Help filling out forms VAF4A Online & VAF4A Appendix 2 Please!

[BenRicca]

Hi everyone..i've almost finished gathering the required documents to support my wife and stepson's settlement visa applications. Just trying to finish the VAF4A online application and the Appendix 2. Some things are not so clear to me..
1. Do i need to submit an Appendix 2 for my stepson as well as for my wife, or will the one suffice for both applications?
2. For the online application form (and the Appendix 2 if required), who goes down as my stepsons sponsor? Is it still me, or does my wife become the sponsor for her own child's application?

Also..
1.6 How often do you meet? - We've been apart 17 months waiting to apply for this visa, apart from last year when i went to visit for the whole of November, can i just put that?

1.25 Do you and your sponsor have any shared financial responsibilities? - I support my wife, my stepson and our 2 children together on my own. So do i put 'no', as it is my salary alone that supports us?

1.27 Does your sponsor have any children? - Do i put our two children we have together, or does it mean outside of our marriage?

1.28 Is your sponsor responsible for supporting anyone financially, including any children listed above? - Shall i put my wife and the three children down for this one?

3.3 Indicate which option you are relying on - There is no option for non salaried employment, so do i cross the salaried employment box(3A)?

3.11 What is your sponsor's annual income from this employment before tax? Again I'm non-salaried and paid an hourly rate, what should i put here?

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

I'm probably thinking too much about the answers, i know it seems quite straight forward, but my brain is so muddled with all this paperwork, i obviously want to make sure i don't make any silly mistakes, tick any wrong boxes. Can't wait for my wife to submit all of this..

Thanks for reading..

[timi]

check out the sticky guides on settlement application under immigration forum,

[cybergypsy]

Hi BenRicca,

I am no expert on this but I recently filled up the same forms and I understand the confusion. Our situation is very similar, my husband left 2013 for the UK to build the foundation for us settling there. We have two children aged 4 and 2 years old. After a year and a half of separation (with a brief visits in between), we submitted our visa app last January 21 and got the visa stamp on Feb 7, around 2 weeks.

1. Do i need to submit an Appendix 2 for my stepson as well as for my wife, or will the one suffice for both applications?
I am not sure on this

2. For the online application form (and the Appendix 2 if required), who goes down as my stepsons sponsor? Is it still me, or does my wife become the sponsor for her own child's application?
It should be you, the UK resident is the sponsor.

Also..
1.6 How often do you meet? - We've been apart 17 months waiting to apply for this visa, apart from last year when i went to visit for the whole of November, can i just put that?
Yes you can just put that, I wrote something similar. But just put in mind its your wife who should be filling up the form so write it in her perspective rather than yours.

1.25 Do you and your sponsor have any shared financial responsibilities? - I support my wife, my stepson and our 2 children together on my own. So do i put 'no', as it is my salary alone that supports us?

For this question ECO is looking out for any joint bank account or shared mortgage, this is just another way to guage genuiness of relationship (having children and length of relationship is another) . In our case I put we are both supporting our children and household. My husband sends ___ amount to cover for this _____ expense, while I spend ____ amount to cover for this expense.
In your case I think you can simply say
‘I am a fulltime mother to our three children and my husband is solely supporting us financially’


1.27 Does your sponsor have any children? - Do i put our two children we have together, or does it mean outside of our marriage?

I know this was very confusing for me too ! I just wrote here, yes we have 2 children together and then I indicated name, age, birthdays of our children. I added that my husband has no other children from previous relationship


1.28 Is your sponsor responsible for supporting anyone financially, including any children listed above? - Shall i put my wife and the three children down for this one?

Yes

3.3 Indicate which option you are relying on - There is no option for non salaried employment, so do i cross the salaried employment box(3A)?

Im not sure on this one, since we tick salaried employment but Ihere is a comprehensive financial requirement guidelines
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/420154/Appendix_FM_Annex_1_7_Financial_Requirement.pdf

3.11 What is your sponsor's annual income from this employment before tax? Again I'm non-salaried and paid an hourly rate, what should i put here?


3.20 What was your sponsor's total income (before tax) from salaried employment in the 12 months prior to the application - What about here?
Just compute your total income from April 2014- March 2014.

You can also ask questions to the UKVI via their contact us form on the online portal. Just look for the contact us link. They are quite good and responds quickly.

But I completely feel you, I was on the verge of a mental breakdown when I was putting everything together, that plus too high energy toddlers running amock.

[BenRicca]

Hi BenRicca,

I am no expert on this but I recently filled up the same forms and I understand the confusion. Our situation is very similar, my husband left 2013 for the UK to build the foundation for us settling there. We have two children aged 4 and 2 years old. After a year and a half of separation (with a brief visits in between), we submitted our visa app last January 21 and got the visa stamp on Feb 7, around 2 weeks.

1. Do i need to submit an Appendix 2 for my stepson as well as for my wife, or will the one suffice for both applications?
I am not sure on this

2. For the online application form (and the Appendix 2 if required), who goes down as my stepsons sponsor? Is it still me, or does my wife become the sponsor for her own child's application?
It should be you, the UK resident is the sponsor.

Also..
1.6 How often do you meet? - We've been apart 17 months waiting to apply for this visa, apart from last year when i went to visit for the whole of November, can i just put that?
Yes you can just put that, I wrote something similar. But just put in mind its your wife who should be filling up the form so write it in her perspective rather than yours.

1.25 Do you and your sponsor have any shared financial responsibilities? - I support my wife, my stepson and our 2 children together on my own. So do i put 'no', as it is my salary alone that supports us?

For this question ECO is looking out for any joint bank account or shared mortgage, this is just another way to guage genuiness of relationship (having children and length of relationship is another) . In our case I put we are both supporting our children and household. My husband sends ___ amount to cover for this _____ expense, while I spend ____ amount to cover for this expense.
In your case I think you can simply say
‘I am a fulltime mother to our three children and my husband is solely supporting us financially’


1.27 Does your sponsor have any children? - Do i put our two children we have together, or does it mean outside of our marriage?

I know this was very confusing for me too ! I just wrote here, yes we have 2 children together and then I indicated name, age, birthdays of our children. I added that my husband has no other children from previous relationship


1.28 Is your sponsor responsible for supporting anyone financially, including any children listed above? - Shall i put my wife and the three children down for this one?

Yes

3.3 Indicate which option you are relying on - There is no option for non salaried employment, so do i cross the salaried employment box(3A)?

Im not sure on this one, since we tick salaried employment but Ihere is a comprehensive financial requirement guidelines
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/420154/Appendix_FM_Annex_1_7_Financial_Requirement.pdf

3.11 What is your sponsor's annual income from this employment before tax? Again I'm non-salaried and paid an hourly rate, what should i put here?


3.20 What was your sponsor's total income (before tax) from salaried employment in the 12 months prior to the application - What about here?
Just compute your total income from April 2014- March 2014.

You can also ask questions to the UKVI via their contact us form on the online portal. Just look for the contact us link. They are quite good and responds quickly.

But I completely feel you, I was on the verge of a mental breakdown when I was putting everything together, that plus too high energy toddlers running amock.

Thank you cybergypsy..a very helpful response. Wow! 2 weeks :xxgrinning--00xx3:..you recieved your visa very quickly! Did you pay for the priority visa service, or the just the standard service? How was your experience at the visa center?