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Topic: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!  (Read 5259 times)

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FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« on: September 22, 2015, 04:04:51 PM »
Hi all. :)   It's time to start thinking about FLR.

I'm the British half. Husband (US) is disabled so it's easier for me to do the legwork so to speak!

My first question is in regards to the optimal time to apply and I was just about to jump in on one of the recent threads about timing the FLR application but I thought it would be better to start another with our specifics.

I have seen ksand24 and KFdancer recommend to apply as close to the 30 months as possible and not to leave it until close to the expiration date of the visa as this will cut into time available to apply for ILR.

Now I know their advice will be correct, it always is, but try as I might, I can't for the life of me see the logic and unless I do it's going to drive me crazy.

I just don't understand why leaving it later to apply for FLR would eat into the time you have to apply for ILR.
 The way I see it, if you apply close to the expiration date then you have another full 30 months to play with which will take you over the 60 months by however much time past the initial 30 months you were when you applied for FLR. So you would have more time to play with not less.

I mean, Just because you can apply for ILR 28 days before 60 months, it doesn't mean that you have to, does it?   So if you had left it later to apply, could you not apply after the 60 month mark as long as there was still validity on the FLR visa?

I really want to avoid that small window to apply for ILR at all costs!

Please can you help me to understand?... feeling very dumb right about now!

So here is our timeline.

visa valid from- Feb 22nd 2013
visa valid to----Nov 22nd 2015
entry stamp-- -March 28th 2013
30 months will be Sept 28th 2015 (kinda freaking out now!)
60 months will be March 28th 2018 correct?

We were planning to apply by mail. When should we apply? Thank you!!!















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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2015, 04:24:06 PM »


I just don't understand why leaving it later to apply for FLR would eat into the time you have to apply for ILR.


My understanding is that you should leave it later. They are saying that if you reapply too early, then it will cut into your 28 day window (because your next 30 months will start when you reapply). Their advice (as I understood it) is to apply as close to the expiration date as possible so that you have as many of the 28 days as you can to apply for IRL.

But obviously, this should be confirmed by the experts (ksand24 and KFDancer)



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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2015, 04:34:12 PM »
Yes, later is GOOD!

So for any visa renewal, you can apply 28 days PRIOR to the anniversary date.  So you can apply for the second FLR(M) 28 days prior to the 30 month anniversary.  Here's the risk:

The second visa will be issued for 30 months.  The qualifying period for ILR is that you can apply 28 days prior to your 60 month anniversary in the UK.

If your second FLR(M) is issued 28 days prior to the 30 month anniversary, you potentially have only one single day to apply for ILR.  Leave it close to the 30 month anniversary and you have essentially the whole 28 days.

I hope that makes sense.


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2015, 05:13:46 PM »
I could be wrong, but if applying for FLR by post, I don't think this is as critical.

Since postal applications usually take a few months, applying the full 28 days early shouldn't cause any issues since the visa will be valid from the date it's approved (not the application date).

If applying in person, the application date is generally the same as the approval date so that's when the visa is made valid from. In that case, it could be a problem to apply 28 days early.

Still, I agree that the bigger the window, the better. Plus, it might mean you can get your next application in before a price increase or another surcharge comes into effect. ;)

I'm assuming that the only requirement for ILR is 60 months on FLR/spouse visa in total, not necessarily 30 months on the last FLR, but I fully admit I'm not savvy with the new rules and I could very well be wrong.
July 2012 - Fiancée Visa | Nov 2012 - Married
Dec 2012 - FLR | Nov 2014 - ILR | Dec 2015 - UK Citizen


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2015, 05:17:23 PM »
Nutmeg, KFdancer thank you both very much!!!!
I think the light is starting to dawn! :D

So when you advise people to apply close to 30 months you are warning against trying to apply too early. I see!!!
In our case then, clearly we won't be applying too early as 30 months is in 6 days :o (I don't know what happened to September!)
I obviously don't want to leave it too late either but theoretically one can apply right up until the day before the expiration of the initial visa and still be OK?
Thanks again! ;D


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2015, 05:19:07 PM »
Yes, as long as it's post marked by the expiration date you are fine.

And TF - I agree.  Not an issue for a postal application, as they usually take at least 2 months to process.


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2015, 05:23:29 PM »
Thank you TravellingFrog, excellent points.

Thanks again, KFdancer, I finally get it! I had been looking at your advice from the wrong perspective.

I'll get off now and study the application and come back with the rest of the questions....boy do I miss the old website though. :(
« Last Edit: September 22, 2015, 05:29:05 PM by larrabee »


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2015, 09:51:51 PM »
Larrabee, it is so good to see you! I remember you from another forum and then you disappeared! I hope all is well with you and your husband. You were an inspiration to those of us who were about to apply. Even though my husband does not have to apply for FLR(M) until late next year, I keep on the forums for all the help I can get to be well prepared. I also have problems understanding the timing of the next application but get the idea. However, I think on one forum I was told that if you apply say 28 days before the anniversary of your arrival, that 28 days is added to the next visa. I am not saying this to confuse anyone but would love to find out if this is true. I am hoping to go for a same day appointment but getting the timing right with bank statements is tricky. All the best!
Married 1966, left UK 1969, returned 1998, left again 2000, returned June 2014 (husband on spousal visa) granted FLR(M) November 30th 2016  and ILR on  24th May, 2019. Yeah!


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2015, 09:55:35 PM »
That was not the case for my visa... 


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2015, 10:22:15 PM »
Really, KFDancer? That is interesting. Thanks for letting me know.
Married 1966, left UK 1969, returned 1998, left again 2000, returned June 2014 (husband on spousal visa) granted FLR(M) November 30th 2016  and ILR on  24th May, 2019. Yeah!


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2015, 10:53:50 PM »
Larrabee, it is so good to see you! I remember you from another forum and then you disappeared! I hope all is well with you and your husband.

Michali, I remember you too, very well. You were such a great help to me back at the start of all of this.

I stopped posting when my dad became ill, sadly he didn't make it.  I'm muddling along and hubby is really happy here which is good.

I am so glad that your husband received his visa, I know how anxious you were but you were so well prepared that I never doubted it myself! xx



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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2015, 11:21:01 PM »
Thanks Larrabee! I am so sorry to hear about your father. I remember you were torn between your husband being so unwell thousands of miles away and your father being unwell in the UK. You went through a terrible time. I am glad your husband is happy and hope you are too. The FLR(M) form is long, isn't it!?
Married 1966, left UK 1969, returned 1998, left again 2000, returned June 2014 (husband on spousal visa) granted FLR(M) November 30th 2016  and ILR on  24th May, 2019. Yeah!


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2015, 04:15:30 PM »
Thanks Larrabee! I am so sorry to hear about your father. I remember you were torn between your husband being so unwell thousands of miles away and your father being unwell in the UK. You went through a terrible time. I am glad your husband is happy and hope you are too. The FLR(M) form is long, isn't it!?

Thanks for the support Michali, it means a lot! ...I can only hope the trees forgive me all the "unnecessary" printing!

I thought I would try to get the six items of correspondence sorted out today but I'm having difficulty understanding the instruction.

Our stay split into quarters looks like this. (Entered on spouse visa. Applying for first FLRm)

1-April-July 2013
2-August - November 2013
3-December - March 2013-14
4-April - July 2014
5-August - November 2014
6-December - March 2014-15
7-April - July 2015
8-Aug - November 2015

We will apply by mail sometime this month. Visa expires Nov 22nd.

Does anyone know if we just ignore the last 2 quarters (April-Nov 2015) ?

That doesn't seem right but that's the way I'm reading the instructions.

Would it be such a bad thing just to cover the whole 2 1/2 years? I've kept everything so I should have plenty to choose from?




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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #13 on: October 02, 2015, 04:27:58 PM »
You ignore the first two quarters (six months) and don't need to provide correspondence for those.  You definitely need to cover the last 6 months.   :)

And you really don't need to send anything for the full 2.5 years.  I've successfully completed my second FLR(M) and know from experience that 2 years is all you need.  Best to not send them anything they don't want (so they don't miss the stuff they do want!).


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Re: FLR for the first time at 30 months. Lots of questions!
« Reply #14 on: October 02, 2015, 05:02:49 PM »
Thank you very much KFdancer. Ha  ::) I busted a gut getting things in his name when we first arrived for those first months!

So would it be as follows?

April-September 2013 no docs required.
1-October -January 2013-14
2-February- May 2014
3-June - September 2014
4-October - Jan 2014-15
5-February- May 2015
6-June - Sept 2015

I think I read here that it's best to keep the items in individual names as close together as possible, and for everything to be as evenly spaced as possible so should I (if I can) narrow it down to one month out of each four; Jan, May Sept, Jan, May, Sept for example?
« Last Edit: October 02, 2015, 06:10:09 PM by larrabee »


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