Military Further Leave to Remain

Dear All,

Its been a couple of months since I last posted (and my fiancee managed to obtain her fiancee visa) and we are back with more annoying questions that I hope you amazing people may be able to answer!

My fiancee arrived in the UK on the 4th June, got her stamp on her visa and is at the moment trying to arrange a wedding!

We are getting married on the 29th August and so have started to look at the process for our next visa (FLR AF). As far as we are aware the only difference to a normal FLR (M) is that is will last for 5 years and we will not need to pay the NHS surcharge (yaaay!).

We have started filling in the form online just so we know what to expect and have run into some interesting questions that we are struggling with and wondered if you guys might know the way ahead!

The first general point is should my fiancee change her name before we apply for the visa or wait and then update everything later on? We are not sure what this entails but we guess it would be a trip to the US Embassy in London to get the passport changed!

The visa questions ask about a National Identity Card, but says not a driving license. Does anyone know what this refers to? We had to add her passport in already so I presume its just optional if you have anything else?

The visa questions also asks, 'Are you part of any social groups or do you have other cultural ties in your country of birth, nationality or any other country where you have lived for more than 5 years?' We added friends and family in this section but what does this specifically apply to?

Finally! My fiancee's visa expires 21/11/19. While we are getting married on the 29/08/19. Are we able to apply for this visa straight after the wedding (around the 5/6th September or do we need to wait until 28 days from the end of her visa ?

When making the application I understand the process has recently changed, we are looking to get a ''next day'' decision so I believe we have to attend an interview at Croydon (and pay extra!!), does anyone know when we can apply for this, is it when we have submitted our application?

As always thank you for having the patience to read through the plethora of questions I've spewed out and many thanks in advance for any answers!!

Yours Aye

LaserRadial

If she wants to change her name, she will need to get a new US passport.  She should be able to do this by courier (the Embassy uses a specific one for passports).  Her visa will be issued in whatever name she has on her US passport.  Here's their page on name changes: https://uk.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/u-s-passports/change-name-on-u-s-passport/

The US does not have a national identity card.

I did my FLR(M) the day after we married.  You don't have to wait.  In fact, the entry stamp on her fiancee visa isn't significant for the fiancee visa, either... your 5 years to ILR starts with your FLR(AF).

If she wants to take your name, DEFINITELY do it before she applies for FLR(M).  It’ll only delay the application by a couple of weeks while the new passport is issued and BOOM.  One name.  Done.

Dear All,

Many thanks for the replies and apologies for not getting back to you sooner, I've just got back form sea!

Completely understand about the name change, and thank you for the advice. However, looking on the US Embassy website it states this could be up to 4 weeks. Due to job applications/offers starting in September we may not have that time so if we did not change the name and went back to it at a later time what is the process?

Did anyone have any advice on the 'social group question' on the application, we are still a little confused about this!

Many thanks for your continued help!

Yours Aye

LaserRadial

Dear All,

Apologies another question has sprung to mind. With the FLR (AF) is there still a requirement for a sponsor letter? And, if so, what is the new content! I presume I do not have to state how we kept in touch ect while we lived apart? Do I need to just include- Citizenship, living in the UK, Job, salary (Cat A), mention that we have resided at my house since she moved to the UK (and give the joint letters) and confirm we got married?

Many thanks

Yours Aye

LaserRaidal

Dear All,

I hope everyone is having a pleasant evening. Apoliges to keep posting but I wondered if anyone had any answers for the above questions?We are looking at submitting our visa in about a months time so as you can imagine the nerves are beginning to get frayed again!

In addition does anyone know if the visa service have sorted out the glitch with IHS? I believe we do not have to pay it but I wondered if this was reflected on the new online application, or if we had to pay initially and request a refund?

Once again many thanks for any help in advance it really is much appreciated

Yours Aye

LaserRadial

Name change is an absolute nightmare after the visa has been issued.  As she's applying under Armed Forces, her visa will be issued for the length of your contact - when is that at the moment. 

But basically changing your name after the visa is issued is several hundred pounds and the processing time is SIX MONTHS during which she would be without her passport, visa, and unable to travel.

You will need all the same documents you submitted the first time around, just updated for the new application.  Instead of proof of communication, you submit proof of living together by submitting joint items of post to your home.  If you do not yet have six joint items, you write a letter explaining.

And instead of plans to marry, the marriage certificate.  Otherwise. the applications are identical.

I'm not sure about the IHS glitch as I think you are the first on the Armed Forces path to not choose to marry in the USA first.  So you'll have to let us know!