FLR(M) Time - Financial Question and Checklist

Hello everyone!

After being in the UK since June 2018 I am ready to apply for FLR (M) in the coming weeks. The advice I received here last time was invaluable so I am back for round two

Just wanted to start this thread which I expect may be ongoing with follow ups because although we qualify and have most of the documentation, our timing is a bit wonky with some things so trying to figure out the easiest way to put it all together.

We are trying to sort out 3 options:
1. Cat (A) - Husband's Salary over £18600
2. Cat (D) - UK ISA over £62500 held for 6 months
3. Cat (D) - US Savings Account + UK ISA over £62500 held for 6 months

We know that typically the easiest would be option 2 as it is one account, one set of statements and less to go wrong, but we have been having problems getting a statement from the bank that shows when the money initially was in the account. It was there as of 26th June and so we will qualify at the end of December if we have counted correctly, but due to the statement issues we are having we are planning backups.

A couple questions regarding the other options we have:

1. For Cat(A) is it okay to have a printed/stamped partial statement from the bank to confirm the December salary being paid in? We have all original mailed bank statements from 26th June -  27th November and are expecting 28th November - 27th December at the end of the month, but as he will be paid on the 30th December we would need a print out from the bank from 27th December through to the first week of January to catch the December pay. Hope that makes sense!

2. For Cat (D) with both the US & UK bank statements we would qualify now and would not need to wait until the end of December. My American bank statements are electronic only, have both of our names on it, but have my old address in the US on them (family still lives there) so I'm not sure if this would cause issues by having an address we don't reside at and non physical copies of statements. This is the last resort option we were looking at because we want to go as simple as possible...(I know, doesn't seem like it from my post!)

Below I have a checklist of what I am planning for both option 1 - Cat (A) Salary & option 2 - Cat (D) UK ISA, so thought I would include it now but will update it when necessary once we can get how we are going to proceed on the financial side. I put option 1 in green and 2 in blue so I don't get confused and think I need both!

General Checklist (Dependent on Financial Route Taken):

Checklist:

1. Application and IHS Receipt
2. Current and previous passports and current BRP
3. Husband’s passport copy


Financial Requirement

Option 1 - Cat (A) - Salary over £18600 for 6+ months
•Letter from my husband's employer
a.   Start date of employment (2012) and job title
b.   Permanent, full-time employment
c.   Current gross annual salary & salary before pay rise as it was within the 6 months (both over £18600)
d.   Authenticity of P60 and payslips

•6 months’ payslips (Printed as received electronically and signed by my husband's production manager):
1.   Payslip period 1st - 30th June 2020
2.   Payslip period 1st - 31st July 2020
3.   Payslip period 1st - 31st August 2020
4.   Payslip period 1st - 30th September 2020
5.   Payslip period 1st - 31st October 2020
6.   Payslip period 1st - 30th November 2020
7.   Payslip period 1st - 31st December 2020 (PENDING)

•Original corresponding bank statements received in the post:
1.   Account statement dated 26th June 2020
2.   Account statement dated 27th July 2020
3.   Account statement dated 27th August 2020
4.   Account statement dated 25th September
5.   Account statement dated 27th October
6.   Account statement dated 27th November
7.   Account statement dated 27th December (PENDING)
8.  Partial statement printed at bank to cover 27th December - First Week January (PENDING)

•Printed copy of eP60 for tax year to 5th April 2020

Option 2 - Cat (D) - UK savings over £62500 for 6+ months
-6 months bank statements from 30 June - 31 December


Evidence of Accommodation
•Docusign signed tenancy agreement (printed)
•Original Council Tax Bill 2020/2021 (from Feb 2020 as it is billed in Feb annually)

Evidence of Relationship
•Original certified copy of Marriage Certificate
•Correspondence for 2 years
1.   Energy Bill (husband) & Water Bill (wife) dated December 2018
2.   Water Bill (joint) dated April 2019
3.   Cable (husband) & TV Licence (wife) dated August 2019
4.   Energy Statement (husband) & Bank Statement of Fees (wife) dated December 2019
5.   Water  Bill (joint) dated April 2020
6.   Pension (wife) & Credit Card (husband) dated August 2020
7.   Notice from Landlord (joint) dated December 2020

Hopefully this all makes sense and we are on the right track! Thank you guys again for everything you do to help people - it is so appreciated 

After being in the UK since June 2018 I am ready to apply for FLR (M) in the coming weeks. The advice I received here last time was invaluable so I am back for round two

Welcome back .

Not sure if you are aware, but everything is done online now and nothing is mailed anywhere... you complete and submit the online application, then you book a biometrics appointment at a UKVCAS centre, then before your appointment, you scan and upload all your documents to the UKVCAS website (including your passport and BRP)... or you can pay extra to have your documents scanned at the biometrics appointment.

A couple questions regarding the other options we have:

1. For Cat(A) is it okay to have a printed/stamped partial statement from the bank to confirm the December salary being paid in? We have all original mailed bank statements from 26th June -  27th November and are expecting 28th November - 27th December at the end of the month, but as he will be paid on the 30th December we would need a print out from the bank from 27th December through to the first week of January to catch the December pay. Hope that makes sense!

Yes, that's fine.

2. For Cat (D) with both the US & UK bank statements we would qualify now and would not need to wait until the end of December. My American bank statements are electronic only, have both of our names on it, but have my old address in the US on them (family still lives there) so I'm not sure if this would cause issues by having an address we don't reside at and non physical copies of statements. This is the last resort option we were looking at because we want to go as simple as possible...(I know, doesn't seem like it from my post!)

If the US statements are electronic, they must either be:
- stamped by a local US bank branch on EVERY PAGE,
or
- accompanied by a letter from the bank confirming their authenticity... which I assume you are not able to get done easily, given that it's a US bank and you are in the UK.

Therefore, I don't think it's a good idea to use this option.

Just going to rearrange your documents into the different upload sections for the application. Additions are in red

Applicant Documents
1. Current US passport (scan of every single page of each)
2. Signed declarations and consent to checks forms (part of the online application)

Proof of Identity/Travel History
1. Current BRP
2. Husband’s passport copy  (scan of every single page)

Finances
Option 1 - Cat (A) - Salary over £18600 for 6+ months
•Letter from my husband's employer
a.   Start date of employment (2012) and job title
b.   Permanent, full-time employment
c.   Current gross annual salary & salary before pay rise as it was within the 6 months (both over £18600)
d.   Authenticity of P60 and payslips
•6 months’ payslips (Printed as received electronically and signed by my husband's production manager):
1.   Payslip period 1st - 30th June 2020
2.   Payslip period 1st - 31st July 2020
3.   Payslip period 1st - 31st August 2020
4.   Payslip period 1st - 30th September 2020
5.   Payslip period 1st - 31st October 2020
6.   Payslip period 1st - 30th November 2020
7.   Payslip period 1st - 31st December 2020 (PENDING)
•Original corresponding bank statements received in the post:
1.   Account statement dated 26th June 2020
2.   Account statement dated 27th July 2020
3.   Account statement dated 27th August 2020
4.   Account statement dated 25th September
5.   Account statement dated 27th October
6.   Account statement dated 27th November
7.   Account statement dated 27th December (PENDING)
8.  Partial statement printed at bank to cover 27th December - First Week January (PENDING)

•Printed copy of eP60 for tax year to 5th April 2020

Option 2 - Cat (D) - UK savings over £62500 for 6+ months
-6 months bank statements from 30 June - 31 December
- Declaration of source of savings

Residence in the UK
Accommodation
•Docusign signed tenancy agreement (printed)
•Original Council Tax Bill 2020/2021 (from Feb 2020 as it is billed in Feb annually)
Cohabitation
1.   Energy Bill (husband) & Water Bill (wife) dated December 2018
2.   Water Bill (joint) dated April 2019
3.   Cable (husband) & TV Licence (wife) dated August 2019
4.   Energy Statement (husband) & Bank Statement of Fees (wife) dated December 2019
5.   Water  Bill (joint) dated April 2020
6.   Pension (wife) & Credit Card (husband) dated August 2020
7.   Notice from Landlord (joint) dated December 2020

Other
•Original certified copy of Marriage Certificate
- Any previous US passports held since moving to the UK
- Any divorce decrees, if applicable
If you have any children in the UK:
- each child's passport
- each child's birth certificate
- a letter dated in the last 3 months confirming each child's address

Hi ksand24, nice to see a familiar face 

Not sure if you are aware, but everything is done online now and nothing is mailed anywhere... you complete and submit the online application, then you book a biometrics appointment at a UKVCAS centre, then before your appointment, you scan and upload all your documents to the UKVCAS website (including your passport and BRP)... or you can pay extra to have your documents scanned at the biometrics appointment.

Yes, we are starting the scanning now so we don't have to do it all at once when we actually apply!

If the US statements are electronic, they must either be:
- stamped by a local US bank branch on EVERY PAGE,
or
- accompanied by a letter from the bank confirming their authenticity... which I assume you are not able to get done easily, given that it's a US bank and you are in the UK.

Therefore, I don't think it's a good idea to use this option.

I agree, sounds like a terrible plan since I'm not in the US to easily get the documents. It was a last resort as I figured there would most likely be some issues that would arise with the statements so luckily our other two options are all set once we get the last bank bits we're waiting for.

Option 2 - Cat (D) - UK savings over £62500 for 6+ months
-6 months bank statements from 30 June - 31 December
- Declaration of source of savings

Does the declaration need to include anything specific? It is just savings over time in my husbands ISA transferred from our checking account, so it shows the money going from one account to the other but not the original source of our income from our employers.

Other
•Original certified copy of Marriage Certificate
- Any previous US passports held since moving to the UK

I was planning on scanning all my passports from birth so thank you for mentioning that and saving me some time. My current passport is the same I originally entered on so I assume that is the only one I need to provide.

Thank you again for all of your help, your knowledge is incredible!