Requirements for FLR (M) visa

[JamieNewhall]

Hello all

I was wondering if someone could please give advice. I recently got married and am now looking to extend my wifes visa through FLR (M) route. She currently has the fiancee/engagement visa which expires on 13th July 2015

Rather daunted by the 74 page application form - but it seems most of the form isn't relevent to us - is that normal?

It is the documentation that I am worried about - I don't think the guidance is very clear at all

So far I have

1. My passport original and copy + my partner's passport
2. 6 month pay slips, and letter from employer
3. 6 month Bank statements
4. Marriage certificate/civil partnership certificate
5. Wedding photographs
6. 2 passport size photos of partner and one mine.
7. English language test certificate
8. Biometric Residence Permit

However it is the below which causes me concern

9.Correspondence to you and your partner
10. Mortgage documents/Tenancy agreements/ council tax bill

You see my now wife arrived in the UK in February, to date we do not have any correspondance addressed to us together, indeed currently we are living with my parents - so I don't even have any tenancy agreements or council tax bills addressed to me at my home address

This wasn't a problem for us when we applied for the engagement visa I provided my parents tenancy agreement and a letter of welcome from my parents to my then fiancee - so will it be a problem now? I rang the gov.uk helpline, but I was given mixed information they basically said don't worry about it that it is only a requirement if we going for our second 2.5 years - someone else has advised me to get my wife registered with GP and Dentist (which I didn't realise I could do pre FLR M), which I am going to do tomorrow. They also advised to get her registered on the council tax, which might be a bit more tricky, as I am not registered myself (not named anyway)

I was rather thinking that after the engagement visa this visa was going to be something of a formaility, but now I am not so sure. So any advice that anyone can give is much welcome

Incidentally does anyone know how we can get my wife a national insurance number? We can't even get her a bank account at the moment

Kingd regards
Jamie Newhall

[Casa]

Don't worry, for once the UKVI 'help line' have given the correct advice. 9 and 10 are requirements for the next FLR(M) extension in 2.5 years time.
NI number:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number

[JamieNewhall]

Many thanks Casa

Do you think we should be ok with letter from parents granting accommodation at their residence, thats what we submitted for the engagement visa

I worried sick that a small error could cost us dearly

Pretty sure we have everything else in place

[Casa]

That'll be fine. Don't miss the payment for the new NHS surcharge before submitting the application. £600 in addition to the visa fee.
https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigrati ... n/overview

[JamieNewhall]

Many thanks Casa

I have registered to pay the health surcharge (although not paid yet). It is telling me £500, is that right?

Regards

[chibakun]

£600
200 per year and since you need 2.5 years you have to pay 3x200

[SoHopeful]

£500 is correct.

[Casa]

My error. £500 is correct. I'd calculated for a spouse settlement visa issued outside of the UK, not FLR(M).

[JamieNewhall]

Many thanks to everyone for their kind advice

My biggest burning question is in your honest opinìons, do you think I need to engage an immigration advisor? I am pretty clued up, but just so nervous incase something is incorrect

From what everyone has said on this forum I have confidence in what documents I need to submit, it just the application form is long

I used an immigation advisor in Thailand when we did the engagement Visa, but they told me this application should be straight forward, but of course they want a fee to give any further advice

Many thanks in advance
Jamie Newhall

[Casa]

As long as you can show you meet the income level, this stage should be straightforward after the fiance visa application. If you're unsure of anything you're submitting, post your queries on the forum and you should get the support you need. I've been involved on the forum after being helped through my husband's FLR(M) application seven years or so ago.

[JamieNewhall]

Many thanks Casa

Although you have already confirmed that the below9 and 10 are only relevent if we applying for our second 2.5 years, should I still submit any documents we have under her name anyway? I have recently registered my wife for GP and NI, so should in the next week have letters from those authorities in her name at our address. Or should I just leave that and just provide letter from my parents? Also should I provide my parents tenancy agreement and utility bill with the letter (we did for the fiancee visa)

9. Correspondence to you and your partner
10. Mortgage documents/Tenancy agreements/ council tax bill

[Casa]

Although they're not mandatory it wouldn't hurt to include what you have incl the accommodation evidence. You can't be refused for submitting too much evidence

[JamieNewhall]

Many thanks

I have today again spoken to the UKVI 'help line' I asked them about the "Your relationship" section of the application form - they said in a rather matter of fact way to ignore the whole section, it is only a requirement for the second 2.5 years application. This is what I knew and had been confirmed on this forum.

But I asked about sending a letter from my parents confirming our living arrangments or if I should send any documents with either my wife or my name and address, such as a letter from our GP - the 'help line' just said no that it wasn't a requirement. I find this a little odd as I thought to prove our living arrangments was a crucial part of the application to prove our relationship is genuine and subsisting. Indeed the application guidance even says that they will need to be satified that we intend to live together permanently

If anyone could advise me on this as it seems a little inconsistant

I also asked them about wedding photographs - they again said that it is not requirement to send wedding photographs (an immigration advisor I have been speaking to also said this), as they don't prove anything. They only consider actual documents. This again sounds strange when you consider we are to prove our relationship is genuine and subsisting, indeed I have seen the guidance which says consideration to circumstance of the wedding cermony and reception should be given, it is in Annex FM Section FM 2.0

Could anyone please advise if we should send wedding photographs or not, or indeed any other photographs taken during the course of our 4 year relationship (either in the UK or Thailand). Also is there any other documents we should consider sending to confirm our relationship as genuine and subsisting? For the engagement visa (and the previous years tourist visa) we sent copies of call logs and Whats App logs etc, but now that we actually living together we have suprisingly little of that.

Maybe I am worring a little to much about this, surely if they have any concerns about our relationship they would refer to the previous visa applications or even ask us for an interview?

Regards

[JamieNewhall]

Many thanks everyone for your help so far

I have been completeing the FLR (M) application form, and just have some points I want to double confirm if I may. Below I use the actual question number from the application form

1.7 Any other name(s) by which you have been known - does a certificate need to be provided if there has been a name change?

1.12 National insurance number - I have applied for a NI number, should we wait for that or submit application wothout the NI number

1.13 Home Office reference - What's this? Neither me or my wife have a Home Office reference

2.2 Is this the first time you have applied for a visa or extension of stay in one of the above categories (including previous leave granted as fiance(e) - Is the answer to this is yes? We have the fiance/engagement visa

3.1 Your sponsors full name - I assume this is my full name as per my passport, I have a middle name no longer used (and not on my passport)

3.11 How long has your sponsor lived at address - Is this consecutive or in total, I have lived at my present address on 2 different spells during my life

3.18 Home Office reference - What's this? Neither me or my wife have a Home Office reference

5.3 In what category were you granted permsission to enter the UK - This is the fiance visa right? But what the offical name of the visa? On her visa it says Marriage, but I have heard it called a fiance and an engagement visa?

5.5 Have you ever been refused visa for any country - My wife was originally refused fiancee visa, however this decision was overturned on a case review (not on appeal), so is this still officially a refusal?

6.5 How do you keep in touch with your sponsor - Is this a trick question, we live together

6.7 When did you start living together in a relationship - Do we include her earlier tourist visa for this, or just when she arrived in UK on fiancee visa?

6.8 Add all addresses you and your sponsor have lived at in the 2 years preceding this application - I presume this means lived together, also only applicable if we were going for our second 2.5 years?

6.16 Are you and your sponsor related outside of your relationship - What does this mean? Business partners or something like that?

7.3A (v) What date did your sponsor commence their current employment - Does this ,mean the very start date, as I worked as a contractor for the same employee for 2 years before going on perm contract in December 2012

7.3A (xii) Contact details of your sponsor current employment, address, phone number, email - Would these be my direct phone line/email address?

10.11 How long have you lived in the UK - Should this include earlier tourist visa?

10.12 Please state what ties you have with the country where you were born - How far should I go with this one? Should I just give her parents names and address?

12.1 Is your current passport, travel document or national indentity card enclosed - Should we provide both passport and national ID card? Or just passport

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can give any help to any of my questions
Regards

[JamieNewhall]

Dear all

If anyone could reply to any of my previous post it would be much appreciated

I have another question if I may - I am planning to send half a dozen photographs of my wedding, does that sound about the right number?

Also do you think I should send any earlier photographs of me and my now wife together, either in the UK or Thailand? And do you think we should send any call records etc? It doesn't seem to be a requirement for this visa but was a big part of our previous tourist and fiancee visa application - any advice is much welcome

One final question I will be submitting letter from parents regarding accommodation - I plan to send a copy of tenancy agreement and a utility bill - however as these are not mine I can only send copies, will that be ok (it doesn't appear to be an actaul requirement to send them at all, so surely sending something as an extra is ok to be a copy if that makes sense?)

Many thanks everyone

[JamieNewhall]

Dear everyone

I have now reached the stage of writing my covering letter.

To confirm we are currently living my parents and we have a letter from them granting continued accommodation at their house, however it is our intention to get our own place (either rented or buy) once we get the Spouse visa. Would you recommend that I say that in my cover letter, or is it best just to stick with my parents accommodation?

Many thanks for your help and time
Regards

[kaytee86]

Did you have any lucky with getting answers to your list of questions you weren't sure how to answer on your application above? I seem to have many of the same... making my best guess and finding bits and pieces but would feel better if anyone else had advice! (And really wish they would make clear which questions are relevant to the first 2.5 years or 2nd...guess they're looking to make sure immigration advisers and lawyers have a job or something...)

[JamieNewhall]

Many thanks everyone for your help so far

I have been completeing the FLR (M) application form, and just have some points I want to double confirm if I may. Below I use the actual question number from the application form

1.7 Any other name(s) by which you have been known - does a certificate need to be provided if there has been a name change?
No

1.12 National insurance number - I have applied for a NI number, should we wait for that or submit application wothout the NI number No

1.13 Home Office reference - What's this? Neither me or my wife have a Home Office reference
Not required
2.2 Is this the first time you have applied for a visa or extension of stay in one of the above categories (including previous leave granted as fiance(e) - Is the answer to this is yes? We have the fiance/engagement visa No, although clarify leave granted as fiance

3.1 Your sponsors full name - I assume this is my full name as per my passport, I have a middle name no longer used (and not on my passport)As per passport

3.11 How long has your sponsor lived at address - Is this consecutive or in total, I have lived at my present address on 2 different spells during my life list both spells

3.18 Home Office reference - What's this? Neither me or my wife have a Home Office reference
Not required

5.3 In what category were you granted permsission to enter the UK - This is the fiance visa right? But what the offical name of the visa? On her visa it says Marriage, but I have heard it called a fiance and an engagement visa? Spouse Visa

5.5 Have you ever been refused visa for any country - My wife was originally refused fiancee visa, however this decision was overturned on a case review (not on appeal), so is this still officially a refusal? Yes

6.5 How do you keep in touch with your sponsor - Is this a trick question, we live together live together

6.7 When did you start living together in a relationship - Do we include her earlier tourist visa for this, or just when she arrived in UK on fiancee visa? Just fiancee visa

6.8 Add all addresses you and your sponsor have lived at in the 2 years preceding this application - I presume this means lived together, also only applicable if we were going for our second 2.5 years? Just together

6.16 Are you and your sponsor related outside of your relationship - What does this mean? Business partners or something like that?
Cousins etc
7.3A (v) What date did your sponsor commence their current employment - Does this ,mean the very start date, as I worked as a contractor for the same employee for 2 years before going on perm contract in December 2012 Yes very start, although tell them of contract change
7.3A (xii) Contact details of your sponsor current employment, address, phone number, email - Would these be my direct phone line/email address? Yes
10.11 How long have you lived in the UK - Should this include earlier tourist visa? No
10.12 Please state what ties you have with the country where you were born - How far should I go with this one? Should I just give her parents names and address? Just state the obvious

12.1 Is your current passport, travel document or national indentity card enclosed - Should we provide both passport and national ID card? Or just passport Just passport

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can give any help to any of my questions
Regards

Kaytee86, the answers I got from UKVI I highlight above - hope it is helpful