FLR(M)#2 Relationship Evidence

I'm going over the last bits of paperwork with the new form, and I need a little bit of clarification.  In my case, I entered on a fiance visa 1/2/2013, then switched to spouse visa on 5/6/2013.  Now I'm applying for FLR(M)#2.

For 2.1, I ticked the first box.
For 2.2, I ticked No.
For 2.3, I ticked the second box ("Second period of leave to remain...")

In 13B - Spouses and Civil Partners (page 63), it says that "If you are applying for a first extension of stay as a spouse...".  Am I correct in understanding that I do not need to tick the box and do not need to include my marriage certificate since they saw it with my previous application?

For this application (FLR(M) #2), are the 6 to 12 pieces of correspondence the only evidence of our relationship that they want?  Should I be providing more than what's explicitly asked for?

My packet includes:

• application with payment page
• confirmation receipt for IHS payment
• 6 months of sponsor's bank statements
• letter from sponsor's bank confirming account details
• 6 months of sponsor's payslips
• sponsor's P60 from tax year ending April 2015 (not period relied on, but most recent)
• sponsor's employment contract
• letter from sponsor's employer confirming employment details
• tenancy agreement
• letter from landlord (my name is not on the tenancy agreement)
• my current and expired passports covering the time I've been in UK
• my soon-to-be-expired BRP
• sponsor's passport
• 2 passport photos of me with full name on back
• 1 passport photo of sponsor with full name on back
• marriage certificate
• correspondence:
  
  • 12/2013-03/2014: 1 jointly-addressed electricity bill
  • 04/2014-07/2014: 1 notice from DVLA to me, and 1 jointly-addressed electricity bill
  • 08/2014-11/2014: 1 jointly-addressed electricity bill
  • 12/2014-03/2015: 1 dividend letter to sponsor from bank, and 1 jointly-addressed electricity bill
  • 04/2015-07/2015: 1 jointly-addressed electricity bill
  • 08/2015-11/2015: 1 letter from bank to sponsor, and 1 bank statement for me
  So that includes 3+ sources (bank, DVLA, Southern Electric), and has correspondence to one or both of us for each of the last six 4-month periods all going to the same address.
  

Do I need to provide additional photocopies of anything?  Do I need to include things like photographs of us together?  My last FLR(M) application was in-person, so I didn't feel quite so anxious about leaving something out or including too much... I just brought anything I wasn't sure about and had it ready if they asked for it.

In 13B - Spouses and Civil Partners (page 63), it says that "If you are applying for a first extension of stay as a spouse...".  Am I correct in understanding that I do not need to tick the box and do not need to include my marriage certificate since they saw it with my previous application?

For this application (FLR(M) #2), are the 6 to 12 pieces of correspondence the only evidence of our relationship that they want?  Should I be providing more than what's explicitly asked for?

You must provide your marriage certificate (and any divorce decrees from previous relationships, if applicable) for every application, through to the bitter end of this long logistical nightmare.

You must provide your marriage certificate (and any divorce decrees from previous relationships, if applicable) for every application, through to the bitter end of this long logistical nightmare.

Okay, I ticked the box on page 63 and am including my marriage certificate.

Do you know if I need to provide other evidence of our relationship, besides the marriage certificate and the correspondence addressed to the two of us over the last two years?  Photos of us together, etc.?  That's the purpose of the official correspondence, right?  So nothing more is needed?

Okay, I ticked the box on page 63 and am including my marriage certificate.

Do you know if I need to provide other evidence of our relationship, besides the marriage certificate and the correspondence addressed to the two of us over the last two years?  Photos of us together, etc.?  That's the purpose of the official correspondence, right?  So nothing more is needed?

Yeah, the correspondence is proof of your 'being together'. No photos or anything like that necessary. I told my husband we should bring some pictures of the cats, though, in case we needed to do a Jezza-style 'Let's remember why we're all REALLY here today' in front of UKVI.

BTW, we included photocopies of our marriage certificate and both our divorce decrees, for them to take, because we didn't want to risk losing the originals of those. We didn't provide copies of anything that we didn't mind their taking.

Yeah, the correspondence is proof of your 'being together'. No photos or anything like that necessary. I told my husband we should bring some pictures of the cats, though, in case we needed to do a Jezza-style 'Let's remember why we're all REALLY here today' in front of UKVI.

BTW, we included photocopies of our marriage certificate and both our divorce decrees, for them to take, because we didn't want to risk losing the originals of those. We didn't provide copies of anything that we didn't mind their taking.

Did they keep the extra copies of your marriage certificate and divorce decrees?  I ask because the dimensions of our certificate are longer-than-A4, so it wouldn't be easy to photocopy.  I want our passports, marriage certificate, and originals of my sponsor's employment contract and the tenancy agreement back, but they can keep everything else.  Should I sort out copying the marriage certificate?

Did they keep the extra copies of your marriage certificate and divorce decrees?  I ask because the dimensions of our certificate are longer-than-A4, so it wouldn't be easy to photocopy.  I want our passports, marriage certificate, and originals of my sponsor's employment contract and the tenancy agreement back, but they can keep everything else.  Should I sort out copying the marriage certificate?

They have to return your passports -- they won't keep them if you don't make copies.

From our supporting docs, they kept the photocopies of our marriage certificate and respective divorce decrees, and returned absolutely everything else.

We just got our first FLR and entry clearance approved and supporting docs returned last week.

We packaged everything in a plastic binder that comes with clear plastic wallets in, and made copies of everything that we wanted back (almost everything), but it doesn't look like they've kept anything! They didn't even keep the letters that were addressed to them!

TBH it doesn't even look like they took pages out, there's no creases or anything... Maybe they just took copies of the bits they wanted 'through' the plastic wallets?

We just got our first FLR and entry clearance approved and supporting docs returned last week.

Just to clarify, so that people don't get confused... you have not applied for an FLR(M) visa because FLR(M) is an in-country visa extension for people who already live in the UK... FLR is Further Leave to Remain in the UK.

What you have applied for and been granted is a spousal visa... which is Leave to Enter the UK, not FLR.

Spousal visa
- can only be applied for outside the UK
- valid 33 months
- costs £956 plus £600 NHS levy
- gives permission to enter the UK as the spouse of a UK citizen
- the US citizen's income cannot be used to meet the financial requirement

FLR(M) visa
- can only be applied for from inside the UK
- valid 30 months
- costs £649 plus £500 NHS levy
- extension of current visa so you can continue to live in the UK
- the US citizen's income can be used to meet the financial requirement

We packaged everything in a plastic binder that comes with clear plastic wallets in, and made copies of everything that we wanted back (almost everything), but it doesn't look like they've kept anything! They didn't even keep the letters that were addressed to them!
TBH it doesn't even look like they took pages out, there's no creases or anything... Maybe they just took copies of the bits they wanted 'through' the plastic wallets?

For spousal visas, we advise not to package anything in folders or plastic wallets because it can make things awkward for the ECO.

The best thing to do is organise everything in clear piles and hold together with either rubber bands or paper clips/crocodile clips

Did they keep the extra copies of your marriage certificate and divorce decrees?  I ask because the dimensions of our certificate are longer-than-A4, so it wouldn't be easy to photocopy.

I know this isn't an option for everyone, but I was able to scan my larger-than-A4 marriage cert on a copy machine at work. 

I emailed the scan to myself and now I can print it on A4 if I ever need a copy.

Just a thought in case that's an option for you.

I know this isn't an option for everyone, but I was able to scan my larger-than-A4 marriage cert on a copy machine at work. 

I emailed the scan to myself and now I can print it on A4 if I ever need a copy.

Just a thought in case that's an option for you.

That's a good idea.  Also, I think our scanner's flatbed is larger than A4, so even if I can't print it at 100% scaling, I can at least have the copy in my records.  Thanks for the idea.

That's a good idea.  Also, I think our scanner's flatbed is larger than A4, so even if I can't print it at 100% scaling, I can at least have the copy in my records.  Thanks for the idea.

Exactly. I keep an electronic copy for my own records and if I ever need it, I can scale it down and print it out on A4.

Turns out scanning our marriage certificate wasn't possible as it is even too long for our scanner.  But my husband reminded me that we purchased a couple of certified copies from the registry office when we got married.

Our application packet is complete and is going out this afternoon!  Thank you to everybody who shared information and tips.