FLR(M) or SET(M), a total predicament; I am a ball of stress. A stressy mess.

My spousal visa (I am American living in the UK) expires on January 7th, 2009. I should have got things going a week ago. I should have saved money the past two years (but I have only been properly employed since July this year.) I got my first job in the UK 10 months into living here because I never seemed to find any jobs, even through temp. agencies? Maybe it was just where I was living at the time. But in any case, I got my first UK (part-time) job in October, and then finally got a job with the NHS in July. (I worked in healthcare in the US.)

Fact is (that I would never really feel comfortable telling them in the letter needed when applying for an extended visa) is that financially, things have been tight the entire time I have been living here. We didn't have a lump of savings when I moved over. We merely live paycheck to paycheck. I have some small debts in the US I pay off each month, and he has some debts of his own.

I had always intended to do everything right. I wanted to get this Indefinite Leave to Remain out of the way. I have my Life in the UK book for the test that I had read and studied. I collected as many "official" pieces of mail I could, but I don't know if I have enough because the first year of me living here I had a hard time getting my name on official mail, like bills, and I only just recently got a contract mobile phone. It was a very slow start to get my life somewhat "established" and going in the UK, which was extremely frustrating.

But time has run out. I need to make a decision and get things in the mail. I do not have £750. I have only begun to be financially moving smoothly, but not enough time to really save that much money. My mother was going to help, but then her job has had to give them fewer hours because of a lack of work (hello, recession!)

I have contemplated applying for a visa extension, instead, because that is much more realistic for me in this moment in time... financially, and also because I worry that I do not have enough "evidence" to support two years of me living here for the Indefinite Leave to Remain. In one more year, will I feel ready for ILR? Absolutely. It just took me so long to get the ball rolling in getting my life in the UK properly going.

Has anyone had to do this for any reason? If so, how did it go? I just do NOT feel confident in the ILR - not with my evidence, not financially... although, the test I am prepared for! 

Right now, it's hard to not just stress out and cry. I work long hours and work all of the time, and this has just jumped up and bit me, "WAIT! My spousal visa expires in less than a MONTH!"

I have holiday time booked off from work for Dec. 24th to Jan. 7th - but go figure, I really need to get this in the mail before then!

Experiences/advice on the extended visa application process is much appreciated.   
Can it be done? Are there implications? If I was approved for an extended visa, do they decide how long to give you an extension for or is it one year or another two? If it's another two, could I go ahead and apply for ILR when I was ready to before then? What should you say in the letter explaining why, after two years on a Spousal visa when you should be next applying for ILR, you are applying for an extended visa instead? What should you not say?

 

Hi - I replied to your LJ entry, but I'll copy & paste it over here for other members' benefit:

You don't have to mail the application until literally right before your visa expires - even if they get it the DAY before your current one ends, it's still valid & you'll still be able to work & live as normal even while your current FLR "expires". Applying for an FLR extension on the sole basis that you cannot pay for an ILR application will NOT work - and if you're denied on that, then you WILL be out of time and not able to work until you get your status sorted. So really the best advice I can give (and I'm a member of UK-Y, by the way, so we see all sorts of issues there ) is to find the £750 before January...5th or so and mail off the application then. As long as everything else is fairly normal, you should be just fine (especially if you can prove steady income...I had almost no savings when I applied for the FLR, which has MORE of a financial-proof burden than ILR, and I was approved easily).

Have you looked at the form lately for what evidence is required?  It went down significantly this year, although you do need to still spread it out over the two years.  It is much easier now than it was before to show the evidence of your residency together since you only are required to send six documents now for the whole two years.

As for the financial side of it, that's a tough one.  I ended up putting it on a credit card and am paying it off in several chunks now.  

I thought I remembered hearing that you can apply for FLR instead of ILR, but it will end up costing a hefty chunk more in the end as that isn't overly cheap either--and the rules for ILR are probably going to change this year in a way that will possibly leave you unable to get ILR next year.  I'll leave it to others to discuss the specifics of how or if you do the FLR extension though as I have no experience or knowledge there.  

If you can manage to pull together the evidence and finances, I'd definitely go for the ILR.  It does leave you in a safer place.  You will want to get going on the Life in the UK immediately though.  You have to wait a week after making an appointment before you can take the test, and it isn't an easy test.  

Best of luck in whatever choice you make.

On the LJ community, it has just dawned on me that it actually makes more sense to do the ILR. What am I thinking?! I am just so frustrated, rushed, and stressed at the moment... I do not know what to do. I feel like time has just run out so quickly. I was getting myself mentally together for it for months and then in November, I think I spaced it out! What in the world?!

Say, if I get the funds together (I am working on it, I think we can pull it together from various resources, as I do not have a UK credit card and neither does my husband, so we will have to be creative) and plan to get the application in the mail like on January 5th... when do I need to book the Life in the UK test, to be able to take it in time before submitting the application? And it doesn't seem easy, the test that is. I've used the practice tests with some of my coworkers who are all transport nurses, and they all failed the practice tests. I have always been horrible at tests. I am beyond nervous about this. My own husband doesn't know a lot of what they ask. 


I am flailing my arms around. And kicking myself for not taking a moment from my constantly busy schedule to get my thoughts in order...

Embarrassed to admit that I also waited until the last minute.  I had spent the whole of the two years saving documents and scouring this forum, then in the end the payment and putting it all together just crept up on me--life got busy.  I took the test about five weeks before my visa expired and ended up sending in the application just in the nick of time, so I understand the whole panic b/c it snuck up on you thing.  The good news is that you are on top of it enough to see where you are and give yourself time to do it all still, even if you are feeling pressed, so that's good!  Just take some deep breaths and dive in.

I would take the KOL test ASAP if I were you.  You should be fine, but I found it to be nerve-wracking.  Even if you are confident, why leave it to chance?  Call tomorrow to set it up. Take the test next week and have it done--then you don't have to worry.  Or worst case-scenario, you still have time to retake if you didn't pass.  You'll do well!  There are some good practice test sites listed in the history here.

For the money side of things, I know how horrible it can feel when money is so tight there isn't a penny to spare, and you know you just don't have the sum required -- but I'm wondering, can you borrow a bit here and a bit there from several friends and family instead of having to ask for all of it from one source? If, say, seven loved ones could pitch in £100? It's still a lot to ask of everyone, but this is huge, has to be done, and you could throw all the "donors" a celebration party after it's all over; friends and family in a time like this must know that you really need that money.

Also, is there anything you can sell, e-bay, advertise on craigslist, put a card in a newsagent window to sell locally ---- any items you own at all that could be sacrificed to raise the sum?

If you pass the KOL test, they will give you your pass certificate that day.  Again, do it as soon as possible. 

If you fail it and don't have time to re-take, that would be a valid reason for extending your FLR, and it's £395 in comparison to £750...but, it is more expensive in the long run, really, and if you wait, you'll find that prices will only go up!

Best of luck in your studies for the exam and in your application.

Yes, definitely book your KOL test TODAY, as I can imagine there won't be many testing dates on offer over the holiday period.  You need to have the certificate in-hand before you can send off the ILR application.

Not just saying this because I do them, but have you thought about getting a document check?  You can then at least get a profesisonal to tell you whether or not you have the documents for ILR, so you can apply with a bit of confidence...or just go for the FLR as the case may be.

Vicky

Does a document check cost? If so, that is a no-can-do!

I am going to get my test booked tomorrow morning first thing, and get the ball rolling. 

I have luckily spoke it over with my mom and she is going to get some help with family on her end and I am going to pay as big a chunk of it as I can from my next paycheck this month.

My husband seems so unfazed and completely not worried, but I am so worried and frustrated and nervous... and stressed! The first time around with my spousal visa, I was sure I was going to be denied it for whatever reason. I feel the same way right now! 


Another question - will they mail all of the documents back? I had to get a certified, official copy of my marriage license from my state (for $37!) because when we did the spousal visa interview in Los Angeles, they kept my original! Ahg! So will they be sending everything back?

Yes, doc checks cost, but they are really worth the money, especially if you think you got some concerns.  Most immigration specialists though might be able to work out some sort of payment plan.

Best thing though is to call in all your favours and beg, borrow (maybe not steal) what you need...  Just get over the hump.  It will be far worse and more expensive if you don't get it sorted while you are legal.

Does a document check cost? If so, that is a no-can-do!

In which case, just apply for the further leave.  If you can't afford the £250 for a document check then you can't afford to take the risk with £750 that you may lose if the documents for ILR are not up to scratch.  Best just go with the £395 for further leave.

Vicky

My worry, mainly, is I hadn't thought to really keep mail that came to my husband in his name. So a vast majority are in my name. 

But, well, I've booked my test and I am just going forward with the ILR... fingers crossed all checks out okay. 

Good luck!

Well, tonight and tomorrow I have to get everything together (ugh!) and get it in the mail tomorrow (visa expires on the 7th! AHG!) But! My husband has to go into town tomorrow (only time he had time to) and get some bank account statements made official at his bank (they were charging £5 per copy to be mailed!  ), as well as get copies of his payslips from his new job. He is working a late shift and obviously won't be home with this stuff by the time I need to get it in the mail. We don't have a car so I can't just drive to the town he works in to get this stuff from him. If I get it in the mail/postmarked on the 7th (the day my visa expires    ), will I be okay? Or does it REALLY need to get in the mail by tomorrow? Ugh.

I passed my Life in the UK test mid-late December. I am nervous about my evidence but hopefully all will be okay and I will have just enough...
 If I organize everything in a binder and add an index at the beginning to go through and list what everything is and in the order it is in, will that be okay? Should I send photographs of us over the two years I have lived here, and other various bits and bobs on top of everything else? How should I mail it? Should I make copies of both me and his passports BEFORE I mail them even if we have no plans to go anywhere soon (Going to Belgium the end of April but I reckon everything should be returned by then?)

Trying not to have a panic attack. Don't have a printer at home so am also going to have to go into town and find some place to print this for me.

Is there any advice on how to organize/present it in the package to be mailed?

(P.S. I have obviously decided to just go forward with ILR/SET(M) and not the FLR(M).)