It is very important to have documentation and proof that you have been residing in the UK. The main applicants usually do not have any issues as they would have a job, bank statements, tenancy agreements, utility bills to prove that they have been living and working in the UK.
It is the dependent family members that matter.
In my case, I have been working since January 2016 without any breaks. My wife gave her PLAB exams whilst in the UK and has not started working yet. Hence we needed to prove that she has been residing in the UK.
As doctors, we relocate a lot. These were our relocations:
Jan 2016 to August 2017: Slough
August 2017 to August 2018: Harrogate
August 2018 to August 2019 : York
August 2019 to August 2020: Scarborough
August 2020 onwards - Beverley
So we had to provide proof of her cohabitation.
This is how we proved it ( copy pasted from her cover letter):
1. Marriage certificate from Pakistan
2. Bank statement with HSBC, UK, confirming that we are joint account holders.
3. Bank statement from each year confirming our address at that time.
4. An email from Slough Borough Council in August, 2016 confirming that my husband and I are on the electoral register which also mentions our address at that time.
5. An email from Slough Borough Council in June, 2017 which confirms that my husband and I were residing together in Slough and were relocating to Harrogate.
6. Letter from GP Surgery in Slough, accepting my Registration as a new patient.
7. Tenancy agreement in Harrogate, York, Scarborough and now Beverley confirming that I am a co-tenant with my husband of the properties we have been/are currently renting
8. Birth certificate of our daughter confirming that we are her parents
9. Council tax bill of current residence.
10. Driver’s license which has our current address on it.
11. Hospital letter confirming our current address.
12. Pictures of our marriage, pictures from every year we have been in the UK together.
PROOF OF COHABITATION SINCE JANUARY 2016
From January 2016 to August 2017 Slough
1. Email from Slough Borough council in June 2017 mentioning our names and that we are relocating to Harrogate
2. Letter of registration from my GP in November 2016 confirming our address
3. Email from Slough Borough council in August 2016 confirming that we are on the electoral register
4. Bank statement from February 2016 confirming our address at that time.
From August 2017 to July 2018 Harrogate
1. Our daughters birth certificate mentioning our names and address.
2. A copy of a discharge summary from April 2018 confirming my address.
3. Council tax bill from Harrogate council in October 2017 confirming our address.
4. Bank statement from September 2017 confirming our address at that time.
5. Tenancy agreement in June 2017 mentioning I am a co-tenant with my husband.
From July 2018 to July 2019 York
1. A copy of a discharge summary from York Hospital in July 2019 confirming my address
2. Bank statement from September 2018 confirming our address at that time.
3. Tenancy agreement from July 2018 mentioning I am a co-tenant with my husband.
From July 2019 to July 2020 Scarborough
1. Council tax bill from July 2020 mentioning I am a co-tenant with my husband.
2. A clinic letter from February 2020 mentioning my address.
3. Bank statement from September 2019 confirming our address at that time.
4. Tenancy agreement from July 2019 mentioning I am a co-tenant with my husband.
From July 2020 – Current residence
1. Bank statement from February 2021 confirming our current address.
2. A clinic letter from November 2020 mentioning my address
3. Car insurance document from October 2020 mentioning me as the co-driver with my husband.
4. My drivers license from September 2020 mentioning my address
5. Council tax bill from July 2020 mentioning I am a co-tenant with my husband.
6. Tenancy agreement from July 2020 mentioning I am a co-tenant with my husband.
When you apply for ILR , the UK visa and immigration team
wants proof of cohabitation. Ie that the spouse and the main applicant
have been residing together. They need 6 different proof of this.
Here are some things you can do from the very first day
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES
Ensure you have your marriage certificates
ACCOMODATION
Ensure both your spouses are your names are on the
1. Tenancy agreements
2. Council tax bills
3. Utility bills
HOPSITAL LETTERS/ GP LETTERS
Remember to keep these letters safe. These prove that you reside in the UK.
BANK ACCOUNTS
Make sure you have a joint account. As you get a statement every month, you can prove that you have been cohabitating in the UK together on the basis of this.
DRIVING
DVLA license and car insurance documents prove your address in the UK.
TIME OUTSIDE THE UK:
The maximum number of days you can spend outside the UK is mentioned here:
https://www.gov.uk/indefinite-leave-to-remain-tier-2-t2-skilled-worker-visa/time-uk
You should not have:
spent more than 450 days outside the UK during the 5 years before your application
You must have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months.
Some tips:
1. Keep GP letters/hospital letters safe
2. Keep your emails safe. Unfortunately, my wife was not a co-tenant on the tenancy agreement of our first accommodation in the UK but we had other forms of proof which worked.
3. Everything is electronic now. So save an electronic copy of your council tax bills, utility bills, tenancy agreements in your personal computer and ensure you have a back up saved in a portable hard drive.
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