# FLR(M) Approved!



## wb897 (Sep 15, 2012)

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for all the help you gave me during this long and stressful process, especially Joppa and WestCoastCanadianGirl! My FLR(M) visa was approved, which is a huge relief.

I found it really helpful to read others' experiences, so maybe mine will help someone.

We had a PEO appointment in Croydon at 11 a.m. My husband and I got there at 10:30 a.m. and went through security checks. Next we went to a counter and showed a worker our form and appointment reference number (don't forget to bring it!). We were directed to the cashier window to pay, then sent to a large waiting room for our number to be called. 

Half an hour later, we called up to show a worker our passports, application form, and passport photographs we brought. He looked them over then told us to sit back down and wait for my number to be called for Biometrics. Another half hour later, I had my biometrics taken and told to wait again for a caseworker to call my number. At 1:15 p.m., our caseworker called us up and we handed her all of our documents. The documents I brought were:
-Completed FLR(M) Application
-Passports
-6 months bank statements
-6 months pay slips
-Letter from employer verifying salary and permanent employment
-Employment contract
-Marriage license
-Utility bill with both our names on it
-Tenancy agreement
-Letter explaining why my husband's employer didn't issue p60's last year
-Wedding invitation and photos 

After she took the documents, she told us to come back in a hour. However, she didn't call our number again for another 2 1/2 hours. It meant we didn't leave until 3:30, making the whole process 5 hours. Make sure you follow Joppa's advice and bring something to entertain yourself, because waiting is agonizing enough without having something to distract you. She handed our documents back and said my biometric resident card will arrive in 7 working days. Yay! All in all, it was crazy nerve-wracking and the suspense was terrible. But as Joppa has said before, it's a relatively straightforward process. 

_What I wish I had known before_
The caseworker seemed quite annoyed that I hadn't photocopied all my documents beforehand. Make sure you do that to avoid bothering UKBA employees.

Make sure you write a letter and explain anything that might be weak or missing in your application as you won't have a chance to defend yourself during the appointment. I was surprised that I handed over all the documents and that was it. I thought we would watch her go through them to answer any questions she had, but you don't.

Best of luck to everyone else trying to get visas!


----------



## Leanna (Oct 22, 2012)

Thanks for your account of the whole process! My husband and I will be going through all this in about 3 weeks here in Cardiff, and its so wonderful hearing what other people go through. I don't foresee any problems, but it's great to hear about your success!


----------



## Rhettski (Sep 14, 2012)

Well done, congratulations.

I just wanted to add that I went through the same process at the Cardiff UKBA office at the start of November last year. I had my FLR(M) approved as well, and have now re-entered the UK a few days ago on my new Residence permit. I was expecting lots of questions at the border (like I experienced when I entered the country for the first time on my previous Tier 5 YMS visa) but no questions at all.

My experience at the Cardiff UKBA was very similar. I was expecting an interview with lots of questions, with both myself and my girlfriend sponsor being grilled for hours about how long we'd known each other and what colour our eyes were etc etc. But it was just as wb897 said - very quick, pretty much just paid, submitted my application, waited for Biometrics and then was told to go explore Cardiff for a few hours and that they would call me back on my mobile when they needed to see me again. 

4 hours later I went back to the UKBA office to be told the lady had gone home for the day but my application had been successful. 2 days later had the BRP card in the mail.

I did provide a photocopy of most of my documents, it seems they took some of these, but I didnt have any comments about this being the norm at all.

I applied under the unmarried partner route, so my documents were slightly different - I included 20 items of correspondance to us both over 2 years, including tenancy agreements, joint bank account statements, council tax etc.

One thing that worried me - right when I submitted my docs, the lady asked me if I was sure I could apply for FLR(M) whilst on my Tier 5 YMS visa. She had not seen this done before, but I think she must have been quite new to her job. This scared me incredibly, I responded that i was 100% sure I could apply and she asked who told me this and I said I read it on the internet and had carefully looked through the UKBA information online...

... but was all fine of course. And now I am happily back in the UK with my partner.


----------



## cbear (Jan 23, 2013)

Hi there, I am on a Tier 5 YMS and want to switch to a FLR (M) as a defacto partner as my 2 years is almost up. I just about had a panic attack because my employer rang the helpline to make sure I will be able to keep working while waiting for a decision, only for them be told that I cannot switch into this visa, and I have to leave the country.
I know this was the rule, but I have seen so many people on the boards do exactly what I am trying to do, and (eventually) succeeding. The UKBA are of course so incredibly vague, and from what I read I thought it would be OK. 
eg 
*switching into another route: Switching into any other Points-Based System route or 
into visitor status is not allowed.* (from the YMS guidence notes)
Which is not what I am doing, is it?
Help please! Am I going to be rejected?


----------



## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

cbear said:


> Hi there, I am on a Tier 5 YMS and want to switch to a FLR (M) as a defacto partner as my 2 years is almost up. I just about had a panic attack because my employer rang the helpline to make sure I will be able to keep working while waiting for a decision, only for them be told that I cannot switch into this visa, and I have to leave the country.
> I know this was the rule, but I have seen so many people on the boards do exactly what I am trying to do, and (eventually) succeeding. The UKBA are of course so incredibly vague, and from what I read I thought it would be OK.
> eg
> *switching into another route: Switching into any other Points-Based System route or
> ...


You're fine. Switching from a points-based visa to a spouse (FLR) visa is permitted provided your YMS was issued for longer than 6 months.


----------



## cbear (Jan 23, 2013)

This is exactly what I thought. I assume as this is the same form, spouse/civil partner/defacto all count. 
My problem is that my employers are on the verge of suspending me because they are paranoid about me working illegally. I have shown them the guidance notes which specify that you continue on the same conditions as your previous visa while you are waiting, but they've been thrown off by this woman from the employers helpline saying she doesn't think it is possible. Is there an email address so I can get this in writing from UKBA?


----------



## laurastew (Oct 15, 2012)

cbear said:


> Is there an email address so I can get this in writing from UKBA?


I had exactly the same problem with my employers and a YMS > FLR(M) visa change. I had to call the UKBA hotline twice to get someone to tell me it was OK to switch while in the country, but even then the guy had to check with someone as he didn't initially know.

Have your employer call back and have the exact wording from the website ready to quote to the UKBA on the phone. That's what worked for me in the end. 

There is no email or other contact you'll be able to get but I can promise you, as the rules stand now, you are allowed to move from a current (not expired) YMS > FLR(M) and can get it done in 1 day if you book a Premium appointment (highly recommended).


----------



## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

Just ensure your PEO appointment falls on a date before the expiry of your current visa.


----------

