Thread for Outland LONDON, UK Applications!

[elmo11]

Hi Elmo! That is certainly not without precedent. It certainly would not hurt to be pre-emptive. Every little bit helps!

Thanks DGT, I suppose I'll start preparing a little "care package" for London next week!

elmo11 ^^

 

[Gary_87]

Hey guys!

After reading through this I feel I didn't provide enough details that we've lived together for a year. I included our rental agreement from november 2012 when we moved into the new place but as for the 11months cohabitation before ... I'm a little worried.

We sent a letter from the previous landlord saying we had lived together from jan to november at the address. No utility bills as they were included in the rent. No contract was signed on moving in or on departure. And as for bank statements etc were both paperless. The only thing we sent to prove that cohabitation was a landlord letter and some random statements that were sent to us to show we both received mail there.

I'm afraid they're going to ask me for more proof ... but I don't have any. We have genuinley lived there but neither of us signed anything (silly I know) nor received much mail.

The person who lived below us signed a stat declaration that we both lived above him but that's it.

What do you guys think? I'm kind of hoping this takes me longer to get so by the time I'm married in august I can update them and get spousal instead.

Fret fret fret.

 

[DGT]

Hey guys!

After reading through this I feel I didn't provide enough details that we've lived together for a year. I included our rental agreement from november 2012 when we moved into the new place but as for the 11months cohabitation before ... I'm a little worried.

We sent a letter from the previous landlord saying we had lived together from jan to november at the address. No utility bills as they were included in the rent. No contract was signed on moving in or on departure. And as for bank statements etc were both paperless. The only thing we sent to prove that cohabitation was a landlord letter and some random statements that were sent to us to show we both received mail there.

I'm afraid they're going to ask me for more proof ... but I don't have any. We have genuinley lived there but neither of us signed anything (silly I know) nor received much mail.

The person who lived below us signed a stat declaration that we both lived above him but that's it.

What do you guys think? I'm kind of hoping this takes me longer to get so by the time I'm married in august I can update them and get spousal instead.

Fret fret fret.

Hey Gary. Sounds like a pickle... Did you guys have stuff like payslips, or T4's that are at the same address? It also might be worth going into your banks and getting them to give you a backdated statement with details and address on them for the year prior to the application. My wife and I had a similar issue when we were getting her UK visa as we had been living together for 2 years, but in a dodgy basement in Sydney with no utilities in our name, or rental agreement. In that case we provided a signed and sworn statement from out landlady at the time that we were living together and she knew us to be a couple. Also, what info did you provide them with regarding your wedding plans? It couldn't hurt to provide copies of any deposits on wedding related materials or some such.

I think they are going to have a few questions about proving the validity of the common-law status but ultimately, as a visa-exempt citizen the statistical likelihood of you arranging a marriage of convenience us treated as much smaller due to the comparable quality of life in the UK and Canada. So you might be asked for more info, but you will get there.

 

[msmith1789]

Hey guys!

After reading through this I feel I didn't provide enough details that we've lived together for a year. I included our rental agreement from november 2012 when we moved into the new place but as for the 11months cohabitation before ... I'm a little worried.

We sent a letter from the previous landlord saying we had lived together from jan to november at the address. No utility bills as they were included in the rent. No contract was signed on moving in or on departure. And as for bank statements etc were both paperless. The only thing we sent to prove that cohabitation was a landlord letter and some random statements that were sent to us to show we both received mail there.

I'm afraid they're going to ask me for more proof ... but I don't have any. We have genuinley lived there but neither of us signed anything (silly I know) nor received much mail.

The person who lived below us signed a stat declaration that we both lived above him but that's it.

What do you guys think? I'm kind of hoping this takes me longer to get so by the time I'm married in august I can update them and get spousal instead.

Fret fret fret.

Hi Gary,

In regards to your bank statements, we are paperless too, and we have online banking and have statements available for previous 18 months with TD Bank. We submitted the past 13 months - Jan 2012 - to Feb 2013. You could always go in the bank and sign up for online banking and do the same as they should be available regardless, or you could ask them to print them out. I know TD do it for free, but may be a small charge for other banks, but I would say worth it.

My girlfriend and I moved into an apartment in feb last year and the mortgage is in my name and everything else, due to her credit and status in canada. So we just basically went through all the statements for the 13 months and actually highlighted both our wages going in, and mortgage, strata fees, bc hydro coming out.

For your case, you could do the same, highlighting for rent going to Landlord on monthly basis and any wages going in and other related household bills/expenses going out.

 

[Sweden]

The new spreadsheet is up and running! thanks Michty6 for updating the format, adding useful columns, getting rid of the ones that were not necessary (AOR??? who ever got one from London!), and taking time to fix statistics etc! For now, it's still closed for editing, so if you want to be added, just post here, or send a message to either Michty6, scottishmaple, Gary_87 or me.
If you want to have access yourself and be able to add information, then send me a private message with your email address and I'll proceed...
Maybe in a while we can try having it open again as Sniprat suggested.
Good luck all, now London can start issuing COPR etc, it's all ready!
Sweden

 

[msmith1789]

Did you guys have stuff like payslips, or T4's that are at the same address? It also might be worth going into your banks and getting them to give you a backdated statement with details and address on them for the year prior to the application.

As DGT said, any T4's, his/her payslips corresponding to going into joint account are great as it ties everything together. Any correspondence from the Government, Tax credits, HST credits etc addressed to him/her show validity too.

 

[Gary_87]

Its such a pain thinking about this now!

Basically, regarding T4's: she has her T4's and notice of assessments go to her parents house. Her address on file is their address as she has moved around a lot in the past and it was convenient to not change her address.

Her employer still has our old address on file as she forgot to change it.

As for old correspondance, we never kept it.

I do have online banking but we didnt have a joint account until around June when we starting paying our rent out of that. Before that, we paid separately.

The only thing I can think of doing is contacting the old landlord and getting him to fill out something official but I dont know how i could do that or if even such a thing exists.

My other problem with the banks is that I was with TD but then I left them to join coast capital, the bank my partner is with so we could then set up the joint account. I no longer have an account with them and cant get statements. I can only get ones from CC now.

So it is very difficult to actually prove anything. This is the problem I'm finding.

Also, with regard to the wedding we didnt mention it. We were afraid they would 'shelve' the application until after the wedding if they read about it. We did mention that we are engaged however, provided proof of that such as the engagement ring and receipt and messages from friends and family, but not the wedding. We said we were planning on it in the future.

Man, I'm a little nervous about being refused. The thing is we did live together for 1 year. It's just seeming like we dont enough evidence and we'll get denied on a lack of paperwork problem! Argh!!

 

[michty6]

If anyone wants to see any other statistics on the spreadsheet let me know. I put in what I thought were some good ones at the bottom

 

[Sweden]

Man, I'm a little nervous about being refused. The thing is we did live together for 1 year. It's just seeming like we dont enough evidence and we'll get denied on a lack of paperwork problem! Argh!!

They won't refuse you up front - if they need more proofs, they will contact you and ask for more, so you will have a chance to give them more proofs ( such as a notarized declaration from the landlord, etc). Don't think too much about it now, because your application is already sent, and there is nothing to do about it. Once you get sponsor approval, your file will go to London, and it's another 3 months more or less before they even open it... so at best, you will hear from them (if things stay as they are now) in end of May/beginning of June. No point of being nervous for the next 3 months - you'll get an ulcer, and you might not be asked for anything at the end! it depends on the officer that opens your file, as well as what he/she considers enough. So trust that for now, it is enough, and if they ask for more, you will have 60 days to figure out something...
Sweden

 

[Sniprat]

What was the date for your Stage 1 approval - 6/2/2013?

15/2/2013

 

[michty6]

15/2/2013

Congratulations you are both the average, slowest, fastest and median for 2013

 

[Gary_87]

They won't refuse you up front - if they need more proofs, they will contact you and ask for more, so you will have a chance to give them more proofs ( such as a notarized declaration from the landlord, etc). Don't think too much about it now, because your application is already sent, and there is nothing to do about it. Once you get sponsor approval, your file will go to London, and it's another 3 months more or less before they even open it... so at best, you will hear from them (if things stay as they are now) in end of May/beginning of June. No point of being nervous for the next 3 months - you'll get an ulcer, and you might not be asked for anything at the end! it depends on the officer that opens your file, as well as what he/she considers enough. So trust that for now, it is enough, and if they ask for more, you will have 60 days to figure out something...
Sweden

Thanks sweden. I shouldn't worry. But I always plan and worry is advance! Just want to prepare myself. I hope they don't ask for more!

 

[michty6]

For those interested, based on the stats I added at the bottom of the 2012 spreadsheet then:

1. Being non visa exempt will see your application will take almost 3 months longer than the average.
2. Being requested documents or having to do another medical will see your application take around 2 months longer than the average.

 

[msmith1789]

For those interested, based on the stats I added at the bottom of the 2012 spreadsheet then:

1. Being non visa exempt will see your application will take almost 3 months longer than the average.
2. Being requested documents or having to do another medical will see your application take around 2 months longer than the average.

Interesting! - thanks for that information!

 

[dannypee]

Well after a sleepless night I rang the city this morning and they emailed me the joint utilities from Aug 2011 to Dec 2011 so that they can be added to the Jan 2012 to Feb 2013 ones hence giving us 12months evidence of co habiting BEFORE our application and indeed continued co habitation as a family unit!!! cant believe I didn't do this in the first place!!! but its all emailed and the hard copies have been sent special delivery today also so im well within my 60days I've also asked for a acknowledgment of receipt of the email which ill doubt ill get but had to try!!! so to recap all my fees are paid ,the extra info has gone my medical has been extended so unless they ask for anything else its a waiting game going to ban myself from ecas and try and chillax .