#appendix2

As mentioned in my previous post, I am a Malaysian and I applied my UK fiancé visa in 2017 from Malaysia. Please refer to my Part 1 to understand my situation.

Also take note, currently I have a fiancé visa, married, living with my husband and in process of switching into spouse visa.

So how did I successfully apply my fiancé visa?

I applied online and also completed Appendix 2 and sponsorship form. So make sure you have internet access and an email to do this. I also provide tonnes of supporting documents.

Just some tips, make sure you scan and save all the documents you are going to send to the home office. Use an online storage like google drive or dropbox to keep all the documents.

Luckily, I keep all my documents when I was in the UK as a student like my utility bills, house contract, bank statements, my payslip (I worked part time), etc. Basically everything that I received through my mail and emails when I was in the UK for 3 years ish. Yep, just my anxiety that make me keep all things that are legit! Having all these documents make it easy for me to provide prove for the application.

So if I were you, I will not throw anything away. Anything with your name and details just keep it for maybe 7 years?

Right let’s look into the Appendix 2 form. Please take note that I applied the visa in 2017 so the form might have some changes or update since then, make sure you download the latest form from the home office website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-uk-visa-for-family-settlement-form-vaf4a

Step 1: READ everything on the form. READ through all of it carefully. Anything you don’t understand please google or get some help.  I found some of the questions were confusing (maybe I’m just stupid but hey I got the visa!).

For a start of the form, I crossed that box below:

The form have 5 Parts and you need to complete it based on your situation. I will go through only questions that I found difficult or confusing when I fill it in. Feel free to drop me a question that I have not explain in any of my blog.

I will try my best to reply and help you, however, bear in mind that I am not a professional in visa application. I only share based on my own experienced and research. I am not here to guarantee your application to be successful but I am here to share with you what I know.

At the same time, I will also mention the supporting documents that can be included with these form.

Besides the table of content that I have (check my Part 1 for example), I made a more details table of content for supporting documents for the Appendix 2 form. Here is an example:

PART 1

1.3 When did you first meet your sponsor?

We don’t have the exact date but we know roughly the month and year. So I leave the box for days blank and only filled in the boxes for month and year.

When we first met, we don’t really know each other. We were in the same sports club so back then we were kind of strangers to each other. At first, we wasn’t sure either to put the date when we went dating or when we went for club meeting. After looking into few more questions, we decided to choose the date when we were still strangers.

1.4 Where did you first meet in person?

As it was during club meeting so we gave details of the place like an address. So for example: Starbucks at XX Road, Sheffield. Give an exact address if you know or describe the place the best you can.

(Nope, we didn’t meet in a Starbuck, it was in a swimming pool, LOL. In case anyone is wondering)

1.5 When did your relationship begin?

Put the exact date if you remember if not the give a roughly estimated date. We don’t have exact date, our relationship kinda just bloom, LOL. So we had to discuss and decide a date to fill it in.

1.6 How often do you meet in person?

Right, I was a student when we were dating and then I left the UK once I completed my study. So we said we meet almost every day from -month- year until -month- year. Twice in -month- and -month- year.

Again try to give as much details as possible. Put in any date that you have meet your partner even for a short trip/vacation either in UK, your country or any other country.

1.8 How do you keep in touch with your sponsor?

Thanx to the advanced technology we have nowadays, I keep in touch with my husband (was fiancé) every single day using Facebook, WhatsApp, skype, messenger, etc. Thank you Internet! We love you! And yes, I am clingy!

Also it is best if there is supporting documents. Try to put it some conversation and calls history. Make sure nothing too distracting or personal like sexting (you know what I mean, cheeky!).

1.19 Have you lived with your sponsor in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership at any time?

For this, we lived together for like couple of months and luckily I have a proof of address which I included as supporting documents. We thought it will help to show that our relationship are genuine.

If you have lived together for even a short period, it will be worth it to mention it although you don’t have any proof of address.

From what I understand, staying in a hotel together for holiday doesn’t count.  

For Part 1 supporting documents, beside the proof of address I also include:

Provisional booking for the civil ceremony

Booking for the venue for the reception

The more you read this, the more it is like telling you my love story, YIKES! Sorry will try my best to make it less of my love story and more UK fiancé visa story.

Here some roses to calm you down while filling in the Appendix 2 form ;)

PART 2

2.1 Where do you and your sponsor plan to live in the UK?

It was a bit tricky for me since my husband was renting a room at that point and obviously we haven’t look into renting any house together yet, also we both are not rich enough to buy a house. So we decided to use his parents’ house as the main address. Again we are lucky because Michael used that address for most of the important stuff like bank statement, student loan, etc. So for that we have enough proof that he was living in that address. By the way, we did stayed there when I came to give notice of marriage.

It is fine to use house address that owned by any family member for this as long there is enough room in the house for everyone.

We provided a letter of support from his parents and title deed as proof that they are the house owner and we are going to live there when I arrive. Also few proof of address that my husband live there.

2.8 Do you intend to work in the UK?

Since this is a fiancé visa obviously I am not allow to work until I switch my visa. It means No I am not intend to work while I have my fiancé visa but Yes I will want to find a job and work once I switch my visa. The whole point of fiancé visa is to get marry and switch to spouse visa once married.

So I crossed ‘YES’ and explained ‘once the spouse visa is approve and the proper authorisation allow me to work then I will look for work in a field that suitable with my experienced and qualification’

I guess it doesn’t matter either you answer yes or no as long you have a proper explanation.

Before we go to PART 3, here is a kitten to DE-stress you.

AWwww so cute! Right now we all are calmer here come,

PART 3

Here are some links that I refer to that help me to kind of understand what should I do and provide:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270197/sup-docs-settlement.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/636618/Appendix_FM_1_7_Financial_Requirement_Final.pdf

Like I said before, there are lots of reading so get your reading glasses ready!

We were applying with no child dependent so the financial requirement for us is £18,600 a year.

Although my husband annual income meet the financial requirements but he has been working for less than 6 months when we were applying for the fiancé visa, hence, we were in Category B for Part 3A - ‘Income from Salaried Employment in the UK’.

We also using Part 3F - ‘Cash Saving’, Category D to meet the financial requirement. Yep, we were using 2 method in meeting the financial requirements. Why? Keep reading and you will understand.

Part 3 was a hassle and annoying for us. We have to provide lots of supporting documents to prove that we meet the financial requirement. We also wrote a cover letter specifically to explain our financial situation and how we meet the requirement.

3.20 What was your sponsor’s total income (before tax) from salaried employment in the 12 months prior to the application?

Here is where we realize our problem, the amount of his total income is less than £18,600. Well, he was only working for few months.

3.22 If your sponsor has not been employed by the same employer for 6 months prior to the application does their total income (before tax) from salaried employment received in the 12 months prior to your application meet or exceed the financial requirement you must meet?

Duh, obviously ‘No’.

It is annoyingly confusing since they said financial requirement ‘an income before tax of at least £18,600 a year’ which my husband annual income exceed that amount but then they ask how much in total he have earned prior to the application. Unfortunately his total income for the few months he has been working didn’t meet the requirement amount yet. After further reading and research, we found out we need to combine with other category to meet the financial requirements. So this is where we use the Cash Savings category.

Again, we are so lucky that my father created a trust fund for me and my siblings when we were young like 10 or 12 years old. Each of us have a trust fund in our name and my father have been putting in money ever since. Well, according to him it is his money and we all can only have it once he is ‘gone’. That’s fair. But according to the trust fund it is mine since it’s under my name so I can use it in cash savings category, pheewww!

Not all cash savings can be use in this category. There are some requirements to use this category. For a start, it must exceed £16,000. Since my fund is in RM, I need to multiply with 5.5 which give me RM88,000 and that’s a lots of money! Anyway again we are lucky, we kind of just meet the amount, pheeww! It was my father investment and saving since he was young so that took him more than 20 years. I am so grateful to have a father who always think in advance and prepare for the rainy days. He saved us! Hallelujah!

Right since it is in RM the total amount in the trust fund need to be converted to £ to prove the total amount exceed £16,000. Don’t use any online converter but use the one that specify by the Home Office which is OANDA; https://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/

This was in 2017 so please check at the home office website if OANDA still approve by the Home Office.

By the way, we also need to show proof for source of the trust fund. We provide documents proof for transaction with a large amount and explain in a letter that there are continuously small amount of transaction into the trust fund monthly.

Also some of the documents are in Malay so I need to take it to a certified translator to translate into English. And that people also cost me money, each page cost me RM50 and I have more than 5 pages =_=. Yes, money is the key to the visa application. Oh and also time, it took the translator 3 working days to translate all my documents.

Just for extra information, I went to the Magistrate Court to find a certified translator.

For Part 3 the documents that we provided are as follows:

From Sponsor:

Letter of employment

Employment contract

Bank statement (Printed and certified by the bank)

Payslips

 From applicant:

Cover letter

Bank statement

Trust Fund statement

Trust fund Book

Transaction statement

Oanda currency converter

More than 40 pages of documents for just Part 3. Yes, It is a lots but better be safe than sorry.

Also all the bank and trust statement need to be certified and stamp.

Please take note according to Appendix FM 1.7: Financial Requirement:

3.3.8. Where Appendix FM-SE requires the applicant to provide specified evidence relating to a period which ends with the date of application, that evidence must be dated no earlier than 28 days before the date of application.

 Yes, make sure you all the documents are dated within the 28 days before the date of application.

That is why I made a table of content so I know which documents need more time and what is still pending. Stay organize really help, if you find it hard try to get some help or use some apps.

After Part 3, I skip Part 4 since it is for those who exempt from the financial requirement. If you are exempted then Part 4 is for you. Unfortunately, I don’t have experienced for Part 4 so I am not able to help.

Part 5

Well, this is where you can add any information that you think will help with your application. I mentioned again about my Cash Savings and how I meet the financial requirements. Although I wrote a cover letter but just in case they miss the letter at least I say something at Part 5.

That is the end of Appendix 2 form and hopefully it helps anyone who was confuse to answer the questions.

Remember, try to provide any supporting documents that are relevant. This help to strengthen your application and it shows your relationship is genuine.

Also just to let you know, I made copies for all the supporting documents that I provide. I have 2 sets of documents, first set are original and certified to be true copy, and the other one is copies of the first set.

It is not necessary but I found it convenient when I submitted it at the VFS to be scanned especially I have few documents that is not in A4 size.

Right here is another cat photo to calm you down~~

and another one! ( I am not a crazy cat woman!)

Appendix 2 relates exactly to the CCSS because it is a shortened version of the ideas and concepts that students will be learning in those grades.  It includes algebra, geometry and spatial reasoning, measurement, number sense and quantitative reasoning, probability, and proportional reasoning which all are a part of the CCSS to some extent. Other than that, I do not see how it applies to the CCSS too much.

It does kind of relate to my unit, but in a very basic sense.  The ideas mentioned in the algebra section of the appendix are skills that the students supposedly should have learned in junior high.  I am going to have to use these skills and concepts as check points at the very beginning of the school year to see where there are any misconceptions and lack of understanding with prior knowledge, as well as make sure students can do the prerequisite skills that the appendix says they should know how to do by the ninth grade.  Other than that, this appendix is just a great thing to look at the see some of the prerequisite skills that will be needed in my lessons and also what the students "know" before entering my class.