My experience of applying for UK FLR visa

[Tigger01]

OK so my wife has been in the UK on a Spouse visa for the last 2.5 years and I need to apply for the FLR visa for the next two and a half years, I thought I would share my experience and hopefully it may be of some use to others.

The FLR (M) visa is a 74 page application form although not all of it will apply, e.g, there is a section which is applicable to children if required. The main information required is similar to the original spouse visa application, personal details, sponsor details, accommodation, photographs, financial requirements etc, where the application can get a bit confusing is around the A1 English test but the bottom line (at the moment) is that if your spouse is here on a spouse visa and you have an existing A1 English pass then that should be OK for the FLR application, if there is any doubt, you will have to take a new test and obtain an electronic ref (SELT) number. Also, you now have to pay a National health service surcharge (£500) and obtain an electronic reference number which must be included on the application form.

There is other information required that can be difficult to answer, for instance, date when fingerprints were taken for the original visa and address of original application, probably VFS Regent house Bangkok for those that have forgot!

Other evidence that is required and could be tricky is “Six items of correspondence addressed to you and your partner at the same address as evidence that you have been living together since your last grant of leave”, this information has to be evenly spread over the past two years, fortunately, I did have a water bill in joint names and a bank account in joint names but this could be difficult if someone is unaware. If you do not have anything in joint names they will accept 6 pieces of evidence from each of you and include a covering letter if necessary.

After paying the £649 application fee and submitting the form, you will be invited to apply for a Biometric residence permit at a post office for £19.20, be aware there are not many post offices equipped to carry out the application, none in Southampton!

I believe in supplying as much paperwork with the application as possible so here’s a list that I sent :- Photographs of myself and partner, passports (mine and all of hers, marriage certificate and translation, 5 bank statements, 6 pay slips, A1 English test, my divorce certificate, land registry for my house, 2 utility bills, 6 building society statements, my P60, a financial reference from my employer and a covering letter.

My wife received her Biometric residence permit (no visa in passport) in about 5 weeks.

My thanks to 7by7 for his assistance, if I can help anyone with their application, message me.

[KNJ]

where is the 500 GBP paid, prior to applying or with the application?

Did you have to wait 5 weeks for the return of your passport also?

[Tigger01]

you have to pay the £500 before applying, you will be given a number to put on the application form to prove you've paid. As far as the passport goes, they will accept a photocopy of your passport but you have to photocopy every page, even blank ones and sign a declaration confirming it is valid.

[KNJ]

Many thanks. one additional question, where is the 500 GBP paid? local doctor?

I did read about it but was unclear where it had to be paid.

[Tigger01]

The guidance notes say ........ you must pay

the correct payment has been made towards the Immigration Health Surcharge, if applicable. You will need to assess the likely cost using the online portal https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application.

for me that was £500 and I think that will apply to almost everyone applying.

[7by7]

It's always good to get reports of people's personal experiences, Tigger01.

To expand a little, for the benefit of KNJ and others, if I may:-

For how to pay the health surcharge, see Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application; 4. Pay the healthcare surcharge

It is currently £200 p.a., rounded up to the next 6 months; so for a 30 month FLR that is £500.

An English speaking and listening test pass which has been accepted in a previous successful visa or leave to remain application can be used in any subsequent one; even if the certificate has expired and/or the provider is no longer on the approved list.

Provided, of course, it is of the required grade or better. Note that from October the grade for FLR will be A2. If the pass used for the initial visa was A1, then this will this mean taking a new test; I suggest aiming for B1 so it can be used again for ILR.

New visa and LTR fees come into effect on 18th March. The new FLR fee is £811 and the extra for applying in person increases from £400 to £500.

If applying in person, biometrics will be taken on the day at the PEO.

If applying by post, you will be sent a letter inviting you to have them taken at a post office.

The Post Office page Do you need to register your biometric information? gives more information on this, and has a search facility to find the nearest branch offering the service (BTW, according to that; there are three in Southampton!).

Once received, keep the BRP safe. It is the holder's only evidence that they are legally resident in the UK, can work, access the NHS, etc..

See Get a biometric residence permit (BRP) for more; including what to do if it's lost!

[Tigger01]

Thanks 7by7, useful info as usual, I didn't know the fee was about to go up, that will cheer may mate up as his wife's FLR is due in June!!! I didn't realise they work out the health charge like that, Good idea with the English B1 test as well. Thanks again.

[headlad]

Thank you for your information and 7by7 input, very informative. I am just preparing everything to apply for my wife's FLR before June 2nd. I too was unclear about her A1 test, she passed for her spouse visa but I am not clear about whether it

would be valid for FLR, so we are off to London Sunday to take a SELT test, if she fails perhaps we can use the

old one!! I thought about my wife going for B1 but I think the certificate is only valid for 2 years?

You also cleared up what happens with the biometric readings ... they send you details after they receive your application?

How long before the application do you pay for the health surcharge?

Just seen the update about the fee increase for FLR as to be expected......

Where are you? I see you mentioned Southampton, I am in North Hampshire fancy meeting? It would be nice to know I

am going about it the right way and have collected the correct information and enough.

[Always18]

Excellent info guys - many thanks.

My wife and I now have 2.5 yrs to prepare for the FLR..............but no doubt the goalposts will have been moved yet again by then!

[Tigger01]

Headland, happy to have a chat, send me your number via a PM and I'll give you a buzz, I tried to PM you but can't for some reason!

[7by7]

I too was unclear about her A1 test, she passed for her spouse visa but I am not clear about whether it

would be valid for FLR, so we are off to London Sunday to take a SELT test, if she fails perhaps we can use the

old one!! I thought about my wife going for B1 but I think the certificate is only valid for 2 years?

As said, any pass which has been used in a successful visa or leave to remain application can be used in subsequent ones even if the certificate has expired or the provider is no longer on the approved list.

So, provided she applies before October when the language requirement for FLR changes to A2, she can use the A1 pass she used for her initial visa for her FLR application.

If she does achieve B1, the level required for ILR, on Sunday she can use that for her FLR application as it exceeds the minimum required and then use it again for her ILR application, even if the certificate has expired by then.

If she does this, make sure you keep a record of her SELT number as she will need it for the applications.

But remember, she can only use an expired B1 pass for her ILR if she has previously used it in a successful application; e.g. for her FLR.

If she doesn't achieve B1 then she will have to take it again at a later date in order to apply for ILR.

You also cleared up what happens with the biometric readings ... they send you details after they receive your application?

If applying by post; yes. If applying in person at a PEO they will take biometrics on the day as part of the process.

How long before the application do you pay for the health surcharge?

As far as I can determine; up to you.

All the relevant UKVI page says is

If you’re making an immigration application online you pay the healthcare surcharge as part of the application process. You must complete the payment and return to the online immigration application in less than 30 minutes.(7by7 note; FLR applications cannot currently be made online)

If you’re making an immigration application at a premium service centre, you pay the surcharge when you book an appointment.

If you’re making an immigration application by post you must pay the healthcare surcharge before you complete your application.

[ajb1985]

Hi,

Me and the missus are due to apply for FLR at beginning of May.

Thanks for the updates and info.

[CCity Rocker]

Hi,

I have not been on for a while although I read the forums most days, and am now at the stage where I am preparing to apply for my wife's FLR. Thanks for the raising the questions guys and for the clarification from 7by7. The help I received on this forum last time around from people like 7by7 and TonyM was excellent and allowed us to successfully apply for a UK spouse visa without any hitches.

Thanks again, and I'm sure I will be asking plenty of questions again very soon.

[CCity Rocker]

Hi there

I'm not sure if this post is in the right place, but perhaps someone could advise if not? Please could anyone clarify how Section 4 of the application should be approached, as my wife has a child from her previous marriage. He is Thai, 22 years old, married with a child, lives and works in Bangkok with no intention of ever coming to live in the UK. Obviously he is not a dependent child. However,  Section 4 - Dependent children, question 4.2 asks: Do you have any children whose parent is not your sponsor? yes or no. The true answer is yes as the question does not include the word 'dependent'.

I am confused as to how this should be answered accurately.

[crazydrummerpauly]

21 hours ago, CCity Rocker said:

Hi there

I'm not sure if this post is in the right place, but perhaps someone could advise if not? Please could anyone clarify how Section 4 of the application should be approached, as my wife has a child from her previous marriage. He is Thai, 22 years old, married with a child, lives and works in Bangkok with no intention of ever coming to live in the UK. Obviously he is not a dependent child. However,  Section 4 - Dependent children, question 4.2 asks: Do you have any children whose parent is not your sponsor? yes or no. The true answer is yes as the question does not include the word 'dependent'.

I am confused as to how this should be answered accurately.

This is typical of the loose ways government forms are constructed, just something we have to live with.  The main way i've ploughed through them all, is always to refer to the Heading of the section to know what to put.  If that section is headed 'Dependent children', then i wouldn't mention the 22-year old, but others might take the opposite view.

Edited August 2, 2016 by crazydrummerpauly

[7by7]

I agree; the heading is 'Dependent Children' so that, imho, is what they are asking about.

 

 

[CCity Rocker]

Thanks for the replies crazydrummerpauly and 7by7,

 

I feel much better about ticking the 'NO' box now. On reflection it seems to be the logical way to proceed and it also saves a lot of unnecessary work for my stepson and I. Thanks again for the clarification.

 

 

[CCity Rocker]

Hi there

 

Many thanks again for the advice which has been offered on this subject. I am now at the stage where I will be submitting the application once I receive the last up to date bank statement.

 

Our situation is a bit different, we have been living at my parent’s house for the last 30 months since our marriage and our original intention was to get established in the UK and move into our own place as soon as possible. My dad has advanced Alzheimers disease and my mum had a stroke 2 months after we arrived. I am in receipt of carers allowance as I am the primary carer for my dad and I also look after my mum. My wife works part time and earns £13, 400.00 p.a. after tax and NI and I am fortunate enough to have savings exceeding the limit required to meet the adequate maintenance requirements.

 

 I am would be very grateful if members with experience of could clarify or advise regarding the following:

 

As we do not have any bills or official documents in our joint names, I am providing the required number of documents in our individual names and will also provide a letter of explanation. Would something along the lines of the above paragraph be sufficient for this purpose?

 

I am also providing a letter from my mother confirming that we have been living in their house since April 2014. It also states that the mortgage is settled and there is sufficient space for all of us. Should this follow any particular format or mention anything else?

I am providing a copy of the deeds and a letter confirming the settlement of the mortgage. Is this necessary and/or should I be providing anything else to satisfy the adequate maintenance requirements regarding accommodation?

 

I am including letters from the DWP confirming my receipt of carers allowance, the corresponding bank statements, and statements from my other accounts, marriage and divorce certificates and certified translations that we used for the spouse visa, wife’s pay slips and letter from her employer confirming her salary etc., passports, photos, official letters and bank statements for my wife and the A1 BULATS English test certificate (I am aware that this will no longer be acceptable in October)

 

Should these documents be presented in a folder and organised in a logical format?

 

Is there anything in that list I may have overlooked?

 

I am reasonably confident that I have it all covered, but bitter experience has taught me to be very cautious and be prepared for the unexpected. Any advice or comments regarding any of the above would be gratefully received.

 

Many thanks in advance and apologies for this rather long post.

[rasg]

We put my wife's FLR in a few days ago.

 

I treated it the same way as the other three visas. (Two VVs and a Settlement).

 

Three folders. Applicant's info. Sponsor info. Proof of relationship. I also had one headed my business accounts but that won’t apply to most people. All of the things to do with me as sponsor are in my folder. Passport etc. Same for the wife. Anything for both of us like correspondence are in the proof of relationship folder. All are labelled.

 

The deeds are probably not necessary but the mortgage letter is useful although it cannot do any harm to include both.

 

 

[CCity Rocker]

Thanks rasg, that makes sense. 

 

[7by7]

From note 11 of form FLR(M)

Quote

 If you do not have enough items in your joint names, you may also provide items addressed to each of you individually if they show the same address for both of you..........

 

If you and your partner lived with relatives or friends for some or all of the 2-year period, please provide a letter from the relative(s) and/or friend(s) confirming this.............

 

Please give an explanation on a separate sheet if you cannot provide six items; if the items are not addressed to both of you; or if they do not cover the 2-year period.

 

As you are in receipt of Carers Allowance then, as you know, you are exempt from the financial requirement; instead you have to show what they call "adequate maintenance." See section 21 d) of the guidance notes

 

So ignore section 7A of the form and complete section 7B instead.

 

The evidence you need to supply can be found in paragraph 12 of the specified evidence appendix.

[CCity Rocker]

Thanks 7 by 7, sorry for the delay in response I've been on holiday in Brecon without wifi for a few days!

[bobrussell]

Sadly Southampton does not have a Post Office that does biometrics. Portsmouth, Eastleigh and Romsey (out in the sticks).

A bit crazy for such a large city. Not sure how many other big cities are so badly served.

Passport application interviews are Portsmouth or the Isle of Wight!!

[CCity Rocker]

Guys, 

 

Further scrutiny of Immigration Rules Appendix FM-SE: family members specified evidence JULY 2016 has led me to another question. 

 

(j) Where any specified documents provided are not in English or Welsh, the applicant must provide the original and a full translation that can be independently verified by the Entry Clearance Officer, Immigration Officer or the Secretary of State. The translation must be dated and include:

(i) confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document;

(ii) the full name and original signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company;

(iii) the translator or translation company’s contact details; and

(iv) if the applicant is applying for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain, certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company’s credentials.

Does this mean that the translations we submitted with our documents for the spouse visa now have to be certified again by a qualified translator for FLR (M)?

[CCity Rocker]

Please anyone? 

 

I am struggling to understand the full implication of this statement:  (iv) if the applicant is applying for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain, certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company’s credentials.

 

I have looked back and cannot see if this particular requirement was in place when we originally submitted our documents 30 months ago. Has anyone had their original documents recently certified for FLR(M), or I am completely overthinking this and the fact that they were accepted for a successful application of the spouse visa be enough?

[husseinfatal]

Hi all, 

 

Few questions if i may!

 

Regarding the biometric residence section on the FLR form, i was wondering if some could advise?

 

My wife is applying for herself and 2 dependents, but there is only space to put one applicant the details. Can i print out two more copies of section 9 and attached it all to cover all three applicants? 

My wife doesn't have a BRP card, as she came before that was a requirement. The two dependent children only arrived this year though so have the BRP cards, and i want to include the details of their cards.  

For other sections where you have dependents, it says to photocopy the blank form and attach it, i presume that's ok to do for the biometric section also?

 

 

Do i need to submit my wifes payslips? In the financial section it asks for her pay details etc which i have filled in, but do i need to prove it? We are applying using my salary as the evidence of financial requirement and i have all my payslips etc

 

Bank statements...we have enclosed 2 that are stamped barclay bank copies. Will this be OK? They have our address and Barclays were happy to stamp them, but they said they can't issue coloured originals again. 

 

Nearly there then got everything else in order i think!

 

Ed

 

[7by7]

1) BRP.

It does seem that Q9.17 only allows for one dependent. I'd do as you suggest; photocopy that part for the other child and say what you have done in a cover letter.

 

2) Payslips.

 You only need to provide the required evidence that the financial requirement is met. If you are meeting this entirely from your income then you do not need to include your wife's payslips.

 

3) Bank statements

If your bank have stamped the copies to certify that they are correct then that is fine.

[husseinfatal]

Perfect thanks as always!

[CCity Rocker]

Hi again

 

I have a few more questions I'm afraid. My wifes spouse visa expires on the 28th of November 2016 and for a variety of reasons we still not have submitted the application. My wife passed her B1 with Trinity college London last week, so now we're sorted for this application and the ILR in 2 and half years time. 

 

I am in receipt of carers allowance therefore I am exempt from the financial requirement, but I must show what they call "adequate maintenance." I have over the £62, 500.00 in savings to cover this and I also work part time for a charity as a volunteer and receive around £150.00 per month in expenses. My wife also works part time and receives a salary. Could anyone advise me how I can include these as income sources on the form or should I just explain the situation on page 39 of the document?

 

The documentary evidence for the provision of adequate maintenance regarding accommodation seems to be unclear.

I am providing a letter from my mother confirming that we have been living in their house since April 2014. It also states that the mortgage is settled and there is sufficient space for all of us. I am providing a copy of the deeds and a letter confirming the settlement of the mortgage. I cant work out if I need to provide details of the council tax payable. Is this necessary and/or should I be providing anything else to satisfy the adequate maintenance requirements regarding accommodation?

 

My wife was divorced from her Japanese husband in 2006, unfortunately we no longer have the original divorce certificate. We have no idea how this was lost, as we have every other document from our spouse visa application. We do have a photocopy of the original certificate and a photocopy of the  translation which was stamped and certified at the ministry of foreign affairs. We also have the original copy of the stamped registration of family status document from the Amphur (An original is never  provided as each divorce is recorded on an individual page in a large book) we also have a certified translation of this document which we used for the spouse visa. We have tried to obtain a copy of the original certificate but have been told by the Japanese embassy that this is not possible unless my wife can contact her ex husband and get a signed letter granting permission for the issue of a copy. As they have had no contact since 2005, we have no idea of his whereabouts and dont even know if he is still alive, this will be impossible. There is so much conflicting information regarding missing original documents that I am concerned about how to manage this. Does anyone have any experience of this or know if a letter of explanation would be acceptable?

 

Lastly, there seems to be a degree of confusion regarding question 10.14  Please state what ties you have with:

• The country where you were born.

• Any other country whose nationality you hold.

• Any country where you have lived for more than five years.

 

Some people have advised just writing immediate family and friends, others have said list all family members. Does anyone know which is best here. The reason I ask is that in one of my previous posts I asked  about Section 4 - Dependent children, question 4.2 asks: Do you have any children whose parent is not your sponsor? yes or no. The true answer is yes as the question does not include the word 'dependent'. I answered no, as my step son is 22, married with a child and has no intention of coming to live in the uk. Therefore, if I list him as a family member would I not be opening a can of worms and making even more problems for myself?

 

I am sorry that this post is so long, but I don't know how else to address these issues unless I make a series of additional posts for each question.

 

Please, If anyone can help at all I would be extremely grateful.

 

Many thanks.

 

 

 

 

[Rob180]

On 9/24/2016 at 0:32 PM, CCity Rocker said:

Please anyone? 

 

I am struggling to understand the full implication of this statement:  (iv) if the applicant is applying for leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain, certification by a qualified translator and details of the translator or translation company’s credentials.

 

I have looked back and cannot see if this particular requirement was in place when we originally submitted our documents 30 months ago. Has anyone had their original documents recently certified for FLR(M), or I am completely overthinking this and the fact that they were accepted for a successful application of the spouse visa be enough?

 

Hi CCR. I have recently completed an FLR application which has now been approved. The whole process took 7 weeks. The FLR application form is a nightmare as are the so called laughably named 'Guidance Notes'. I am used to dealing with paperwork but this stuff was the most contradictory, time consuming, confusing load of tripe I've ever come across.

 

I can tell you that all documents in Thai must be translated to English  and certified by the translator as being a true and accurate translation. If you have got translated documents already, but they are not certified as stated above, you will have to give the translation documents to a translation company and get them certified. I didn't have translations of divorce and birth certificates (only marriage certificates), so I had to get them translated from Thai and certified. The translation company I used was DHC Translation Services. They translated and certified the documents. They did a very good job and the cost was about £25 per certificate.

 

If what you have just now is just translated documents, you will have to get them certified. 

 

Cheers

Edited November 2, 2016 by Rob180