Hi there - we are starting to gather our paperwork for the spouse visa extension. We are surprised to hear that they are now accepting scans of bills though it makes sense during COVID.
Accepting scans actually has nothing to do with Covid - all documents have been scanned and uploaded since October 2018 when Sopra Steria (UKVCAS) took over the biometrics submissions.
We have decided to work with a new lawyer who is based closer to our house and we trust her but she has mentioned that we do not have to have bills/proof off address for every 3 months before the visa application, rather that the home office states that these need to be from the "beginning the middle and the end of the year" but they don't have to be so explicitly spread out every three months.
Any particular reason why you are using a lawyer? Lawyers are only needed if you have a very complicated application involving serious criminal convictions, a number previous refused visas, illegal working or overstaying in the UK.
The majority of lawyers don't really know what they are talking about when it comes to straightforward applications, as they are not used to dealing with them, and therefore they often give poor and incorrect advice. I've lost count of the number of people who have found this forum after being given bad advice by lawyers, which, if it had been followed, could have resulted in a visa refusal.
Does anyone know about this as it is different to what we have seen on here? We don't want to run the risk of getting it wrong.
What the lawyer told you is incorrect, as the Home Office doesn't state anything about documents having to be from the beginning, middle and end of the year. It's also not 3-month spacing, it's 4-month spacing for FLR(M) applications and 5-month spacing for ILR applications.
The requirement for FLR(M) is:
- 6 documents in each name
- from at least 3 different official sources
- spread EVENLY over the time you have lived in the UK, up to a MAXIMUM of 2 years
In order to have them spread evenly, you need 1 document in each name spaced every 4 months going back 2 years from when you apply for FLR(M).
So, if you are applying in say, October 2020, you will need 1 document in each name from each of the following months:
Oct 2018
Feb 2019
June 2019
Oct 2019
Feb 2020
June 2020
Oct 2020 - this one makes 7 documents each, but we recommend including it to complete the 2 years (UKVI did contact someone a few months ago to ask for an extra document dated from the month they submitted the application)
If you apply in a different month, you will need to adjust the months you use for this (i.e. if you applied in November, you would use November, March and July of each year)
The official instructions from the old paper FLR(M) form (Version 07/2018) are as follows:
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
Additionally - is there anything we need to take into account now that we are using scanned version of our bills? Are we ok to download bills if they look the same as the version that was posted?
Downloaded online bills are not acceptable. All documents MUST have been received in the post in the months they are dated, because the whole point of including them is to prove you were both physically inside the house in those months in order to receive them.
