Getting documents back

Does anyone know - if a fiance visa is refused do they give everything back? Or do they still keep one whole set of the application? Just thinking ahead already - if we fail we'll be wanting to reapply asap and it will be a bit of a nightmare collecting everything together again, especially the chat. Would be easier to keep a copy of everything now, just in case, if they don't return it. Or do they return the whole lot if you're refused?

They keep the photocopies as I recall.

You are being a bit negative?

You get back everything you made a copy of, plus your passport, plus a nice little letter telling you that you are a failure and why! The letter has a reference number, which you need to keep hold of and quote in future applications as they will want details of any visa application refusals.

But you don't need to know this, because you won't be unsuccessful.

Well lol, it's not so much negative as forward planning It took me days to trawl through 12,000 pages of chat to find bits that were shareable

So Graham, it's the same procedure as if you get the visa? They still keep the whole application (minus copies)?

Yes. We were unsuccessful first time. Wish I'd been on this forum then!

So we should probably photocopy every single thing then, to save having to sort it all out again later?

Graham, what were your refusal reasons?

Not enough documentation basically, courtesy of a poor Visa Agency.

Not enough proof of earnings (I'm self employed, and they wanted full accounts and a whole financial year of statements & proof of NI contributions etc, whereas I just sent a tax statement and 6 months of bank statements). Not enough proof that the relationship was genuine and subsisting (they said one reason for that was that we didn't do a cover letter, so I know how important that is).

Also, there wasn't enough time left on my tenancy agreement to cover the entire 6 months duration of the visa.

What a shame that you had to do the whole thing again due to their incompetence :/

Talking of letters, we've decided to add a letter from him as well as the one from me. Because at the moment there's nothing in there from him - nothing from him to say how he feels or to show his sincerity, so he figured a letter from him would be a good addition.

I wonder if anyone else in the whole history of visa applications in the world ever, has managed to get into the state I'm in over it!

Do you think I will need a full 6 months left on my tenancy agreement when I apply for the FLR very soon?? I was rather hoping that they wouldn't bother so much with it being the FLR.

Possibly not

I don't think it's so important for FLR, because it's two and a half years, but it's worth checking with someone.

Well the 6 months is to cover the visa period isn't it? So if the FLR follows suit you'd need to have 2.5 years but that obviously wouldn't happen so I guess it's different? Not sure though - I've had a bit of a look online but can't find anything.

Its just something I've been wondering about, I will use that dreadful word and say that I assume I will just have to show my tenancy agreement, I will try to find out if I can.

This is what I hate - no clear guidelines - it's really infuriating.

Plenty of others must have had the same question though Timmers? Maybe people will be along soon who can answer.

I believe their main objective at your stage is confirmation of marriage.

Common sense would tell me that the tenancy agreement I have should suffice, but as we know, the UKBA doesn't seem to have common sense in abundance

I have to agree with you there John.

Timmwr how does fiancée visa work again? She comes over for 6 months, in which time you vet married. You then apply for FLR which is 2.5 years. Do you then do ILR then or another FLR?

We will apply for FLR shortly when we are married, that will give us 2.5 years till next FLR which will also last for 2.5 (I think) then after that it will be the ILR. After that British Citizenship should follow.