FLR - spouse visa

Hi 
Hope everyone is well.
Just after some help.
My husbands visa expires at the beginning of July.
When can we apply for the FLR? And can anyone help with what documents we need, when we did the original visa we used a solicitor they now want nearly 6k.
So hoping to do it ourselves but we have no clue where to even begin!

Hello 

What date did your spouse enter the UK (date stamped on initial spouse visa vignette in passport)? Your spouse can apply as early as 28 days before their 30-month anniversary of arriving in the UK and as late as the expiry date on their BRP.

Hello 

What date did your spouse enter the UK (date stamped on initial spouse visa vignette in passport)? Your spouse can apply as early as 28 days before their 30-month anniversary of arriving in the UK and as late as the expiry date on their BRP.

Thanks for the reply. 
The date stamped on resident permit is 3rd July, so would be able to apply from 3rd June?
Is there any where I can find all the documents required, listed as simple as possible. I know I have plenty of time but whilst in isolation thought I’d try start getting my head round all of it.

Thanks for the reply. 
The date stamped on resident permit is 3rd July, so would be able to apply from 3rd June?
Is there any where I can find all the documents required, listed as simple as possible. I know I have plenty of time but whilst in isolation thought I’d try start getting my head round all of it.

What visa does he currently hold?

What date and YEAR did he enter the U.K.? (What does the stamp in his passport say?)

What are the exact valid from and valid to dates printed on his BRP?

That date of him entering in July and the visa expiring in July doesn’t make sense, because if he has a spousal visa it will be valid for 2 years and 9 months and he can apply for FLR(M) after 2 years and 6 months.

So if he entered the U.K. in early July, his visa should expire in April and he would be able to apply for FLR(M) in early December.


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What visa does he currently hold?

What date and YEAR did he enter the U.K.? (What does the stamp in his passport say?)

What are the exact valid from and valid to dates printed on his BRP?

That date of him entering in July and the visa expiring in July doesn’t make sense, because if he has a spousal visa it will be valid for 2 years and 9 months and he can apply for FLR(M) after 2 years and 6 months.

So if he entered the U.K. in early July, his visa should expire in April and he would be able to apply for FLR(M) in early December.


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Sorry my mistake, read the last message completely wrong.

He is on a spouse visa, visa in passport dated 3/10/17 visa expiry is 03/07/20

Sorry my mistake, read the last message completely wrong.

He is on a spouse visa, visa in passport dated 3/10/17 visa expiry is 03/07/20

Okay, and what date was his passport STAMPED by an immigration officer when he entered the country?

That is the important date, because the date he can apply for FLR(M) will depend on the exact date that he landed in the UK, not the date on the visa vignette in his passport or the start date of his BRP.

Okay, and what date was his passport STAMPED by an immigration officer when he entered the country?

That is the important date, because the date he can apply for FLR(M) will depend on the exact date that he landed in the UK, not the date on the visa vignette in his passport or the start date of his BRP.

Entry into the UK was 12/10/17

Okay, so as he entered the UK on 12th October 2017 he will reach 30 months in the UK on 12th April 2020, and 28 days before 12th April 2020 is 15th March 2020.

Therefore, he can apply for FLR(M) (submit his online application) on any date between 15th March 2020 and 3rd July 2020.

Okay, so as he entered the UK on 12th October 2017 he will reach 30 months in the UK on 12th April 2020, and 28 days before 12th April 2020 is 15th March 2020.

Therefore, he can apply for FLR(M) (submit his online application) on any date between 15th March 2020 and 3rd July 2020.

Apologies, I feel completely lost. As mentioned before we had a solicitor who did majority of our paperwork last time. What documents do I need to provide? Sorry 

Apologies, I feel completely lost. As mentioned before we had a solicitor who did majority of our paperwork last time. What documents do I need to provide? Sorry 

You need to meet 3 different requirements:
- Accommodation
- Financial Requirement
- Relationship Requirement

The documents you will need to provide will depend on your personal situation.

For accommodation:
- If you rent your home, you provide the original tenancy agreement and your latest council tax bill. If your husband is not named on the tenancy you also need a letter from the landlord confirming he has permission to live there with you
- if you own your home, you need your Land Registry document, latest mortgage statement and latest council tax bill
- if you live with family or friends you need their Land Registry, mortgage statement, council tax bill and a letter from them confirming you have permission to live there and that the home is not overcrowded

For the financial requirement:
- it depends on which category you qualify under (employment income, savings etc.). Have a read here for the category requirements:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/826340/Appendix-FM-1-7-Financial-Requirement-ext_1.pdf

For the relationship requirement:
- marriage certificate
- any divorce decrees
- proof of cohabitation: 6 official documents in each name, that have been mailed to you, spread evenly over the last 2 years, from at least 3 official sources (like utility bills, bank statements, tenancy agreements, phone bills, letters from the NHS/DVLA/HMRC etc.)


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Sorry, starting the day with a load of questions! But really appreciate all the help with this!

Ok all seems straight forward so far, we will be applying under category A for the financials. So for this I’m assuming bank statements and a letter from my employer to show my annual salary? - is a work contract good enough for this?

So 8 documents would be required total, in each of our names. If documents are in joint name do we need to have 2 for the same period, and also are you able to use say a electricity bill more than once, or do they need to be from different sources for different time periods (if that makes sense)

Also, the mortgage and land registry are in my maiden name, as I purchased the property before I had officially changed my name, will this cause a problem or do I need to send proof of some sort?

Do I need to have scans of every page of both our passports?

The solicitor previously had me have witness statements from all family members, photos of us together, email, texts, call logs between the two of us. I’m assuming none of this is needed.


Would be lost and paying out a huge solicitor fee if I hadn’t found this forum, you are amazing!

Sorry, starting the day with a load of questions! But really appreciate all the help with this!

Ok all seems straight forward so far, we will be applying under category A for the financials. So for this I’m assuming bank statements and a letter from my employer to show my annual salary? - is a work contract good enough for this?

Okay, so the requirements are extremely specific and each document must meet the requirements exactly, including the formatting of the document.

You MUST include ALL of the following:
- 6 FULL months of ORIGINAL payslips showing at least £1,550 per month before tax (if you are salaried)... the latest must be dated no more than 28 days before your online application date
- 6 FULL months of ORIGINAL bank statements showing the deposit of every single payslip... the latest must be dated no more than 28 days before your online application date
- A letter from your employer dated no more than 28 days before your online application date, stating ALL of the following:
i) current employment and salary
ii) length of employment
iii) length of time earning current salary
iv) type of employment

The following are optional but recommended as they may ask for them:
- original job contract
- latest P60

Notes:
- most people find they have to include 7 months of payslips and bank statements in order to cover every single day of the 6 months
- if the bank statements are printed from online banking they MUST either be stamped by the bank on EVERY page or accompanied by a letter from the bank on headed paper confirming their authenticity
- if the payslips are issued online, they MUST be accompanied by a letter from a senior official confirming their authenticity... this can be combined with the mandatory letter above
- if there are any discrepancies between the payslips and bank statements, like the payslip being deposited into your bank on a different date to the payslip date, or the amount is different, this MUST be explained in the letter.
 

So 8 documents would be required total, in each of our names. If documents are in joint name do we need to have 2 for the same period, and also are you able to use say a electricity bill more than once, or do they need to be from different sources for different time periods (if that makes sense)

No, you include between 6 and 12 documents total, depending on whether they are in joint names or individual names. If the documents are joint, you use one for that period. If they are individual, you need 1 each for that period.

So you would use either:
- 6 joint documents
- 12 individual documents (6 in each name)
- a combination of both, to make 6 in each name (i.e. 4 joint, and 4 individual, or 1 joint and 10 individual etc.)

You need at least 3 sources total. So if they are all in joint names, you might use 2 electricity bills, 2 council tax statements, and 2 bank statements. Or if they are all individual, you might use 1 electricity bill, 1 council tax bill, 3 water bills and 7 bank statements.

They must be spaced every 4 months and for each month you are using you must both have a document issued in that month. I.e. if you have one for January 2020, your husband must also have one for January 2020.

If you are applying in, say, April 2020, you will want 1 document in each name from each of the following months:
April 2018
August 2018
December 2018
April 2019
August 2019
December 2019
Optional extra: April 2020

Also, the mortgage and land registry are in my maiden name, as I purchased the property before I had officially changed my name, will this cause a problem or do I need to send proof of some sort?

Nope. You will be including your marriage certificate which will have both names on it so they will know it's you.

Do I need to have scans of every page of both our passports?

I believe so.

The solicitor previously had me have witness statements from all family members, photos of us together, email, texts, call logs between the two of us. I’m assuming none of this is needed.

No, that was only for the initial spousal visa. For FLR(M) all of that is replaced by your 6 documents from the last 2 years.

Witness statements have never been required and cannot even be considered, so your solicitor should NOT have told you to include them. They will not have even been looked at.

Here's the official guidance for the 6 documents for the relationship requirement, taken from the old paper FLR(M) form:

Six items of correspondence addressed to you and your partner at the same address as evidence that you have been living together since your last grant of leave in this category, or from the date you first started living together up to a maximum of two years. See Note 11.

Note 11
The items of correspondence should be addressed to you jointly or in both your names. Examples of acceptable items are listed below. The documents provided must be originals. Photocopies are not acceptable.
The dates of the items of correspondence should be spread evenly over the whole period you are relying on. They should be from at least 3 different sources. If you do not have enough items in your joint names, you may also provide items addressed to each of you individually if they show the same address for both of you.
For example - Four items of correspondence in joint names to the same address and two items addressed to each partner at the address. In total eight items would need to be submitted.

If you and your partner have no bills or correspondence in joint names, you will need to submit twelve items (six each) of correspondence, evidencing that you reside together at the same address.
If you and your partner lived with relatives or friends for some or all of the period you are relying on, please provide a letter from the relative(s) and/or friend(s) confirming this.
If you did not live together for any part of the period you are relying on, tell us the reasons for this and whether you stayed in contact with each other during this time, and provide any relevant supporting evidence.

Please give an explanation on a separate sheet if you cannot provide six items; if the items are not addressed to both of you; or if they do not cover the period you are relying on.

Examples of acceptable items of correspondence
• Letters or other documents from government departments or agencies, for example HM
Revenue 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

Thank you so much! For the first 7/8 months when my husband entered the UK we were staying at my parents, so we may not have any letters. Could I have a letter stating that we were living with my parents for this period?

I feel like I can do this now with all this help 

Thank you so much! For the first 7/8 months when my husband entered the UK we were staying at my parents, so we may not have any letters. Could I have a letter stating that we were living with my parents for this period?

You HAVE to provide a letter from your parents if you lived with them for any of the last 2 years - it's listed in the requirements I posted above .

What date did you move out of your parents' house and into your own?

If you can provide any letters from that period (I assume this will be for the month of April 2018), then do so. If you really cannot find anything at all, you will just need to explain why you don't have any documents for that period.

I feel like I can do this now with all this help 

Of course you can . We've been helping people out with their settlement visa documents and have helped them get visa approvals for well over a decade now .

Unless you have serious reason to believe the visa will be refused (i.e. the applicant has had multiple visa refusals in the past, has illegally worked or overstayed in the UK, or has serious criminal convictions), there is no need to use a solicitor.

We've actually had a number of people find the forum after having been given extremely bad advice from solicitors who just didn't know what they were talking about (because they are just not very familiar with straightforward applications), and had their advice been taken, those people's visas would have been refused!