# Spouse Visa Approved! Next Steps?



## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Hi guys,

As some of you may know I got my settlement visa in the mail today and am so so excited! Again I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of this forum. I've looked through some similar threads but wanted to post one specific to me just to confirm a what I should be doing next. In no particular order: 

1) My visa is dated as valid from September 23rd and I'm flying to London on the 16th of October. I plan on applying for my FLR in person when the time comes, and then my ILR in person the time after that. What time would be the best time to get everything together next time? I want to have a specific date in mind so that I'm not caught by surprise in a few years. By my calculation I would try and schedule the in person appointment in Croydon for May 2017 to give me about a month before it expires on June 23rd 2017.

2) The minute I get to London I am starting a visa folder for the next time around and adding myself to the council tax. I plan to keep our passports, marriage certificate, original bank statements as they come, and both of us on the council tax bill. I'm also already on the tenancy agreement so going to have that as well. I won't be on any utility bills until we move to our own flat in a 4-6 months (we're living with one other tenant while we save up) but is there anything else I'm missing that should go in here now?

3) NHS: I've read a few different threads and have come to the conclusion that I am eligible once I get to the UK and will be applying as soon as I have enough proof of residence. I am correct yes? I also need a filling from a dentist as soon as this comes through. I was in the UK as a tourist last summer and saw a dentist that I loved (I paid last time/ claimed it on my visa application) that accepts NHS. Am I correct in assuming that once I'm on NHS I could make an appointment with him and it would be covered? Or are fillings/ root canals only partially covered? Not too sure on dentistry in the UK...

4) National Insurance Number: I can apply for this as soon as I enter the UK correct? Is there anything else other than my visa that I need as proof to obtain this?

5) Work: I am starting the application process now for a number of jobs based in London. I am correct in assuming that I can start a job without a national insurance number and give it to them once it is sent to me?

6) Banks: My husband has a Santander account and I plan on trying for a joint account at first (after I get my name on the council tax etc...) Anyone had any luck with this bank? I've heard I may have better luck with Lloyds bank? Not sure...

7) Phones: I am in desperate need of a new smartphone so will just be getting a phone under my husbands name until I have credit. How long is it estimated that I would need to build credit of my own before I could apply for things like this and be approved under my own name?

8) Driving: We will be living in London and won't have/ need a car (at least not in the near future), but I want to know when I can start taking lessons as I want the ability to rent a car etc... Also, if I have friends with cars are they allowed to give me lessons while my US license is still valid or do I have to pay an instructor the whole time? That seems very pricey and I really just want to get a hang for the other side of the road and all the other different quirks. 

9) Like I said we plan on renting a flat of our own in about 4-6 months in South West London. Since most agencies require 30x the monthly rent, we would need to count both of our incomes (once I have a job) for the places we are looking at (looking at flats priced 1,250 pcm or under). I'm worried since I will have very little credit history using me will get us denied. Will I be able to use my income without having my lack of credit hurt agency credit checks? Or do we just have to wait longer to move? (We would not be able to afford a crazy 6 month advance etc...)

10) Just to confirm: If and when I travel outside the UK I am advised to not go on longer trips (or it will need to be explained etc...) and for the year before ILR I can only be out of the country a total of 90 days and 270 for the 3 years before the ILR application? 

11) Last but not least do I need to have anything else other than my visa when I go through immigration at Heathrow the first time? My husband will be waiting for me with his phone on if they need to reach him, and I was going to keep all my extra visa docs with me just in case... Am I likely to get questioned in detail?

Phew! Sorry it's such a long list. Just want to confirm all this now so that once I get there my husband and I can finally relax and just be together.

Thank you so so much in advance for the support and any insights. 

Sending good thoughts to all those still waiting for news!


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Oh one other question! 

I have an open appeal from my previous refusal in January with a court date set for March 2015. Do I need to formally close this or is my current visa approval sufficient in canceling this?


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## Pallykin (Mar 30, 2014)

Hi Megan - 

As best as I can tell, you have things mostly correct.

I've heard that your best bet with mobile phones is pay as you go to start, and then you can go post paid after about six months of good behaviour.

What does "Since most agencies require 30x the monthly rent" refer to? Is that the annual income required to qualify for a particular monthly rent? So a salary of £30K for a £1K monthly rent?

A friend is having her sister and brother-in-law act as her guarantor on her flat rental, as she doesn't have much savings or a high income and no local references. This has delayed her move-in by about a week.

You can apply for your next visa at 30 months from your date of entry/visa activation. So late April would also be fine.

There's apparently no restrictions on travel except for the one you mention, however I think that might be for naturalisation. However, it should be clear that you are living with your husband in the UK.

Yes, you can start a job without a NIN. Best advice seems to be to apply for this the minute you arrive. Some people even try to get the ball rolling a bit before the arrive.


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Pallykin said:


> Hi Megan -
> 
> As best as I can tell, you have things mostly correct.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your input Pallykin!

As for the rent, that is what we were told by a few agencies, but maybe this ism't true across the board. My husband tried to move into a flat of his own before our application but was having trouble on just his salary (around 24,200) so he ended up in a 2 bedroom flat with a friend. We're really hoping to not have a guarantor so most likely will have to search for flats being rented out privately. But if the perfect place fell into our lap his parents would be happy to act as such. 

Anyways, thanks again for your help!


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## zakmuh (Aug 18, 2014)

meganf0412 said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Phew! Sorry it's such a long list. Just want to confirm all this now so that once I get there my husband and I can finally relax and just be together.
> 
> ...


Hello Megan, welcome to the kingdom of the queen and james bond :tea:

Do you and your hubby really wanna live in London? Stuff up in here are much cheaper and you find a great tranquillity 

Anyways...
1. 30th month from the date of your arrival.
2. Its spot on. You can still add your name to utility bills but it depends on the company though.
3. Your settlement visa itself is a proof so you can register with your local GP surgery straight away.
4. You don't need anything else to prove. Keep a copy of your hubbys landlords permission letter, in which you'd have your name in it as proof of address.
5. Yes, your surname and date of birth work as your temporary NI number to your employer
6. Lloyds...all the way
7. You can add your name to your hubbys mobile bill. But if youre after a sexy smart phone, then you gotta wait or you can try a 'SIM only deal'. Its a one month contract. Give it a try
8. If you have a UK provisional lincence, then you need someone sitting in the passenger seat, who holds a full UK driving licence for more than 3 years to give the wheel for a spin. If you have US international driving licence, then you dont need anyone. Just rent and drive BUT rental could be expensive based on the insurance.
By the way, make sure you dont drive on the right side lane and kiss oncoming cars. UK is LHS lane :bounce:

9. Sorry, no knowledge on this :fish:
10. yes but this applies only when your applying for resident permit/naturalisation. 
11. Bring a copy of all the supporting documents youve submitted with the application cos you also need to satisfy the 'entry clearance officer' at the immigration counter in the airport.

*PHEW*..I need a glass of water now lolz. 

Have a good flight


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

zakmuh said:


> Hello Megan, welcome to the kingdom of the queen and james bond :tea:
> 
> Do you and your hubby really wanna live in London? Stuff up in here are much cheaper and you find a great tranquillity
> 
> ...



Thank you SO much for all of the info! I know I wrote a novel like post, so it means a lot that you took the time to answer everything on the list! 

The hubby and I are both city dwellers by nature, (NYC for me, London for him) So I couldn't really imagine us living elsewhere. However we're both big on travel and there are so many places in the UK I haven't explored yet so any suggestions are welcome!  

Thanks again!


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Nyclon or Joppa (or anyone else who knows) if you see this could please let me know if my open appeal for my previous refusal needs to be officially closed now? There was a court date set for March 2015 so we decided to reapply instead (definitely the right choice!) But I want to make sure that nothing further needs to be done now that I'm approved and have my visa.

As always thanks for your time!


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

meganf0412 said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> As some of you may know I got my settlement visa in the mail today and am so so excited! Again I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of this forum. I've looked through some similar threads but wanted to post one specific to me just to confirm a what I should be doing next. In no particular order:
> 
> 1) My visa is dated as valid from September 23rd and I'm flying to London on the 16th of October. I plan on applying for my FLR in person when the time comes, and then my ILR in person the time after that. What time would be the best time to get everything together next time? I want to have a specific date in mind so that I'm not caught by surprise in a few years. By my calculation I would try and schedule the in person appointment in Croydon for May 2017 to give me about a month before it expires on June 23rd 2017.


Keep in mind that by 2017 there may be completely different procedures in place. At the moment you can book no sooner than 28 days before the 2 year anniversary of your arrival to live in the UK on a spouse visa. That puts you at around March 18th, I think.



> 2) The minute I get to London I am starting a visa folder for the next time around and adding myself to the council tax. I plan to keep our passports, marriage certificate, original bank statements as they come, and both of us on the council tax bill. I'm also already on the tenancy agreement so going to have that as well. I won't be on any utility bills until we move to our own flat in a 4-6 months (we're living with one other tenant while we save up) but is there anything else I'm missing that should go in here now?


For your next FLR (M) you'll need 6 pieces of official documents with each of your names on it whether separately or jointly scattered over the 2.5 year period.



> 3) NHS: I've read a few different threads and have come to the conclusion that I am eligible once I get to the UK and will be applying as soon as I have enough proof of residence. I am correct yes? I also need a filling from a dentist as soon as this comes through. I was in the UK as a tourist last summer and saw a dentist that I loved (I paid last time/ claimed it on my visa application) that accepts NHS. Am I correct in assuming that once I'm on NHS I could make an appointment with him and it would be covered? Or are fillings/ root canals only partially covered? Not too sure on dentistry in the UK...


I would suggest that you try to get your dental work done before you leave if you still have insurance. Dental care isn't free under the NHS. It's not as much as going private but there are generally waiting lists so you may not be able to get in to see a dentist as soon as you hope.



> 4) National Insurance Number: I can apply for this as soon as I enter the UK correct? Is there anything else other than my visa that I need as proof to obtain this?


https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number



> 5) Work: I am starting the application process now for a number of jobs based in London. I am correct in assuming that I can start a job without a national insurance number and give it to them once it is sent to me?


Yes.



> 6) Banks: My husband has a Santander account and I plan on trying for a joint account at first (after I get my name on the council tax etc...) Anyone had any luck with this bank? I've heard I may have better luck with Lloyds bank? Not sure...


Success opening a bank account varies even by branch.



> 7) Phones: I am in desperate need of a new smartphone so will just be getting a phone under my husbands name until I have credit. How long is it estimated that I would need to build credit of my own before I could apply for things like this and be approved under my own name?


At least a year.



> 8) Driving: We will be living in London and won't have/ need a car (at least not in the near future), but I want to know when I can start taking lessons as I want the ability to rent a car etc... Also, if I have friends with cars are they allowed to give me lessons while my US license is still valid or do I have to pay an instructor the whole time? That seems very pricey and I really just want to get a hang for the other side of the road and all the other different quirks.


There is no requirement to take lessons at all. You can drive on your US licence for 1 year.



> 9) Like I said we plan on renting a flat of our own in about 4-6 months in South West London. Since most agencies require 30x the monthly rent, we would need to count both of our incomes (once I have a job) for the places we are looking at (looking at flats priced 1,250 pcm or under). I'm worried since I will have very little credit history using me will get us denied. Will I be able to use my income without having my lack of credit hurt agency credit checks? Or do we just have to wait longer to move? (We would not be able to afford a crazy 6 month advance etc...)


I don't know.



> 10) Just to confirm: If and when I travel outside the UK I am advised to not go on longer trips (or it will need to be explained etc...) and for the year before ILR I can only be out of the country a total of 90 days and 270 for the 3 years before the ILR application?


There is no limit to how much time you can spend outside of the UK on a spouse visa but lengthy absences especially without your spouse may raise questions in future visa applications. Yes, you are right about the absences which are for citizenship but as you can apply for citizenship as soon as you have ILR it's pretty much the same thing.



> 11) Last but not least do I need to have anything else other than my visa when I go through immigration at Heathrow the first time? My husband will be waiting for me with his phone on if they need to reach him, and I was going to keep all my extra visa docs with me just in case... Am I likely to get questioned in detail?


You don't need to bring all your application documentation. Bring a couple of pay slips and bank statements and make sure your husband is waiting for you at the airport in case they want to call him to confirm something.

As far as your appeal, my inclination is to withdraw it. Joppa may know better, though.


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Thank you Nyclon! And not just for the detailed response, but for all the previous help too. I don't know if I could have navigated everything without all of your help!

I sent an email in response to an appeal email from earlier this week asking to withdraw my appeal. Do you know if I have to do anything else? Or maybe Joppa knows?


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## zakmuh (Aug 18, 2014)

meganf0412 said:


> Thank you SO much for all of the info! I know I wrote a novel like post, so it means a lot that you took the time to answer everything on the list!
> 
> The hubby and I are both city dwellers by nature, (NYC for me, London for him) So I couldn't really imagine us living elsewhere. However we're both big on travel and there are so many places in the UK I haven't explored yet so any suggestions are welcome!
> 
> Thanks again!


Any time 

Oh, there a loads of places to visit. For the moment, just settle down and enjoy the English city life till June and then you can explore Britain in beautiful sunny weather.

I could suggest you following places.....
1. The Highlands, Isle of Skye in Scotland. The place to experience castles. Fly to Edingburgh, take train (to view Harry Potter train bridge) to Inverness and then get the hire car from there to explore area.
2. Height of Abraham in Matlock, Derbyshire. I'd say it belongst to Robin Hood's county, Nottingham  - climbing up the hill through trees and rock in cable to to view the Midlands from a peek.
3. The Lake District for camping etc.

The above are my favourite. Others might suggest more exciting place


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## Billybaldeh (Mar 13, 2014)

Hi, can I ask you a question, my African wife has just got her settlement visa, am I correct in saying that 28 days before that ends we have to apply for the extension? Then after another 2 years we get the ILR? When can she apply for citizenship?
In answer to your question about NI number, I telephoned for an application form, I should have gone to an office as it is quicker.


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## zakmuh (Aug 18, 2014)

Billybaldeh said:


> Hi, can I ask you a question, my African wife has just got her settlement visa, am I correct in saying that 28 days before that ends we have to apply for the extension? Then after another 2 years we get the ILR? When can she apply for citizenship?
> In answer to your question about NI number, I telephoned for an application form, I should have gone to an office as it is quicker.


Hello,

Yes, thats correct. Your wife can apply for citizenship, which is naturalisation, after completing 1 year of the ILR.

During her naturalisation process, the Home Office needs last 5 or last 5 years' addresses. So better keep them noted in a safe place for future reference.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

Billybaldeh said:


> Hi, can I ask you a question, my African wife has just got her settlement visa, am I correct in saying that 28 days before that ends we have to apply for the extension? Then after another 2 years we get the ILR? When can she apply for citizenship?





zakmuh said:


> Hello,
> 
> Yes, thats correct. Your wife can apply for citizenship, which is naturalisation, after completing 1 year of the ILR.


This is incorrect. You can apply for naturalisation immediately after receiving ILR. The residency requirement for citizenship whilst on a spouse visa is 3 years however you must also have ILR which takes 5 years. You can apply for FLR (M) 28 days before you have lived in the UK for 30 months on a spouse visa. FLR (M) is good for another 2.5 years. After 5 years and passing the Life in the UK test and an English language test if necessary, you apply for ILR. Once you have ILR you can immediately apply for citizenship.


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

nyclon said:


> This is incorrect. You can apply for naturalisation immediately after receiving ILR. The residency requirement for citizenship whilst on a spouse visa is 3 years however you must also have ILR which takes 5 years. You can apply for FLR (M) 28 days before you have lived in the UK for 30 months on a spouse visa. FLR (M) is good for another 2.5 years. After 5 years and passing the Life in the UK test and an English language test if necessary, you apply for ILR. Once you have ILR you can immediately apply for citizenship.


That's good to know, I too thought you had to wait a year after ILR before applying for citizenship!


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

meganf0412 said:


> That's good to know, I too thought you had to wait a year after ILR before applying for citizenship!



Prior to the rule change in July 2012, if you were on a spouse visa you could apply for ILR after 2 years so to meet the 3 year residency requirement for citizenship you needed to have ILR for 1 year before you could apply.

Also, if you are on a Tier 2 General visa you have to have ILR for a year before you can apply for citizenship.


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

nyclon said:


> Prior to the rule change in July 2012, if you were on a spouse visa you could apply for ILR after 2 years so to meet the 3 year residency requirement for citizenship you needed to have ILR for 1 year before you could apply.
> 
> Also, if you are on a Tier 2 General visa you have to have ILR for a year before you can apply for citizenship.


Ah, that's probably where my confusion came from, old rules vs. new. Glad to hear I can apply for citizenship in 5 years instead of 6! Thanks as always for the clarification!


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## zakmuh (Aug 18, 2014)

nyclon said:


> This is incorrect. You can apply for naturalisation immediately after receiving ILR. The residency requirement for citizenship whilst on a spouse visa is 3 years however you must also have ILR which takes 5 years. You can apply for FLR (M) 28 days before you have lived in the UK for 30 months on a spouse visa. FLR (M) is good for another 2.5 years. After 5 years and passing the Life in the UK test and an English language test if necessary, you apply for ILR. Once you have ILR you can immediately apply for citizenship.


Oh thank you very much Nyclon. Your comment on this is very useful for anyone waiting for this process. 

You see, these solicitors are misleading. They even dont know what they are talking about eh!

Thanks again and sorry for giving an incorrect statement


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## zakmuh (Aug 18, 2014)

nyclon said:


> Prior to the rule change in July 2012, if you were on a spouse visa you could apply for ILR after 2 years so to meet the 3 year residency requirement for citizenship you needed to have ILR for 1 year before you could apply.
> 
> Also, if you are on a Tier 2 General visa you have to have ILR for a year before you can apply for citizenship.


Could you give the link for us to read and keep the naturalisation guidance for spouses please?


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Hi all!

I just wanted to update this thread for those about to move to the UK with my experiences so far:

National Insurance Number: just call 0345 600 0643 once you're here and they will mail you an application which you will then need to mail back. The entire call took all of 2 minutes.

NHS: I went online and searched for local GPs that were accepting new patients and had good reviews. I brought my passport with the visa and they had me fill out a registration form. I have an appointment next week and then should be getting an NHS card in the post. Again, very simple.

Phone: I really wanted a smart phone straight away so I had my husband take out another phone in his name at EE. For those of you who want to do the same, you can switch the phone number and plan over to your name after you have established credit free of charge. I plan on doing this in about 6 months.

Jobs: I decided temping was a good way to get my foot in the door. I just had my first interview at Gordon Yates and they seemed really good on first impression. 

Bank: Lloyds was really easy to set up! I was worried as I had read how complicated it would be as I had read various things online but I just brought in a letter in my name as proof of address and my passport with the visa. They looked at it, and set me up for an appointment. I went the next day and the whole process took less than 30 minutes and the account is really good for building credit here in the UK.

Anyways I just wanted to reassure those gearing up for the big move. I was anxious about getting myself settled in and thought everything would be a lot more complicated than it actually was. Hope this helps clarify things for a few people!


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## Anxious_wife (Mar 11, 2013)

nyclon said:


> For your next FLR (M) you'll need 6 pieces of official documents with each of your names on it whether separately or jointly scattered over the 2.5 year period.


6 piece each? Or between the couple?

Thanks


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

Anxious_wife said:


> 6 piece each? Or between the couple?
> 
> Thanks


Each of you have to have 6 pieces addressed to you. If you have 6 things addressed jointly then you only need 6. If you have 1 thing addressed jointly then that counts as 1 for each of you and you each need 5 things addressed separately. If you have nothing addressed jointly then you need 12 pieces of post 6 for you and 6 for your spouse.


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## Pallykin (Mar 30, 2014)

If all the items are in both your names, then you need six. 

If all the items are in only one of your names, the you will need six each for a total of 12.

If your items are somewhere between the two, then you need to a blend. So if you have 4 items in both your names, then the remaining 2 items can be covered by 4 items in each of your names.


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## topo morto (May 24, 2014)

Also I think they need to be from a mix of sources (At least 3?)


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