My experience with FLR

Hello all...we went to Croydon today and I got my
passport stamped for FLR...I am a student in the UK and got married to my english bf..in feb 2003..we didnt have too much trouble at all it was relatively smooth and once we got inside the building and they called our number 165 it was quick...

the waiting outside in the cold was the worst part...we got up at 5 am and drove to croydon which took us about an hour...got there at 630 and waited in line until about 830 a.m.  we were seen by the immigration officer at 1130 a.m. and out of there by 12pm

there were plenty of snacks available and coffee as well..we got mickey dees for breakfast....

the experience was difft from how i imagined it would be..they didnt grill us for one..just looked at all the documents we had provided and told us they would let us know in about 20 minutes the status....also i imagined them taking us into a little room and asking us loads of questions..but the officers were sitting behind a glass window and you pulled up a chair at that window...almost like a bank teller....we were lucky to get there at around 630 becz the folks who arrived around 7-730 were way back in the line...down the street in fact...the office opened at 8

i have to say that the experience was not as bad as i thought it would be and that it feels good to have my passport stamped..yipee....

i have heard some bad experiences but mine wasnt...

Sorry for the late response, but had to say that I'm glad SOMEone has had a decent experience with the Croydon office.  You obviously went at the right time on the right day!  

Phil and I went to Croydon yesterday (Monday the 24th) to get my and the children's visas extended (expiry date is 15 days BEFORE wedding - oops!).  Our timetable almost exactly mirrored Blondshania's.  We were in line by 6.30 am - in the office by 9 am - up to the window around 11.45 am, and out by 12.20.  It was a little more complicated because of our situation (having been deported before we got the Visas was a little confusing for a moment to the Home Office guy!).  But it was rather painless.  If you ignore the 16 anxiety attacks I had during the time we were waiting.  You know - if anything can go wrong, it will...especially the luck we've had!

But we're all good and legal now until 30th April.  Phew!!!  

Hello, Just a quick question for blondshania...what documents did you bring to Croydon?  Just wondering if the process is easier since you were a student rather than a visitor...I am currently on a recently issued student visa but my b/f and I are getting married in Yikes, 21  days!!!  We will make the trip to Croydon shortly after...Any tips?  

Thanks and Congrats!!!

Lets see what did we bring...basically we re read, and re read the FLR form which i downloaded off the internet...we brought my hubby's abbey national bank statements, his wage statements for the past few months, mortgage deeds, my student acceptance letter and passports.., marriage certificate

we had a nice chick wait on us and she just looked through the paperwork said it all seems in order and had us wait...she asked me if i was here as a student or on work permit and didnt say much else ....was really less stressful then what i thought it would be...

we arrived there at 630 and there was already a pretty decent line...i would recommend you arrive there early then that if you can stand the wait since they dont open until 800 am..the sooner you are there the better...unless some days are less busier then others..but i doubt that

also parking...we parked at a meter right on the side street near the building but this was too expensive it was like 4 pounds for every two hours..there is a garage across the street right near the shopping center but not sure when that opens..its cheaper..

also if you cross the street and head towards the left there is a little shopping area..with a sainsburys and mcdonalds...but not sure when they open maybe 7 am??

thank you and best of luck to you and your future hubby...

thanks for the info...I could really use at least one stress free moment with the HO...LOL

I'm British and my wife is Kazakh, but over the last year I have found that all information about the visa process is very valuable and I post our experience of applying for Further Leave to Remain in the hope that it is useful.

We arrived at Lunar House at 06:30 this morning and joined a rapidly increasing line.  People were let into the building from 08:30 and were let inside around 09:00.  Our ticket number was 158.  I had to leave at this point to go to work, but my wife stayed on and was seen around 11:00.

Unlike the other people we've read about, my wife didn't get her FLR visa immediately but was told the passport would be posted back in 3-4 weeks.  Hoping to get same day service, she told them that I needed my passport for work, but they simply made a copy and returned it to her!

Since the whole process took around 10 minutes, I don't know why they couldn't just issue the visa.  It's a nuisance because she can't register with a local doctor or get a bank account until she has a visa of 1 year or more in her passport, and have to postpone plans to approach employment agencies.

Has anyone else been knocked back when applying in person for what should be straightforward application?  The clerk at Lunar House made it seem as if everything was OK (we went through the fiance visa process) but I'm not happy with the uncertainty.