Switching from Fiance Visa to FLR(M) Questions on Date of Application

[vya2025]

Hi Guys

I have searched the forum but I don't seem to find a clear answer. Below are 3 common questions though I think everyone in our situation might have thought of asking,

1. My fiance visa will expire in April 2018. I found on gov.uk that you can only apply to extend your current visa towards 28 days before your current visa expires. Does this 28 days rule apply to fiance visa? I figured we are switching our visa (not extending) so we can apply for FLR(M) as soon as we have our marriage certificate in hand. Is my understanding correct?

2. We plan to use premium service. I found on gov.uk that you can book your appointment 45 working days ahead. Which day is considered to be date of application? The day we pay online for all the fees (appointment fee + application fee + IHS fee = £2083 in our case)? Or the day of our appointment? I figured date of application should be the day we attend our appointment - is my understanding correct?

3. For anyone who has applied for FLR(M) - is the process like this 1) fill out online form with basic personal details; 2) pick a premium service centre and date; 3) pay the fees; 4) print off appointment confirmation and online form; 5) fill out paper form FLR(M); 6) prepare all supporting documents; 7) attend your appointment - is any of the above listed steps not in the correct order?

Thanks in advance!

[CR001]

1. My fiance visa will expire in April 2018. I found on gov.uk that you can only apply to extend your current visa towards 28 days before your current visa expires. Does this 28 days rule apply to fiance visa? I figured we are switching our visa (not extending) so we can apply for FLR(M) as soon as we have our marriage certificate in hand. Is my understanding correct?

Yes, you can apply to switch as soon as you are married.

2. We plan to use premium service. I found on gov.uk that you can book your appointment 45 working days ahead. Which day is considered to be date of application? The day we pay online for all the fees (appointment fee + application fee + IHS fee = £2083 in our case)? Or the day of our appointment? I figured date of application should be the day we attend our appointment - is my understanding correct?

Date of appointment.

3. For anyone who has applied for FLR(M) - is the process like this 1) fill out online form with basic personal details; 2) pick a premium service centre and date; 3) pay the fees; 4) print off appointment confirmation and online form; 5) fill out paper form FLR(M); 6) prepare all supporting documents; 7) attend your appointment - is any of the above listed steps not in the correct order?

Correct. Don't forget to pay the £500 Immigration health surcharge and include the number in the form.

[vya2025]

Thank you for the reply.

Also it looks like there are 2 ways of booking with a premium service - 1) book as part of your online application where the FLR(M) is filled out online before making payments; 2) book to apply in person where you bring the paper form FLR(M) to the appointment.

I plan to go with Option 2, as it is easier to make changes where necessary on a paper based form. Is there any preference or tips on which option is better? Thanks!

[CR001]

No preference as far as I am aware. I only have experience of the paper forms. The online FLR(M) option is a recent addition so any questions you have might not get answered as we cannot see the online forms and they are a bit different to the paper forms.

[vya2025]

No preference as far as I am aware. I only have experience of the paper forms. The online FLR(M) option is a recent addition so any questions you have might not get answered as we cannot see the online forms and they are a bit different to the paper forms.

Thank you for your response. We got married on 8 Dec. We paid on 5 Nov for an appointment on 11 Dec and got my visa within 2 hours. The date of application is indeed the date of appointment. And for anyone who wonders, fiance visa can apply to switch once you get your marriage certificate

[vya2025]

No preference as far as I am aware. I only have experience of the paper forms. The online FLR(M) option is a recent addition so any questions you have might not get answered as we cannot see the online forms and they are a bit different to the paper forms.

Hi there and to anyone who reads this post,

This is a question relevant to life in the UK I guess. I opened up a bank account in the UK using the fiance visa. Now I have switched to a spouse visa and will also be starting a job soon. I will have regular income going into the bank account. Shall I inform the bank about my updated visa status? Does anyone have a similar experience?

[CR001]

No you do not need to update the bank but no harm if you choose to do it.