Questions on Items of Correspondence for visa extension

I arrived in the UK on June 18 of this year on my initial spouse visa.  My BRP was issued June 7 and expires March 13, 2022.

I'm trying to be diligent about gathering the right documents for the items of correspondence we'll need for our visa extension in 2022. 

I believe the requirement is 6 joint or 12 individual items spread evenly over the last 2 years.

1.  With my BRP expiring in March 2022, is there a recommended time when we should apply for the extension?

2.  Assuming we apply in February 2022, am I correct that our items of correspondence should begin in February 2020?  We don't need any documentation from my arrival in June 2019 until then?

3.  I received a letter from the NHS (Luton & Dunstable University Hospital) dated July 4 for a breast screening appointment.  Does this type of letter qualify as an item of correspondence?

4.  I believe each item can be used twice.  If I have 2 bank accounts, can I use 2 statements from each account?  Or can I only use 1 bank account?

Thanks very much.  I really appreciate all the advice and support this forum provides. 

1.  With my BRP expiring in March 2022, is there a recommended time when we should apply for the extension?

The date your BRP starts is not relevant - what matters is the date you landed in the UK.

The earliest you can apply is 28 days before you reach 30 months in the UK. The latest you can apply is the expiry date of your visa.

If you entered the UK on June 18th 2019, you will reach 30 months on December 18th 2021... so you can apply any time from November 20th 2021 up until the visa expiry in March 2022.

2.  Assuming we apply in February 2022, am I correct that our items of correspondence should begin in February 2020?  We don't need any documentation from my arrival in June 2019 until then?

Yes, though as you can apply in November 2021, you might want documents from November 2019 onwards.

3.  I received a letter from the NHS (Luton & Dunstable University Hospital) dated July 4 for a breast screening appointment.  Does this type of letter qualify as an item of correspondence?

Yes - letters from government departments is fine (NHS, DVLA, HMRC, DWP etc.)

4.  I believe each item can be used twice.  If I have 2 bank accounts, can I use 2 statements from each account?  Or can I only use 1 bank account?

You just need 3 different sources in total - bank statements/letters are one source only, regardless of number of accounts.

So, if you are using 6 joint documents you might have:
- 4 bank statements (from any number of accounts)
- 1 council tax bill
- 1 water bill

If you are using 12 separate documents, you might have:
- 9 bank statements  (from any number of accounts)
- 1 council tax bill
- 2 electricity bills

Or a combination, say:
- 5 bank statements (from any number of accounts)
- 1 NHS letter
- 1 council tax bill
- 2 water bills
- 3 phone bills


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The date your BRP starts is not relevant - what matters is the date you landed in the UK.

The earliest you can apply is 28 days before you reach 30 months in the UK. The latest you can apply is the expiry date of your visa.

If you entered the UK on June 18th 2019, you will reach 30 months on December 18th 2021... so you can apply any time from November 20th 2021 up until the visa expiry in March 2022.

Yes, though as you can apply in November 2021, you might want documents from November 2019 onwards.

Yes - letters from government departments is fine (NHS, DVLA, HMRC, DWP etc.)

You just need 3 different sources in total - bank statements/letters are one source only, regardless of number of accounts.

So, if you are using 6 joint documents you might have:
- 4 bank statements (from any number of accounts)
- 1 council tax bill
- 1 water bill

If you are using 12 separate documents, you might have:
- 9 bank statements  (from any number of accounts)
- 1 council tax bill
- 2 electricity bills

Or a combination, say:
- 5 bank statements (from any number of accounts)
- 1 NHS letter
- 1 council tax bill
- 2 water bills
- 3 phone bills


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks very much.  Your answers are very helpful.

I'm on the Council Tax and Insurance bills, but I don't know if we'll get any letters from them until next year.  I was hoping to delay opening a bank account until 2020 because of the US reporting requirements, but it's probably wise to open one this year.  I'd like to have enough documentation to be able to apply for our extension when it works best for us, rather than having the timing restricted because of the dates of our correspondence. 

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.  I really appreciate it. 

  I was hoping to delay opening a bank account until 2020 because of the US reporting requirements, but it's probably wise to open one this year.  I'd like to have enough documentation to be able to apply for our extension when it works best for us, rather than having the timing restricted because of the dates of our correspondence. 

As long as you keep the combined high balance of all your foreign accounts below $10,000 at all times, you don't need to worry about Fbar.

It's a very good idea to have something coming in monthly, a bank statement is ideal for this, so that you are never stuck for a particular time period.

As long as you keep the combined high balance of all your foreign accounts below $10,000 at all times, you don't need to worry about Fbar.

It's a very good idea to have something coming in monthly, a bank statement is ideal for this, so that you are never stuck for a particular time period.

Thanks.  I'll open a bank account in the next month or so.  Then I'll have monthly bank statements, along with joint quarterly water bills and annual council tax and insurance bills.  Plus I should have some periodic letters from the NHS.  That should give us enough documentation.

Thanks.  I'll open a bank account in the next month or so.  Then I'll have monthly bank statements, along with joint quarterly water bills and annual council tax and insurance bills.  Plus I should have some periodic letters from the NHS.  That should give us enough documentation.

Make sure your sponsor sets all of their accounts to paper statements, too.  You need things for both of you, so if you don't have enough joint things, make sure your partner can match up correspondence with the dates of yours when needed.  (I had no problem having enough stuff for me, but my husband was slow to change his address when we moved house, so I really struggled with things for him!)