FLR(M) Renewal

Hello! I am getting ready to submit my first FLR(M) renewal and could use a bit of refreshing on it, plus I have a few other questions...

My visa says it is due for renewal at the end of November however the 2.5 years would put us at the end of September (Was first granted FLRM at the end of April 2016). I've checked all my paperwork and I haven't seen anything with a date on it to suggest there was a misprint of any type. Of course I didn't check it at the time. I've learned my lesson now. Is this something of concern?

Assuming I do have until the end of November, is it still 28 days before the end date that I can apply? I thought I have seen some things about thinking this has changed but I wanted to double check.

Also, I think I need the following:

NHS Surcharge (£500)
FLR (M) Form (sending by post as suggested by you all!)
And a whopping £1033 in the bank ready for them to take out.

2 passport sized photos
Current and old passports
Current BRP
Husband's passport(? - he lost his too so this should be fun)
Stepson's birth certificate

Marriage certificate
6 pieces of mail in each of our names or less of those in both our names spread fairly evenly throughout the last two years (we only have council tax in both our names, unfortunately)
A couple pictures of us
Rental agreement in both of our names

Husband's job contract
P60
Six months' worth of bank statements
Six months of payslips
Letter from employer stating how long he has been there and what salary he is on.

I could be missing something very obvious here, so any help would be appreciated as always!

Hello! I am getting ready to submit my first FLR(M) renewal and could use a bit of refreshing on it, plus I have a few other questions...

Welcome back to the forum .

My visa says it is due for renewal at the end of November however the 2.5 years would put us at the end of September (Was first granted FLRM at the end of April 2016). I've checked all my paperwork and I haven't seen anything with a date on it to suggest there was a misprint of any type. Of course I didn't check it at the time. I've learned my lesson now. Is this something of concern?

 Assuming I do have until the end of November, is it still 28 days before the end date that I can apply? I thought I have seen some things about thinking this has changed but I wanted to double check.

The time on your fiancé visa does not count towards your 2.5 years... so the start date of your FLR(M) is when your 2.5 years starts.

Therefore, you will not reach 2.5 years on qualifying visas until the expiry date of your current visa... which means you cannot apply for your FLR(M) renewal until 28 days before your visa expiry date in November.

Also, I think I need the following:

NHS Surcharge (£500)
FLR (M) Form (sending by post as suggested by you all!)
And a whopping £1033 in the bank ready for them to take out.

Well, actually you need £1,533 because the £1033 doesn’t include the IHS surcharge.

However, the IHS surcharge will be doubling to £1000 sometime this year. We don’t know when yet, but it could be that your FLR(M) will be £2033 by the time you are eligible to apply in October

Stepson's birth certificate

You also need his passport and a letter addressed to him, dated in the last 3 months before applying, to prove where he lives.

Your other documents look pretty good, though you have a couple of months to get everything sorted out now .


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Welcome back to the forum .

The time on your fiancé visa does not count towards your 2.5 years... so the start date of your FLR(M) is when your 2.5 years starts.

Therefore, you will not reach 2.5 years on qualifying visas until the expiry date of your current visa... which means you cannot apply for your FLR(M) renewal until 28 days before your visa expiry date in November.

Well, actually you need £1,533 because the £1033 doesn’t include the IHS surcharge.

However, the IHS surcharge will be doubling to £1000 sometime this year. We don’t know when yet, but it could be that your FLR(M) will be £2033 by the time you are eligible to apply in October

You also need his passport and a letter addressed to him, dated in the last 3 months before applying, to prove where he lives.

Your other documents look pretty good, though you have a couple of months to get everything sorted out now .


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Thanks for that ksand! Yes, I knew that the 5 years doesn't count on the fiancee visa...I was basing that timing on my first spouse visa, which was granted late April 2016, which would actually put me at October for 2.5 years I think? I will just go by what it says on my visa, which is Novermber 28th and start getting paperwork late October dated for within the 28 days :-)

I need my stepson's passport? I didn't think I did last time (although I did need the number off of it to put on the FLR(M) form), and certainly didn't need any mail in his name. He's 14 and lives with his mother so have no idea what type of mail he would get in his name. That would be a new one to me.

As far as the charges go, I put the NHS surcharge and visa fee separately on my list there, as I know I have to pay the NHS surcharge first, then they take the visa fee out later, so I know the total will be £1,533. I was aware they were making changes with the NHS fees but because I didn't see them implemented yet, I was hoping I was safe. I have had the worst history on just missing out on being able to apply before changes come through, so I'm sure it will come into force on November 1st 

Thanks again for looking over my list!

Thanks for that ksand! Yes, I knew that the 5 years doesn't count on the fiancee visa...I was basing that timing on my first spouse visa, which was granted late April 2016, which would actually put me at October for 2.5 years I think? I will just go by what it says on my visa, which is Novermber 28th and start getting paperwork late October dated for within the 28 days :-)

So you came to the U.K. on a fiancé visa, got married, returned to the US and applied for a spousal visa?

Or did you come to the U.K. on a fiancé visa, get married and switch to FLR(M)?

Spousal visas and FLR(M) are different visas, valid for different lengths of time and cost different amounts of money. Spousal visas currently cost £1,523 with £600 IHS, while FLR(M) costs £1,033 with £500 IHS. Spousal visas are only issued outside the U.K. and FLR(M) visas are only issued inside the U.K.

If you came to the U.K. on a spousal visa, issued outside the U.K., then it’s valid for 33 months and you can apply for FLR(M) 28 days before you reach 30 months in the U.K. after entering on the spousal visa. So if you have a spousal visa granted end April 2016 and you entered the country on it at that time, it would expire end Jan 2019 and you could apply for FLR(M) 28 days before end October (28 days before reaching 30 months since you entered the UK on the visa).

If you switched to FLR(M) from inside the U.K. the visa is valid 30 months only and you cannot apply for the next FLR(M) until 28 days before expiry... because you have to spend 2.5 years in the U.K. on FLR(M) before you can apply for the next visa.

I need my stepson's passport? I didn't think I did last time (although I did need the number off of it to put on the FLR(M) form), and certainly didn't need any mail in his name. He's 14 and lives with his mother so have no idea what type of mail he would get in his name. That would be a new one to me.

It’s a new requirement, introduced in 2017. All the details are listed on the FLR(M) form.

You MUST now include:
- his passport
- his birth certificate
- a letter proving where he lives (I.e. from his school or GP surgery)

As far as the charges go, I put the NHS surcharge and visa fee separately on my list there, as I know I have to pay the NHS surcharge first, then they take the visa fee out later, so I know the total will be £1,533.

Not necessarily - if you apply in person you pay it all at the time of booking your appointment: £1,033 + £500 + £610 appointment fee... so in that case you would need all of that in your account on the same day.


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And budget for the NHS fee to be £1,000.  We don't know the exact date it'll be raised yet but it's supposed to happen in 2018.  Better to overbudget and have an extra £500 ready to put towards ILR in another 2.5 years.   

So you came to the U.K. on a fiancé visa, got married, returned to the US and applied for a spousal visa?

Or did you come to the U.K. on a fiancé visa, get married and switch to FLR(M)?

I came here on a fiancee visa and applied within the UK on FLR(M), not spousal - sorry for the confusion!

It’s a new requirement, introduced in 2017. All the details are listed on the FLR(M) form.

You MUST now include:
- his passport
- his birth certificate
- a letter proving where he lives (I.e. from his school or GP surgery)

How frustrating. I am lucky that my stepson's mother is happy to help but I can imagine this isn't always an easy step for everyone.

I assume I DO need to send my husband's passport then?

Also, I have found out my Dad is not well...My visa expires end of November as I mentioned before and my passport expires end of October. Would I be able to go back home and come back before October without any issue? Or would they question me with it being so close to the expiry dates?

This really shouldn't be an issue. I should be on the next plane out there without thought, but I can't shake that question from the back of my mind if I'm honest :-(

Yeah, the change is awkward.  I "get" why they need the info, but not everyone is able to get the info!

You need to send a photocopy of your husband's passport (every single page).  But not the actual passport.

Yes, you should be fine to re-enter the UK on your soon-to-be expired passport or you could renew it while in the USA if you prefer.  Just so long as you re-enter before your visa expires, you will be fine.

Get on that plane!  This can wait for a bit!

I’m jumping in this, as I didn’t realise we needed a letter for my step daughter. As she lives here full time would a general reminder letter from the gp be ok? Or is it like a letter to say Xyz lives here.


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I’m jumping in this, as I didn’t realise we needed a letter for my step daughter. As she lives here full time would a general reminder letter from the gp be ok? Or is it like a letter to say Xyz lives here.


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If you have a letter already dated in the last 90 days it does not matter what it says.  It’s just to prove where she lives.  As kids don’t often get mail, if you don’t have something addressed to her in the last 90 days, a letter from her school or GP confirming her address works.