FLR(M) help! I'm losing my nerve.

Sorry to be a pain, but what are your thoughts on this?

The statement from British Gas is addressed to Mr and Mrs A XXXX.  It doesn't not include my wife's first name, this should be fine, right?

It should be fine (I would have said something in my first reply if I thought it was going to be an issue .


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I have just had a thought...

The application asks for the my wife's name as it is on her passport.  We never changed her name from her maiden name on her passport and all of her mail is addressed to her married name that she uses in the UK.  This isn't going to cause a problem is it?

I have just had a thought...

The application asks for the my wife's name as it is on her passport.  We never changed her name from her maiden name on her passport and all of her mail is addressed to her married name that she uses in the UK.  This isn't going to cause a problem is it?

Nope.

Sorry to be a pain.. It's asking if we've spent time outside of the UK. 

I know it says you don't need to tell them about holidays or short visits, but what counts as 'short?  We spent an entire month in Miami last December.

Sorry to be a pain.. It's asking if we've spent time outside of the UK. 

I know it says you don't need to tell them about holidays or short visits, but what counts as 'short?  We spent an entire month in Miami last December.

They're trying to determine whether or not the UK has been your primary residence or if you have been living abroad. Generally, I think they're interested in absences of 6 months or more.

Are you filling out the online form or the paper form?

Because the paper form only asks for the following details:

10.13 How long have you lived in the UK?
Please provide details of any periods of absence of more than six months during that time.

We don't recommend applying using the online form because of various issues... for example, the questions are different and/or more ambiguous on the online form compared with the paper form.

Also, if you apply online, you have to send your documents to a completely different city (Sheffield) than if you apply using the paper form (Durham).

They're trying to determine whether or not the UK has been your primary residence or if you have been living abroad. Generally, I think they're interested in absences of 6 months or more.

Are you filling out the online form or the paper form?

Because the paper form only asks for the following details:

10.13 How long have you lived in the UK?
Please provide details of any periods of absence of more than six months during that time.

We don't recommend applying using the online form because of various issues... for example, the questions are different and/or more ambiguous on the online form compared with the paper form.

Also, if you apply online, you have to send your documents to a completely different city (Sheffield) than if you apply using the paper form (Durham).

Yeah.  I can see what you mean.

One of the questions is "Please provide details of these family and friends, for example, their names, relationship to you and where they live."

It's not on the paper form either, so I can't quite understand why the questions are so different.

Yeah.  I can see what you mean.

One of the questions is "Please provide details of these family and friends, for example, their names, relationship to you and where they live."

It's not on the paper form either, so I can't quite understand why the questions are so different.

I would abandon the online application and continue with the paper one, if I were you. You'll have a much easier time!

It's not on the paper form either, so I can't quite understand why the questions are so different.

Because the online form is poorly-written and poorly thought-out? It's also glitchy and buggy as well

Issues with the online form include:
- different questions to the paper form
- confusing questions
- we can't see the online form so we can't help you with how to answer the questions
- if you want to apply in person you have to submit the application form before you book the appointment (but it's the other way around with the paper form)
- if you apply by post you have 15 working days from the submission of the online form to mail your documents to Sheffield... but someone had Sheffield claim they did not receive their documents because they mailed them on day 14... but if you apply using the paper form, you just mail everything together - the form, your payment details and your documents - to Durham, so there's no risk of them not matching the documents with the application form.

I would definitely advise using the paper form instead of the online form. It'll be much easier!

Thanks.. Definitely going to go paper route.

Hi all,

I've got a few questions after going through the form and I hope you can help1

First things first, what is the date that counts as the application date?  Is this the date that you sign the paper form or the date that it's received by UKVI?

Secondly, we've both had new passports since our last application, due to them expiring.  Do we submit our new passports and our old passports as these were the ones we originally used?  I can write in the sponsor letter something them expiring?


Thirdly, I have some questions on the form itself:

Under Payment Details - 2. “Contact name in the UK if different from that of the applicant” – My wife's maiden name is on her passport but she used her married name within the UK.  Would you put married name there?  Or does this mean the contact name of the person making the payment i.e. me?

1.7 – “Any other names by which you are or have been known” - Does this mean married name or any other name that she might have been known by legally i.e. previous marriage for example.

1.12 – insert national insurance number - She has this, but she's never worked due to health issues.  Is it worth putting this in?  I'm thinking yes just to show she has one otherwise they may query why it's not been detailed.

2.2 “Is this the first time you have applied for a visa or extension of stay in one of the above categories (including previous leave granted as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner) with your current sponsor – How do we answer this, yes or no?  The first time we applied, she had a spouse visa in the US.  This is the first time we've applied for FLR(M) in the UK.

Am I therefore right in thinking that I then tick the box… “You are making a first application from within the UK but have not previously had leave to enter/remain as a partner of a settled person…”

Or is this the second period of leave to remain?

3.11 “How long has your sponsor lived at this address” – Although I owned the house since March 2015, I didn’t actually move into and start living there until my wife moved across the pond on the 20th June 2015.  So should I put the date I actually started living there?

5.3 “In what category were you granted permission to enter the UK?” – Is this just Spouce/CP?

6.3 “Where did you first meet?” – Is this the first in person meeting or where we met each other originally which would be online?

6.21 “Have you linked with your sponsor since your marriage or civil partner?” – Technically, no because we got married in December 2014 in Miami, Florida and didn’t start living together in the UK until my wife came to live with me in June 2015 after her spousal visa had been approved.  Do I need to tick no and explain the reasons why?

7.3 “From the list below, please indicate the financial sources(s) you and/or your sponsor wish to rely on to meet the financial requirement.”
My wife doesn’t work, but I do, so this would be category A?  As I have been with my current employer for 6 months or more

7.3A it asks “When combined does your annual income and your sponsor’s annual income from current employment meet or exceed the financial requirement you must meet.."
Do I then tick Yes to the question underneath or leave it blank?

The question states

“you or your sponsor must have been employed by the same employer for 6 months prior to the application and your combined total earnings must meet the specified amount at 7.3A (xiv) for this 6 month period. If not, does you and your sponsors income from salaried employment received in the 12 months prior to application meet or exceed the financial requirement you must meet?
YES / NO


Thank you so much for any help in advance.

If you’re applying by post your application date is the date the package is postmarked - generally assumed to be the day after you mail it.

The sponsor only submits a full photocopy of every page of their current passport.

The applicant submits their current passport plus any old passports they have held since they moved to the UK.

For the payment details they mean if you are using someone else’s card/bank details to pay for the visa. If the applicant is using their own payment details then you don’t need to put any other name.

1.7 - any names that she has been known by... maiden or married name, or other legal names (deed poll changes, previous married names etc.)

1.12 - yes. I’d put the NI number in if she has one

2.2 - No... it’s her second settlement visa

2.3 - yes. It’s the first application for leave to REMAIN (FLR) in the UK... the first visa was leave to ENTER.

3.11 - yes, I’d put the date you moved in

5.3 - ‘settlement visa as the spouse of a UK citizen’

6.3 - I’d put the date you met in person (which should be the same answer you gave for the last visa)

6.21 - I’d tick no and explain you lived apart for X months before her spousal visa was granted

7.3 - it’s Category A as long as you have been with your employer for at least 6 months and have been earning at least £18,600 for the entire 6 months

7.3A - you need to tick yes here as otherwise it means you don’t qualify for the visa! Leave the next question blank because that’s for people who don’t qualify under Category A and have to use Category B instead.


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Thank you Ksand, you are a huge help.

Sometimes my answers are long so they go outside the box given by a line. Do you think this will cause issue or am I being pedantic now?

Secondly question 9.15 asks “give details of the British diplomatic post involved if the application was or were made abroad”

I don’t know what this means?

6.33 Do you and your sponsor have any shared financial responsibilities?

Would a shared bank account count?

10.14 Please state what ties you have with:
• The country where you were born.
• Any other country whose nationality you hold.
• Any country where you have lived for more than five years.
You should tell us about any family, friends, or other connections with that country.

How detailed does the need to be other than saying that your family live in your home country?

Last question for now (and hopefully the last for this application!)

I've just noticed that the bank statement we have is dated 21st November 2017.  I've asked for the bank to send me a statement dated from today which will be dated 16th December.  Given that this will not leave a full month between the statements, is this going to cause an issue?

We requested the statement early because of Christmas holidays.

Hi all, we’re about to submit our application post our fiancé visa and wedding next month.  Just to confirm it is the FLR (M) form to submit.  Family route.  We’ve completed it online to understand it but will do the paper form after reading this.  Also do you know the cost for going in person on the day.  After using a solicitor for our visa and the horrible wait for our fiancé visa with dependant we’re considering paying for not having any anxiety attacks!  Thanks in advance for your help.


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Yep, it’s FLR(M) paper form for the next visa. You can’t submit it until after you are married and have your marriage certificate though. You either mail it with your documents to Durham after the wedding or you take it with you to the in-person appointment.

I wouldn’t try to understand it using the online form though... the online form is even more ambiguous and confusing than the paper form. Ideally I would advise not even looking at the online form at all because it will probably confuse you even more than not looking at it!

The cost of in-person is £590 on top of the £993 visa fee and the £500 IHS surcharge. You need to pay all 3 fees when you book the in-person appointment online.

The in-person appointment can currently be booked up to 42 days before you want to attend it (though there is some contradiction on the website between 42 and 45 days and whether that is business days or calendar days!)


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Yep, it’s FLR(M) paper form for the next visa. You can’t submit it until after you are married and have your marriage certificate though. You either mail it with your documents to Durham after the wedding or you take it with you to the in-person appointment.

I wouldn’t try to understand it using the online form though... the online form is even more ambiguous and confusing than the paper form. Ideally I would advise not even looking at the online form at all because it will probably confuse you even more than not looking at it!

The cost of in-person is £590 on top of the £993 visa fee and the £500 IHS surcharge. You need to pay all 3 fees when you book the in-person appointment online.

The in-person appointment can currently be booked up to 42 days before you want to attend it (though there is some contradiction on the website between 42 and 45 days and whether that is business days or calendar days!)


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Thanks for the response, I keep saying that love is priceless!!!!! I assume that if you have a dependant it’s just double.  I did think I saw £1990 somewhere.. 2 weeks until our wedding so we better get form filling..


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