But common sense has to prevail, if the materials are being sent by courier, then the simply answer is to put in a selection of everything, but far better if the enclosures can be delivered direct, again that is a matter for the sponsor.


I hope this sets out the matter straight, again, COMMON SENSE WILL PREVAIL HOPEFULLY &#33;

[Irelandken]

What i found concerning was if i had not been there personally with my fiance at UKVACs, she may easily have been convinced by those in authority to just send what was asked for on the application. She had the awareness after reading petes site and from our preperation thanks to what we&#39;ve read here to know we were right in what we had with us. What i actually had with me was at least 5-6 double sided A4 sheets of small print for every days chat we had, which was almost every day for 16 months, I fully agree with you pete that the evidence is one of the most important things we had to submit, and even though i removed some, i still submitted evidence to show contact every day for that period, plus a summary showing so. This took quite some time to do while waiting in the hall at UKVACs, as the sponsor is&#39;nt allowed into the office there either. I doubt if a courier will be willing to wait while you do this.
When our originals were returned, the chat transcripts were not with them, so those that we removed will be taken to the interview to back up those that we sent originally. As u say the UKVACs officials dont really give a toss what u submit. Our paperwork was&#39;nt even checked by them at submission at the desk, just asked was it there and ticked off the sheet. The sorting of the docs was done after we left in a back room by someone who we never met.
I appreciate what those who have gone before us went through in the early system, for without them we would&#39;nt stand a chance.

[Admin]

As said, common sense. You don&#39;t have to supply prints out of every chatroom you&#39;ve had, just the logs, and a few copies per month, with a cover note explaining more are available if requested.

[Dayko2006]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; Jun 6 2006, 07&#58;33 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
As said, common sense. You don&#39;t have to supply prints out of every chatroom you&#39;ve had, just the logs, and a few copies per month, with a cover note explaining more are available if requested.
[/b][/quote]

Admin when embassy asks "copies" i.e: decree absolute is that photostat copy of original or certified copy from Somerset House, London style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Doh.gif or even the originals

[ivor&mel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dayko2006 &#064; Jun 7 2006, 02&#58;00 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Admin when embassy asks "copies" i.e: decree absolute is that photostat copy of original or certified copy from Somerset House, London style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Doh.gif or even the originals
[/b][/quote]
Mel and I submitted just a plain photocopy of my Absolute. But others advise getting the photocopy certified by a solicitor (and the same with photocopies of your passport pages), and that makes sense if you want to reduce the element of risk.

Ivor and Mel

[Admin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ivor&mel &#064; Jun 7 2006, 08&#58;43 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Mel and I submitted just a plain photocopy of my Absolute. But others advise getting the photocopy certified by a solicitor (and the same with photocopies of your passport pages), and that makes sense if you want to reduce the element of risk.

Ivor and Mel
[/b][/quote]
You took the words right out of my mouth style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Grin.gif Great song style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/BouncyHappy.gif

[Dayko2006]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ivor&mel &#064; Jun 7 2006, 08&#58;43 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Mel and I submitted just a plain photocopy of my Absolute. But others advise getting the photocopy certified by a solicitor (and the same with photocopies of your passport pages), and that makes sense if you want to reduce the element of risk.

Ivor and Mel
[/b][/quote]

Maraming Salamat style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif Ivor n Mel