Excellent. Ta
So when applying for this next FLR(M) would it behoove me to wait until 28 days before it expires to reapply to maximize my visa to the proper 60 months or will they if approved date my next visa as starting the day the current one expires?
You cannot apply until 28 days before it expires anyway.
- The EARLIEST you can apply is 28 days before the expiry date in October.
- The LATEST you can apply is the expiry date in October.
They will make the new visa either valid from the expiry date of the visa (if it is issued before the expiry date, or it will be made valid from when it is issued.
As an example, I see from your signature that your in-person appointment was on April 18th 2015... so I'm assuming your current visa expires on October 18th 2017. Therefore, the earliest you can apply for FLR(M) is September 20th 2017.
- So, say you apply in person on September 20th and the visa is granted that day. It should be made valid from October 18th or 19th 2017 until April 18th or 19th 2020. You will be able to apply for ILR from 28 days before you reach 5 years on FLR(M)... so you could apply from March 21st 2020 up until April 18th/19th 2020.
- Say you apply by post on October 17th and it takes 2 months to process. Your visa is issued on December 17th and is valid from December 17th 2017 to June 17th 2020. You will be able to apply for ILR anytime between March 21st 2020 and June 17th 2020.