Spouse Visa Renewal In UK - can I still work?

Hi all,

My Visa is up April 9th, so I'm double checking things now.  Few questions;

1)  Is it £993 plus the £600 NHS?  I never got a biometric card, so I'm assuming I'll have to pay the £56 for that and the £19.20 for fingerprints.

2) I can't apply until 28 days before the visa expires, but it takes them 8 weeks to respond.  Will my right to work expire if they take too long, or am I covered because my application is processing?

3)  Have you had any trouble with the online system?  I think I want to do that as it is pretty straightforward looking, and then post my documents.

I think that's it for now.  Much love (and ranch dressing) x

1)  Is it £993 plus the £600 NHS?  I never got a biometric card, so I'm assuming I'll have to pay the £56 for that and the £19.20 for fingerprints.

No, the biometrics card is your visa, so there's nothing extra to pay for that (it's part of the visa fee). However, you will have to pay the £19.20 to give biometrics.

So, you pay:
£993 for the visa application and BRP card
£500 IHS surcharge (not £600)
£19.20 biometrics fee
Total = £1512.20

HOWEVER, the visa fees usually rise in early April every year, so I would get your application in before that happens, otherwise it could potentially cost hundreds more.

2) I can't apply until 28 days before the visa expires, but it takes them 8 weeks to respond.  Will my right to work expire if they take too long, or am I covered because my application is processing?

If your visa expires while the application is processing, your immigration status is simply extended until the decision is made - so you can continue to work. So, as long as you apply before April 9th, you will be fine.

However, if you have a spousal visa, it is valid for 33 months, but you can apply up to 28 days before you reach 30 months... which may be up to 4 months before you visa expires, depending on when you entered the UK.

From your previous posts, it looks like you entered the UK at the beginning of August 2015?

In which case you can apply for FLR(M) any time from early January 2018 (28 days before the date in February that marks 30 months) up until April 9th 2018.

3)  Have you had any trouble with the online system?  I think I want to do that as it is pretty straightforward looking, and then post my documents.

I would NOT recommend using the online application. It's confusing, the questions are different and ambiguous, the application process is different and the visa is processed in a completely different city to the paper forms. Also, we can't see the online form so we can't help you fill it out.

I would definitely use the paper form to apply:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-extend-stay-in-the-uk-as-a-partner-or-dependent-child-form-flrm

You can apply as early as 28 days before the 30 month anniversary of your entry into the UK.

The fee is £993 + £500 for NHS.  You won't pay extra for the BRP but biometrics will cost £19.20.  So actually less than you've budgeted! 

Your visa rights are extended while the application is processing - no worries there.

Don't use the online system.  Print out the application and fill it out by hand.  In other words, yes, people have had problems with the online system.   

Ah, good to know I can do it whenever now. :-)  It is just a matter of scrounging the funds.

I had to pay £600 last time for my NHS surcharge...as they charged £200 per year and charged me a full year rate for that half a year.

Ah, good to know I can do it whenever now. :-)  It is just a matter of scrounging the funds.

I had to pay £600 last time for my NHS surcharge...as they charged £200 per year and charged me a full year rate for that half a year.

Yes, it's because that visa was issued for 33 months.

This time the visa is only for 30 months, so you pay £500 as they charge in 6 month increments. 

They charge per year of the visa, but round up if the visa is valid more than half of a year.

The spousal visa is 2 years and 9 months so it’s rounded up to 3 years of IHS... £600.

The FLR(M) visa is valid for 2 years and 6 months exactly so you pay for 2.5 years of IHS... £500.


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Y'all so smart.  Not sure what I'd do without an encouraging word :-)  Just printed the whole thing off from work, so going to have a browse through. 

Only thing I'm lost on is the BRP stuff - I did fingerprinting last time in 2015, but I was right on the cusp with these things and they just put a visa in my passport.  I'm assuming if I get a pretty close date to when I had them done that will be okay.  But to get my BRP this time, should I wait to go to the post office for an appointment they will issue me once I send this in, or is it something I can do ahead of time?

I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

Y'all so smart.  Not sure what I'd do without an encouraging word :-)  Just printed the whole thing off from work, so going to have a browse through. 

Only thing I'm lost on is the BRP stuff - I did fingerprinting last time in 2015, but I was right on the cusp with these things and they just put a visa in my passport.  I'm assuming if I get a pretty close date to when I had them done that will be okay.  But to get my BRP this time, should I wait to go to the post office for an appointment they will issue me once I send this in, or is it something I can do ahead of time?

I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

After you have applied, they will send you a letter inviting you to attend a participating post office to have your biometrics taken.

You did your biometrics on June 18th. 

OMG Y'all.

They've made a decision and posted my documents today.

I retroactively upgraded to the Priority on Wednesday.  So that was like 2 days.  I had to charge it, but knowing in July is going to be worth it in the longer run I think, especially since my car registration expires and the lease is up in August.  I've pretty much exhausted all my money with this and just want to be done and over there.  Pulling rabbits out of hats!

Looks like they got it, just didn't tell me.

So timeline is;

June 13th: Married
June 14th: Applied online
June 18th: Biometrics and posted documents
June 22nd: Sheffield signed for paperwork
July 2nd: Got email acknowledgement
July 8th:  Retroactively upgraded to Priority
July 10th: Email with decision and documents shipped

After you mail the application, you'll get a letter after about two weeks inviting you to enrol your biometrics.  You take that letter to a Post Office that offers biometric enrolment and Bob's Your Uncle.

You did your biometrics on June 18th. 

After you mail the application, you'll get a letter after about two weeks inviting you to enrol your biometrics.  You take that letter to a Post Office that offers biometric enrolment and Bob's Your Uncle.

KF you were amazing then and even more so now 

KF you were amazing then and even more so now 

That’s because she’s British too now! 

Okay, first real question after reading all 79 pages of this;

Please indicate what stage of extension of leave you are applying for;

-First period of leave to remain (following an initial period of entry clearance as a partner of a settled person)
-Second period of leave to remain (following initial grant of leave to remain as a partner of a settled person)

Um...this is my second period of leave to remain, but the wording on these makes me wonder about the first option, because this is technically following my initial period of entry clearance...but the application is for an extension of leave, so that makes me think it is the first option :-)

It’s asking about leave to REMAIN. Your spousal visa an entry clearance visa (leave to ENTER).

So, it’s the first one:

First period of leave to remain (following an initial period of entry clearance as a partner of a settled person)

Basically, it’s your first FLR(M) after an initial spousal visa.


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