Any significant differences between paper and online SET(M)?

Hi everyone,

Just a quick question really, directed at those that might have completed the new SET(M) online process that's come around recently.

Being a ducks-in-a-row sort of person I liked to stay ahead of things by reading the paper forms as time goes on, noting the differences and making sure everything's good to go - this meant fewer surprises nearer the time (and with the second FLR(M) we filled out, we saw the newer request for e.g. documents for children that aren't part of the application).

I know that there was this unusual birth certificate of children's parents request in the forms recently (as BriKH saw), which I very much hope is an oversight as for some of us it will be an impossible ask, but does anyone know of anything else on there that's different?

Example, §5 of the old paper FLR(M) form referred to immigration history, a category that wasn't present on the SET(M) form. Is this still not present in the new online SET(M)?

I don't expect there will be a sort of 'transcript' of the online form out there in a pseudo-paper-format for browsing, although that would be helpful.

Any information gratefully received - we don't need to do this for about eighteen months but I'm sure that time will fly by!

Happy New Year too

I just logged on to this forum to ask pretty much the same question. However my timeline is much shorter - I will be applying in just four months! Plus it looks like they withdrew the paper form on 1 November 2018.

I'm gutted that I didn't download the paper form last year - I don't suppose anyone has a blank version of the PDF still saved somewhere? I know I can't use it, but I want to see the outline of all the documents I need to submit with the application. I can't see that on the online form until I complete everything before that section.

I created a login and started an application but I haven't put a lot of time into it. One of the things I immediately noticed was that it still says "We do not accept internet or cashpoint [bank] statements as evidence of finances." So if this application is all online, I don't understand how that is going to work. Do I have to get the official statement printouts scanned? Do I still have to mail in documents? I suppose we still have to post our passports...

Anyway, if anyone has applied for ILR on the five-year marriage route in the last two months, I'd love to hear about your experience.

NVM I found the last paper version of the SET (M) form online! I'm not sure how to post files on this board but I'm happy to share it...

I wrote a long-winded post that includes some of the differences between the old and new system, including the online vs paper form from my experience (https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=95321.0). However, the new one adapts to individual circumstances so I didn’t have (and couldn’t see) any questions on children.

The good thing is that you can go through and fill out the online application and as long as you don’t do the final steps (payment in particular), it won’t be submitted.

Good on you for looking into everything with plenty of time to spare!

Thanks for this Sivara - I did give it a read at the time and was very impressed with your thoroughness. Definitely helpful for those of us who will be doing it!

I'm a little curious on the completing it in advance idea - as we're so far out, will it even let us get started? Basing this off our own PSC booking stuff, where we couldn't even get in to it until 42 days (I think) before the visa expiry. I suppose I could try it and see but I'm wary - no, paranoid! - of starting redundant applications, in case for some reason it came back to bite us later on...

Thanks Sivara!

I doubt it will come back to bite you, Biscuits, other than that you might waste a few hours of your life on an application that just gets deleted without your approval... but who knows.