Correspondence for proof of address (FLR(M)) advice please.

Hi,
I married my filipina wife three months ago in the UK on a fiance visa, and now we are applying for leave to remain for her. One of the requirements is to show that we live together by showing correspondence addressed ideally to both of us, but failing that to each of us separately at our address. Examples that they suggest are bank accounts and utility bills.
We seem to be stuck in a loop on this. My wife can't open a bank account without a proof of address. The bank suggested a utility bill. My gas and electicity supplier does not allow two names on the account, and won't take my name off the account if I still live here. I've applied to change the electricity to my wife's name, but they want to do a credit check on her. I'm afraid it won't be possible. Perhaps I'm worrying prematurely, but we have 3 months left to make the application, and I'm afraid we're stuck in a dead-end.
Does anyone have any tips please about how to officialish correspondence sent to both of us at our address? Thanks.

Do what we did. Change your electricity supplier. Npower wouldn't put the bill in both names. We changed to EDF because they would.

Also you can do council tax and water in both names. Or put water in her name. We've done that.

Get her some store cards. Eg Tesco. Matalan.

Order some stuff from Amazon addressed to her.

We were able to open a joint account at Lloyds because I already had an account there. Then, as she had a joint account there, she was able to open an account herself.

As Maharg stated, getting a Coop, Tesco, and Boots card are a good and very easy way to get individual addressed documents.

Correspondence from the Registry Office, Council Tax and Doctors registration documents should do for joint letters.

Regarding the bank account, the missus just opened one yesterday after NatWest bank initially said that they needed her to show her Residence card which you get after your successful FLR (M) application. Other banks may be a little more lenient when opening an account, you could maybe do it before the FLR

Please see the thread I started a few weeks back below on my FLR (M) experience;

http://www.british-filipino.com/ind...erience-at-the-ukvi-office-in-liverpool.9653/

Hope it puts your mind at ease

One thing I can say about the FLR(M) process is that it is relatively stress free compared with the initial Fiancée visa especially if you opt for the premium service, we were in and out in less than two hours.

Good luck.

We haven't done anything with the utility bill-change/join our names yet. Loved one says we should wait until we get married. So far, the only proof of address I got is the letters from Boots, Nectar and Amazon. Can't do so much until the wedding actually.

to BF by the way..

You can still do something Anne, remember you will still have your old Surname in your passport to cross reference with correspondence. If you don't renew your passport after you are married then your residence permit that you get when you have applied for the FLR will have your old name on it.

You will have to use your old name for bank accounts and NHS for example until you have a new passport.

I'm hoping to go to London for a few days next week, one day will be spent in the Philippines Embassy renewing the wife's passport that expires in February.

Its a pain that the Philippine passport only lasts for five years.

Thanks for the reminder, Timmers. We are a bit hanging on the part of name change. It seems that renewing my passport is the answer. I haven't registered at NHS or any bank accounts yet. I wonder how long would it take for the Philippine passport renewal? Please let us know how it goes when you get to London. Will be looking forward to it.

I will let you know how it goes, we are expecting lots of queuing up of course in the Embassy.

Oh dear. Good luck to us!

You won't need to do that. A passport in the old name and a marriage certificate does the job just fine.

My wife now has her passport and visa in her old name, but still has her bank accounts, doctor registration and driving licence in her married name.

Thanks for the clarification Maharg

Thanks for your help everyone. Store cards here we come.

NatWest, Doctors and NI all in old name as they all wanted the name in the passport only, different places different rules it seems. None of the fore mentioned places were interested in the marriage certificate.

We had problems getting an account at Nat West for her, and in the end went to Lloyds, which was easy. I probably depends on which individual you happen to see on the day as much as anything, and how anal they are.

Our doctor's receptionist just asked "Is she your partner". When I said se was they registered her. Didn't even need any identification.

Just checked her NI. It's in her maiden name. And in the old address! Better change that I guess!

It very much seems like what you get on the day goes. I've had a bit of bother with NatWest regarding visa paperwork and more recently when trying to open a business account with them. I'm the typical type of chap who doesn't shop around because I've been with a supplier of services for so long, I know its wrong to be like that but that's the way it is.

I think Doctors requiring Passport matching application to join surgery is now an immigration check required,
just like landlords are to become also visa and immigration department recruits......

Big Brother is getting everywhere.... most probably the banks also need to obey the same rules.

I don't like the missus having some documents in one name and some in another, I would much prefer like her to have everything in her married name.

I cant help thinking it is going to cause some confusion or problems in the future.

I know what you mean. The problem is, the visa is in her maiden name and I'm not sure about going through the ordeal of changing that, so she has kept her passport in that name until she needs another so that the names match.

Our plan is to change the name on the passport when she gets a new one then, when she gets ILR it will go in her married name.

Have you changed the name on her visa, Timmers? Or is it in her married name?

Again, at the UKVI in Liverpool they used her old name in her present passport for the BRP. We go to London for a few days next week to get her a new passport as it expires in a couple of months, there we will register the marriage and get the new passport with her married name in. Then she will be registered at the doctors, bank, BRP and NI card in the wrong name, you cant win

Seems Embassy suggests 6 - 8 weeks to receive new passport?
http://philembassy-uk.org/consular-matters/passport