# FLR(M) Spouse Visa Extension Success in Croydon



## sijo.kurian (Mar 22, 2013)

Hello All,

I have got the extension for the second part of my 5 year partner visa route (first leave to remain followed by initial 33 months entry clearance) on 21st Nov’15 from Croydon Premium Centre. I have used the various posts and advice from the forum to prepare and submit my application.

I was very nervous with the last minute application change and language requirement wording changes. 

I thought of sharing my experience and try to answer few questions I used to see on this forum regarding English language requirements and income evidence.

On English language, I have used my expired IELTS certificate and it was fine. So as Joppa always says, a previously approved English language certificate in the same visa route holds good for FLRM extension as well, even if the certificate is expired and exam no longer in the list (Appendix 32D of FM_SE)

My wife (sponsor) is currently on maternity leave, hence I had provided her pay slips and bank statements 6 months prior to her maternity start date. I have also provided her employer reference letter which states the maternity leave information along with other normal details. How ever I also provided recent bank statement and payslips to show the SMP payment to the account.

I was very tempted to add my income also to the form (mainly because my wife was in maternity). I am working as a consultant through my limited company, so if I am adding my details, I need to provide lots of papers to substantiate the claim. So I decided to go only with wife’s income details. I had provided a cover letter stating all these matters along with listing of evidences I have provided. I don’t know whether this was helpful, as no clarifications or questions asked by my case officer and the visa was approved.

On the submission of documents, I had prepared two sets of documents, one set of originals and one set of photocopies. When I got the documents back, I doubt my original documents are even touched. I got back the docs in the same order with the binder clip, no re-arrangements. From the copies set, they have kept most of the documents except the bank statements and pay slips.

It took around 1 hour for the initial case registration and bio metrics collection. After the bio metrics ( this is when they take your documents), it took an hour to get the decision. So in total I spend around 2 hour 15 mins in the centre. Overall experience was quite good.

Apologies for the long post. I hope this post is helpful to some one who is looking to renew his spouse visa in the near time.

Thanks,
Sijo


----------



## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

Congratulations to you!


----------



## perfectisboring (Feb 9, 2013)

Congratulations! That's great news.  

Which documents did you submit for your co-habitation evidence?


----------



## sijo.kurian (Mar 22, 2013)

I have submitted documents both jointly ones and individual ones. I had lots of utility bills and banks documents to choose from. I have mainly used water, electricity, bank , NHS and HMRC letters for the evidence.


----------



## perfectisboring (Feb 9, 2013)

That's good to know, thanks! 

I have 5 joint letters (2 water bills, 1 joint bank account statement and 2 council tax notices), 2 separate letters (1 electricity bill to my husband and one electricity account summary to me), as well as our last two tenanacy agreements and a letter from our current letting agent to confirm that we both still live on a month-by-month lease. I'm hoping that's enough evidence!


----------



## sijo.kurian (Mar 22, 2013)

If your letters are spread across last 2 years time span, it should be fine. As per the rule, you have correct number of documents.


----------



## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

perfectisboring said:


> That's good to know, thanks!
> 
> I have 5 joint letters (2 water bills, 1 joint bank account statement and 2 council tax notices), 2 separate letters (1 electricity bill to my husband and one electricity account summary to me), as well as our last two tenanacy agreements and a letter from our current letting agent to confirm that we both still live on a month-by-month lease. I'm hoping that's enough evidence!


The postal items that you have should be fine to satisfy the living together requirement. 

As far as the UKVI is concerned, 2 individually addressed items (i.e. one in your name, one in your husband's name) equals 1 joint items, so your 5 joint and 2 individual items are sufficient.

If you are going to submit your tenancy agreement, only the most recent one is needed... the letter from the letting agency is helpful as well... the previous tenancy agreement isn't necessary.


----------



## perfectisboring (Feb 9, 2013)

WestCoastCanadianGirl said:


> The postal items that you have should be fine to satisfy the living together requirement.
> 
> As far as the UKVI is concerned, 2 individually addressed items (i.e. one in your name, one in your husband's name) equals 1 joint items, so your 5 joint and 2 individual items are sufficient.
> 
> If you are going to submit your tenancy agreement, only the most recent one is needed... the letter from the letting agency is helpful as well... the previous tenancy agreement isn't necessary.


Thanks! The tenancy agreement from our first rental is the only cohabitation evidence we have for 2013 (our first visa was approved in June 2013) aside from a joint bank account statement from July 2013 and our council tax notice from May 2013 (dated just before we married and applied for the visa - so is that even valid to include?). If I submitted those two letters without the tenancy agreement from that time period, would that be okay?


----------



## KHP (Oct 25, 2012)

Congratulations! Good to hear it was pretty straightforward. I'm on maternity leave and my husband will be applying in spring next year so we'll be submitting my payslips from before I went on leave. 
My husband might have to take a new English test though as he did Toeic before.


----------



## pinaylove (Sep 20, 2013)

Doesn't it mean my toeic test is fine to use for my flr (m) on 2017 ...I'm tempted to take trinity college test I am so worried for this I don't want any problem on the day of my application ..


----------



## KHP (Oct 25, 2012)

To be honest we're not sure that's why my husband is going to take a new test.


----------



## luxman (Nov 29, 2015)

Hi Sijo or Joppa

i am going to use my ESOL (previously approved English language certificate) to extend the spouce VISA and need advise regarding how to fill the FLRM form?

On page 60 of the FLRM from, may i know which one should i tick for English language requirement? or should i leave it blank and fill page 42 & 43?


----------



## elysebaril (Jan 20, 2012)

Question about financial requirements and maternity leave. My mat leave finishes in two days. I go back on the payroll but only start work in January as I had some annual leave. I didn't have any maternity pay for the last two months but some before that. Am I alright to use the six months prior to my maternity pay if I want to apply before the end of this month? 
Thanks


----------



## sijo.kurian (Mar 22, 2013)

elysebaril said:


> Question about financial requirements and maternity leave. My mat leave finishes in two days. I go back on the payroll but only start work in January as I had some annual leave. I didn't have any maternity pay for the last two months but some before that. Am I alright to use the six months prior to my maternity pay if I want to apply before the end of this month?
> Thanks


You should be able to use 6 months payslips prior to your maternity start date.

A quote from Appendix FM-SE below:

16. Where a person is in receipt of maternity, paternity, adoption or sick pay or has been so in the 6 months prior to the date of application, this paragraph applies:

(a) the relevant date for considering the length of employment with their current employer will be the date that the maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave commenced or the date of application; and
(b) the relevant period for calculating income from their salaried employment will be the period prior to the commencement of the maternity, paternity, adoption or sick pay or to the date of application.


----------



## elysebaril (Jan 20, 2012)

Ah great, you're right, I did read it, we shall do that then  
Thanks


----------



## bhum (Nov 24, 2015)

sijo.kurian said:


> I have submitted documents both jointly ones and individual ones. I had lots of utility bills and banks documents to choose from. I have mainly used water, electricity, bank , NHS and HMRC letters for the evidence.



Hi 
Im gona apply for flrm soon and wanted to know how you set the letters out for the cohabitation? We have 1 joint bank account and others is indivuals letters and statements for me and my husband so how do i set them up? Do mine and my husbands letters need to be at a different month or is it ok to show same month for different letters? Can i use same joint bank account statement for another month? Very confused.. please help?!


----------



## Amin1981 (Aug 21, 2015)

Hello sijo,I wanted to ask when you got your second visa from what date is it showing on your visa and when does the new visa end?


----------



## sijo.kurian (Mar 22, 2013)

Sorry for the late reply. I got the Visa from date of application which was 21st Nov till 18th June 2018. Its for 31 months.


----------

