Spouse Visa approved- now what?

Okay, the spouse visa was approved and a huge weight was lifted. Plane ticket is booked and my Husband and I are counting down the days to our "official" life together.
I just wanted to make a thread where I can post my "what now" questions as I prepare for the move and also have something to refer to when I apply for the FLR(M) in 2.5 years. Thank you so much in advance, and I'm sorry if some of this has been answered a thousand times over.


So firstly. what to make sure I do upon arrival in the UK.
Pick up BRP.  which the letter that arrived with my passport says must be done "before the vignette expires or within 10 days of arriving in the UK which ever is later. You're BRP will be available for collection on 25 Jun 2019" So I plan to pick it up on the 25th. Then I believe I must apply for a NIN in order to work. When I look on the uk.gov website it doesn't give me a time frame, so how long does this typically take? And would it be okay to begin applying to jobs in the meantime without one? Also, registering with a GP. What is the process for this?
Anything else I need to make sure to get done when I arrive?


And as for the future FLR(M) I want to make sure I have a good understanding so I can be as prepared as possible. My understanding is that currently everything is the same as the initial spouse visa (minimum financial requirement, accommodation) except for proof of relationship it will now be our marriage certificate and mail. So my understanding is that we must have 6 joint pieces of mail (or 12 individual) evenly spaced  over the 2 years from 3 different sources. Presumably it has to be from recognised sources. So initially we will be living in my husband's parents home and wont have any utility bills. We plan to add my name to his bank account and can have statements sent, and will have a cell phone bill, but I'm not sure what else we can use. Any recommendations?
Also can someone just explain the timing of the FLR(M) to me? The letter received with my passport states that I will have permission to be in the UK until 18 Mar 2022. So when would I be able to apply for the extension? And when applying for the ILR I must have been in the UK for five years to the day in order to be eligible?


Sorry it was a bit all over the place, and I'm sure I'll have lots of questions along the way. But I appreciate the help this forum has offered me!
Thank you in advance!!

Congratulations !

So firstly. what to make sure I do upon arrival in the UK.
Pick up BRP.  which the letter that arrived with my passport says must be done "before the vignette expires or within 10 days of arriving in the UK which ever is later. You're BRP will be available for collection on 25 Jun 2019" So I plan to pick it up on the 25th.

Just be aware that sometimes they aren’t ready in time and you might find that you have to wait a couple of extra days for the BRP to arrive at the Post Office.

Then I believe I must apply for a NIN in order to work. When I look on the uk.gov website it doesn't give me a time frame, so how long does this typically take?
And would it be okay to begin applying to jobs in the meantime without one?

It’s your visa that allows you to work, not the NI number. You can start working without one, but you may not be taxed at the correct rate until you have one.

The process to apply is to call a number, and they will likely tell you to book an interview at a local job centre. You go to the interview, they help you fill out the application and then you wait for the NI number to arrive.

It can take up to about a month or so.

Also, registering with a GP. What is the process for this?

You walk into the GP surgery and ask to register. They will give you a form to fill out, and you’ll need to show your passport, BRP and a piece of mail addressed to you at your U.K. address (usually a council tax or utility bill)

Anything else I need to make sure to get done when I arrive?

First thing to do is get your name added to the council tax and as many utility bills as you can. You will need your name on something in order to:
- register with a GP
- open a bank account
- save mail for FLR(M)

And as for the future FLR(M) I want to make sure I have a good understanding so I can be as prepared as possible. My understanding is that currently everything is the same as the initial spouse visa (minimum financial requirement, accommodation) except for proof of relationship it will now be our marriage certificate and mail. So my understanding is that we must have 6 joint pieces of mail (or 12 individual) evenly spaced  over the 2 years from 3 different sources. Presumably it has to be from recognised sources. So initially we will be living in my husband's parents home and wont have any utility bills. We plan to add my name to his bank account and can have statements sent, and will have a cell phone bill, but I'm not sure what else we can use. Any recommendations?

You may find you cannot be added to his bank account without some other proof of address.

Basically, get your name on whatever you can - you could ask if you name could be added to one of their utility bills as well.

Also can someone just explain the timing of the FLR(M) to me? The letter received with my passport states that I will have permission to be in the UK until 18 Mar 2022. So when would I be able to apply for the extension? And when applying for the ILR I must have been in the UK for five years to the day in order to be eligible?

It all depends on the date you enter the U.K.

You can apply for FLR(M) any time from 28 days before you reach 30 months in the U.K. up until 18 Mar 2022.

For ILR, you can apply any time from 28 days before you reach 5 years in the U.K. and up until the expiry date of your FLR(M).

So, say, you arrived in the UK tomorrow, June 19th 2019, you could apply for FLR(M) from Dec 19th 2021 up until Mar 22nd 2022. And you could apply for ILR from May 22nd 2024.


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Ah thank you so much! You are awesome!

In your case, since you won't have utilities in your names while living at his mom's house, it makes sense to be added to his bank account so you can have some post in your name.  However, in general, you should be aware of the reporting issues to the US.  If a US person has aggregate foreign accounts of more than $10,000 (currently about £8000) at any point during a calendar year, they must file FBAR with the US Treasury by October (or June...?) of the following year.  This aggregate balance includes accounts that you are on jointly, so if you have signatory authority on your husband's account, and your total balance of all foreign accounts exceeds $10,000 (£8000) at any point (even for a minute!), you must report all the accounts you're on... including your husband's that you're on jointly.  Make sure he is aware of this and is comfortable with potentially reporting his details to the US Treasury Department.

Thanks for posting this question.  It's helpful to me as we just got our approval as well.

We're pursuing a few possibilities for joint mail beyond council tax, utilities, etc.  We did a John Lewis gift registry for our wedding.  They will send us a final letter to confirm they shipped everything.  I asked them to address the letter to both of us.  Also, my Tesco loyalty card is somehow linked to my husband's.  I think they send my husband a quarterly statement.  We are going to see if they can include both our names on the statements.

By the way, I arrived yesterday at Heathrow.  I asked the immigration agent if I needed a stamp on my passport.  She said it's not necessary anymore but if I wanted to go through the regular line and ask for a stamp I could.  The line was long so I decided to use an e-gate.  I've saved my reservation confirmation, boarding pass and baggage claim ticket if I need proof of my entry date in the future.  I think my frequent flyer statement will show the flight as well so I'll save that too.

All the best to you as you join our husband and start your life in the UK.

Thanks for posting this question.  It's helpful to me as we just got our approval as well.

We're pursuing a few possibilities for joint mail beyond council tax, utilities, etc.  We did a John Lewis gift registry for our wedding.  They will send us a final letter to confirm they shipped everything.  I asked them to address the letter to both of us.  Also, my Tesco loyalty card is somehow linked to my husband's.  I think they send my husband a quarterly statement.  We are going to see if they can include both our names on the statements.

The joint mail you provide needs to be mail from official sources, such as government departments, bank accounts and utility bills. I don't think things like wedding registries and Tesco loyalty cards will be good enough sources (though there's no harm in having them).

Acceptable sources include:

• Letters or other documents from government departments or agencies, for example HMRevenue and Customs, Department for Work and Pensions, DVLA, TV Licensing.
• Letters or other documents from your GP, a hospital or other local health service about medical treatments, appointments, home visits or other medical matters
• Bank statements/letters
• Building society savings books/letters
• Council tax bills or statements
• Electricity and/or gas bills or statements
• Water rates bills or statements
• Mortgage statements/agreement
• Tenancy agreement(s)
• Telephone bills or statements

The joint mail you provide needs to be mail from official sources, such as government departments, bank accounts and utility bills. I don't think things like wedding registries and Tesco loyalty cards will be good enough sources (though there's no harm in having them).

Acceptable sources include:

• Letters or other documents from government departments or agencies, for example HMRevenue and Customs, Department for Work and Pensions, DVLA, TV Licensing.
• Letters or other documents from your GP, a hospital or other local health service about medical treatments, appointments, home visits or other medical matters
• Bank statements/letters
• Building society savings books/letters
• Council tax bills or statements
• Electricity and/or gas bills or statements
• Water rates bills or statements
• Mortgage statements/agreement
• Tenancy agreement(s)
• Telephone bills or statements

Thanks for providing that list!

In your case, since you won't have utilities in your names while living at his mom's house, it makes sense to be added to his bank account so you can have some post in your name.  However, in general, you should be aware of the reporting issues to the US.  If a US person has aggregate foreign accounts of more than $10,000 (currently about £8000) at any point during a calendar year, they must file FBAR with the US Treasury by October (or June...?) of the following year.  This aggregate balance includes accounts that you are on jointly, so if you have signatory authority on your husband's account, and your total balance of all foreign accounts exceeds $10,000 (£8000) at any point (even for a minute!), you must report all the accounts you're on... including your husband's that you're on jointly.  Make sure he is aware of this and is comfortable with potentially reporting his details to the US Treasury Department.

Good to know! Thank you! Will let the husband know!

By the way, I arrived yesterday at Heathrow.  I asked the immigration agent if I needed a stamp on my passport.  She said it's not necessary anymore but if I wanted to go through the regular line and ask for a stamp I could.  The line was long so I decided to use an e-gate.  I've saved my reservation confirmation, boarding pass and baggage claim ticket if I need proof of my entry date in the future.  I think my frequent flyer statement will show the flight as well so I'll save that too.

All the best to you as you join our husband and start your life in the UK.

So It does seem they are adamant stamping is no longer necessary. Thanks for letting me know.  I think I'm going to push for something in writing just to be on the safe side, hopefully it won't be a problem when it comes to extending the visa down the line!

Thank you so much! Wishing you the best too!

Alright a few more questions I forgot to add.  I was travelling between being married and applying for the spouse visa so my passport is still in my maiden name and as we didn't want to wait any longer than we already had, so is my visa. I've seen a few people talk about updating your passport just before you apply for FLR(M) in your married name rather than paying to have your BRP changed. I've tried to find this on the uk.gov website, but they are pretty vague!  My passport is still valid for years to come, and I don't really mind my BRP being in my maiden name for now, but I'd like to be able to be recognised under my married name later on.

And as living with my husband's parents is temporary, when we move to our own place I assume we have to update our address with UKVI, how is that done? I assume it's not uncommon for people to have moved in their 2.5 years, so would we just address that in a cover letter if our mail began at one address and then ended at another?

I don't know if these are silly, I'm just scared to take a step in the wrong direction and cause ourselves a headache the next time we go through the  process.

To update your address, you do that through the post or UKVI's website.  Yes, people move all the time, not an issue. 

I'd recommend starting the process to get a UK drivers license sooner rather than later after you arrive as well.  It can take 5-6 months to get and you can only drive on your US license for 12 months so best to just get it out of the way. 

Thank you for all the help! Starting to get settled in, have an appointment to get my NINo, and trying to get post in my name. Also trying to remember to breathe.  Will be adding getting started with the UK drivers license on the roll to the list!My husband is very excited to see that, meanwhile I’m terrified of how dang small the roads are here!

Does anyone have any idea about the name change process?


Also, as far as US taxes...I’ve been trying to read up on it and my head is honestly spinning. Can someone provide me with the run down? I haven’t began working in the UK yet, but I do plan to soon. For my 2018 taxes I filed as married filing separately  and just had to send them in with “non-resident alien” as my partner did not have a TIN and it was smooth sailing. I didn’t owe anything and it was the same as when I was filing single. Is there an amount you have to reach in foreign income before filing or do you have to file no matter if you reach a threshold? Will the process be similar to last time, such as I file married filing separately and should not owe anything as normal? Taxes confused me when it just involved US income, let alone now. 

And again, thank you so much everyone. This forum has been such a massive help along the way. 

I didn't change my name, so I can't fully help you there.  What I do know is your name on your BRP must match the name on your passport.  So what I think many people do is wait until they're about to apply for their next visa, then a couple of months before that, they change their name in their passport (renewing it in the process), then they apply for their next visa and their name will be updated to the new name in that process.  Otherwise, you have to apply for a change on the BRP and it costs extra money and can take months and you'll be without a BRP during that time.

Taxes... I think this year they changed the threshold to where if you make more than $5 in foreign income, you must file...?  I don't know.  I've always had to file, so I just file.  I do married filling separately.

Also, I do not share any accounts with my husband because if the US person's aggregate foreign accounts total $10,000 at any point in the calendar year, they must report all the accounts they have signatory authority on to FinCEN (FBAR).  So to avoid exposing my husband to undue reporting to the US government, we just keep our finances completely separate.  (I mean, I do know his PIN for his debit card, and he knows mine, but that's different.)

These questions were taken right out of my brain, so thank you for asking them all.

I'm in the same situation with the name change too, so I'm mostly commenting to follow

Just got the email an hour ago that a decision has been made... Eager to hear!