Second FLR(M) timings

Hi folks,

I was just reading another thread about payslips and dates, and now I'm second-guessing myself again (grumble!).

We initially applied for our fiancée visa back in early 2015, and got that the end of March 2015. After we were married (June) we applied in person for our FLR(M) (July). We then went for a TOC later on (December) once we sorted the passports out with married names.

I believe our current visa is valid until February 8th next year. and I was originally thinking we would apply for the second FLR(M) in the final week of January, give or take, so we have enough of an overlap for the 5 years for ILR the next time around.

However, I've just checked my payslips for 2016 and it seems that my December payslip was issued on the 21st December - usually they're issued on the last day of each month, but for Christmas they pay a little earlier as the whole place is closed until the new year.

Owing to personal circumstances (arranging childcare, dogsitters and whatnot) we would prefer to do our in-person appointment on a Saturday, so my question I think is: what date should we pick? We don't want to push it too close to the expiration date in case we end up missing a document or something (hopefully not!) and have to reapply by post - we want to make sure that this is all alright.

Alternatively, would it be OK to book the application earlier, and use that date as the "submission" date - i.e. if we booked the 27th January 2018 for the appointment, but we made the booking on, say, the 14th January, would a payslip dated 21st December 2017 be valid?

Or am I overthinking this?

Argh!

You cannot apply until 28 days before your current visa expires... so the earliest is around Jan 10th.

The application date is the date you attend the appointment so the payslip and bank statement must be within 28 days of that date.

If it's issued on Dec 21st, as long as you attend an appointment between 10th and 18th Jan, you'll be fine.


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Alternatively you could apply in early February and use your Jan payslip and bank statement.


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Thanks for the answers ksand24 - seems like my original date was falling between the two!

In terms of ensuring that we have enough overlap for the ILR, which date is the smartest? Or, I suppose, which would you guys do?

I don't want to fudge the timings and leave us with, say, a one week window for applying for ILR, and then that perhaps falling into something similar (like, we need to shift it two weeks one way or the other, but can't), and end up having to apply for a third FLR(M)!

Thanks again!

They should make the new visa valid from the expiry date of your current visa - so from Feb 8th or 9th... which means it shouldn't matter what date you attend the appointment.


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Amazing! Thank-you so much ksand24

Heck this forum is a lifesaver...! I've just been poring over the new (April 2017) FLR(M) to look for changes from the 2016 one too, and that's why I'm getting this visa stuff all up in my tummy again.

They should make the new visa valid from the expiry date of your current visa - so from Feb 8th or 9th... which means it shouldn't matter what date you attend the appointment.

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Ah, well if you do it by post they don't make it valid from the expiry date, as that had long past when I got my second FLR.

Ah, well if you do it by post they don't make it valid from the expiry date, as that had long past when I got my second FLR.

Yeah, I should have clarified: if it's issued BEFORE the visa expires, it will start from the expiry date (or at least it should do).


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Amazing! Thank-you so much ksand24

Heck this forum is a lifesaver...! I've just been poring over the new (April 2017) FLR(M) to look for changes from the 2016 one too, and that's why I'm getting this visa stuff all up in my tummy again.

This is making my head spin. We're awaiting our first spousal visa, and the thought of going through this all over again makes me queasy. So hard to plan ahead when the rules keep changing.