Finalising the Tier 2 (General) visa application
31 Jul 2020, updated 15 Aug 2020In this chapter I’ll detail:
Note that the information here is:
- Specific to our unique circumstances
- Reflective of the rules, policies, and requirements, as of the time of our original application for a Tier 2 (General) visa back in 2015; if we are aware of any changes since, it will be called out
If you are planning to apply for, or currently are in the process of applying for a Tier 2 (General) visa then you must refer to the official guidance released by the UK Government at the page for Tier (2) General visas. If you are considering other immigration routes (such as coming to visit as a tourist, or to study, etc) then you can find the official guidance of the UK Government at this visas and immigrations page for all the routes.
Final checks
Once we had completed all of the requirements on our end, we informed PwC that we are ready for the final checks for our application.
They then went through the application and all of our supporting documents to make sure that everything is in good order. Given the amount of preparation we’ve done, we didn’t expect any issues to be raised off the back of this final review, and indeed they have confirmed that we are nearly ready to submit the application.
Certificate of Sponsorship
As the final checks were successful, PwC informed the company sponsoring us that they can now proceed assigning the certificate of sponsorship. Once done, the company provided us a PDF showing the details of the certificate, which we checked to ensure that all the details are correct and is what we expected.
Submitting and paying for the application
As we now have the final requirement (the certificate of sponsorship) in hand, we entered the details of the certificate in the visa application form and performed a check prior to submission. Given that everything is in order, we proceeded with the submission and the payment.
We submitted the visa application on 16 May 2015 and paid for it on the same day. Back in 2015 the cost was £1,128.00 per person; as we were applying from the Philippines we were charged in USD, the final amount at the time was US$1,760.00 per person (or US$3,520.00 altogether for me and my spouse). Payments for each applicant are made separately, and not together.
A word of warning
Note that in the UK, only OISC-registered immigration advisers can legally give immigration advice. While I hope that I can give you an idea of what the process entails given the recounting here of my experiences, be mindful that this is specific to my case and may not necessarily apply to you or to anyone else.
Immigration law is exceedingly complex. As I am not an immigration adviser and that the strategy we’ve taken in our applications is bespoke to my and my partner’s route and unique state of affairs, the information here is not and should not be constituted as legal advice. If you have any questions regarding your particular circumstances, it is best that you reach out to a qualified immigration adviser who can assess your situation and provide open and honest guidance tailored to your case.
If you decide to do this and seek guidance and/or support from a solicitor (especially if you know that your scenario is a complex one), you must protect yourself from fraud1 by ensuring that you only go to an OISC-registered immigration adviser.