Form FLR(m) for unmarried partner- ADVICE on evidence

[binni]

Hi,

Can somebody please advise me. Me and my partner went to the Public Enquiry Office in Croydon to get the premium service for the extension of visa on form FLR(m) for unmarried partners.

Our application did not proceed because we couldnt provide any evidence for three months.

This is the problem

Me and my partner (from Mayalasia) were both students when we met 4 years ago. About a year and a half into the relationship i moved into his student hall, lodging in his bedroom. As i was not supposed to be there officially, i did not have any post directed to that address. Instead I had all my post sent to my parents home address.

Then when the university term ended, we rented a room from a friend for the summer vacation. Again this was a student hall, so we did not have any bills sent to that address.

From then onwards, we have all the documents in place to prove everything untill this present date. The problem is proving that time lag during the begining.

Im thinking of getting friends to write letters confirming my stay at the addresses. Does anyone know if this is accetable? or has anyone gone through something similar?

Also my partners visa expires in September so Im really worried that an appeal will take too long.

Can anyone offer my some guidance?
many thanks

[Wanderer]

Was this an FLR(M) extension? Or a change from student visa?

[binni]

The visa we applied was for an extension to remain under the unmarried partner provision form FLR(M).

Since we both graduated last year, my partner has found a job in engineering, but his application for the work permit was rejected. That is why we have to apply under the unmarried partner. Any suggestions what to do? His visa is going to expire soon.

Thanks

[SYH]

Is the HO still processing the applicatino
or did they just turn you away due to your lack of evidence

[sakura]

The visa we applied was for an extension to remain under the unmarried partner provision form FLR(M).

Since we both graduated last year, my partner has found a job in engineering, but his application for the work permit was rejected. That is why we have to apply under the unmarried partner. Any suggestions what to do? His visa is going to expire soon.

Thanks

So you paid for a UMP visa and then the application was rejected due to lack of evidence? I don't think a letter from your friends would suffice. Why? Because they are not school officials! If you were not meant to be living with him, then that means you were hiding from accommodation authorities, and so have no evidene of you ever living together (no letters, documents from accommodation office, etc). So as you can see, you are in a bit of a dilemma here.

Can you post dates of when you do/do not have evidence? UMP visas are quite hard to obtain - the evidence has to be tight. A letter from friends can only really be to state that you were in a relationship, but cannot act as your sole evidence that you lived together, especially when all real official letters such as bank statements, university letters etc, were sent to another address.

When does his visa expire?

[binni]

To cover the two years evidence we need proof from June 2005- till present.

For June, July and August 2005 I have no proof of us living together.
As it was student halls there were no utility bills and things such as my bank statements and phone bills were sent back to my family home.

However i do have bank staements which show that we were sharing financial commitments, for example I was paying for his phone bills etc.

During those three months we also went on numerous holidays together. For example we travelled around europe in June then in August I returned to his home in Malaysia to visit his family for a few weeks. I have stamps on passports and photographs to prove this. Do you think this can conclude as evidence to show we were living together?

From September 2005 onwards we have all the evidence in place such as council tax bills, phone bills, energy bills etc.

Having reflected on the application carefully a few points have come to light.

- How does the two year period work? I was told by the officer that i need proof from May- up till the present date. This is seriously confusing me because if i made the application in Mid July, then shouldnt it be right that the the two years start from July two years ago. Why do I have to prove May and June?????

Also do you think making the application again in August will be a better option since we will have all the documents in place from that time span?

When we were told our application could not proceed, we were both devastasted. My partners visa expires this september and im worried that this employer will tell him to leave.

[sakura]

To cover the two years evidence we need proof from June 2005- till present.

For June, July and August 2005 I have no proof of us living together.
As it was student halls there were no utility bills and things such as my bank statements and phone bills were sent back to my family home.

However i do have bank staements which show that we were sharing financial commitments, for example I was paying for his phone bills etc.

During those three months we also went on numerous holidays together. For example we travelled around europe in June then in August I returned to his home in Malaysia to visit his family for a few weeks. I have stamps on passports and photographs to prove this. Do you think this can conclude as evidence to show we were living together?

From September 2005 onwards we have all the evidence in place such as council tax bills, phone bills, energy bills etc.

Having reflected on the application carefully a few points have come to light.

- How does the two year period work? I was told by the officer that i need proof from May- up till the present date. This is seriously confusing me because if i made the application in Mid July, then shouldnt it be right that the the two years start from July two years ago. Why do I have to prove May and June?????

Also do you think making the application again in August will be a better option since we will have all the documents in place from that time span?

When we were told our application could not proceed, we were both devastasted. My partners visa expires this september and im worried that this employer will tell him to leave.

What date does his visa expire? If you want to make up the two years, why not apply Sept 2005-Sept 2007? If you don't have enough evidence from Aug 2005 (as you so clearly state) then your application might not succeed. You can forget those months and apply Sept 2005-present. Obviously it means he would have to leave the country and maybe lose the current job, but it would be far more effective if indeed he wants to return. Unless the job can hold his place, but there's no guarantee that the application would be done quickly.

Holiday photos show no indication that you lived together. You can travel with friends and it still wouldn't prove you actually lived with them...so I don't think that would help you.

The two year period means 24 full months, and not a day less! You don't need to show 25 months, or 26 months - so anyone telling you that you need one extra month....that can't be correct.

So, basically;

If you have enough evidence for 1st Aug 2005 and it makes up 24 full months, then apply in Aug. They are very strict about UMP visas so do be careful about this.

Or, if there isn't enough evidence for Aug 2005, then do 1st Sept 2005 to 31st Aug 2007.

[Wanderer]

Or, if there isn't enough evidence for Aug 2005, then do 1st Sept 2005 to 31st Aug 2007.

And take advantage of Section 3 which means the current visa is deemed to continue until a decision on the new one is reached.

What is the exact date his visa expires? Might look a bit dodgy to the caseworker if ur two years ends exactly when his visa expires....