FLR(M) UK Spouse visa, gathering last bits of evidence... advice appreciated!

Hi!
(Apologies in advance if the formatting messes up)

My wife and I have known each other since 2016 (when she came to the UK on a semester abroad for her undergrad degree), been dating since July 2017 long distance up until she moved to my city in the UK in September 2018 for a Postgraduate degree. We got engaged last Christmas. My wife and I got married in mid-October this year in the States, and have both moved back to the UK and plan to be here for at least the next 5 years. We moved in together only since August (two months before the wedding).

Referring to us each from now on as:
<E> -- my wife, a US national, no other nationalities/citizenships.
<M> -- me (the sponsor), a UK national, no other nationalities/citizenships.

As we understand it, we're about to be applying for the FLR(M) visa for <E>. We've been told that the process should take about 8 weeks, which is great for us as <E> has until March 2020 before her current visa (tier 4 student) expires. We are planning to submit basically as soon as we’re confident enough to (latest: mid January). If there is any issue, we're pretty sure she also has the 90 days buffer after that to stay (though she wouldn't be allowed to work during that period) and have been reassured by folks on here that even if a decision on the spouse visa hasn’t been made, her current visa will be extended until it has been made.
What we really need now is help checking that we’ve gathered enough evidence properly in its appropriate format to send.

I’m splitting this up into three different sections to ask questions about, so be prepared in this thread for the following sections after I’ve got some answers to the preceding ones:
~ Basic Docs/Info (including immigration/identification stuff, financials, etc).
~ Proof of Genuine Relationship
~ Evidence of living together

Here's a list of items/information we have or are in the process of obtaining to support the visa application, which we have been advised are required or helpful, by friends, the UK government website, and others.
If there is a query we currently have about each item, I've put our specific question about it next to it in blue.
Here we go with the first section:
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Basic Identification/Immigration Docs/Info to send for <E> (Wife):
> <E>'s passport -- Just to double-check: does this definitely have to be the physical thing rather than a scan/copy?
> <E>'s names -- (we are not yet changing her surname for convenience reasons!)
> <E>'s date of birth
> <E>'s Copies of previous passport photo page/visa stamps -- (As far as we've thoroughly checked, she never had a previous passport so not applicable)
> <E>'s Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) -- again, does this need to be the physical thing, or can it be a scan?
> Documents detailing <E>'s previous immigration applications made -- Is this just for the UK, or do other country applications (e.g. China) need to be declared? <E> has pdf saved of her immigration application in 2018, and if required can scan copies of 2016 (Scotland - Tier 4 Student), 2017 (China - she was initially rejected for a specific Chinese work visa before applying successfully for another one - should this be declared?) and 2018 (England - Tier 4 Student) visas.
> <E>'s details of any criminal convictions -- (None! haha)But is a simple declaration statement required, or DBS check evidence (<E> has a recent one from work), or nothing at all?
> <E>'s National Insurance Number
> <E>’s parents’ dates of birth and nationalities, IF applying from outside the UK -- (Not applicable)
> <E>'s TB test results if from a country at risk -- (Not applicable)
> <E>'s Finances -- What specifically is required? <E> can print her payslips from her current job (2 months) and/or a couple from previous jobs she's had in the UK. We're not sure what we need to put for this as my (<M>'s) salary easily satisfies the £18.6K threshold.
> <E>'s proof that she understands and speaks English -- Passport should be proof - if not, copy of her American university degree certificate should?.
> Anything else needed from <E>?
--------------------------------------------------
Basic Identification/Financials Docs/Info to send for <M> (Sponsor):
> <M>'s Passport -- Is the physical original required, or will a scan/copy suffice?
> <M>'s Nationality & British Citizenship -- Passport should prove this. I plan to also supply my National Insurance Number in the covering letter.
> <M>'s names
> <M>'s date of birth
> <M>'s finances & income -- I can provide the minimum required of 6 months' worth (or more) of payslips from my job and can show that I earn above the £18.6K threshold. Do I need to additionally show bank statements to prove I received these funds?
> Anything else needed from <M>? -- certainly not required but I could pursue my workplace for evidence that I have been vetted by the MOD for SC clearance - would that help the application at all? Should I also provide my National Insurance Number?
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Next section is Proof of Genuine Relationship, but I'll get to that and the following section after I've got some answers to this one  
Thanks so much y'all for your brilliant willingness to help!

You've obviously spent a lot of time on this post but actually the elaborate nature of it makes it really quite difficult to absorb, a simple format is much easier for us! 

Also, I think you're coming at this from the wrong angle.You should start thinking of the application in terms of the three main requirements. Relationship, financial and accommodation.

The financial requirements here. You need to read and understand fully the category which you will be using. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/826340/Appendix-FM-1-7-Financial-Requirement-ext_1.pdf

Formatting of the requirements here. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

Financial Requirement.
Depending on your exact situation, you'll need to provide a full 6 or 12 months worth of pay slips and the corresponding bank statements. Most people include an extra months worth to make sure they have the correct amount of overlap.
A letter from the employer, see FM-SE (linked above) for the mandatory information it must contain. Optional, P60 and employment contract.
Just use the sponsors employment details.

Accommodation Requirement.
What you need to provide for the accommodation evidence depends on your situation. Do you rent, own own or live with family? If you rent, you'll need a tenancy agreement in both names or in your name with a letter of permission from the owner for your wife.
If you own, you'll need the land registry document and a recent mortgage statement.
If you live with family, you'll need their land registry and mortgage statement and a letter of permission.

I believe they ask for a council tax bill too but this is usually going to be part of the correspondence evidence in any case.

Relationship Requirement.
Your marriage certificate. Proof of divorce if applicable. Items of mail you will need 6 joint, 12 individual or a combination of both. I know we talked about this in an earlier thread. Now you have been living together longer, you will be expected to have the full number of items.

I think you also need to include evidence that she's been fulfilling the requirements of her student visa. Others can help you with this.

Why don't you compose a list of evidence that you'll be including as a starting point and we'll help you add to it if there is anything you are missing.

Basic Identification/Immigration Docs/Info to send for <E> (Wife):
> <E>'s passport -- Just to double-check: does this definitely have to be the physical thing rather than a scan/copy?
> <E>'s names -- (we are not yet changing her surname for convenience reasons!)
> <E>'s date of birth
> <E>'s Copies of previous passport photo page/visa stamps -- (As far as we've thoroughly checked, she never had a previous passport so not applicable)
> <E>'s Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) -- again, does this need to be the physical thing, or can it be a scan?
> Documents detailing <E>'s previous immigration applications made -- Is this just for the UK, or do other country applications (e.g. China) need to be declared? <E> has pdf saved of her immigration application in 2018, and if required can scan copies of 2016 (Scotland - Tier 4 Student), 2017 (China - she was initially rejected for a specific Chinese work visa before applying successfully for another one - should this be declared?) and 2018 (England - Tier 4 Student) visas.
> <E>'s details of any criminal convictions -- (None! haha)But is a simple declaration statement required, or DBS check evidence (<E> has a recent one from work), or nothing at all?
> <E>'s National Insurance Number
> <E>’s parents’ dates of birth and nationalities, IF applying from outside the UK -- (Not applicable)
> <E>'s TB test results if from a country at risk -- (Not applicable)
> <E>'s Finances -- What specifically is required? <E> can print her payslips from her current job (2 months) and/or a couple from previous jobs she's had in the UK. We're not sure what we need to put for this as my (<M>'s) salary easily satisfies the £18.6K threshold.
> <E>'s proof that she understands and speaks English -- Passport should be proof - if not, copy of her American university degree certificate should?.
> Anything else needed from <E>?
--------------------------------------------------
Basic Identification/Financials Docs/Info to send for <M> (Sponsor):
> <M>'s Passport -- Is the physical original required, or will a scan/copy suffice?
> <M>'s Nationality & British Citizenship -- Passport should prove this. I plan to also supply my National Insurance Number in the covering letter.
> <M>'s names
> <M>'s date of birth
> <M>'s finances & income -- I can provide the minimum required of 6 months' worth (or more) of payslips from my job and can show that I earn above the £18.6K threshold. Do I need to additionally show bank statements to prove I received these funds?
> Anything else needed from <M>? -- certainly not required but I could pursue my workplace for evidence that I have been vetted by the MOD for SC clearance - would that help the application at all? Should I also provide my National Insurance Number?
--------------------------------------------------
Next section is Proof of Genuine Relationship, but I'll get to that and the following section after I've got some answers to this one  
Thanks so much y'all for your brilliant willingness to help!

To try to address your direct questions.

You will be applying for FLR(M) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-extend-stay-in-the-uk-as-a-partner-or-dependent-child-form-flrm

I think everything is scanned now including the passports and the BRP.

Immigration history. Just answer the questions as they are asked, we can't see them. You don't need to provide evidence for visa applications to other countries. You don't need to provide evidence of old UK applications unless there was a refusal involved.

Criminal convictions. Just answer as appropriate. No evidence required unless you have something to declare.

The sponsor will be fulfilling the financial requirement so leave the applicants employment out of it.

Her US passport is proof of English.

NI numbers give them if they ask for them in the application, don't if not.

I've discussed financial requirements in my other post. Security clearance, not relevant, leave it out.

Hi larrabee
Thanks so much for being straight with me here - I think one of the biggest problems is that we stopped the online application form when we hit bits we were confused about, and then have just been using sites like this and friends' suggestions as the indicator of what we need, not realising that some of the questions and evidence requirements have apparently have changed a bit over the last few years - so we'll keep going with that online application and establish questions fully toward the end of it (stopping before we submit).
 I'll compile a list of what evidence we have in a more clear format and get back to you on this thread as soon as I can. Cheers!

Hi larrabee
Thanks so much for being straight with me here - I think one of the biggest problems is that we stopped the online application form when we hit bits we were confused about, and then have just been using sites like this and friends' suggestions as the indicator of what we need, not realising that some of the questions and evidence requirements have apparently have changed a bit over the last few years - so we'll keep going with that online application and establish questions fully toward the end of it (stopping before we submit).
 I'll compile a list of what evidence we have in a more clear format and get back to you on this thread as soon as I can. Cheers!

Feel free to ask questions as you go.  And yes, do not submit until you're 100% ready and have all your evidence gathered together.

Ok - so double checking my financials evidence - I've been full time employed for 1 year and 8 months in a Ltd company, I'm salaried, not a director or anything similar, and am paid via BACS via Sage Online Services - I obtain my payslips by logging into that service and downloading them. Here's a redacted example of one of my payslips: https://i.imgur.com/5wZeyZM.png

- Payslips: is it OK to send the printouts of those in my example, will they suffice? Would you recommend covering 12 months rather than 6 months worth?
- Bank Statements supporting the payslips - Is it best to ask my bank for these in paper mailed form (backdated) or can I just use the pdf statements that I can download from my online bank account? I only have paper statements for evidencing the few months we've lived in our new home together (before that, I was getting paperless statements).
- Employer letter: So I should ask my employer for a letter with official company lettering and header, signed by a senior official (HR ok?) confirming the payslips are legitimate, and confirming my employment with them and job title, my gross salary, length of employment and length of employment on that current salary, and the type of employment (permanent, fixed-term contract or agency)? Anything I've missed?
- Other: I definitely don't need to get a CT600 or anything similar, I'm guessing that's only for self-employment or company ownership etc?

I'm just a wee bit baffled by the gov.uk evidence requirements link you provided, and want to make sure I ask my employer to send me the right thing.

- Payslips: is it OK to send the printouts of those in my example, will they suffice? Would you recommend covering 12 months rather than 6 months worth?

The requirement for Category A is 6 months, so DO NOT include 12 months (but you may need to include 7 payslips/bank statements to make sure you have covered every single day of the 6 months)

Printouts are not acceptable on their own.

The requirements are that the payslips must either be:
- officially issued payslips (i.e. on official company paper)
or
- online payslips that are accompanied by a letter of authenticity, on company letterhead, signed by a senior official

- Bank Statements supporting the payslips - Is it best to ask my bank for these in paper mailed form (backdated) or can I just use the pdf statements that I can download from my online bank account? I only have paper statements for evidencing the few months we've lived in our new home together (before that, I was getting paperless statements).

You cannot use online PDF statements on their own.

The requirements are that payslips must either be:
- official bank statements issued by the bank (i.e. mailed to you or printed by the bank in branch)
or
- online statements stamped/signed by the bank branch on EVERY page

So, if you can order them to be mailed to you, that would probably be best.

- Employer letter: So I should ask my employer for a letter with official company lettering and header, signed by a senior official (HR ok?) confirming the payslips are legitimate, and confirming my employment with them and job title, my gross salary, length of employment and length of employment on that current salary, and the type of employment (permanent, fixed-term contract or agency)? Anything I've missed?

Yes, that's what the requirements say, so that's what you should ask for (not sure why you asked the first question above though, since you already seem to know that the online payslips must be accompanied by a letter)

- Other: I definitely don't need to get a CT600 or anything similar, I'm guessing that's only for self-employment or company ownership etc?

If you are just an employee and are not a stakeholder/director in the company, then you do not need any self-employment documents.

You need:
- 6 months payslips
- 6 months bank statements
- employer letter

Optional but recommended (as they may ask to see them):
- original job contract
- latest P60

Ok - so double checking my financials evidence - I've been full time employed for 1 year and 8 months in a Ltd company, I'm salaried, not a director or anything similar, and am paid via BACS via Sage Online Services - I obtain my payslips by logging into that service and downloading them. Here's a redacted example of one of my payslips: https://i.imgur.com/5wZeyZM.png

- Payslips: is it OK to send the printouts of those in my example, will they suffice? Would you recommend covering 12 months rather than 6 months worth?
- Bank Statements supporting the payslips - Is it best to ask my bank for these in paper mailed form (backdated) or can I just use the pdf statements that I can download from my online bank account? I only have paper statements for evidencing the few months we've lived in our new home together (before that, I was getting paperless statements).
- Employer letter: So I should ask my employer for a letter with official company lettering and header, signed by a senior official (HR ok?) confirming the payslips are legitimate, and confirming my employment with them and job title, my gross salary, length of employment and length of employment on that current salary, and the type of employment (permanent, fixed-term contract or agency)? Anything I've missed?
- Other: I definitely don't need to get a CT600 or anything similar, I'm guessing that's only for self-employment or company ownership etc?

I'm just a wee bit baffled by the gov.uk evidence requirements link you provided, and want to make sure I ask my employer to send me the right thing.

If your payslips are printed from online, you need to include a letter authenticating them., You can have your employer write that in to your employment letter if you like, or you can provide a separate letter.

You either need to provide originals, sent through the post or if printed from online, bank statements must be stamped on every page by the bank.

Employer letter sounds good.

Just to note that the most recent portion of all of the financial evidence must be dated within 28 days  (before) of the day you submit and pay for the online application.

The FM-SE document is a little easier to digest than FM1.7.

Just to note that the most recent portion of all of the financial evidence must be dated within 28 days  (before) of the day you submit and pay for the online application.

Ok, I hadn't realised the 28 day rule, but I guess it makes sense for them to ask for that.
Question - what is defined as the "most recent portion", does it have to be the payslip date?
i.e. does it count as 'most recent evidence' until 28 days after getting paid, or until 28 days after (for example) a bank statement dated a couple weeks later that still covers my payslip deposit to my account?

Ok, I hadn't realised the 28 day rule, but I guess it makes sense for them to ask for that.
Question - what is defined as the "most recent portion", does it have to be the payslip date?
i.e. does it count as 'most recent evidence' until 28 days after getting paid, or until 28 days after (for example) a bank statement dated a couple weeks later that still covers my payslip deposit to my account?

Yeah, it's in FM-SE.

(l) Where this Appendix requires the applicant to provide specified evidence relating to a period which ends with the date of application, that evidence, or the most recently dated part of it, must be dated no earlier than 28 days before the date of application.

So it applies to the pay slip, bank statement and employer letter.

Yeah, it's in FM-SE.

So it applies to the pay slip, bank statement and employer letter.

Sorry, just to super clarify:
A) the payslip, bank statement and employer letter must all be dated within 28 days of the application submission?
or
B) as long as at least one of the bank statements, employer letters, OR payslip are dated within 28 days of the application submission (as long as they all cover the appropriate income dates, it's sufficient?

I'm really just asking to minimise the possibility of having to ask my employer and bank for the same correspondence more than once if we end up not getting the other bits of evidence ready in time for submitting before the 28 day mark. For example I might have to do that if (A) is the case, and we go over that mark, and I can no longer use the employer letter especially if it's dated before the next (the 'new' most recent) payslip date, and similar for the bank statements.

Sorry, just to super clarify:
A) the payslip, bank statement and employer letter must all be dated within 28 days of the application submission?
or
B) as long as at least one of the bank statements, employer letters, OR payslip are dated within 28 days of the application submission (as long as they all cover the appropriate income dates, it's sufficient?

I'm really just asking to minimise the possibility of having to ask my employer and bank for the same correspondence more than once if we end up not getting the other bits of evidence ready in time for submitting before the 28 day mark. For example I might have to do that if (A) is the case, and we go over that mark, and I can no longer use the employer letter especially if it's dated before the next (the 'new' most recent) payslip date, and similar for the bank statements.

It's each one of the three.

If you organise the employer letter for around the time of the payslip then if the bank statements are not in sync., you can have the bank print and stamp a partial month statement to bring you into line.

Make sure that you are including an extra bank statement at the beginning if you do that, to ensure you cover the same full 6 month period as the dates that your pay slips cover.

Happy New Year!

I'm back with some more q's about the rest of the application, but firstly to tie up what I need for evidencing the financial sponsorship part:

1. P60: if I provide this, the 6(or 7) months of payslips I'm planning to send won't actually be covered by the P60, since it's for the last tax year ending April 2019. Should I still include that P60 even though this is the case?
1b. IF I do still provide a P60, my last P60 doesn't show my full annual salary amount -- I think this is because I didn't start my current job til a bit further into the tax year in 2018, and halfway through a payment period, and also during that period my employer had put me on the wrong student loan repayment plan (I have since been refunded)...honestly I can't work out the tax maths of the P60, but I know I was paid the right amount per month. I hope that's not going to cause any confusion with the application?

2. Who should the employer letter (confirming payslips+employment) be addressed to? My address?

Happy New Year!

I'm back with some more q's about the rest of the application, but firstly to tie up what I need for evidencing the financial sponsorship part:

1. P60: if I provide this, the 6(or 7) months of payslips I'm planning to send won't actually be covered by the P60, since it's for the last tax year ending April 2019. Should I still include that P60 even though this is the case?
1b. IF I do still provide a P60, my last P60 doesn't show my full annual salary amount -- I think this is because I didn't start my current job til a bit further into the tax year in 2018, and halfway through a payment period, and also during that period my employer had put me on the wrong student loan repayment plan (I have since been refunded)...honestly I can't work out the tax maths of the P60, but I know I was paid the right amount per month. I hope that's not going to cause any confusion with the application?

2. Who should the employer letter (confirming payslips+employment) be addressed to? My address?

If the P60 looks odd and is confusing, just leave it out.  It's an optional document.

The letter should be addressed to UK Visas and Immigration. 

If the P60 looks odd and is confusing, just leave it out.  It's an optional document.

Brilliant, thanks - I'll not include it as it doesn't encompass the payslip dates anyway.

The letter should be addressed to UK Visas and Immigration. 

OK - does it matter which address I put down for them, or will simply the text "UK Visas and Immigration" suffice on the recipient line? Should I include my address separately too? Sorry if I'm overthinking things!