FLR(m) - Supporting documents

[globalThailand]

Starting to compile a checklist of supporting documents for our extension.  Should be fairly straight forward - We moved here January 2017 - we meet the financial requirement (I work) and we live in a rented place with one child. 

 
Would greatly appreciate anyone with recent experience having a look and offering suggestions.  Also... What's the actual process for submitting all of this?  I've been reading that documents are now sent online - should I be preparing files digitally (PDF format) in prep to send this... don't they also need the original copies? 

 

Personal Details

• Letter from applicant 
• Passport (and photocopy of every stamped page)
• BRP (and photocopy)
• National Insurance details
• Letter from spouse 
• Photocopy of passport ID and every stamped page

 

Relationship Details

• Marriage certificate (We got married in Thailand)
• Translated marriage certificate (certified MFA translation)
• Son's birth certificate (born in Thailand)
• Translated birth certificate (certified MFA translation)
• Photocopy of son's passport ID and every stamped page
• Various correspondence over the last couple of years (is there an actual defined number to provide?  I've read 6 or 12 items)

 

Financial Requirement

• Letter from employer (stating role, salary, length of employment and contract type)
• 6 months Payslips (this is printed myself so >>)
• Letter from employer (confirming payslips are genuine)
• 6 months bank statements (Think I need to get them stamped at the bank?)

 

Accommodation

• Letter from landlord
• Signed tenancy agreement

 

Language Requirement

• English language certificate (We went for GESE - B1)

 

 

 

 

 

[rasg]

Yes you need to get the bank statements at the bank or a letter validating then with a letter from the bank unless they are original posted statements. I've known people who have just supplied online statements but the guidelines that were updated in June this year, (FM-SE) state that your online statements need validating.

 

The best thing you can do is create an online application, input all of the information and the website will cough out a list of the documents you need to supply. The list of required documents changes according to what you input.

 

When you have paid the NHS surcharge and the visa fee it will take you to a web page where you can book your appointment. You will also need to print a document out with a barcode that is used for your wife's biometrics. There are six or seven core centres where you can go to for a free appointment. Pretty hard to get a free one though. The others dotted around the country and will charge £60 or £120 for it according to the time of day. Lots of extra goodies you can pay for. You can scan the documents yourself or you can take them to the centre where they will do it for you. Your wife's passport and existing BRP will are scanned with two different scanners at the centre.

 

I chose to scan everything myself and all the woman did when we went to the centre was take my wife's biometrics and check that all the scans I had previously uploaded were ok. You get all of your documents back.

 

That's about it.

[globalThailand]

Thanks rasg.  And thanks for nudging me to the  (FM-SE) website.   I remember finding that a couple years back for the initial visa but, for some reason, it did't come up on google searches for guidance docs etc this time around... once I googled (FM-SE) I hit the site.  The conspiracy theorist may say they are trying to make it harder... probably just poor Google-<deleted> though

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

 

Re the biometrics - I'm looking for a location - would this be the website to check here? https://www.ukvcas.co.uk/locations

 

Is it an additional cost to scan stuff at one of these core service points?

[rasg]

Make sure you have the latest PDF. The one I have is dated June 2019. I found a few older version online but they show nothing about the new rules. It's a shame they don't provide a link on the application page.

 

A better link is this one:

 

https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/soprasteria-ukvi-prd-ukvcas/OpeningHours.pdf

 

It shows opening and closing times and all of the centres and the core centres where you can get a free appointment, if you are lucky.

 

No charge to have your documents scanned but I prefer to do something like it myself. That way I was able to double check that I hadn't missed anything. When you go to the appointment and see how busy these places are, you'll see what I mean.

[globalThailand]

I've spent a while going through the .gov guidance (FM-SE) and I can't find much specifying what documents are needed regarding accommodation.  I assume a copy of the tenancy agreement will be sufficient but I've seen a number of people suggesting an additional letter from the landlord.  Would this be a general description of the place (i.e how many bedrooms) to tick the "it's not overcrowded" box? 

 

Quote

E-ECP.3.4. The applicant must provide evidence that there will be adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but who live in the same household, which the family own or occupy exclusively: accommodation will not be regarded as adequate if-

(a) it is, or will be, overcrowded; or

(b) it contravenes public health regulations.

 

...Also still scratching my head about supplying various correspondence sent to our address.  I can't find a definitive list of how many are needed, over what period (though I assume over the time we've lived here) or where they should come from.  I've now read you can't provide letters the same source twice.  This is a potential problem as I had 3 from the council addressed jointly over 3 years for council tax!  

 

[rasg]

2 hours ago, globalThailand said:

...Also still scratching my head about supplying various correspondence sent to our address.  I can't find a definitive list of how many are needed, over what period (though I assume over the time we've lived here) or where they should come from.  I've now read you can't provide letters the same source twice.  This is a potential problem as I had 3 from the council addressed jointly over 3 years for council tax!  

I can’t answer the first question as I own my own house etc. All I did was supply our council tax bill and my mortgage statement. That was enough as only two of us live in the house.

 

A definitive list is generated when you have completed the visa before you pay etc. It will tell you what is required. We used bank statements, eye appointments, doctors appointments, my wife's smear test letter, my hospital appointment, P60, joint letters from HMRC etc etc. And council tax.

[globalThailand]

Thanks again rasg!

 

I'll make a start on that online for asap - I was gathering documents first in preparation for the application.  I guess I should turn that on it's head.

 

Presumably the online form stays 'live' before final payment / submission for some time right?

 

 

[rasg]

Yes. Just keep the link that they email to you so you can dip in and dip out. Be careful. The document list that you are after does change if you change the information that have already input to create a list.

[globalThailand]

Thanks again,

 

If anyone else has any experience applying while living in rented digs I'd love hear it.  I've seen a couple of other forums suggesting the tenancy agreement and a letter from the landlord (though not much in the way of what should be in that letter) 

[globalThailand]

Quick side note to idiot check something

 

I'm filling in the online application for 'family route' and answered the question about "What type of residence permit or visa do you have" (Answer: Spouse/Partner)

After filling in the dates it then asks... 

 

Quote

What type of visa, leave to enter or remain or other permission do you have to be in the UK?

And I'm now not sure if I should select 'family' or 'settlement'.  Is settlement for those applying for ILR?... 

 

 

[rasg]

Surely if the next visa for your wife is ILR, ie, she is currently on FLR, the answer is Further leave to remain or just Leave to remain.

[globalThailand]

Apologies for not being very clear on that last point.  My wife currently has leave to remain and has been in the UK since 2017 (expires Oct), and it's now time to apply for FLR

 

I've started the online application but just scratching my head on the question "What type of visa, leave to enter or remain or other permission do you have to be in the UK?"

 

 

It says you can find this info in the document that shows you are allowed to be in the UK but I can't find anything that specifically says either 'family' or 'settlement' on the letter we got (on the successful application for leave to remain).  On the BRP it says 'Spouse/partner'... As I understand it spouse visa is a type of settlement visa right? Not family?

 

 

 

 

[globalThailand]

I think my confusion lies in the fact that the .gov website lists spouse/partner visa under the 'Family Visas' section.

 

https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse

[rasg]

I wasn't sure which visa your wife is currently on and I had to go back to your very first post. Surely it is settlement as she is here on a settlement visa?

[globalThailand]

I think I've confused myself at the first hurdle - I've always just thought of the visa as a 'spouse visa', not specifically as it being a 'settlement' visa.

 

I seem to remember reading about some UK visa types getting merged/simplified recently - but whether that's the case or not, it certainly looks like 'spouse/partner' falls under the 'family' category (as listed on their website) which is the main source of my confusion.  As I posted previously there's nothing specifically stated in the letter we got 2.5 years back so I'm still not 100% sure that I should select settlement or family   

 

[globalThailand]

Is it me or are the questions getting more ridiculous?   Previous application for spouse visa required details of mother and father - I can even understand if they are asking for immediate family... but friends?  Where do you draw the line? People she met recently?  She must have a few hundred facebook friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Essex Reject]

Wow, what a minefield, best of luck with it.

 

On a  tangent, do you mind if I ask how it has all gone for you back there? As you probably know there is a lot of UK bashing on here. Cheers.

[Essex Reject]

9 hours ago, globalThailand said:

Is it me or are the questions getting more ridiculous?   Previous application for spouse visa required details of mother and father - I can even understand if they are asking for immediate family... but friends?  Where do you draw the line? People she met recently?  She must have a few hundred facebook friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

They probably means real friends, not FB ones, but yes ridiculous.

[globalThailand]

On 8/20/2019 at 7:48 AM, Essex Reject said:

On a  tangent, do you mind if I ask how it has all gone for you back there? As you probably know there is a lot of UK bashing on here. Cheers.

Adjusting to life back in the UK after a decade in Thailand wasn't too bad.  Not sure what you mean about UK bashing - Politics seems to be a bit nuts just about everywhere but I'd rather stay on topic on this thread ???? 

[globalThailand]

These questions are just getting more an more bizarre... I now have a question on what languages my son speaks - I just don't understand how that's relevant to my wife's visa application... O.o

[globalThailand]

OK so.... I'm now at the 'living with your partner' section.   

 

This is also the part where it asks for evidence of cohabitation.  So presumably I put our UK address here?  The question is pretty misleading... we started living together around 2007 in Thailand but I guess I'm not expected to list everywhere.

 

 

[globalThailand]

I'm holding out hope for some input on the above.  Very confusing question IMHO...  It asks when we started living together - allows for only one address - and asks for supporting evidence of cohabitation for 2 years...  Should I just put our current UK address here?  We've lived together for 12 years but here in the UK 2.5... 

 

 

[rasg]

The same question for us was simple as we have only lived together in the UK. I would put the total length of time you have been living together and then your UK address. You may find another box pops up asking for more addresses.

 

You are overthinking this a bit. ???? It's easier just answering the questions in the best way you can. The family and friends was plain stupid but I put down about 15 names of my wife's family.

 

For my wife's first FLR she had to supply her son's birth certificate even though he wasn't coming to the UK with us. You have no idea how long it took to get it from her family in Thailand. And then it had to be translated of course.

[Elad]

It doesn't ask for 'country', so i would just put time living together in the UK and the your UK addresses (if more than one)

Living together in Thailand is not relevant for a FLR application.  

[globalThailand]

hehe thanks all!

 

I'm almost certainly over thinking this! ????   Even though I have no doubt we fulfil all the requirements I'm more on edge about this application than the first one... dread to think what I'll be like on the ILR lol.

[rasg]

I think I did too because it was a new system and there were so many new questions that weren't in her first FLR.

 

I prefer the new system, btw.

[globalThailand]

Yup, so many new (and sometimes confusing) questions - but I agree the general format and ease of use has been improved quite a bit with this new system

[globalThailand]

Now having a mild panic.  Finally found a very clear guide on what is needed regards correspondence. 

 

 

I have a few joint letters but basically from the same source (so I guess I'd have to count that as 1).  I dug up some old letters - have plenty addressed to me but not very many for the Mrs (some of which are more than 2 years old).  For example I have a GP letter from when we first arrived and registered but that was 2.5 years ago... would that be acceptable? 

 

Just about everything we do these days is online... ???? 

 

  

 

 

 

 

[Elad]

You could use 2 with joint names from 1 source, as long as they cover the 2 year period. Then use 4 each individual from 2 other sources.

[globalThailand]

Uft... just checked my Council Tax bills and I have this year and 2017... but can't find 2018! 

 

I'm tempted to use the 2017 bill though - it's more than 2 years but surely that won't be a sticking point (ie proving we have been living together at the same address for more than the last 2 years)

 

Also just checked my Gas bill - frustratingly it's addressed to 'Mr. MyName & others'.  Though the letter does go on to name us both in the intro ie 'Dear Mr X and Mrs X'... would that count?