FLR(M) Application Questions

Hi all,

There are a few questions that are confusing me on the visa application form that I want to ensure we are understanding correctly. I am applying for FLR(M) as a spouse of a British citizen.

1.   “Are there any factors which would make it difficult or impossible for you to integrate and establish a private life in that country?” Do they mean things like changing job, financial issues, selling our home, etc?
2.   “Do you have any Home Office reference numbers?” – Do they want the application number from my ELR application?
3.   “Is this the first time you have applied for a partner route, or an extension, with your current partner (including as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner)?” It is not the first time I have applied for a partner visa (ELR), but is the first time I’ve applied for an extension (FLR), so is the answer yes? The wording is making me cautious.
4.   “Where have you lived together?” This question immediately follows “When did you start living together in a relationship?” – does it want the residence we currently live in, or our residence when I first moved here? There is only one address allowed here (though it asks you to disclose others not previously mentioned later in the application).
5.   “Could you and your partner live together outside the UK if necessary?” How should we answer? If my visa application were declined neither of us could move to each other’s country, but we could theoretically begin the visa process in the USA or in Ireland if he moved. I would be inclined to put “no” since neither of these are guaranteed, but wanted to check if the Home Office would agree with that reasoning.
6.   “What type of ceremony was your wedding or civil partnership?” The wording is tripping me up here – we are legally married, and it was a civil ceremony (at a courthouse).
7.   “Do you own or rent your home?” Answering as the applicant, I neither rent nor own my home; my spouse/sponsor owns our shared home, but it is solely in his name (though I do contribute financially to the mortgage and household maintenance). Should I answer “neither” and then explain that?
8.   “Please list your shared financial responsibilities and how much you each pay each month” – We have bills in each of our names, but we both contribute equally to all household expenditure and savings. How should we evidence this?

Thank you for any guidance!

1.   “Are there any factors which would make it difficult or impossible for you to integrate and establish a private life in that country?” Do they mean things like changing job, financial issues, selling our home, etc?

They mean things that would legally or physically make it impossible for you to live together in the US, meaning that you HAVE to live in the UK for your own safety and to be together as a family. They ask this question to determine whether, if your visa falls for refusal, you would be able to move to the US together instead, or if they have to grant you the visa outside the rules due to your Right to Family Life in the UK.

So, factors that would make it difficult or impossible would be things like:
- war
- terrorism
- famine
- natural disasters
or
- the UK spouse has been permanently banned from entering the US (due to criminal convictions, diseases etc.) and will never be able to qualify for a visa to live there

2.   “Do you have any Home Office reference numbers?” – Do they want the application number from my ELR application?

No, you will not have a Home Office reference number, as those are only issued for in-country applications and usually only where there has been a visa refusal, a visa appeal, or you are applying as a refugee or an asylum seeker.

(Also, there's no such thing as an ELR visa... your last one was an LLE visa: Limited Leave to Enter)

3.   “Is this the first time you have applied for a partner route, or an extension, with your current partner (including as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner)?” It is not the first time I have applied for a partner visa (ELR), but is the first time I’ve applied for an extension (FLR), so is the answer yes? The wording is making me cautious.

This is your second time applying for a partner route visa.

- Your first partner visa was your spousal visa (LLE)
- Your second is this FLR(M) application

Unless they've changed the form, I believe the next question should ask if it's your first extension or not.

4.   “Where have you lived together?” This question immediately follows “When did you start living together in a relationship?” – does it want the residence we currently live in, or our residence when I first moved here? There is only one address allowed here (though it asks you to disclose others not previously mentioned later in the application).

You put your current UK address.

5.   “Could you and your partner live together outside the UK if necessary?” How should we answer? If my visa application were declined neither of us could move to each other’s country, but we could theoretically begin the visa process in the USA or in Ireland if he moved. I would be inclined to put “no” since neither of these are guaranteed, but wanted to check if the Home Office would agree with that reasoning.

As with your first question, they are looking for reasons why you could not physically live in the US or any other country together because either your lives would be in danger if you left the UK, or because you would never qualify for visas to live together in any other country in the world.

6.   “What type of ceremony was your wedding or civil partnership?” The wording is tripping me up here – we are legally married, and it was a civil ceremony (at a courthouse).

Put something like "Civil Ceremony at a Courthouse"

7.   “Do you own or rent your home?” Answering as the applicant, I neither rent nor own my home; my spouse/sponsor owns our shared home, but it is solely in his name (though I do contribute financially to the mortgage and household maintenance). Should I answer “neither” and then explain that?

No. They mean you collectively as a couple. Your UK sponsor owns the home, therefore you answer "I own".

The 3 options are:

I own = either the sponsor, the applicant, or you both jointly own the home you live in

I rent = you and your sponsor rent the home you live in

Neither own or rent = you live with other people who own their own home (i.e. a family member or a friend is allowing you to live with them and their family in the home they own)

8.   “Please list your shared financial responsibilities and how much you each pay each month” – We have bills in each of our names, but we both contribute equally to all household expenditure and savings. How should we evidence this?

I tend to think of this question as things you are both legally responsible for paying, such as a joint mortgage or a joint loan. However, others choose to list things they both pay for, like monthly rent and bills.

The only evidence you need to provide is:
- latest mortgage statement (if you have a mortgage)
- latest council tax bill

Thank you for the advice ksand24.

Does this list of documents we intend to supply look correct? We're thinking of applying around 20 October.
Should we include our council tax statements, as they are the only jointly addressed correspondence we have?

Accommodation

•   Annual mortgage statement (date: 2 Apr 2020)
•   Land Registries of Scotland Title Deed to Property

Financial
•   Sponsor P60 (date: April 2020)
•   Sponsor Job Contract
•   Sponsor payslips (dates: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep 2020) – original ones, not printed out
•   Sponsor bank statements (dates: 7 Mar 2020 to 7 Oct 2020)
•   Letter from employer stating:
   -   Job title, contract type (permanent), gross salary, total salary paid in March, April, May, June, July, August and September 2020
   -   The reason there was a shortfall in salary one month (payroll error)
   -   The length of time each salary was paid (I had a different salary in March 2020)

Relationship
•   Marriage certificate

Other
•   Part 1 and 3 consent statements (assume don’t need Part 2 as no joint accounts?)
•   Applicant passport
•   Applicant BRP
•   Sponsor passport

Correspondence

October 2020
•   Applicant: TalkTalk bill (date 8 Oct 2020)
•   Sponsor: American Express statement (date 10 Oct 2020)

June 2020
•   Applicant: American Express statement (date: 15 June 2020)
•   Sponsor: Civil Service Pension Annual Statement (date: 17 June 2020)

February 2020
•   Applicant: Three Mobile bill (date: 17 Feb 2020)
•   Sponsor: American Express statement (date: 10 Feb 2020)

October 2019
•   Applicant: TalkTalk bill (date: 8 Oct 2019)
•   Sponsor: Halifax bank statement (date: 7 Oct 2019)

June 2019
•   Applicant: American Express statement (date: 5 June 2019)
•   Sponsor: EDF Energy Final electricity/gas statement (date: 3 June 2019)

February 2019
•   Applicant: Three Mobile bill (date: 17 Feb 2019)
•   Sponsor: American Express statement (date: 10 Feb 2019)

October 2018
•   Applicant: TalkTalk bill (date: 8 Oct 2018)
•   Sponsor: Halifax bank statement (date: 5 Oct 2018)

Thank you for the advice ksand24.

Does this list of documents we intend to supply look correct? We're thinking of applying around 20 October.
Should we include our council tax statements, as they are the only jointly addressed correspondence we have?

You have to include the most recent council tax statement anyway, for the accommodation requirement.

For the other council tax statements, if they are not dated in Oct, Feb or June of each year, then they cannot be included as they will not meet the requirements. There is no requirement at all to have any of the documents be jointly addressed.


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I'm just going to rearrange your documents into the correct upload sections for the UKVCAS website. Any additions are in blue.

Application Documents
•   Applicant passport
•   Part 1 and 3 consent statements (assume don’t need Part 2 as no joint accounts?)... you should only have Part 1 and Part 2 statements signed. Part 3 (third party financial support) should not be signed as you are not allowed third party financial support.

Proof of Identity/Travel History
•   Sponsor UK passport
•   Applicant BRP

Residence in the UK
Accommodation
•   Annual mortgage statement (date: 2 Apr 2020)
•   Land Registries of Scotland Title Deed to Property
•   Most recent council tax statement

Cohabitation Evidence
October 2018
•   Applicant: TalkTalk bill (date: 8 Oct 2018)
•   Sponsor: Halifax bank statement (date: 5 Oct 2018)
February 2019
•   Applicant: Three Mobile bill (date: 17 Feb 2019)
•   Sponsor: American Express statement (date: 10 Feb 2019)
June 2019
•   Applicant: American Express statement (date: 5 June 2019)
•   Sponsor: EDF Energy Final electricity/gas statement (date: 3 June 2019)
October 2019
•   Applicant: TalkTalk bill (date: 8 Oct 2019)
•   Sponsor: Halifax bank statement (date: 7 Oct 2019)
February 2020
•   Applicant: Three Mobile bill (date: 17 Feb 2020)
•   Sponsor: American Express statement (date: 10 Feb 2020)
June 2020
•   Applicant: American Express statement (date: 15 June 2020)
•   Sponsor: Civil Service Pension Annual Statement (date: 17 June 2020)
October 2020
•   Applicant: TalkTalk bill (date 8 Oct 2020)
•   Sponsor: American Express statement (date 10 Oct 2020)

Finances
Mandatory
•   Sponsor payslips (dates: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep 2020) – original ones, not printed out
•   Sponsor bank statements (dates: 7 Mar 2020 to 7 Oct 2020)
•   Letter from employer stating:
   -   Job title, contract type (permanent), gross salary, total salary paid in March, April, May, June, July, August and September 2020
   -   The reason there was a shortfall in salary one month (payroll error)
   -   The length of time each salary was paid (I had a different salary in March 2020)
Optional but recommended:
•   Sponsor P60 (date: April 2020)
•   Sponsor Job Contract

Other
•   Marriage certificate
Also, if applicable:
•   Any divorce decrees if either of you have been married before
•   If either of you have any children in the UK, you also need to supply:
- each child's passport
- each child's birth certificate
- a letter dated in the last 3 months, confirming each child's address (i.e. from their school or GP)