What's the diff. between FLR and ILR?

[ritaj0nes]

I'm confused.. Please educate me about this.. I came to UK last year with a fiancee visa and after we got married, we applied for the extension of my visa. The embassy gave me Limited Leave-to Remain. Is this FLR or ILR or neither? Hope you guys can help me to know more about this. Thanks!:Hellooo:

[andypaul]

From what i know flr is further leave to remain and is used once married if you arrived on a fiancee visa but i have heard it written as limted leave to remain as well.

ILR is indefinte leave to remain can normally be claimed two years after arriving in the UK.

You need to show evidence of living with your spouse together as a couple ie bills and letters sent to you as a joint couple or to either of you.

Best to have a read of the set(m) form but be aware the amount of evidence required can change in 05 and before you only need 10 pieces of evidence and now you need 20 pieces from 5 seperate sources spread out across the 2 years of you being in the UK.

Have a bit of a search on here and on google but as i say look for the latest info as the rules change now and then and best to just read current info.

[Yossarian]

As andypaul said, the visa you will have after the Fiancee Visa is FLR, and is valid for 2 years. The next step (before the FLR expires and after you have been in the UK for 2 years) is to apply for ILR. But, since April 2007, it is now also necessary to pass the Life In the UK test: this is a prerequisite to obtaining ILR...

[andypaul]

Well written Yossarian forgot to mention the citzen test which also has to be taken.

Just to remind all those looking forward to obtaining the ILR.

Keep in well organised files all the offical paperwork addressed to either the applicant or the sponser or even more importantly to both of you.

Change if possible any utlity bills in to joint names, open bank accounts, keep national insurance paperwork, tax office paperwork, medical card paperwork, letters from nhs, doctors, dentist. Basically any offical paperwork with an address and a date on it.
Don't forget to keep bank details and all your papyslips as well.

Make sure you have paperwork speard out over the two years from both of you, in joint and indivual names.

[ritaj0nes]

From what i know flr is further leave to remain and is used once married if you arrived on a fiancee visa but i have heard it written as limted leave to remain as well.

ILR is indefinte leave to remain can normally be claimed two years after arriving in the UK.

You need to show evidence of living with your spouse together as a couple ie bills and letters sent to you as a joint couple or to either of you.

Best to have a read of the set(m) form but be aware the amount of evidence required can change in 05 and before you only need 10 pieces of evidence and now you need 20 pieces from 5 seperate sources spread out across the 2 years of you being in the UK.

Have a bit of a search on here and on google but as i say look for the latest info as the rules change now and then and best to just read current info.
Thanks Andypaul and yossarian.. The info you guys gave helped me to understand this concern. I will check more of this details online and if in case you gathered more info, don't hesitate to keep me posted. I will really appreciate all the help. Thanks again and tc everyone!!!

[hilda_danao]

oh my God, i didn't know that! im so lucky to have read this thread. it's really good to be a member in this site. i need to apply ILR september next year and we are just about to apply our joint account tomorrow. we haven't sorted out our joint account coz we've been so busy with our 2 weddings. Would it be ok if the evidence I could show is only 1 year or less before ILR application? gosh! i need to be vigilant with all of this info & changes! thanks for that info.

[joebloggs]

needs to be spread evenly over the 2 years, with as many letters and bills addressed to you both as you can find...

You must provide documents of the kind described below as evidence that you and your spouse or partner live together. Please provide ten items of correspondence of the kind, or from the sources listed below, addressed to you and your spouse or partner jointly during each of the past 2 years if they clearly show that you live together at the same address. At least 5 of these documents should be from different sources. If you have not received any such correspondence that is addressed to you and your spouse or partner jointly, it is acceptable to provide no less than 4 items addressed to one of you and no more than 6 items addressed to the other partner during each of the past 2 years so long as they show the same address.


telephone bills or statements
gas bills or statements
electricity bills or statements
water rates bills or statements
council tax bills or statements
local social services department
local health authority
government department or agency (eg Department of Health, Inland Revenue, Department for Work and Pensions, Employment Service)
bank or building society statements or passbooks
credit card statements
insurance certificates complete with address
mortgage statements or agreement
tenancy agreement




To summarize, a total of 20 items are required: 10 from the first year; and 10 from the second year. Of these 20 items, a minimum of 5 different sources should be included, and the correspondence should be addressed to both partners. In the absence of jointly addressed correspondence, the IND will accept the following bundle: 4 letters addressed to the applicant in the first year; 4 letters addressed to the applicant in the second year; 6 letters addressed to the sponsoring partner in the first year; and 6 letters addressed to the sponsoring partner in the second year.



Here are some additional tips:
If you have trouble getting your partner on your council tax notices, get the council to send your partner a letter explaining why. As ILR evidence, it's just as good as a council tax notice.
British Gas can be abysmally slow in changing its bills to show the names of both residents and we recommend a substantial lead time be given. If you need utility bills from the early part of the probationary period, you may have better luck switching to Powergen or another provider.
If the spouse registers with an employment agency, ask them to send a letter by post confirming the arrangement.
The sponsor does not need to wait until the spouse has arrived in the UK to begin changing the telephone and utility bills. This can begin before the probationary period begins.
Creating a joint bank account with a newly arrived spouse can be frustrating because of the FSA requirements for opening a bank account in the UK (see identification). Some UK banks, however, will allow the spouse to be added to an existing account as a subsidiary.
Congestion charge notices, parking tickets that show the address, driving permits, and the like are all correspondence from a government agency.

from transpondia:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[hilda_danao]

wow joe. that's very informative. thank you very much. i will print that post. :) i searched on the internet for the requirements and i couldn't find any so thanks very much. i have to start compiling my letters now. my hubby said we have to change all our bills to our joint bank account now. we will submit our joint account application today so i hope they will accept my id this time. we tried to get joint account last year after our wedding. prob is my passport was in the home office that time . we tried again last month after my phil wedding, then i found out they don't accept my passport as proof of id coz i need to show an id card that shows my photo, married name and address. so my option was to apply for provisional driving licence. hope we can get joint account this time. :)

[aromulus]

needs to be spread evenly over the 2 years, with as many letters and bills addressed to you both as you can find...

You must provide documents of the kind described below as evidence that you and your spouse or partner live together. Please provide ten items of correspondence of the kind, or from the sources listed below, addressed to you and your spouse or partner jointly during each of the past 2 years if they clearly show that you live together at the same address. At least 5 of these documents should be from different sources. If you have not received any such correspondence that is addressed to you and your spouse or partner jointly, it is acceptable to provide no less than 4 items addressed to one of you and no more than 6 items addressed to the other partner during each of the past 2 years so long as they show the same address.


telephone bills or statements
gas bills or statements
electricity bills or statements
water rates bills or statements
council tax bills or statements
local social services department
local health authority
government department or agency (eg Department of Health, Inland Revenue, Department for Work and Pensions, Employment Service)
bank or building society statements or passbooks
credit card statements
insurance certificates complete with address
mortgage statements or agreement
tenancy agreement




To summarize, a total of 20 items are required: 10 from the first year; and 10 from the second year. Of these 20 items, a minimum of 5 different sources should be included, and the correspondence should be addressed to both partners. In the absence of jointly addressed correspondence, the IND will accept the following bundle: 4 letters addressed to the applicant in the first year; 4 letters addressed to the applicant in the second year; 6 letters addressed to the sponsoring partner in the first year; and 6 letters addressed to the sponsoring partner in the second year.



Here are some additional tips:
If you have trouble getting your partner on your council tax notices, get the council to send your partner a letter explaining why. As ILR evidence, it's just as good as a council tax notice.
British Gas can be abysmally slow in changing its bills to show the names of both residents and we recommend a substantial lead time be given. If you need utility bills from the early part of the probationary period, you may have better luck switching to Powergen or another provider.
If the spouse registers with an employment agency, ask them to send a letter by post confirming the arrangement.
The sponsor does not need to wait until the spouse has arrived in the UK to begin changing the telephone and utility bills. This can begin before the probationary period begins.
Creating a joint bank account with a newly arrived spouse can be frustrating because of the FSA requirements for opening a bank account in the UK (see identification). Some UK banks, however, will allow the spouse to be added to an existing account as a subsidiary.
Congestion charge notices, parking tickets that show the address, driving permits, and the like are all correspondence from a government agency.

from transpondia:xxgrinning--00xx3:


How about us and the ILR after the initial 6 months visa...???:doh
We got the EEA Family Permit....:cwm24:
Guess I need to phone some useless civil servant at IND.:NoNo:

[andypaul]

Today the Wife applied for her ILr in person at Croydon PEO. Will write up about the vist soon.

But we were asked once speaking to the lady who was to decide our case for 5 docs from each of the 3 years my wife had been here.
This was no problem as we had two huge folders full and more we had left at home. A normal household should have no problem finding the info. In fact the lady wanted more proof from me than my Wife.

If you have no letters in joint names or very few don't worry they will accept from either party so many from each as mentioned above.

If you saw the amount of paperwork we had compared to the amount accepted you would be shocked two big folders full of paper to 15 actual documents. I was worried if we had enough.

If your hubby has payslips thoughout the period, monthly phone bills mobile or landline with your address on it, electricty bill in both of your name,Water rate, gas bill (we didn't) bank accounts for you both either indivual or joint. Home insurance letter with address in both of your names, National insurance letter and tax details letter. Council tax, medical card.
you will most likely have more than enough. Most Filipuk members who plan ahead should have far more than they need.

File it all by subject and date order and you should be fine.

[Durkhaima]

Thank you all for the posts here. Very informative. God bless...

[andypaul]

I wrote up around the time a huge write up on the vist but have no idea where it went i will have a search around where its gone and post it.

But the key things on reflection was

1 You can never start to early collecting info. Your Hubby can change the utility bills into joint names just before you arrive for example if you arrive on the 10th but the bill arrives on the 17th. If he requests it changed a few weeks before the utility bill on the 17th will be in both your names for the first month this will be very useful. Also if possible you can join sports clubs/ get aa/rac memebership in the first month. It goes with out saying getting doctor and dentist sorted asap is vital The Paperwork in both your name which arrives just after you arrived will help you open a bank account straight off. This means you will have statments straight off the ilr document checker person will not care if their is no money in the account, but it shows you living in the address from the first month or so you arrive.

2 Keep the paperwork safe and aim to have more paperwork than the Ilr requests, the amount may well change and most likely only in one way ie the amount will increase as it did a while back from 10 items over two years to 20 in two years. A metal lockable case with deviders does not cost much and makes it easier to keep safe. Remeber this data is very important and if the house goes up in flames or floods this will be one of the most important things to rescue after your loved ones.

3 Get a two year diary or just make up one showing all the months you will need to collect data. Then mark it off with three different colours one in your name, one in your hubby name and one in joint names. It will make it far easier to make sure there are no big gaps or an imbalance early on so you can rectify.

4 Make sure your hubby keeps all his paperwork ie payslips, and bank statments the eco ilr lady was more intrested in paperwork from me a hubby than the wife. Basically knowing i will have more i guess. The paperwork they are looking for should have the person name for example Mr J bloggs with the date, joint paperwork will quite often be in the form mr j and a Bloggs don't worry this is normal the format will vary from company to company mainly down to the software and the amount of letters that can be fitted in. Others may put j, A bloggs others J bloggs, A bloggs. Many companies have different policys on adding name to the bills some will need a written instruction a basic letter or email, some will change on the phone, others will need to speak to the person being added to confirm they wish to be added to the bill. Its quite straightforward they get request like this everyday and i noticed many older married women telephone workers were far more accomdating having experineced the grief in getting id in joint names.

5 If you go in person try to get your hubby or a brit to join you ( i have read accounts of in laws parents or brother and sisters going which has helped both with sorting the paperwork and with speaking to the guards and counter staff etc. With the security guards a little polite chat seemed to help alot i know it did for us. Also some of the counter staff have quite strong brit accents and a local will in most cases have a better chance of understanding them. Also the annoucments made on the pa system are a little hard to understand for anyone so helps to have two listening out. The counter staff will generally talk to the brit i noticed whatever race/nationality orignally they are, I think they realise it helps speed up the process in most cases don't be offended you just want the ILR not the life long friendship of the counter staff.

6 If sending by post make sure you keep copies of all the paperwork just in case also ensure you send recorded delivery so you can check it arrives.

7 Don't worry to much Ilr seems to be granted in nearly all cases allthough extra checks might need to be made which can cause delays.

8 Work out the date it needs to be send between from the time you land to see their are no problems. Saving for ILR and any flr is much easier if you have some advance warning.

9. On your wall chart/diary mark times regularly to check the requirments/application form just to ensure nothing has changed.

10. Good luck and don't worry to much its not to tough to sort it all out.

[Eljohno]

After reading this i know there is no chance i can get everything that is needed as there is nothing in my wife's name.

I mean all bills etc is in my name so how can i get everything that is needed?

[andypaul]

After reading this i know there is no chance i can get everything that is needed as there is nothing in my wife's name.

I mean all bills etc is in my name so how can i get everything that is needed?

Welcome long time no read posts of you Sir

Did she not have any letters in her name such as nhs card, club or church membership?

I have read of people asking neighbours or professional people writing letters to say that you have lived at the same address if lacking enough evidence.

[mike1]

How long does it take to get FLR as we have applied for it over 4 weeks ago ,

[andypaul]

How long does it take to get FLR as we have applied for it over 4 weeks ago ,

Hi Mike i dont know exactly but just from noticing when people sending off and recieving paperwork it does seem to vary. Someone on here recently recieved in ten working days, but like the ILR i think the paperwork is processed in different offices with London being the busiest most likely and im sure everyone pushes to put paperwork in before christmas.

Maybe worth checking soon just to check no problems before the Christmas closedown which im sure for goverment bulidings is far longer than most places.