UKV&I FLR (M) Premium Application Liverpool

Hi,
today we submitted (this being 1 day after my wife's 30 month in the UK):-

Payment receipt (email) this was also required for access through security
Application form (Nov 2014 form)
Applicant Passport * 1
Sponsor Passport * 1
Applicant photograph * 2
Sponsor photograph * 1
Sponsor payslips * 6
Sponsor P60 * 2
Employer letter stating salary over the last year, type of employment and additional bonus payment on company headed notepaper * 1
Applicant birth certificate
Sponsor birth certificate
Child birth certificate (Applicant & sponsor) * 1
Child birth certificate (Sponsor) * 1
Sponsor bank statements *4 (spanning 7 months)
Applicant personal letters * 6 (spanning 2.5 years)
Sponsor personal letters * 9 (spanning 2.5 years)
Applicant & sponsor shared personal letters * 4 (spanning last 5 months - I forgot this was a requirement!)
Letter stating why all personal letters were not in shared names (even though we fulfilled the requirement).
IELTS test result * 1 (issued Feb 2012)


After 4 hours of the process outlined (photo below) we were approved for our first FLR(M) application. The BRP will arrive the beginning of next week.

The lady specifically mentioned to us that they accepted our IELTS as part of an ongoing visa application but said it may not apply for the ILR application as IELTS will no longer be on the list. I refuted this and said it will be in the new SELT list, her response was to reiterate that it may not be allowed in the ILR. She asked us to keep a check on the UKVI website going forward. For me she wasn't totally confident about what she was saying but I think the important thing was, regardless if she was aware of the rules or not, she had a duty to let us know. That was a shame because it was the one and only question I was hoping to get confirmation on.

Sounds good!

We have been told to wait 6 months for citizenship. Grrr.

Why wait?

No real explanation given. It is down on the UKVI website as such. And they seemed to stress the point verbally today when my wife submitted her application.

I don't think it's fair if they can't even explain why. I mean if it was due to being busy then so be it but at least say why. Being uninformed is as bad as being misinformed.

If your spouse is a British citizen
If you’re married to, or the civil partner of, a British citizen, you can apply for citizenship if:

• you’re 18 or over
• you’re of sound mind, eg you’re able to think and make decisions for yourself
• you’re of good character, eg you don’t have a serious or recent criminal record
• you’ve met the knowledge of English and life in the UK requirements
• you’ve been granted indefinite leave to stay in the UK (or permanent residence if you’re an EEA national) - this means there’s no specific date that you have to leave
• you meet the residency requirement

Unless your spouse or civil partner works abroad either for the UK government or for an organisation closely linked to government, you must usually also have:

• lived in the UK for at least the 3 years before your application is received
• spent no more than 270 days outside the UK in those 3 years
• spent no more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months
• not broken any immigration laws while in the UK

They told me today that they check things like tax liability and criminal convictions. But yes, it shouldnt take that long.

Perhaps they are trying to be more thorough?

Ah OK. Makes sense I suppose

Well done and Congratulations to you and your loved one, HaloHalo. Was the outline given to you in Liverpool Home Office? We weren't given any at Cardiff.

Salamat Anne. Yes it was on the reverse of a double-sided sheet that they provided on arrival. On the front of the sheet was a section for the caseworker to fill in your name and a couple of tick boxes. Interestingly one of the tick boxes was "Is the applicant here with their spouse" or words to that affect. I thought "hmmm", not a requirement of course but it seems they are quite interested in your actions.

At our Immigration office, they go out of their way to see both the spouse and applicant in person. We took the baby aswell, yesterday.

Yep well makes sense not a bad idea. The tick box can be construed as quite savvy from their perspective. Physical documented evidence from their own staff from a future failing relationship for example could be pivotal in a decision. Or am over analysing it

Good to get it out of the way HaloHalo, you must feel a little relieved even though it is just a formality, an expensive formality at that.

Much better to go for the premium face to face service, at least if there are any issues you can address them there and then.

Dunno. But I still think the kids help the application. Or ought too.

The way the Immigration officers explained it to me is that they prefer to see the people involved in the application. Rather than have applications posted.

Same with us of course. Our baby came along with us. Whether relevant or not I'm not sure. She was included in the application anyhow. Her birth certificate was a requirement just as my other daughters birth certificate was.

Yes nice to get a positive outcome. I did witness an application that required "further investigation". I don't think it was spousal though. Some youngish lad with family. There was quite a few different races in there. Indian, I think a young south american girl, Filipino guy, African and what seemed to be an Albanian couple with child. I'm sure you witnessed similar on your visit. I do wonder what other rules between now and the ILR will be implemented!

Exactly, I cant see things getting any easier.

I didnt like the way the two Immigration officers dealt with us. They were polite but kind of gave us the impression that they meant business, with the citizenship application. Maybe it was the wrong people on the wrong day. Difficult to say for sure.

Yes, you certainly see all different Nationalities there, everyone with their own story to tell I bet.

Certainly a good feeling when you are exiting the building visa in hand

Yea maybe wrong day or wrong officers. Can be as simple as them getting out of the wrong side of bed that day maybe

Yep lots of various stories and routes upon entry to the UK I'm sure. We sorta had a celebratory late lunch in Queens square. The weather wasn't great as we walked there but yes we were very thankful for the outcome. So much has happened in those 2.5 years but its also gone very quick.

Hi Halohalo, so all this documents are the same documents that your wife passed in VFS Manila when she apply a fiancee Visa? y post.