# Outcome of my PEO appointment - FLR(M) – Spouse



## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

Hi I just wanted to let everyone know that my Visa was granted yesterday. The appointment was at Solihull and it was surprisingly quick (it took only 2 hours and a half!). In case anyone would like to know how the process was for me (remember every case is different depending on your circumstances, also bear in mind that in my case I was switching from a Points-based visa to a Spouse Visa), here is how it all happened (sorry it is so long! if you want just skip to the bottom and read the very last paragraph):


As instructed my husband and I got to the PEO 30 min before the appointment was meant to be. Got in, they checked my form as they carried out the security checks. Told me the form was OK. We sat down. About 10 min later they gave us our ticket with our number. After that we waited for about an hour before they called us for the interview. 

My husband and I were interviewed together for about 20 min. 

First the caseworker asked us to pass over the form and our passports (I also provided my BRP) and then checked our passports very thoroughly (I handed in two because my BRP was issued on my previous one). The caseworker took a long look at the previous visas I had been granted in that old passport and started ticking a relatively long checklist. Then the caseworker asked how we were meeting the financial requirement so I answered through salaried employment from my sponsor (I was nervous so instead of saying husband I said sponsor :/). 

Then the caseworker mostly addressed my husband, asked what his salary was and how long he had been working for his employer (salary is above the requirement and he has been working for the same employer for a few years) then the caseworker said we could pass the documents (all originals) to prove our finances and requested the following: bank statements (we had internet statements which we managed to get stamped after 3 attempts), pay slips (we those we also provided a letter from employer confirming authenticity as they are not printed in headed paper) and letter from the employer confirming salary and employment details. Then the caseworker paused and said do you also have the P60, so we said yes, then asked and the contract, and we said yes again. At this point the caseworker seemed rather surprised and said it was unusual that we had them, that most people don’t, so my husband said that I had done a lot of reading. At this point I am pretty sure that the caseworker said that because it was so unusual they would need to do further checks BUT my husband says he didn’t hear the caseworker saying this at all so it could be that I misunderstood what the caseworker said (again because I was nervous) or maybe he didn’t hear that bit, anyway because of this I got even more nervous than I already was. The caseworker checked those documents and said they all looked fine and then asked for the evidence that I met the language requirement and the marriage certificate and I passed both over. After checking those the caseworker said everything looked fine and didn’t ask for any more documents (even though I had included other documents in the form, I don’t think the caseworker even checked the list). 

After this the caseworker said that it would be a few more minutes because they needed to check our passports, so got up and was away for a few minutes. Then returned and again said everything was fine. Explained the Visa allows me to stay for 2.5 years and that I’m not allowed to use public funds, and also that the visa has no work restrictions. We were then told how to apply for further leave to remain we now need to keep evidence of our relationship for the next years with a lot of detail (if anyone wants to know more about what we were told let me know). Then said that everything was fine with the application (at this point I got the feeling that it was going to be approved but I wasn’t sure if she was implying that or maybe it was wishful thinking, anyways I started to feel a bit more relaxed). At this point I mentioned that I had brought copies of everything and asked if they needed them and the caseworker said yes that it was great I had brought them so I gave those too. Then I asked about applying under my married name and I was told that at this stage I wouldn’t be able to do so (because my passport still doesn’t show the name) but that I could do that later (once I got the new passport with the name) and said that it wasn’t the exact same process as this (no need to pay either), that it was more like when you change the name on your driving license. We then were told to go to make the payment which was very quick, then we were told to go back to the waiting room and that we would be called for my biometrics to be taken in a while. At this point we had been at the PEO for an hour and a half. We then waited for 40 minutes and then they took my biometrics. 

This took about 10 minutes and once the person took my fingerprints and the photo she told us that we would have to wait for another while so they could process the biometrics and the payment. She said that once that was done they would tell us to leave for approximately two hours. We had actually noticed that they had been approaching people who had been there before us (at the waiting room) to tell them that they could come back later (we noticed they gave the same time to everyone) so I assumed that we would have to come back at the same time as everyone else. 

After about 10 minutes though instead of someone approaching us to say what they said to everyone else they called out my number and told me to go to a desk. At this point I realized this was unusual and I got really worried, I thought something was wrong. When I got to the desk (which was the one right at the entrance, were they initially checked my form on arrival) I saw a folder which contained all my documents and a note which I tried to read but was upside down and all I managed to see was the word NOT (or so I thought), so I panicked and assumed it had been denied. The person who was talking to me quickly removed the note from the folder and took the papers out of the folder and handed them to me as he started explaining that my visa had been granted and how the BRP was going to be sent to me. But I didn’t listen carefully to what the person was telling me as they handed me the documents because I had assumed the worst. My brain couldn’t compute what was happening either because we had never left the building like others had been told to do. So when the man finished talking I said thank you and I walked towards my husband and told him I needed to make sure all our documents were returned (because I didn’t want to say out loud I wasn’t sure if it got approved or not) so we walked back to where we had been seating and I glanced at the letter that said my BRP would be sent in 7 days, then I told him I was confused that I wasn’t sure if I heard correctly that it had been granted and he said “Yes it was, I heard it clearly”. I asked again “Are you sure? Don’t we have to come back later like everyone else”. And he said to me “but all the documents are there, so I don’t think so, but you can ask again”. So I went back to the desk and asked someone else if we had to come back later and they said "what number are you" and I said the number and he said “you’re visa has been granted, don’t worry you don’t need to come back again, the BRP will be sent to you". At this point I finally accepted it was true so we left (only 2.5 hours after we arrived!) feeling extremely happy, and I feeling massively relieved! Now I’ll just have to wait to get my BRP (not sure how long they are actually taking to arrive) and next year I’ll attempt to change the name on it, once I renew my passport. I hope the processing times by then are better!

*P.S.* I would like to thank all the people who answered my questions on this forum. Only 9 days passed from the moment I started working on my application till the day it was approved (I got married less than a month ago so I hadn’t really had time to start working on my application sooner than I did!). Getting my visa approved after just 9 days would not have been possible if I had not found and joined this forum and if the forum hadn't been full of wonderful and generous people. Thanks to all the information you share here and the people who replied to our questions I managed to avoid the currently long process of postal applications which would had a major detrimental effect on our lives. Some of you answered my questions very late at night or very early in the morning and for this I am immensely grateful as I know you have no obligation to help. I also want to thank the people who reassured me by saying that it was all going to be fine. You know who you are! So thank you once again!


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

VERY pleased to read this!!!

Congratulations, Melody!


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## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

Thank you so much!


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I saw the title of your thread but my ailing internet connection kept refusing to load the rest of the page so I couldn't find out if you had been successful. I'm so glad you have! What wonderful news!


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## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

Thank you 2farapart! You are right I should have included it in the title!


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

Oh it's fine! 

I was just screaming at my connection "LET ME IN!" and cursing the continual absence of BT engineers who once promised they would fix our line as a matter of (polite cough) 'priority'.


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## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

Lol, yes, it's very frustrating how the connection tends to fail when you need/want it to be fast!


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## elysebaril (Jan 20, 2012)

Melody, thanks for your post, it's really helpful. 

I've just started looking (again!) into visa myself as mine is expiring in 2 months time and need to apply for a new one. I'm here on a Tier 1 visa and think I might be able to get a Tier 2 visa but also thinking about a spouse visa as here with my partner. We would need to get married for that... but 1. He gets back from Antarctica on Feb 2nd and 2. I need to get a PEO appointment too. But it's great news to see that you were successful and only started to work on it recently. Do you have any more advice than what you've written? I'm still debating whether I should go for partner visa or Tier 2 visa... The partner visa looked to me very long and drawn out... what was your experience with it? I'm working full time so only have limited resources. And as my other half is away, not many people can help me either. 

Thanks!


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## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

elysebaril said:


> Melody, thanks for your post, it's really helpful.
> 
> I've just started looking (again!) into visa myself as mine is expiring in 2 months time and need to apply for a new one. I'm here on a Tier 1 visa and think I might be able to get a Tier 2 visa but also thinking about a spouse visa as here with my partner. We would need to get married for that... but 1. He gets back from Antarctica on Feb 2nd and 2. I need to get a PEO appointment too. But it's great news to see that you were successful and only started to work on it recently. Do you have any more advice than what you've written? I'm still debating whether I should go for partner visa or Tier 2 visa... The partner visa looked to me very long and drawn out... what was your experience with it? I'm working full time so only have limited resources. And as my other half is away, not many people can help me either.
> 
> Thanks!


Sorry, but I don't think I can be of much help as I actually don't know much about other visas and I think my circumstances were very different to yours. I was here on a PSW visa and I applied for the Spouse visa because it was the natural course of my relationship. Also due to my circumstances other visas were not even an option so I didn't really consider any other visa (but even if they had been an option I doubt I would have applied for any other than the Spouse visa because of what I said before). Like I said in my original post the only reason I started working on a visa this month was because I got married in December and although we did plan the wedding for nearly a year the months before the wedding were quite hectic so I really had not time to read about the visa before the wedding.

My experience was short because although I had originally planned to apply by post I found out about the long processing times through the forum so I had to apply in person to avoid this. This was last week and because it was only 5 weeks till my visa expired I had to be quick to get a PEO appointment and then I was lucky because on Monday I managed to get the appointment for Friday (well I say I was lucky but I applied advice given on the forum to secure the appointment, I was only lucky in that the date I found was so soon). 

In my case I met the Visa requirements without problems and so it was a pretty straightforward application (I say that know in hindsight but last week it was all rather confusing with the information being so repetitive and because of the changes to the visa, of which I knew nothing when I started reading last week). There is a lot of people on the forum who know more than I do who I'm sure will be able to advice you regarding what the best visa option is for you. So I apologise for not being able to help much here, but I am about to make a comment (on your thread) on how I got my PEO appointment, so I hope at least that can be of help.


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## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

MelodyPond said:


> but I am about to make a comment (on your thread) on how I got my PEO appointment, so I hope at least that can be of help.


Elyse I just realised that I wrote on your friends thread not yours, so you can find my comment here: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/br...8454-questions-help-friend-2.html#post1015122


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## elysebaril (Jan 20, 2012)

MelodyPond said:


> Elyse I just realised that I wrote on your friends thread not yours, so you can find my comment here: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/br...8454-questions-help-friend-2.html#post1015122


Melody, 

Thank you very much for your help. Will stay up late tonight and for as many nights as needed to try and get an appointment. So much stress that gets created for that... I can totally understand how you were feeling when you got handed back your successful visa last week. 

I let you know how things go. 

E.


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## greenpeas (Jan 14, 2013)

Congratulations ........How did you manage to book a PEO appointment . i have been trying with no luck


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## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

Thank you greenpeas. 

I tried several times a day. I followed the instructions of a blog that someone posted on this forum which I will post below in regards to selecting the date and place of PEO (by this I mean that when I searched for the appointment I tried searching at 3 different PEOs each time and I also searched without selecting a date, so that any date available would appear). Also, as I said before, try several times a day as they can be released at any time (I got mine at 11:30pm) and once you find one be quick to book it!

The instructions are similar to those that alphaola posted for you not so long ago on her thread http://www.expatforum.com/expats/br...ats-living-uk/137060-ilr-peo-appointment.html . The difference is that the instructions she gave you are mostly going to help you find an appointment in 6 weeks, and the ones from the blog I post here are going to allow you to find any appointment available (even for this week) as there can be cancellations any time so those appointments also become available at any time. I hope this makes sense!

This is the link to the blog (it might seem complicated at first but read it carefully and it will make sense): The Londoner: how to book a PEO Appointment for home office ?

I hope this helps!


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## elysebaril (Jan 20, 2012)

Hi Melody, 

Just wanted to let you know I got a PEO appointment! Thanks for your help.


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## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

That's wonderful!! Glad I was of help. Thanks for letting me know . Good luck on your application and the appointment!


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## Lana_Me (Jan 22, 2013)

"We were then told how to apply for further leave to remain we now need to keep evidence of our relationship for the next years with a lot of detail (if anyone wants to know more about what we were told let me know)."

Dear Melody, would you please tell me what needs to be done/collected within this 2,5 period time? 
Also, in 2,5 years - can you already apply for ILR ??? (As I though - followed by the new rules - it can be done only after 5 years since spouse visa was granted!). 

The last thing (if you know), what it depends on that some people get their spouse visa for 5 years whereas others for 2,5 years?

Thanks again for sharing with your story!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Lana_Me said:


> "We were then told how to apply for further leave to remain we now need to keep evidence of our relationship for the next years with a lot of detail (if anyone wants to know more about what we were told let me know)."
> 
> Dear Melody, would you please tell me what needs to be done/collected within this 2,5 period time?
> Also, in 2,5 years - can you already apply for ILR ??? (As I though - followed by the new rules - it can be done only after 5 years since spouse visa was granted!).
> ...


Under new rules, ILR is granted after 5 years, so initial 30 months (you get extra 3 months to facilitate travel), renewal for further 30 months and then finally applying for ILR. Nobody gets a 5-year initial settlement visa. The whole point about the new rules is UKBA can check at half-way point if you are still meeting requirements.


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## Lana_Me (Jan 22, 2013)

Joppa said:


> Under new rules, ILR is granted after 5 years, so initial 30 months (you get extra 3 months to facilitate travel), renewal for further 30 months and then finally applying for ILR. Nobody gets a 5-year initial settlement visa. The whole point about the new rules is UKBA can check at half-way point if you are still meeting requirements.


Thanks a lot, Joppa!

Do you know for how long I'm allowed to be absent from the country during this 5 years time in order to obtain ILR after?


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## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

Lana_Me said:


> Dear Melody, would you please tell me what needs to be done/collected within this 2,5 period time?


As Joppa has stated they will want to make sure you still meet all the requirements. But the caseworker was very emphatic on how we should make sure we start gathering the evidence now that we live together as a husband and wife (I believe that people who have to travel due to work are fine though, so just have to check the rules). We were told to make sure that the bills, etc. show our names (they don't have to have both our names but there should be the same number of documents for my husband and for me). I believe she said that there should be a minimum of 4 documents showing each of our names (so for joint bills 4 bills in total as a minimum and for none joint bills 4 bills with my name and 4 bills with his name). But again she was very emphatic on how the more evidence the better (so no less than 4 documents with each name but preferably more). Also there was a lot of emphasis on how they should be well spread over the next 30 months. So it's up to you how many you present (just make sure is not less than the minimum she mentioned) but make sure they are well spread over the 2.5 years. And remember this is only one part of the requirement, you should also provide good evidence that you meet the rest of the requirements. 

And I just want to emphasise this is what the caseworker told us. I don't think it is written anywhere in the rules, so it's just some advice the caseworker thought was important to give us.


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## Lana_Me (Jan 22, 2013)

Thank you very much, Melody!
I'm just thinking we don't have 4 bills coming into our mail. It's basically just 2: council tax and electricity...


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## MelodyPond (Jan 4, 2013)

I meant 4 bills or other documents addressed to you over a period of time. It can be 4 electricity bills, for example, if they are addressed to both you and your husband. BUT they did also say that it was better to have evidence from different sources. It can be your bills, council tax, letters from your GP, mobile bills, etc. Basically things that come through the post addressed to you or your husband that are not from your friends or family.

In my case, bearing in mind all the caseworker said, I will try to keep a file with a bill/letter every three months. For example one for Jan 2013, one for April 2013, one for July, and so on. I will also make sure they are addressed to both or I will make sure that for everyone I put in the file addressed to me I will put one addressed to my husband. So the January one might be one just addressed to me, the April one might just be addressed to my husband, the July one might be addressed to both and so on.


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## TRobinson82 (May 20, 2013)

HI I have just found this thread. I am about to make my appointment and I was wondering: When you booked your appointment, did they ask for your spouse to come in as an interview, or did they simply come along?

We are debating whether or not my husband should come with me to the appointment.

Thanks

Theresa


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

TRobinson82 said:


> HI I have just found this thread. I am about to make my appointment and I was wondering: When you booked your appointment, did they ask for your spouse to come in as an interview, or did they simply come along?
> 
> We are debating whether or not my husband should come with me to the appointment.
> 
> ...


If at all possible, your husband _should_ attend with you. 

When you are booking your appointment and it asks you how many people are attending the appointment, simply state 1 person, as you are the only one going for the visa... your husband will be admitted to the appointment with you, but no one else (this is to avoid lots of people attending the limited number of appointments en masse, thus stretching the limited resources even further than they already are) - unless, of course, you have children who are applying for the visa as well, then you would include their numbers and they and your husband would all be admitted with you.


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