spouse visa/family visa dilemma

[sheldon1]

Thanks terpe for your advice. I know there is changes comiing. my salary is 20,000 before tax so i think i am safe if they try to implement the salary threshhold change. every uk citizen has a right to be with there loved ones. but i suppose we can't be burden on soiciety here. I agree with that. I have heard all sorts of different stories, you should have £5000 in the bank before you apply, some say £3000 its all up in the air. I have been sending my wife and kids around £230 a month for the last 5 years and she keeps the reciepts that end. For the last 2 years she has been using my atm card from another account and getting the money out no problem. I can prove that this end also with statements. My wife has been to uk in 2010 for 6 months but she stayed only for 3 months becuase our kids stayed in philippines with grandma. My kids have never met my family and they are 5/6 now. I only worried that my bank after paying debts rent, and my wife support was never really showing much savings like any other working male in uk today. They have granted my wife a visit visa, so they must be satisfied she is my wife and happy with that. As soon as i feel i have enough in the bank to show excess money i will apply more than likely feb/ possibly march.
sheldon.

[Terpe]

Thanks terpe for your advice. I know there is changes comiing. my salary is 20,000 before tax so i think i am safe if they try to implement the salary threshhold change. every uk citizen has a right to be with there loved ones. but i suppose we can't be burden on soiciety here. I agree with that. I have heard all sorts of different stories, you should have £5000 in the bank before you apply, some say £3000 its all up in the air. I have been sending my wife and kids around £230 a month for the last 5 years and she keeps the reciepts that end. For the last 2 years she has been using my atm card from another account and getting the money out no problem. I can prove that this end also with statements. My wife has been to uk in 2010 for 6 months but she stayed only for 3 months becuase our kids stayed in philippines with grandma. My kids have never met my family and they are 5/6 now. I only worried that my bank after paying debts rent, and my wife support was never really showing much savings like any other working male in uk today. They have granted my wife a visit visa, so they must be satisfied she is my wife and happy with that. As soon as i feel i have enough in the bank to show excess money i will apply more than likely feb/ possibly march.
sheldon.

Sheldon, don't put too much reliance on savings being the key to financial maintenance.
Of course you will need to show savings even if it's only enough for visa fees,air tickets settlement to UK etc. £2000 at time of application would be reasonable to expect.

The really important issue is cash flow.
Means you have regular permanent income with a minimum disposable income of around £106 per week per couple and £62 per child.
You don't have to save it all after all it's your discretionary spend.

I would say from what you've said you should have no problem on that aspect

[sheldon1]

HI terpe couid you clarify that. do you mean a month or a week. cos if its a week then that means to me i have to after bills,debts,rent etc. i have to have a monthly disposable income of nearly £900. or is that including bills,rent ect..

[Terpe]

HI terpe couid you clarify that. do you mean a month or a week. cos if its a week then that means to me i have to after bills,debts,rent etc. i have to have a monthly disposable income of nearly £900. or is that including bills,rent ect..

There really isn't any actual amount stated in the 'immigration rules' that indicate just how much is considered as 'sufficient'.

It's up to the sponsor and applicant to prove there is sufficient for them to maintain themselves.

Basically, the UKBA will be looking at the amount of money left after any regular non-discretionary expenditure (such as rent or mortgage payments, council tax and secured loans etc)
Everyone has have different non-discretionary expenditure.(eg payments of Child support would also be considered a key fixed/regular payment)

Various Immigration Tribunal's have concluded that it would not be appropriate to have immigrant families existing on resources that were less than the 'Income Support Level' for a British family of the same size. This then is the best guide available and is one of the tools used by UKBA

In principle this means that if it is more likely than not that the total amount of money that the applicant and sponsor will have to live on will be below what the income support level would be for a British family of that size, then it may be appropriate to consider refusal of the application on maintenance and accommodation grounds.

The 'Income Support' rates for tax year 2011/2012 are £105.95 per week for a couple and £62.33 pounds per week for each dependent child.

ECO's are not accountants but, if you are generally living within your means and can afford the cost of another adult consumer joining the household, this should be immediately obvious from the supporting financial evidence (bank statements/payslips etc)

Only those people with a discretionary amount of money close or equal to the equivalent of means-tested benefit might feel the need to make a budget plan to signpost how they can afford another consuming person in the house.

Hope this helps.

[gWaPito]

Excellent advice again

Like whats been said, don't get hung up over saving.

I didn't have that much at the time of application so, my wife did a very good cover letter explaining why eg...numerous trips back and forth etc etc.

Like what Terpe said you just got to show that after all bills and living cost you have enough to live on.

Jane did a list for them...making it as easy as possible for them to see that we are indeed in control of your finances and that the books do balance.

That's really all they are looking for. Like you rightly said ' you wont be a burden'.

Also your colleagues are correct, the paperwork is simply as long as you have all documents they require.