FLR(M) Application dates

Hello everyone,

We are preparing to apply for the FLR extension, and I was hoping to confirm with you the time frame when we can apply. Also, I am not sure if our situation calls for a legal representation, or maybe we could do everything ourselves... possibly with your help please?

Here are some details:

I met my UK partner in 2013 in the US. In 2015 I came to the UK on a student visa and, while on a valid student visa, applied for FLR(M) in December 2016. The waiting time was long - 9 months - and in September 2017 my application was rejected, since we could not prove that we lived together for 2 consecutive years PRIOR to the application date. Our mistake.

As instructed, I voluntary returned to the US in October 2017 and re-applied from there in November. Application was approved, and a family visa (unmarried couple, 5-year route) was issued on March 5, 2018.

On 27 March 2018 I entered the UK (stamp in passport)
BPR is valid until 5 December 2020

As I understand, we can apply for an extension starting at the end of August 2020 (sometime after 27 of August), and until December 4, 2020, is this correct? I plan to apply in early September, and starting to prepare documents.

After my 1st application was rejected we engaged an immigration adviser who helped with the re-application process.

It seems that this time however everything is straight forward - I have been working for the last 2 years (last 1.7 months - for the same employer), and my salary before taxes is above 18,600 (we have no dependants).  Last time we used my partner's earnings, but he is self-employed and it is easier to use my salary. We have been living at the same address all this time, and have correspondence - both joint and separate. I will post a list a little later, if that's OK, when everything is organised.

Do you think we'll need an adviser (given the earlier rejection), or we are OK to prepare everything ourselves, and apply some time in September?

Many thanks in advance for your help. I have been following the forum on and off, and I think the information and your help are simply invaluable. Thank you, and apologies for the lengthy writeup.

 

 

Do you think we'll need an adviser (given the earlier rejection), or we are OK to prepare everything ourselves, and apply some time in September?

No advisor needed. It was a simple misunderstanding of the rules and you have been granted a visa since then.
A September application is fine.

Thanks so much, larrabee!

Hello,

I have another question please - if applying for FLR (M) in early September, can I start our correspondence with July 2018 (not September 2018)? It's just we have a 'better set' if presented for July-November-March-July rather than September-January-May-September.

For instance, 2 council taxes, HM Revenue and DBS check correspondence would be included in the 'better set', but we would miss these months if we started with September. I could bring the last month as close to September 2020 as possible, if necessary.

Do you think it would be OK?

Many thanks!

Hello,

I have another question please - if applying for FLR (M) in early September, can I start our correspondence with July 2018 (not September 2018)? It's just we have a 'better set' if presented for July-November-March-July rather than September-January-May-September.

For instance, 2 council taxes, HM Revenue and DBS check correspondence would be included in the 'better set', but we would miss these months if we started with September. I could bring the last month as close to September 2020 as possible, if necessary.

Do you think it would be OK?

Many thanks!

It might be okay as an absolute last resort, because really you need to cover either August 2018 to August 2020, or Sept 2018 to Sept 2020... and going July to July might just be too far out.

Do you not have monthly mailed bank statements that you can use to fill in the gaps for any months you are missing for the Sept 2018 to Sept 2020 dates?

We always recommend that you turn off paperless and switch to paper statements for everything as soon as you arrive in the UK, and to save all the mail you receive, so that when it comes to FLR(M) and ILR applications, you have mail available for every single month, and therefore you can just go to Sept, Jan and May of each year and select one of your documents from each of those months.

If you can list all the documents you have from all the months you have, we can see which you can use and what combination of months is best.

Thanks for your reply!

I've gone through our mail (thankfully all originals), and here is what was compiled as addressed to (1)me / (2) my partner, or jointly:

September 2018:
(1) NHS letter with test result / (2) Annual house electricity usage summary

January 2019:
(1) Letter from my current employer with changes to pension plan / (2) home phone and broadband bill

May 2019:
(1) Bank statement Feb - May 2019 / (2) bank cheque negotiation credit advice

September 2019:
(1) Letter from my 401(k) administrator confirming change of address to my UK address - it looks like a copy but came in an envelope / (2) bank account statement

January 2020:
(1) Bank statement of annual fees / (2) different bank account statement

May 2020:
Joint bank account statement - savings account

We have correspondence for other months, but do you think this would be sufficient? If not, I could post correspondence starting August 2018.

Thanks again for your help!!

That all looks good to me .

You have something in each name for each of the months, they are evenly-spaced and you have at least 3 different sources... so you easily meet the requirements using your Sept 2018 to Sept 2020 documents.

For completeness you can also include something dated just before you apply (Aug or Sept 2020 depending on application date), though as your accommodation and financial documents will show your address going up to the date of application, it’s not mandatory to include a 7th document.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Many thanks for this!! I am sure there will be more questions down the road, but for now will proceed with scanning correspondence items plus the latest ones when they come.