Inside the 6-months window, financial requirement.

My five year route entry date (first FLR(M) granted) was June 5, 2013.  That means that I will be eligible for ILR on June 5, 2018, and we can apply up to 28 days before that, or May 8, 2018.  So now we are within the 6-month window of our application for ILR.

Since buying our house and moving to Southwest Wales last year, we have been enduring a stupid commuting arrangement with the assumption that my husband would find a new job that satisfies the income requirement near our new home within a year's time.  A year later, he has just one active application pending (and a handful of rejections... not many, though, because there simply aren't that many suitable jobs to apply for, or we really don't know how to look for jobs).

We'd hoped for even a modest lottery win for savings route, or a new job close to home for category A.  No dice.  So now he is either stuck in this job that he hates, or we have to do a year of bank statements and payslips for a change in employment.

**BREAKING NEWS***...  He has just forwarded an email he just received:  He's been invited to an interview for that one active application!

So if he is offered the job and takes it, because we're inside the six-month window at this point, we would have to provide 12 months of evidence, right?  Payslips and bank statements going back to a year before our application date, plus the new employment contract/letter from employer?

**BREAKING NEWS***...  He has just forwarded an email he just received.  He's been invited to an interview for that one active application.

That's great news . Fingers crossed for the job .

So if he is offered the job and takes it, because we're inside the six-month window at this point, we would have to provide 12 months of evidence, right?  Payslips and bank statements going back to a year before our application date, plus the new employment contract?

In the case that he hasn't been at the job for 6 months when you apply, you will need to provide:

Mandatory:
- 12 months of payslips showing total earnings of £18,600 or more before tax.
- 12 months of bank statements showing the deposit of every single payslip
- a letter from his new employer stating:
i) his employment and current salary
ii) length of employment
iii) length of time earning current salary
iv) type of employment

Optional but recommended:
- his new job contract
- his latest P60 if he has it

Bear in mind though, that you may be able to time the application so that he only has to supply 6 months' worth. For example, if he is offered the job and is able to start before December 5th, he may reach 6 months before your visa expires and so you may be able to apply for ILR using Category A.

You can always gather up the last 6 months of his payslips and bank statements now, and then you will have them ready for when you apply for ILR, and he'll only need to collect the next 6 months' worth by May/June.

Exciting news JF!  Keep us posted!

That's great news . Fingers crossed for the job .

In the case that he hasn't been at the job for 6 months when you apply, you will need to provide:

Mandatory:
- 12 months of payslips showing total earnings of £18,600 or more before tax.
- 12 months of bank statements showing the deposit of every single payslip
- a letter from his new employer stating:
i) his employment and current salary
ii) length of employment
iii) length of time earning current salary
iv) type of employment

Optional but recommended:
- his new job contract
- his latest P60 if he has it

Bear in mind though, that you may be able to time the application so that he only has to supply 6 months' worth. For example, if he is offered the job and is able to start before December 5th, he may reach 6 months before your visa expires and so you may be able to apply for ILR using Category A.

You can always gather up the last 6 months of his payslips and bank statements now, and then you will have them ready for when you apply for ILR, and he'll only need to collect the next 6 months' worth by May/June.

I actually have every payslip going back to six months before my marriage ("fiancee") visa application in 2012, so that's not a problem.  And we always have to request bank statements, because even though we don't do paperless statements, Lloyds never sends them to us, anyway.  I cannot figure out why.  So, that also isn't a problem.

We're applying in person, and I'm already trying to time it so I'm booking my appointment at the end of March/early April before the application fee hike.  7 weeks before 28 days before my five years is up puts us around March 24, which should be before the new fees are in effect, unless they do them early again.  We're not going to make both windows of opportunity, and cheaper fees/in person takes priority over less paperwork. 

Regarding the new contract, how would UKVI view it if he's in a "probationary period" at the new job?  I assume it's not a problem, right?

We're applying in person, and I'm already trying to time it so I'm booking my appointment at the end of March/early April before the application fee hike.  7 weeks before 28 days before my five years is up puts us around March 24, which should be before the new fees are in effect, unless they do them early again.  We're not going to make both windows of opportunity, and cheaper fees/in person takes priority over less paperwork. 

Ah, yes - fair enough .

Ultimately, it's not really an issue if you do need to use 12 months of payslips and bank statements instead of 6 months. If you already have all the statements from the last 6 months anyway, then you won't have to do anything extra to apply with 12 months instead of 6 months.

Regarding the new contract, how would UKVI view it if he's in a "probationary period" at the new job?  I assume it's not a problem, right?

I would have thought it should be fine .

Ah, yes - fair enough .

Ultimately, it's not really an issue if you do need to use 12 months of payslips and bank statements instead of 6 months. If you already have all the statements from the last 6 months anyway, then you won't have to do anything extra to apply with 12 months instead of 6 months.

I would have thought it should be fine .

Thank you so much!  This post wasn't meant to be a Visa Question type thing, but a rant about getting this close to our application time with no improvement in our situation.  But it turned into a slightly more urgent question when the email came in mid-post.  Something has finally budged after all this time.

So now we'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope this turns into a job offer.  It's a slight salary drop, but we'll save more on no longer commuting than we'll lose in salary, and he'll be home every day... early enough to actually do things together in the evening!  This would dramatically improve our lives. 

Thank you so much!  This post wasn't meant to be a Visa Question type thing, but a rant about getting this close to our application time with no improvement in our situation.  But it turned into a slightly more urgent question when the email came in mid-post.  Something has finally budged after all this time.

Feel free to rant away . I hope it will be good news for this interview .

Feel free to rant away . I hope it will be good news for this interview .

Thanks.  Me too.  It's about time he had some good news.  He has been utterly amazing throughout this whole ordeal, and I've felt so guilty for encouraging this house purchase that has put him in this situation.  Fortunately, he seems to love our house and workshop as much as I do, so he knows he's working toward something worthwhile.  I just wish it had gone smoother for him/us.

Oooh, best of luck! 

Oooh, best of luck! 

Exciting news JF!  Keep us posted!

Thanks, KF and larrabee!  I'm trying not to get too excited yet, but we are feeling slightly more hopeful now that he's got an interview.  I mean, he is pretty awesome, but it's hard to show that in his CV.  But now that he's being given an opportunity to go in to see them in person, they can't help but see how awesome he is.    (I hope.)