We applied for my visa right after we got married. R and I had all the documents ready a month before we got married so we could fly together. The month leading to the wedding was stressful and chaotic as we were running from pillar to post to get the documents in place. Since the information online is very ambiguous, we thought we’ll pen down our experience. I applied for the Tier 1 General Dependant Visa and here’s how to go about itour experience. I applied for the Tier 1 General Dependant Visa and here’s how to go about it:
1. You need to fill the online application form and schedule an appointment. Apply here –https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/. The visa fees were approximately £944 (87,000 INR) Print out the application and submit them with supporting documents.
2. To prove the legitimacy of our relationship we submitted:
- Email transcripts and call records over a period of time. We submitted skype and viber call records
- Original marriage certificate
- Wedding photos
- Wedding invitation
3. The main applicant needs to submit the following documents:
- Council Tax/Utility bills
- 3 month’s payslips with signature from the HR or bearing the company stamp (stamp should appear on every page of the document)
- 3 month’s bank statements printed on the official stationary or if you are producing an electronic copy, bank logo must appear on the statement with official signature or stamp. (stamp should appear on every page of the document)
- Reference letter from the employer
- Evidence of maintenance fund (If you’ve lived in the UK for less than 12 months, you must show that you have at least £2,835 funds or if you’ve lived longer than that you need to show proof of £1,575 in your account)
- Copy of the pages of passport
- Copy of Biometric Residence Permit (commonly referred to as BRP)
4. Rental agreement is not mandatory. There’s a lot of confusion over this but we didn’t submit the document as R lived in a shared accommodation and didn’t have a rental agreement on his name.
5. Air tickets are not mandatory. We booked the tickets only after we got the visa.
6. The dependant needs to submit the following documents:
- Chest x-ray certificate (Important note: If you’re applying from Bangalore, India VFS accepts the X-ray certificate only from Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road or Elbit Medical Diagnostic Ltd, Queens Road)
- Two passport sized photographs complying with the UK guidelines
- Original copy of degree certificate
- Passport
- Certificate of proficiency in English is not mandatory unless your spouse is on an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) visa. We didn’t produce this document.
When we went apply for the visa we had two hindrances – we hadn’t done the chest X-ray from the approved clinic and I had mehendi on my hands. They don’t take your fingerprints even if there’s little mehendi on your hands.
We had two options – one was to reschedule the appointment or apply for a fast track visa application. We could have rescheduled the appointment but we were running short of time and I wanted to fly with R, so we opted for fast track application. We had to shell out extra 12,500 INR for the process. If you’re applying for fast track you can walk in any time without having to take an appointment online. However, since I had mehendi on my hands we waited for two to three days before applying again.
From bleach to chocolate to hydrogen peroxide, we tried every possible remedy under the sun, but none of it worked. In the fear of burning my hands, I started to wash my hands every few hours. In spite of all the effort, the mehendi faded very lightly. We took a chance and applied the following week and thankfully it was smooth sailing.
Once you enter the VFS office, you’ll be given a checklist to tick all the documents you’re producing. After submitting the documents, your biometrics and photograph are taken. Once you are done paying the amount (they accept only cash), you are given a receipt which you’ll need to show along with a copy of your passport when receiving the courier.
I received my visa in just four days when we were having lunch at Primrose Villas. It was such a perfect start to our honeymoon!
Please leave your comments below if you have any doubts or queries. We’ll be more than happy to answer them for you.