Help with application for FLR (M) extension?

Hi all,

I’m getting ready to submit my application for an FLR (M) extension -- hopefully next week.

Everyone here was so helpful the first time we applied and has continued to help us as we settle into life in the UK – thank you so much! 

I’m pulling together documents and a few questions keep coming up. It would be so great if someone can help with any of these questions and look at our document list to see if I'm missing anything.

Questions
My current passport:
When I first arrived in the UK, border force didn’t stamp my passport because they said it wasn’t necessary. Therefore there’s nothing in my passport stating when and where I arrived. Should I state that in my applicant letter?

Since I arrived in the UK, we only traveled out of the UK once. In January this year we went to the states where they didn’t stamp my passport upon entry. We stayed for three weeks. When we returned to the UK, border force stamped my passport. It strikes me as odd that the only new stamp in my passport is two years after my visa was granted. Do I need to explain this in my applicant letter?

My previous passport:
When we applied the first time, I included scans of a permanent residency card from Mexico, where I lived for 7 years. Should I provide this again? (I had left Mexico and was living in the US when I applied to join my husband in the UK. But the permanent residency explain why my old passport has so many stamps in and out of Mexico.)

Accommodation:
When we applied the first time, we said we would be living with my husband’s mother, but we were able to sign electronically on our own rental property after my visa was approved and just before I arrived. The lease was in both our names. I updated my address with the Home Office about a month after I arrived as soon as I had a document showing our new address. I’m providing the tenancy agreement for that house, but do I need to explain why we didn’t stay with my husband’s mother in the end and instead decided to rent our own place?

We’re on a month-to-month lease at our current house — clearly stated in the tenancy agreement and I have a letter from the landlady saying she’s happy with us as renters and that the space is adequate (not overcrowded). Do I need to make it clear we’re on a month-to-month lease in my application letter? Are the agreement and letter enough to prove future accommodation?

Our son:
Our son was born last year. He’s a British citizen as he was born in the UK to my husband who is also British. Are a UK birth certificate and UK passport enough documentation for him? Should we also include a US passport (as he’s a dual citizen) or would that be over the top? Do I need to include correspondence in our son’s name at our address? (I have some NHS letters but the most recent one is from December 2022.)

Financial:
We’re applying with cash savings. Our savings is in a joint account that only officially sends out an annual statement. I’ve calling the bank to ask for statements since October — they show well over 6 months of savings at the appropriate level. These statements arrived in the post. Do you recommend getting them stamped anyway?


List of documents we plan to include in my application:
Am I missing anything?

Accommodation:
Tenancy agreement at first home in UK
Tenancy agreement at current home in UK
Letter from landlord of current home in UK

Sponsor documents:
Sponsor letter
Husband’s full passport & photo page from passport
Visa-sized photo of husband

Additional documents:
Applicant letter
My current and previous passports (all pages scanned)
My biometric residence permit
Visa-sized photo of me

Financial:
Seven account statements showing we’ve held the required amount of cash savings since August last year
Savings declarations from me and my husband
Gifter’s letter of support to account for the savings

Proof of Relationship:
Marriage Certificate
Documents for our son

Correspondence showing cohabitation with my husband over 2.5 years of my visa:
November 2020: United Utilities bill joint
April 2021: NHS letter me & HMRC letter husband
September 2021: NatWest statement joint
Feb 2022: United Utilities bill joint
July 2022: NatWest statement joint
December 2022: NatWest statement me Shell Energy bill husband
April 2023: United Utilities proof of payment joint

Hi all,

I’m getting ready to submit my application for an FLR (M) extension -- hopefully next week.

Everyone here was so helpful the first time we applied and has continued to help us as we settle into life in the UK – thank you so much! 

I’m pulling together documents and a few questions keep coming up. It would be so great if someone can help with any of these questions and look at our document list to see if I'm missing anything.

Questions
My current passport:
When I first arrived in the UK, border force didn’t stamp my passport because they said it wasn’t necessary. Therefore there’s nothing in my passport stating when and where I arrived. Should I state that in my applicant letter?

It's all supposed to be electronically done now so you should be fine with that and I don't think there is any need to explain, but you can if you want to.

Since I arrived in the UK, we only traveled out of the UK once. In January this year we went to the states where they didn’t stamp my passport upon entry. We stayed for three weeks. When we returned to the UK, border force stamped my passport. It strikes me as odd that the only new stamp in my passport is two years after my visa was granted. Do I need to explain this in my applicant letter?

I don't think this needs an explanation either but again if it makes you feel more comfortable, by all means address it.

My previous passport:
When we applied the first time, I included scans of a permanent residency card from Mexico, where I lived for 7 years. Should I provide this again? (I had left Mexico and was living in the US when I applied to join my husband in the UK. But the permanent residency explain why my old passport has so many stamps in and out of Mexico.)

No need.

Accommodation:
When we applied the first time, we said we would be living with my husband’s mother, but we were able to sign electronically on our own rental property after my visa was approved and just before I arrived. The lease was in both our names. I updated my address with the Home Office about a month after I arrived as soon as I had a document showing our new address. I’m providing the tenancy agreement for that house, but do I need to explain why we didn’t stay with my husband’s mother in the end and instead decided to rent our own place?

I think that is worth an explanation as you said one thing and did another but it's all fine and won't affect the outcome.

We’re on a month-to-month lease at our current house — clearly stated in the tenancy agreement and I have a letter from the landlady saying she’s happy with us as renters and that the space is adequate (not overcrowded). Do I need to make it clear we’re on a month-to-month lease in my application letter?  If it says so in the lease and the letter, you don't need to mention it again unless the question is specifically asked.
Are the agreement and letter enough to prove future accommodation? That and a recent council tax bill.

Our son:
Our son was born last year. He’s a British citizen as he was born in the UK to my husband who is also British. Are a UK birth certificate and UK passport enough documentation for him? Should we also include a US passport (as he’s a dual citizen) or would that be over the top? Do I need to include correspondence in our son’s name at our address? (I have some NHS letters but the most recent one is from December 2022.)

Financial:
We’re applying with cash savings. Our savings is in a joint account that only officially sends out an annual statement. I’ve calling the bank to ask for statements since October — they show well over 6 months of savings at the appropriate level. These statements arrived in the post. Do you recommend getting them stamped anyway? Not if they came by post, that's as original as it gets.


List of documents we plan to include in my application:
Am I missing anything? Council tax bill

Accommodation:
Tenancy agreement at first home in UK
Tenancy agreement at current home in UK
Letter from landlord of current home in UK

Sponsor documents:
Sponsor letter
Husband’s full passport & photo page from passport
Visa-sized photo of husband

Additional documents:
Applicant letter
My current and previous passports (all pages scanned)
My biometric residence permit
Visa-sized photo of me

Financial:
Seven account statements showing we’ve held the required amount of cash savings since August last year
Savings declarations from me and my husband
Gifter’s letter of support to account for the savings

Proof of Relationship:
Marriage Certificate
Documents for our son

Correspondence showing cohabitation with my husband over 2.5 years of my visa: It's 2 years for FLR
November 2020: United Utilities bill joint
April 2021: NHS letter me & HMRC letter husband
September 2021: NatWest statement joint
Feb 2022: United Utilities bill joint
July 2022: NatWest statement joint
December 2022: NatWest statement me Shell Energy bill husband
April 2023: United Utilities proof of payment joint

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! This all makes sense. I finished the application yesterday and will upload documents in the new few days.

As you suggested larrabee, I’m providing items of correspondence spaced every four months for 2 years. Does the most recent item of correspondence need to fall within the 28-day period before the application date?

One other follow-on question from the application. I had to list all the countries I’ve lived in that aren’t in the UK (including my birth country). About 20 years ago, there’s a roughly 4-month gap when I was traveling as a tourist. Do I need to explain this in my application letter?

I just want to take a minute to say what an amazing resource this forum is and that I am so thankful to those of you who answer all our questions. While I was going through the application, I had various queries about the wording and how to approach different questions on the form. I was able to find answers to most of my queries by searching through posts on this forum.  It was an added relief to know so many of you have gone through this process successfully. I’ll keep you updated about how my application goes.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! This all makes sense. I finished the application yesterday and will upload documents in the new few days.

As you suggested larabee, I’m providing items of correspondence spaced every four months for 2 years. Does the most recent item of correspondence need to fall within the 28-day period before the application date?  No, it can be of course but that rule is for the financial evidence.

One other follow-on question from the application. I had to list all the countries I’ve lived in that aren’t in the UK (including my birth country). About 20 years ago, there’s a roughly 4-month gap when I was traveling as a tourist. Do I need to explain this in my application letter? I would, just for completeness.

I just want to take a minute to say what an amazing resource this forum is and that I am so thankful to those of you who answer all our questions. While I was going through the application, I had various queries about the wording and how to approach different questions on the form. I was able to find answers to most of my queries by searching through posts on this forum.  It was an added relief to know so many of you have gone through this process successfully. I’ll keep you updated about how my application goes. Good luck!

Thank you for replying so quickly larrabee! That’s great — I’ll add that to my application letter.

I have a free non-priority biometric appointment in May and will update when I have news for those tracking FLR (M) timelines.


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The renewal came through already!

Here’s the timeline: I submitted my application on the 26th of April,
had my biometric appointment on the 22nd of May, email saying I’d been approved on the 26 of May and my new BRP arrived the 31st.

As others have noted my BRP is valid through the end of 2024 even though my visa is valid until nearly the end of 2025 (as the BRPs are going away).

I should be eligible to apply for ILR at the end of September 2025 (28 days before my 5 year anniversary of arriving in the UK). I’m studying for the LIT test. I’m also planning to gather correspondence every 5 months (it seems that’s the preferred spacing for ILR).

Thanks again for all your help! I’m following the ILR thread in the meantime.


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Congratulations!