FLR(M) help-meeting financial requirement with sick leave?

Hello all,

Thank you for all the great information on this forum! It helped get me through my BRP stage and I'm back for more help for the next one.

My FLR(M) is coming up in October. We had everything all set to go ahead, but now we have a problem. My UK citizen husband is having complications from a past knee injury and is hopefully set for a fairly uncomplicated orthopedic surgery in November, or as soon as they can schedule him. We meet the financial requirement with room to spare, but he's very likely going to have to stop work because of pain management and limited mobility until he has the surgery and recovers. I work but I don't meet the requirement on my own. We're both a bit concerned that this will be an issue. I've found a few threads about the requirement and maternity leave, but not sure it would work similarly enough.

Can you tell me if I've understood this right?

Under the financial requirement section, I would choose the #3 "not the same amount continuously, above the financial requirement amount" and submit 12 months payslips, to show that he would normally be earning the same amount continuously if not for the temporary medical issue? Or do I need to do something else?

I also spoke with his HR person about maybe adding to the letter they are already going to write for him that they plan to keep him on though all this? She's happy to do that. Or should I ask her for a separate letter?

Any other suggestions?

Will he be quitting his job or going on long term sick leave?

Will this happen before or after you apply for your extension?

Will he be quitting his job or going on long term sick leave?

Will this happen before or after you apply for your extension?

That's the bit about the letter from his HR person. She's happy to write that they plan to keep him on through his recovery period, which is supposed to be 6-12 weeks. His surgery is tentatively in November unless they can move it up, so it might fall before or after.

Quick question:

What date did you enter the UK and what type of visa did you arrive here on?

Since you said you moved here before Covid started, I’m just wondering if you may be eligible to apply for FLR earlier than October.


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Quick question:

What date did you enter the UK and what type of visa did you arrive here on?

Since you said you moved here before Covid started, I’m just wondering if you may be eligible to apply for FLR earlier than October.


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My approval issue date was 21 January 2020. I had leave to enter as of 28 January 2020. I got here on 8 February 2020. My BRP card expires 28 October  2022. My visa is the 5 year route partner of a UK citizen.

So as he's not quitting his job, you can apply using his salary the six months PRIOR to going sick leave (which is what it'll be called when he's off for an extended period).  I'll pull the guidance when I return from the school run.  And you would only need to do that if his sick leave starts BEFORE you apply.  If it starts after, you don't even need to mention it!

I'll look at your dates too when I return.

My approval issue date was 21 January 2020. I had leave to enter as of 28 January 2020. I got here on 8 February 2020. My BRP card expires 28 October  2022. My visa is the 5 year route partner of a UK citizen.

Okay, so the date that you can apply for FLR(M) is determined by the date you entered the UK on your visa.

You can apply 28 days before you reach 30 months in the UK. As you entered the U.K. on 8th February 2020, you will reach 30 months on 8th August 2022.

So that means you can apply for FLR(M) any time from 11th July 2022 up until 28th October.

If you apply sooner rather than later, you might even be able to get the visa all sorted and approved before he has to take any sick leave.

So as he's not quitting his job, you can apply using his salary the six months PRIOR to going sick leave (which is what it'll be called when he's off for an extended period).  I'll pull the guidance when I return from the school run.  And you would only need to do that if his sick leave starts BEFORE you apply.  If it starts after, you don't even need to mention it!

I'll look at your dates too when I return.

Thank you very much! I hope we'll have an idea about whether he'll need to soon. His GP is starting him on different pain meds this week. I don't know if they're going to make him drowsy. He can do some work sitting, but he has to be able to walk, stand, and sometimes crawl under equipment, and that's not been good. His job really wants to keep him because it's hard to find people who know how to fix some of the older equipment he works on. Sometimes he can walk someone else through on a video call. But I don't want him torturing himself and if the meds make him sleepy that's not good doing his kind of work either. So we don't know yet.

Okay, so the date that you can apply for FLR(M) is determined by the date you entered the UK on your visa.

You can apply 28 days before you reach 30 months in the UK. As you entered the U.K. on 8th February 2020, you will reach 30 months on 8th August 2022.

So that means you can apply for FLR(M) any time from 11th July 2022 up until 28th October.

If you apply sooner rather than later, you might even be able to get the visa all sorted and approved before he has to take any sick leave.

Thank you for that! I'm just wondering because I've read some warnings about applying too early and then having a time discrepancy of less than 5 years when you get to ILR? How big a thing is that?

Thank you for that! I'm just wondering because I've read some warnings about applying too early and then having a time discrepancy of less than 5 years when you get to ILR? How big a thing is that?

That’s only really an issue if you apply right at the beginning of the 28 days before 30 months, you attend biometrics right away AND you use the Super Priority service for a next-day decision.

 But you can spread things out a bit so that you don’t find yourself in that situation.

For example:

- you can book biometrics for a few weeks after you submit the online application… in fact, you may find you have to wait 2-4 weeks for an appointment anyway, especially if you’re trying for a free one

- if you don’t use super priority processing can take up to 8 weeks, which will buy you an extra month or two as well


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That’s only really an issue if you apply right at the beginning of the 28 days before 30 months, you attend biometrics right away AND you use the Super Priority service for a next-day decision.

 But you can spread things out a bit so that you don’t find yourself in that situation.

For example:

- you can book biometrics for a few weeks after you submit the online application… in fact, you may find you have to wait 2-4 weeks for an appointment anyway, especially if you’re trying for a free one

- if you don’t use super priority processing can take up to 8 weeks, which will buy you an extra month or two as well


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Good to know, thank you. Moving the timetable up looks like a good idea all around.