Work document requirements for Schengen visa if you are being sponsored

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When applying for the Schengen visa, there is a requirement for Employment Evidence documents. I am not clear about the purpose of these documents.

The main consideration for the consulate is whether you will return to your country of residence at the end of your trip or try stay in the Schengen area without a proper long-stay visa. The better your situation where you live, the less of a risk you are from the perspective of the destination country. Consulates demand some minimum documentation to be able to evaluate that.

In this case, do I still need to submit my wife's Employment Evidence documents such as pay slips and Income tax returns?

I would recommend it. They make your case stronger and you don't want to create confusion or ambiguity regarding your wife's situation. Submitting nothing, submitting records of a joint bank account while failling to account for part of the income, or submitting only your data as if it was the only income for the family all run the risk of seeming deceptive if the consulate learns that your wife is working.

Also, failing to submit a document that's explicitely required makes it really easy for the consular officer to refuse the visa (check a box, no thinking or justification needed, case closed). You don't want that.

What would happen if (even though she is employed) we showed in the application that my wife is not employed and will be sponsored by me? (Again, this is in the interest of reducing redundant paperwork. I will of course provide all my employment paperwork)

What do you mean by “showed in the application that my wife is not employed”. Affirm that she is not employed or merely fail to properly document her employment? Deception is a very bad idea and the reason why I think submitted a complete documentation is the best course of action. Do not ever state that your wife isn't employed if she actually is.

On the other hand, if you live together, your wife not having a job might not matter too much. It is not unusual for a married couple to have only one income so it might not raise eyebrows and wouldn't in itself doom your application. So she could still get a visa based only on evidence of your employment.

But if there is anything unusual in your application, for example if you wife does not live with you, it could easily lead to a refusal (it would look like you are separated and she is a huge risk). I have personnally seen refusals for French or Belgian visas in such situations.

In short, what I would recommend is submitting the whole package (and possibly a cover letter) for both of your applications to show that you are a family with an established situation and show yourself in the best possible financial light.

Upvote:2

The number one rule for any visa application should be tell the truth. It doesn't really matter which country you are applying to it is always a bad idea. Providing misleading information is a reason to refuse any visa application. In the unfortunate circumstances where a visa is to be refused, it is better to have a visa refused because the bank account did not have enough funds than through providing false information. Relatively speaking it would be easy to successfully overcome a refusal for financial evidence than it will be for providing false information.

Considering your circumstances this is a completely unnecessary risk which could have serious implications for this application, future Schengen applications and also future applications to other countries outside of the Schengen area... who may also ask about previous visa rejections or previously seeking visa issuance through false or misleading documents.

That said, I hope you follow the correct process and get your visas :)

Upvote:3

"I am not clear about the purpose of these documents."

The purpose is both regarding financial capability and ties to the home country. So even if you are the financial sponsor, showing her employment strengthens her ties to the home country in the eyes of the visa officer.

No one can tell you what happens. Applications are processed looking at the totality of your circumstances as per the submitted application. No paper is "redundant" as you stated.

The best policy is not to lie and follow the document checklist as per given on the website.

Again nothing can be said by anyone here unless they have access to everything which the visa officer has, that is your complete application and whatever databases they have access to. So isolated information is not of much help.

Just make your application as per asked. Submit the documents as asked and as per reality. If she is employed, you should submit the employment documents, if you are sponsoring her expenses, you should mention that and submit the proof. Her being employed and you sponsoring her expenses are not mutually exclusive but totally separate things.

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