Documents- Help please

[frednbyang]

Hi

I am in the final stages of preparing documents to send my fiance to support her application and there are 3 points I am not sure of.

1) Does the copy of my passport have to be notarized?
2) Do I need a letter from my employer or will six months payslips and last years P60 suffice?
3) For the CFO seminar will I have to provide a certificate of no impediment to marry (for myself) I have never married and we are to marry in the UK. I do however have 2 children from a previous relationship. My fiance is under the impression she will need this.

On a different point, when we are married will my wife be free to travel within the EU or will she need a visa even for a holiday in say Spain?

Also many thanks to all the people who have posted their experiences on this site, it has been of great use to us.

[ginapeterb]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FrednByang &#064; Mar 23 2006, 06&#58;21 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Hi

I am in the final stages of preparing documents to send my fiance to support her application and there are 3 points I am not sure of.

1) Does the copy of my passport have to be notarized?
2) Do I need a letter from my employer or will six months payslips and last years P60 suffice?
3) For the CFO seminar will I have to provide a certificate of no impediment to marry (for myself) I have never married and we are to marry in the UK. I do however have 2 children from a previous relationship. My fiance is under the impression she will need this.

On a different point, when we are married will my wife be free to travel within the EU or will she need a visa even for a holiday in say Spain?

Also many thanks to all the people who have posted their experiences on this site, it has been of great use to us.
[/b][/quote]


Hello Fred,

Welcome to the Forum, ( the best place to be in the UK for your questions), so let me answer it for you :

Your passport does not need to be notarized, experience has shown that it is not a hard and fast requirement, just have the photo page, and the rest of your passport, that is all the stamped pages in attachment.

You actually do not need a letter from your employer, what the ECO will look at is, your ability to support your wife without recourse to public funds, this can be demonstrated as follows:

Your last 3 months payslips if employed.

Or your last 6 months contract payments, or last 3 years accounts, or if recently self employed your last 12 months accounts.

Also you must submit your last 6 months bank statements, and they must be up to date, try not to have a minus figure (i.e. be in the red) when you submit them, Im not suggesting you are in the red, but some do submit them and are in the red, whilst they may have got a laugh from the ECO and the applicant passes the test, it maybe that it can go against you, if your income is lower than the average in UK.

Secondly, I have a tip for you, prepare a budget statement showing your income and fixed outgoings, such as rent/mortgage council tax, utility bills, and show that against say, your income, showing the residual surplus each month, this is a good demonstration of your ability to support your new wife when she arrives in UK.

And of course the budget statement may dispel any borderline issues with your Income and expenditure, that the ECO may have.

You dont have to do this, but it sometimes tips the balance in your favour.

I think your fiancee is slightly confused about the CFO, the CFO in itself does not require a Certificate of no impediment to marriage from you, that would only be required by the Philippine Authorities, should you wish to contract marriage in the Philippines, and in any event, the CFO has no jurisdiction over marriages, that is a matter for the Local District registry, who would require the Filipino version of the same document which is a Legal Capacity to contract marriage, which is only issued by the foreign embassy, in this case, the British Embassy, since you are not marrying in the Philippines, there is no requirement for you to obtain one locally in the UK, and since you are to marry in the UK, having a CNI is not a requirement.

The Counselling and Guidance seminar your fiancee is referring to, is nothing to do with the CFO, the CFO issues only the emigrant number, which is affixed in your fiancees passport, once she has completed the guidance and counselling seminar.

This is conducted by the SMEF-OCW, St Mary&#39;s Eurphrasia Foundation for Overseas contract workers, the requirements for this, are

Your fiancee&#39;s passport
showing Uk Entry Clearance Sticker
the fee of P250.00
2 Photos
and any other information as requested prior to attending.

you can read about this at

http://www.british-filipino.com/guidance.html


With regard to your fiancee once having married you, travelling around Europe, she would not be free to do that, without having a Schengen visa for the European member states, this of course is a formality, since once having married you, she would be entitled to obtain one, as the wife of an EEC Citizen, all she would require is her passport, and a copy of your local UK Marriage certificate, the schengen visa enables your wife to travel to any of the member states who are party to the agreement, signed in Luxembourg, and the best place to obtain this, is via the country&#39;s embassy in London, of which you wish to enter the continent of Europe.

I hope that helps...any questions, Im all ears &#33;&#33;

Best wishes

Pete

[frednbyang]

Thanks Pete for you info and also the tip on the budget, having been living a single lifestyle (down the pub) for the last 3 years I do not have the healthiest of bank balances although only overdrawn by a few quid occasionally at the end of the month. Obviously my life style will change when I have a beautiful wife at home [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]. Without going into details I guess I earn above average.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ginapeterb &#064; Mar 23 2006, 07&#58;25 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Hello Fred,

Welcome to the Forum, ( the best place to be in the UK for your questions), so let me answer it for you :

Your passport does not need to be notarized, experience has shown that it is not a hard and fast requirement, just have the photo page, and the rest of your passport, that is all the stamped pages in attachment.

You actually do not need a letter from your employer, what the ECO will look at is, your ability to support your wife without recourse to public funds, this can be demonstrated as follows:

Your last 3 months payslips if employed.

Or your last 6 months contract payments, or last 3 years accounts, or if recently self employed your last 12 months accounts.

Also you must submit your last 6 months bank statements, and they must be up to date, try not to have a minus figure (i.e. be in the red) when you submit them, Im not suggesting you are in the red, but some do submit them and are in the red, whilst they may have got a laugh from the ECO and the applicant passes the test, it maybe that it can go against you, if your income is lower than the average in UK.

Secondly, I have a tip for you, prepare a budget statement showing your income and fixed outgoings, such as rent/mortgage council tax, utility bills, and show that against say, your income, showing the residual surplus each month, this is a good demonstration of your ability to support your new wife when she arrives in UK.

And of course the budget statement may dispel any borderline issues with your Income and expenditure, that the ECO may have.

You dont have to do this, but it sometimes tips the balance in your favour.

I think your fiancee is slightly confused about the CFO, the CFO in itself does not require a Certificate of no impediment to marriage from you, that would only be required by the Philippine Authorities, should you wish to contract marriage in the Philippines, and in any event, the CFO has no jurisdiction over marriages, that is a matter for the Local District registry, who would require the Filipino version of the same document which is a Legal Capacity to contract marriage, which is only issued by the foreign embassy, in this case, the British Embassy, since you are not marrying in the Philippines, there is no requirement for you to obtain one locally in the UK, and since you are to marry in the UK, having a CNI is not a requirement.

The Counselling and Guidance seminar your fiancee is referring to, is nothing to do with the CFO, the CFO issues only the emigrant number, which is affixed in your fiancees passport, once she has completed the guidance and counselling seminar.

This is conducted by the SMEF-OCW, St Mary&#39;s Eurphrasia Foundation for Overseas contract workers, the requirements for this, are

Your fiancee&#39;s passport
showing Uk Entry Clearance Sticker
the fee of P250.00
2 Photos
and any other information as requested prior to attending.

you can read about this at

http://www.british-filipino.com/guidance.html
With regard to your fiancee once having married you, travelling around Europe, she would not be free to do that, without having a Schengen visa for the European member states, this of course is a formality, since once having married you, she would be entitled to obtain one, as the wife of an EEC Citizen, all she would require is her passport, and a copy of your local UK Marriage certificate, the schengen visa enables your wife to travel to any of the member states who are party to the agreement, signed in Luxembourg, and the best place to obtain this, is via the country&#39;s embassy in London, of which you wish to enter the continent of Europe.

I hope that helps...any questions, Im all ears &#33;&#33;

Best wishes

Pete
[/b][/quote]

[andypaul]

I would just like to second what pete says about the budget and showing in DETAIL what money is avaiable to look after and support your wife.

The Ceo is looking to see that you are.

1 In love and its a proper relationship.

2 That both of you are either free to marry or legally married already to one another.

3 That either your wife or yourself can ensure your Wife is not a burden to public finaces at least for the first two years.

This can be done by a mixture of showing that you have spare income to support your wife, and/or enough savings in the bank. It could be your wife has enough to support herself in savings. That or you can show your wife has a job lined up. It also helps to show your wife has skils which can help her gain a job in the UK.
Basically the CEO wants to know that between the two of you, your wife is not going to cost the taxpayer money for the first two years.

4. That you have suitable housing which you either own,are up to date on your payments on mortage or rent and also if renting have permission to allow your wife to stay with you. Also that the accomdation is suitable for you both to live in. Ie enough rooms over the correct size etc.

Thats how i saw it from what i read on various websites and from what the goverment rules state.

Regarding the letter from employer i sent in my annual letter from HR which states my salary for the year ( i.e any payrise and thanking me for my hard work in the previous year and also my p60 and as i had them my last 6 months of payslips just to be sure.

[frednbyang]

Are you saying it is ok for my future wife to have a letter offering her a Job? Can she legally work as soon as sher arrives. Obviously we want her to settle her but there is a friend of mine who is in a position to and is willing to offer her a job. Obviously I would not suggest she will work here unless it is totally legal.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(andypaul &#064; Mar 25 2006, 11&#58;57 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
I would just like to second what pete says about the budget and showing in DETAIL what money is avaiable to look after and support your wife.

The Ceo is looking to see that you are.

1 In love and its a proper relationship.

2 That both of you are either free to marry or legally married already to one another.

3 That either your wife or yourself can ensure your Wife is not a burden to public finaces at least for the first two years.

This can be done by a mixture of showing that you have spare income to support your wife, and/or enough savings in the bank. It could be your wife has enough to support herself in savings. That or you can show your wife has a job lined up. It also helps to show your wife has skils which can help her gain a job in the UK.
Basically the CEO wants to know that between the two of you, your wife is not going to cost the taxpayer money for the first two years.

4. That you have suitable housing which you either own,are up to date on your payments on mortage or rent and also if renting have permission to allow your wife to stay with you. Also that the accomdation is suitable for you both to live in. Ie enough rooms over the correct size etc.

Thats how i saw it from what i read on various websites and from what the goverment rules state.

Regarding the letter from employer i sent in my annual letter from HR which states my salary for the year ( i.e any payrise and thanking me for my hard work in the previous year and also my p60 and as i had them my last 6 months of payslips just to be sure.
[/b][/quote]

[mupsuit]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FrednByang &#064; Mar 28 2006, 05&#58;02 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Are you saying it is ok for my future wife to have a letter offering her a Job? Can she legally work as soon as sher arrives. Obviously we want her to settle her but there is a friend of mine who is in a position to and is willing to offer her a job. Obviously I would not suggest she will work here unless it is totally legal.
[/b][/quote]


As the spouse of a British citizen she is entitled to work without any further approvals

The difficulty she will face (apart from with your friend) is that nowhere on her documents from the British Embassy does it say that she can work &#33;&#33; It does say however on her visa that she has "No Recourse to Public Funds" ...

If your friend can make her a job offer so much the better - suggest that he word the letter to include some details of your wife&#39;s qualifications/experience -

My wife has had job refusals so now we have obtained a National Insurance number for her which we hope will be seen by prospective employers as having the right to work

Good Luck

[andypaul]

Your Wife is entitled to work the second she has officially entered the UK, like Mupsuit says.

Your Wife is lucky if your friend can offer her job [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

All the Employer needs to do is have a copy of the revelant pages in her passport (Name and details page and Visa stamp page at the very least if i remeber correctly) most want proof of address and bank details as well (from my experience with my Wifes Job). The tax office have information on their website and im sure your friend can contact his friendly tax office for more information if needed.

My Wife was lucky in the fact that the majority of people were working with her both managment and fellow workers were Visa holders of one sort or another so no one needed to look up the details.