Applying for ILR SET(M).....Help needed urgently!

[tothetop76]

My first time on the forum.......a very good friend recommended to me.

My 2yr spouse visa flr(M) expires 10th May,and to the best of my knowledge,i believe i have enough documents to prove our cohabition for the past two yrs...but since i've bn reading thru other pple's stories,i haven't seen anybody use their credit cards statements or store card statements,which happens to be amongst the docs i'm preparing to send for my ilr.

The question is....when is the best time to apply and is it ok to include the statements...Thanks so much and God bless.[/b]

[juliajules1979]

Hiya

Its fine to use credit card statements as long as the balance isnt too high. Best time to apply is 28 days before you came to the UK.

What other documents do you have?

You say you are applying with FLR (M). If you were applying on the Set M ILR you can apply 28 days before and any time before your visa expires. For example entry date 18th feb, 2008, visa expires 27th April 2010. Apply 21st Jan 2010 (28 days before 18th Feb, 2010) or anytime before 27th April, 2010.

What other documents do you have?

Good luck.

[tothetop76]

Thank you juliajule for the response......actually it seems the balance is quite high on the statement(credit card),so i think that will not work!

Other docs i've got include:
NHS letters and card
Council tax statement(My name)
Bank statements
Letters from Revenue(For her....British)
utility bills in both names
payslips
Driver licence
Mortgage Letter(Both names)

**Store card statements
**Credit card Statements(but high balance)

I hope these docs will be ok for the application.
Thanks so much..

[juliajules1979]

Sounds like you have a nice selection of documents. Do you have a letter with your national insurance number? That would be a good one. The fact you have a mortgage together is very good and great evidence.

With regards to the letters from revenue, what kind of letters are they. Revenue letters are great and I would like to know for my own husbands application what sort of revenue letters can be obtained.

Many thanks

[tothetop76]

Thanks so much for promt replies....
The revenue letters i am talking about is the statements for are jobseekers allowances she used to collect before she got her present job!

My spouse visa expires 10th May....so when do u think is the best time to apply in April?

And since i've been in the country legally for the past 6yrs,when is it ideal to apply for citizenship?.......Thanks so much.

[Danbrix]

My spouse visa expires 10th May....so when do u think is the best time to apply in April?

You may apply after 12 April. [EDIT: Please ignore this date. See below for updated post.]

And since i've been in the country legally for the past 6yrs,when is it ideal to apply for citizenship?

You can apply for naturalisation once you get your ILR and at the time of the application you should have been in the UK legally for three years.

Have you passed your Life in the UK test?

[tothetop76]

Thanks you so much....you will be the first to know when i send the documents to HO.

I took my life in the uk test May last year....so i don't have any problem with that.....Just wondering,will my previous 6yrs in the country not count towards naturalisation??...'cos i saw it somewhere that it could count if one has bn in the country for or more than 3yrs.

[MPH80]

Because you are naturalisaing as the spouse of a BC ...

If you were legally present in the UK exactly 3 years to the day from the day that UKBA recieves your application, then you can apply for naturalisation.

E.g. if you are applying on March 11th, you should have been here on March 11th 2007 legally (and be able to prove it).

It would be best to choose a period where there is a period of time you were here - not just one or two days as you can't guarantee that UKBA will actually deal with it on the day and notice the right days.

M.

[tothetop76]

Thanks......I actually came into the country in June of 2003 on a student visa.
I finished my masters and got married almost immediately in March of 2008.

And to the best of my knowledge,I have not stayed outside the country for more than 30 days since coming into the
Country!
So will these change anything??

[tothetop76]

All my visas and the extensions I have made since I came into the country in 2003,are all on my passport.
So I think that will be a straight forward solution to ascertain how long I've been in the country.

[Danbrix]

Were you out of UK anytime between April and Sep 2007? Or around that time ...

[tothetop76]

I was in the country btw April and Sept of 2007....like I told u earlier,I've bn in the country since 2003 on a student visa.
Just wondering if going on holidays abroad also counts?....was in france for a week in December last year!

Thanks

[John]

My 2yr spouse visa flr(M) expires 10th May

Where was the visa issued? In the UK? Or outside the UK? IF outside, when did you first enter the UK using that spouse visa? Exact date please.

[tothetop76]

I was issued the 2 year spouse visa here in the uk....March 2008.

[Danbrix]

I was issued the 2 year spouse visa here in the uk....March 2008.

In that case ignore what I said earlier … you can apply for ILR pretty much NOW.

[tothetop76]

Thanks Danbrix......but it says in form Set(m)..that application should not be made 28 days before the expiration of the spouse visa!!

So what u are saying now is,i can apply now and disregard the 28days rule???!

And secondly,what i was actually asking was,after applying for ILR,and since i've been in the country more than 3 yrs legally,how soon can i apply for Nauralisation?!
Thanks

[Danbrix]

My understanding is that there is a two year qualifying period to apply fore ILR and you should not apply 28 days before that. Since your spouse visa was issued in UK in March 2008 then you are at least within the 28 days period. i.e if you have not already celebrated your 2nd anniversary.

Have a look at Completing application form SET(M) for more information.

[John]

If your 2-year spouse visa was issued in March 2008, why is it expiring in May 2010?

[tothetop76]

John....Thanks.My mistake,we got married in March,applied in March and the expiration on the Visa says May 2010.

[John]

OK, thanks for clarifying that. So the earliest the ILR application can be made is 28 days before the current spouse visa. That is, not earlier than 12.04.10.

[tothetop76]

Thanks so much John...