Quote Originally Posted by Sconnie View Post
Well done Gadget best wishes from me and Vanessa.

Vanessa and I married last month and are now going through preparations for applying for a spouse visa, could i ask you for advise please any would be gratefully received. your application seams to have gone through very quickly did you submit everything yourselves ?
What documents do you suggest submitting ?
should Vanessa renew her passport before applying for her visa ?
Hi Sconnie - she did all the legwork on the application, what helped us was the check list in www.vfs-uk-ph.com. Applying for a workpermit dependent seems to require less documentation compared to a spouse visa. All that was required from me were:
  • copy of pages of my passport
  • evidence the sponsor can support the visa applicant financially - originaly bank statment and pension statements
  • evidence the sponsor has adequate accomodation - copy of mortgage document or letter from landlord if renting
  • recent pay slips and written correspondence from your sponsor's employer confirming their current contract of employement
  • evidence that sponsor and visa applicant have remained in contact during sponsor's absences - copy of telephone bills, letter envelopes and so on


The original documents I sent via DHL, the copies I just scanned and emailed to her.

The form used was VAF2 (I think it is VAF4 for the spouses). The copy of the marriage certificate has to be on the National Statistics Office (NSO) if the marriage took place in the Philippines.

The visa payment if made over the counter (Metrobank, Standard Chartered Bank, Banco de Oro or BPI) has to a day before the appointment, the other payment option is a manager's chequemade payable to British Embassy.

Definitely book an appointment in www.vfs-uk-ph.com.

Backread on the previous threads as there has been a number of couples that have gone through what you are going through now.

With regards to the passport, two years remaining on her passport is more than enough (they require a passport that is valid for at least 6 months). Keep in mind though that if you need to transfer the visa to a new passport, that will cost:
Transfer of visa to a new passport - form NTLOC
Postal application: £160
Application in person at public enquiry office: £500
Since she can apply for her ILR in one year, eleven months and two days after she has entered UK, there won't be any need to have the first visa transferred.

There was an earlier thread with regards to the visa dates, make sure that the date of the visa is as close to the departure date so that you do not have to pay for a visa extension.

Good luck and all the best on your application.