Well, looks like it’s my time to apply for FLR(M). We’re aiming to apply and get my biometrics appointment set in the next week or two, so I’m gathering documents at the moment and slogging through the online application.
(For anyone reading, this is your reminder to turn off paperless and save your mail! It makes all the difference and saves begging companies to send copies by mail.)
Here’s the situation with us:
- I (US citizen) entered on 8th August 2018 on my initial spouse visa. BRP set to expire 19th April.
- My husband (UK citizen) is bringing home the bacon so we’re going off his income to meet the £18,600 requirement (we have no children yet).
- We lived in the same place from the time I arrived in August 2018 until Jan this year—just recently moved.
- Not submitted application just yet but I understand once it’s submitted I have up until the biometrics appointment to upload my supporting documents that need to be dated within 28 days of my application date. Also the IHS fee went up in October. Yikes.
I have some questions if someone doesn’t mind chiming in to help.
1. Financial requirements – last time this was where I nearly messed it up until this forum saved me. I thought we would be Cat A but we applied Cat B. If I’m remembering correctly, Cat A was based off of six months and they do the maths based on lowest payslip to calculate the income for twelve months. Husband is still working the same job so I’m thinking Cat A won’t be any good again based off the lowest payslip he’s had in the last six months, so I’m assuming it’ll be 12 months of payslips and bank statements for Cat B again.
2. He’s emailed HR to get his letter confirming his employment. I’ve asked him to also have them note his furlough dates due to covid (from early Jan to beginning of next week) and the dates that he was off work ill due to a shoulder dislocation. Does this need to be included just to explain the weeks of statutory sick pay he was bringing in? Am I overthinking this? I’m probably overthinking this. I’ve also got his return to work paperwork I can include if need be.
3. We’ve moved house at the end of January, and I’ve got our tenancy agreement with the letting agent and our recent council tax bill. We did a letter for my initial application but from what I’ve seen in other threads of those in similar living circumstances it seems the tenancy agreement and council tax bill is fine. Correct me if I’m wrong on that.
4. Also, in terms of correspondence the only letter we have at this new address is latest piece of mail I’m including (Feb 2021—we just moved in at the end of Jan). I’m assuming this is okay and I’m just overthinking it again?
5. His employer swapped to electronic payslips recently, so the last few payslips look different. He still had the payroll department print and mail them to him though. Is that okay or do we need the employer to verify they are correct even though they mailed them to him?
Also, his employer shuts for a couple of weeks at the end of the year, so there is a gap in his payslips. That was easily explained last time because he was on holiday visiting me (I included a cover letter explaining gaps in payslips due to unpaid time off to visit me in the states). Does the two-week gap in payslips need explaining?
Here are all the documents I've gathered/am working on. Some we don’t have just yet like the employer letter, bits from the online application, and one last bank statement we’re waiting on to arrive by mail:
Application Documents- All pages of my passports (old one in my maiden name and current one in my married name)
- signed sponsor’s declaration (from online application)
- Part 1 of the consent to checks forms, signed by the applicant (from online application)
- Part 2 of the consent to checks forms, signed by the sponsor (from online application)
Proof of Identity- My BRP
- All pages of his passport
Residence in the UK- Tenancy agreement
- Council tax bill
Financial Requirements – Cat B- 12 months of his payslips all mailed to us (currently have 15th Feb 2020 up to 20th Feb 2021)
- 12 months of his bank statements all mailed to us (dated back to 11th Jan 2020; we’re currently waiting on the latest quarterly statement to arrive by mail which will be dated up to 24th Feb. A little over 12 months but it’s just how the dates fell on the statements.)
- his employer letter (waiting on currently – will include current job title and salary, length of employment, length of time earning current salary, previous salary, length of time earning previous salary, type of employment, also confirmation of furlough dates and SSP dates due to injury)
- His job contract from when he joined the company in April 2016
- His furlough letter due to covid
- His P60
Other- Our Marriage Certificate
- His decree absolute (divorce)
Correspondence (5 sources: water company, bank with joint account, bank with his loan, car insurance company for me, council bill)
- Feb 2019 – water company letter in both names
- June 2019 – water bill in both names
- October 2019 – joint bank statement
- Feb 2020 – bank loan letter in his name, car insurance letter in my name
- June 2020 – water bill in both names
- October 2020 – water bill in both names
- Feb 2021 – council tax move out bill for old address (only piece of mail at our new address)
Whew, I think that's it for now. Let me know if there's anything I've missed.