FLR (M) Application

Hi All,

I am back! Thanks to everyone in this forum who helped us last time my lovely husband was successful in Spouse Visa application last year and landed in the UK on the 25th September 2019. I'm going to be honest and say we haven't put much thought into the future because we've just enjoyed being in each others company.

Since it's now been a year I'm looking at what we need for the extension.

First off, based on his arrival date to the UK what is the earliest and latest we can apply for the next visa?

Secondly, I'm obviously doing my own research and hunting through the forum and elsewhere online but does anyone have a nice handy checklist or a link to government guidance that I can use?

Thanks to everyone again

First off, based on his arrival date to the UK what is the earliest and latest we can apply for the next visa?

The earliest he can apply is 28 days before reaching 30 months in the U.K.

If he arrived on 25th Sept 2019, he will reach 30 months on 25th March 2022.

Therefore he can apply any time from 25th February 2022 up to the expiry date of his visa.

Secondly, I'm obviously doing my own research and hunting through the forum and elsewhere online but does anyone have a nice handy checklist or a link to government guidance that I can use?

There isn’t really a checklist because the documents you need will depend on your individual circumstances.

Essentially you will need:
- financial documents to meet the financial requirement again

- accommodation documents to show you have somewhere to live together

- cohabitation documents... 6 official documents addressed to both of you at the same address (either joint or separately addressed) spread evenly over the last 2 years before applying (dated every 4 months), from at least 3 different sources ... to show you have lived together the whole time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I used this checklist which is pretty good..


FLR (m) DOCUMENT LIST
All documents should be scanned and uploaded to the Sopra Steria system once payments have been made for IHS and application fees. IF you cannot scan and upload you can pay for an assisted biometrics appointment.

Whether assisted appointment or not all documents and passports should be taken to the appointment.

SECTION 1
FLR (m) Application form
Declaration forms part 1,2,3 plus sponsors declaration form
Print out of priority booking payment
Print out of IHS payment.
Print out of appointment date.
Full scanned copy of Applicant passport
Full scanned copy of Sponsors Passport
English test certificate A2 level minimum (TRINITY SELT or IELTS LIFE SKILLS)
IF YOUR COUNTRY IS ON THE EXEMPTION LIST FOR THE ENGLISH TEST YOU DO NOT
NEED AN ENGLISH TEST CERTIFICATE.

SECTION 2 RELATIONSHIP PROOF
Marriage certificate with translation
Divorce papers (if applicable)
Children’s birth certificate (If you have children british or non eu)
Full copy of children’s passports
All support letters (optional)
Proof of cohabitation
(Just a guideline to bills and letters that could be used)
Gas & electric bills
Work Pension Letter
NI number letter
Council tax bills
Driving licence
Medical Card
Water bills
CRB check
HMRC Letter
Bank statements
Doctors letter
Dental appointment letter
TV licence
Sky Bill
P60’s

You will need 3 joint letters or bills. 1 bill/letter from each source per year. In total 6

If using single you will need 3 single each (minimum), 1 bill/letter from each source for each year. In total 12

SECTION 3 INCOME
6 months wage slips ( Calculation is before tax not after, last one within 28 days)
Contract of Employment
Letter from Employer (within 28 days)
6 months bank statements (last one within 28 days)

You can also combine sponsor and applicants earnings to meet the financial requirement
P60’s are not needed for Category A but can be used as personal choice

Be aware that the online system will ask about salary.

If your salary is not the same each month whether salaried or non salaried employment
they will ask for 12 months wage slips and bank statements.

If you are applying category A as per the appendix fm se guidelines you only need 6 months wage slips and bank statements. If you can provide 12 months do so.

If not then add a cover letter stating your applying Cat A and have only provided the 6 months as stated on Appendix fm se.

IF APPLYING SELF- EMPLOYED. CHECK THE LINK HERE AND LOOK AT SECTION 9
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/525708/Appendix_FM_1_7_Financial_Requirement.pdf
 
SECTION 4 ACCOMMODATION

RENTING
Tenancy Agreement
Letter from Housing association
Recent Council tax bill

OWNED
Land registry (within 3 months old)
Mortgage statement (within 3 months old)
Recent council tax bill

IF LIVING WITH A FAMILY MEMBER ALSO INCLUDE A LETTER FROM THEM STATING
NUMBER OF BEDROOMS, NUMEBR OF OCCUPANTS, NUMBER OF PEOPLE THE HOUSE CAN COMFORTABLY ACCOMODATE. ALSO THAT YOU LIVE THERE AS A FAMILY MEMBER.
IF USING SUPER PRIORITY SERVICE DECISION IS 1 TO 5 WORKING DAYS

Thanks.

PS - sorry if the formatting is all over the place I've pasted this from a document I have saved and sending you this message from my phone.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

Me again, just wanted to check that nothing has changed since I last asked this question.

Also, for some stupid reason, we never got my partners name onto our utility bills so the only letters we're going to have is from bank statements, council tax and doctors/hospital appointments. Is that going to be ok?

And because of various health/mental health concerns and covid, they haven't been able to get a job since moving over here. Will that affect anything? I've worked throughout and have been able to support the both of us on my income alone, I had a promotion in September so I've just had a payrise too - not sure if the income requirement is still relevant.

Starting to get a little nervous with the application now since it's getting really close, with everything going on we just put it to the back of our minds and I'm having a little panic.

Me again, just wanted to check that nothing has changed since I last asked this question.

Also, for some stupid reason, we never got my partners name onto our utility bills so the only letters we're going to have is from bank statements, council tax and doctors/hospital appointments. Is that going to be ok?

And because of various health/mental health concerns and covid, they haven't been able to get a job since moving over here. Will that affect anything? I've worked throughout and have been able to support the both of us on my income alone, I had a promotion in September so I've just had a payrise too - not sure if the income requirement is still relevant.

Starting to get a little nervous with the application now since it's getting really close, with everything going on we just put it to the back of our minds and I'm having a little panic.

It's an anxious time. 

You only need 3 sources so no problem there. And as long as you meet the financial requirement somehow, there is no need for him to have worked.

Also, for some stupid reason, we never got my partners name onto our utility bills so the only letters we're going to have is from bank statements, council tax and doctors/hospital appointments. Is that going to be ok?

It's fine - you just need to make sure you have at least 3 different sources in total (i.e. a bank statement is one source, council tax is another and a doctor's appointment letter is a third source).

You can still use utility bills in just your name if you need to, but you do need to make sure that you have something else in your partner's name for the same mont as each utility bill you are using.

And because of various health/mental health concerns and covid, they haven't been able to get a job since moving over here. Will that affect anything? I've worked throughout and have been able to support the both of us on my income alone, I had a promotion in September so I've just had a payrise too - not sure if the income requirement is still relevant.

As long as your pre-promotion salary/income meets the requirement of at least £18,600 per year, you will be fine (as you only got the promotion in September (less than 6 months ago) they will only consider your previous income on your payslips, not the new income).

We have anew concern now. My company has announced its having some financial difficulties and while they are doing everything they can to ensure we stay running there is a risk that we'll end up folding.

What happens if I lose my job and I struggle to find a new one? We have to put my partners visa application in in 2/3 months and now we're so scared that something will happen and they'll get sent back to the US.

We have anew concern now. My company has announced its having some financial difficulties and while they are doing everything they can to ensure we stay running there is a risk that we'll end up folding.

What happens if I lose my job and I struggle to find a new one? We have to put my partners visa application in in 2/3 months and now we're so scared that something will happen and they'll get sent back to the US.

Sorry, I hadn't seen all the previous financial comments so I deleted the inaccurate reply.

All you can do is the best you can. You may want to begin job hunting now for more security, and hope for the best. In many areas they don't have enough staff for a lot of roles (my husband's team is hiring developers and they are struggling to find anyone qualified), so your chances of finding new work aren't as bleak as it might seem. They also have some discretion to move people to the 10 year route for ILR, and your MP may be able to help if it comes to it.

I'm back with our checklist and to double check a few things so sorry for the very long post.

I think we're aiming for a March application (landed in the UK 25th Sep 2019 and I found a document that says my partner has permission to be here until 11 June 2022 so assuming that's the expiry - haven't got the BRP to hand right now as I type this).

• Am I correct in assuming that it's just a document upload this time instead of sending physical copies of all the papers?
• Do we have to scan the front + back of each document?
• For our bank statements - they are basically A5 format, this is how they have always been sent to us and are quite a few pages in length depending on our spending for the month - would I need to scan every single sheet or just the top with the names/address on?
• Also for bank statements - I'll probably request a separate printed version from within the bank to show the last 6 months all together (hoping for longer if they'll do it) for the financial evidence - would I need to get this stamped front + back like we did with the first visa application?
• When we submit the application I'll be about 24-25 weeks pregnant with our first child - can I include a sponsor letter that explains I'm pregnant and how much we would struggle if the visa was rejected?

Our Checklist
Applicant Documents:

• US Passport
• BRP

Sponsor Documents:

• UK Passport

Financial Evidence:

• 7 months of payslips (24th Sep 2021 - 24th Mar 2022)
• Statement/7 months worth of bank payments (Sep 2021-Mar 2022)
• Letter from employer, dated + signed on headed paper stating job title / length of employment / current salary
  
• Job Contract (Job contract states my old job title and salary I believe but I have a letter from my promotion with the new details)
  
  • Letter from work stating promotion - job title change + salary change
  
  Accommodation:
  
  • Tenancy Agreement (unchanged since 2018)
  • Addendum to Tenancy Agreement stating partner can live at address - dated 1 Nov 2019 + signed by all parties
  
  Cohabitation:
  
  • Oct 2019 - Joint Council Tax Letter
  • Feb 2020 - Applicant National Insurance Letter + Sponsor Gas Bill
  • June 2020 - Joint Bank Credited Letter (we cashed a cheque and they sent us a letter to say it was credited to the bank account)
  • Oct 2020 - Joint Bank/Savings Statement
  • Feb 2021 - Joint Bank Credited Letter (we cashed a cheque and they sent us a letter to say it was credited to the bank account)
  • May 2021 - Joint Bank Statement
  • Aug 2021 - Applicant Hospital Appointment Letter + Sponsor Energy Bill
  • Dec 2021 - Joint Bank Statement of Fees
  • Mar 2022 - Joint Council Tax Letter (hopefully it arrives beginning of March)[/li
    ]
  Other:
  
  • Marriage Certificate
  
  Have I missed anything, and is the cohabitation evidence ok?

I'm back with our checklist and to double check a few things so sorry for the very long post.

I think we're aiming for a March application (landed in the UK 25th Sep 2019 and I found a document that says my partner has permission to be here until 11 June 2022 so assuming that's the expiry - haven't got the BRP to hand right now as I type this).

• Am I correct in assuming that it's just a document upload this time instead of sending physical copies of all the papers?
• Do we have to scan the front + back of each document?
• For our bank statements - they are basically A5 format, this is how they have always been sent to us and are quite a few pages in length depending on our spending for the month - would I need to scan every single sheet or just the top with the names/address on?
• Also for bank statements - I'll probably request a separate printed version from within the bank to show the last 6 months all together (hoping for longer if they'll do it) for the financial evidence - would I need to get this stamped front + back like we did with the first visa application?
• When we submit the application I'll be about 24-25 weeks pregnant with our first child - can I include a sponsor letter that explains I'm pregnant and how much we would struggle if the visa was rejected?

1- That's right, you either scan it yourself before the biometrics appointment or you can choose to pay a bit extra for them to do the scanning there.

2-Yes

3-Every page.

4-Provide 7 months worth. If they print it in branch and it says that on the statement (mine did) you don't need it to be stamped. If you do it at home, (or if it's not obvious on their printed copy)  they need to stamp it on every page.

5- Congratulations on your pregnancy. Iirc, there is a section in the application to specifically mention that sort of thing.

Our Checklist
Applicant Documents:

• US Passport
• BRP

Sponsor Documents:

• UK Passport

Financial Evidence:

• 7 months of payslips (24th Sep 2021 - 24th Mar 2022)
• Statement/7 months worth of bank payments (Sep 2021-Mar 2022)
• Letter from employer, dated + signed on headed paper stating job title / length of employment / current salary
  
• Job Contract (Job contract states my old job title and salary I believe but I have a letter from my promotion with the new details)
  
  • Letter from work stating promotion - job title change + salary change
  
  Accommodation:
  
  • Tenancy Agreement (unchanged since 2018)
  • Addendum to Tenancy Agreement stating partner can live at address - dated 1 Nov 2019 + signed by all parties
  
  Cohabitation:
  
  • Oct 2019 - Joint Council Tax Letter
  • Feb 2020 - Applicant National Insurance Letter + Sponsor Gas Bill
  • June 2020 - Joint Bank Credited Letter (we cashed a cheque and they sent us a letter to say it was credited to the bank account)
  • Oct 2020 - Joint Bank/Savings Statement
  • Feb 2021 - Joint Bank Credited Letter (we cashed a cheque and they sent us a letter to say it was credited to the bank account)
  • May 2021 - Joint Bank Statement
  • Aug 2021 - Applicant Hospital Appointment Letter + Sponsor Energy Bill
  • Dec 2021 - Joint Bank Statement of Fees
  • Mar 2022 - Joint Council Tax Letter (hopefully it arrives beginning of March)[/li
    ]
  Other:
  
  • Marriage Certificate
  
  Have I missed anything, and is the cohabitation evidence ok?

It looks good. You'll need your most recent council tax statement for your accommodation evidence too, you can just upload it twice. You have more than enough for the correspondence requirement.  Divorce certificate if it applies.

Just wanting clarification on one of the questions. Application is being submitted tomorrow.

On the question "Would any of your children be affected if your visa is refused?" I'm assuming that's living children (which we don't have) and I can't count the one I'm currently pregnant with (our first child).

Also the question after that is "would any other family members be affected if your visa refused?" Assuming that's anyone other than me

Just wanting clarification on one of the questions. Application is being submitted tomorrow.

On the question "Would any of your children be affected if your visa is refused?" I'm assuming that's living children (which we don't have) and I can't count the one I'm currently pregnant with (our first child).

Also the question after that is "would any other family members be affected if your visa refused?" Assuming that's anyone other than me

These questions are being asked because if you are in the situation where your visa falls for refusal, they will look to see if you qualify to be put on the 10-year route to ILR based on Article 8: Right to Family Life in the UK... and in order to do that, they will look to see if you have any children or family members living in the UK whose lives will be seriously disrupted if you had to leave the UK and return to your home country.

Usually they will only allow you to stay if you have a UK citizen child living in the UK. Your unborn child should have the right to live in the country of their birth/citizenship.. So, for the question about children, I would write that you are pregnant and that your child will be a UK citizen when they are born and so their life would then be affected if you had to leave the UK.

For the question about family members, they mean, for example, elderly or disabled relatives in the UK that rely on you/your spouse for their day-to-day care, or other family members, whose lives would be disrupted if you had to leave the UK