FLR(M) application in May 2023!!

Hi

I’ve just been doing a quick browse for what’s needed to satisfy the documents that might be required for my wife’s future FLR(M) application due in May 2023.

I know this is a while off yet, about 21 months, but already, I’m getting concerned about seeing on the UK Yankee website that documents need to be spaced out by 4 month intervals, rather than just what I thought might be 6 different documents, from within the last 24 months prior to applying, from at least 3 different sources.

Where in the official documentation from gov.uk will I find this requisite about 4 monthly intervals..?

Are we talking here about 4 month ‘windows’ , whereas the first document must land within months 1 to 4, (inclusive), the second document must land within months 5 to 8, the third within months 9 to 12 and so on …. The 6th land within months 21 to 24 inclusive..?

We have a couple of NHS appointment documents we could use that fall within windows rather than are periodic. They come randomly.

Another problem we’ve hit upon is that most of my utilities don’t send out paper bills anymore. EDF won’t even send one on request. So would a .pdf download printout from the the MyEDF website showing my bill suffice, or does it have to be genuine paper copies from the vendor used as the source.?

I believe the Bank Statements need to be sourced from a genuine paper copy from the bank for the financial requirements.

I’m glad we’re starting this FLR(M) planning early to be sure we don’t get caught out..!!

I know this is a while off yet, about 21 months, but already, I’m getting concerned about seeing on the UK Yankee website that documents need to be spaced out by 4 month intervals, rather than just what I thought might be 6 different documents, from within the last 24 months prior to applying, from at least 3 different sources.

Where in the official documentation from gov.uk will I find this requisite about 4 monthly intervals..?

It’s not on the gov.uk website as far as I know - the instructions for it are part of the FLR(M) online application.

From page 62 of the old paper form, the requirements are (http://bingham.butterworths.co.uk/PDF/level1/hoflrm.pdf):

If your application is as the partner of a settled person or person who is in the UK with refugee leave or humanitarian protection

- 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 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 - 4 items of correspondence in joint names to the same address and 2 items addressed to each partner at the address. In total 8 items would need to be submitted.

If you and your partner have no bills or correspondence in joint names, you will need to submit 12 items (6 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 6 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

The ‘every 4 months’ part comes from the phrase ‘spread evenly’... 6 documents spread evenly over 2 years = 1 document every 4 months.

Another problem we’ve hit upon is that most of my utilities don’t send out paper bills anymore. EDF won’t even send one on request. So would a .pdf download printout from the the MyEDF website showing my bill suffice, or does it have to be genuine paper copies from the vendor used as the source.?

No, the current rules are that the documents must have been received in the mail in order to prove you were both physically present in the house in each month in order to have them physically in your presence.

You will need to turn OFF paperless billing for every single bill/statement that you can (even if it means paying for paper statements), and save ALL your mail for the next 5 years.


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Many Thanks Ksands24 🙂

Many Thanks Ksands24 🙂

Don't worry, it's easy if you're as prepared as you are.

Just make sure you have a bank statement coming in on paper for each of you (it can be one each or a joint statement) every single month. Then work around your other mail, NHS, council tax etc and slot the bank statements in the months you're missing.

You need 3 sources but you only need one item from sources one and two, all the rest can be bank statements.

You need 3 sources but you only need one item from sources one and two, all the rest can be bank statements.

Thanks Larrabee. I’m just a little unclear what you mean by you last quote.  I understand that if I have plenty of bank statements I can slot them into those months where I have no other bills I can use, but surely the maximum number of bank statements I can use is 2 as I understand it..?

OR can I use a Council Tax bill in one 4 month period, and a Water Bill in another 4 month period and 4 bank statements during the remaining 4 month periods..?  This is assuming that all bills are addressed to both myself and my wife.

Thanks Larrabee. I’m just a little unclear what you mean by you last quote.  I understand that if I have plenty of bank statements I can slot them into those months where I have no other bills I can use, but surely the maximum number of bank statements I can use is 2 as I understand it..?

No, as long as you have at least 2 other documents that are different sources you can use as many bank statements as you like to make up the 6 documents in each name.

OR can I use a Council Tax bill in one 4 month period, and a Water Bill in another 4 month period and 4 bank statements during the remaining 4 month periods..?  This is assuming that all bills are addressed to both myself and my wife.

Yes, you can do exactly that.

For example, if all your documents are jointly-addressed you might use:
- 1 water bill in both names
- 1 council tax bill in both names
- 4 bank statements in both names

Or if all your documents are individually-addressed, so you need 12 in total, you might use:
- 1 water bill in one name
- 1 council tax bill in one name
- 10 bank statements in one name


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Many Thanks again to both Ksand24 and Larrabee.

This greatly simplifies what I thought was a more daunting task.  I’ve already selected to get statements from our joint UK Lloyds account to be sent to us on paper in the mail.

We also have a joint US Wells Fargo account we could request paper statements from.  Would that be acceptable if we use statements from two different banks, especially with one being in the USA..?

Many Thanks again to both Ksand24 and Larrabee.

This greatly simplifies what I thought was a more daunting task.  I’ve already selected to get statements from our joint UK Lloyds account to be sent to us on paper in the mail.

We also have a joint US Wells Fargo account we could request paper statements from.  Would that be acceptable if we use statements from two different banks, especially with one being in the USA..?

That’s fine, though all the bank statements put together will only count as 1 source (a bank), so you will still need at least 2 other sources for the requirement.


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OK Many Thanks so there’s nothing to be gained asking WF to send me statements where I could use Lloyds instead.

Thanks to all… No doubt I will be posting other queries as they arise.

OK Many Thanks so there’s nothing to be gained asking WF to send me statements where I could use Lloyds instead.

Thanks to all… No doubt I will be posting other queries as they arise.

It wouldn't hurt to arrange for WFB (or any other) statements too. If you did that, you would have the those statements as a back up in case any of the Lloyds statements didn't arrive for whatever reason. (A duplicate statement sent at a later date would count for the month it arrived, not the month it should have arrived),