₦airaland Forum

newbie715:
Right...my advice is to submit your application online ASAP if your spouse visa is expiring early next month. Getting a date for your biometrics can be up to 3 or 4 weeks away from when you submit.

For your questions:
1. When I got my initial spouse visa, we were still allowed to use Nigerian certificate with a letter from your school stating your degree was thought in English. By the time I applied for FLR, one needed NARIC as a letter from the school was no longer enough *massive eye roll* so I got NARIC in 2018 for FLR and used the same certificate for all other applications after that so I don't see any need for requesting anything from NARIC again (never even heard that before)

2. I am not sure how long the std wait time is currently but if you don't intend to travel and don't want to part with the cash for super priority, then when you submit, HR can use your submission details to confirm from Home Office that you have a pending application and you can keep working until your FLR is out but I suspect you also need to have done biometrics before Home Office will respond (not 100% sure on this now, I have forgotten)

3. Not as far as I know, you can't get an earlier appointment, when you check on the portal, you see available dates and times and pick from those, if you see no availability then you wait till midnight because the portal refreshes then and presents new appointments

All the best

Alohetij:
Hi All,

I submitted my application on Friday 13th September using super priority service. Got an approved email today (16th September).

For anyone this might help, I used NARIC for my initial application from Nigeria. All I had to do now was order a reprint service from NARIC using exact documents I used in 2016.

Documents submitted:

My passport & BRP
Hubby & daughter's passport
Daughter' birth certificate
NARIC certificate
Degree certificate
Marriage Certificate
Hubby payslip
Hubby letter from employer
Hubby's 6 months bank statement
Title deeds of our house
Mortgage statement
Council tax bill
Random selection of bills and letters received for the past 2 years (It was plenty o.. lol)

I paid for scanning service so wasn't bothered.


I wish everyone yet to apply all the best.

newbie715:
Someone will probably come along and give you the official address but personally, I never really bothered with it. Mine was always addressed to 'To Whom It May Concern' and it was never a problem with getting visas.

omopapa:
Statement of comparability by UK ECCTIS (formerly known as NARIC) will check ur degree and give you the UK equivalent. It can also be used as proof of English language since a uk degree equivalence will be issued.

Check cv library for templates

You need to spend money to make money

claremont:
A racist policy. If a Ukrainian came by boat from France, would they send the Ukrainian to Rwanda? Why is it just black and brown people they send to Rwanda?!

I and many immigrants in the UK are economic migrants. The only difference between us and the refugees crossing the channel is simply sheer luck. We were lucky to come in via the boat of university migration, and we were lucky to have the funds to pay tuition fees, visa etc.

If a book was written about the sheer hypocrisy of a small minority of black and brown people speaking/acting against black and brown refugees escaping their countries to seek a better life in the UK, that book will be a best seller.

harwe:
I have not obtain the number neither will i get the card.

Its really bothering me. I have tried calling DWP but they keep saying they are not the one incharge of issuance if NI

Its getting so stressful daily.

Ralphlauren:
As lexusgs430 has suggested, travel to the US and do all your shopping. Its cheaper than you think. If you travel off peak, you can get return BA flights from London to New York for around £350-£400.

Prior to the pandemic, I would travel to the US at least twice a year for vacation and stock up on casual/office wear. Talk about using one bird to kill two stones. My username says it all. You get the best RL outfits for the best prices in the US.

If you do not hold a foreign passport, getting a US visa is very easy. You just need to understand the "common" strategy that applies for UK resident applicants.

Viruses:
Hello guys,
My electricity provider is British gas. When I log into my account on a daily basis, I see an increment of £5.5 in my bill. I contacted them and they said that's what I use daily.
They said I am already on their lowest tariff which is Standard Variable tariff that I am free to change tariff if I want. Now my average monthly electricity bill is £170. I use one heater (always on because I work from home), no gas in my apartment. Is this on the high side or it's ok considering we are in winter?

Note: they said they use my meter reading but they sill bill me 5.5 daily. How come it is constant.

newbie715:
The key to a successful application is providing the required documents without going overboard.

1. Because we own I have never had to do this but I imagine that this is not peculiar to you. I doubt that landlords hand over their IDs willy nilly to tenants for visa applications. It sounds like what you describe applies when you are living with family? Inlaws perhaps? I'd say a tenancy agreement should suffice or if it makes you more comfortable, ask for a letter from the agency in addition stating you live there and add to it. Do you have council bill in your name?

we don't stay with anyone.. just us.. and yes the council bill is in our names only.. we will get a letter from the agent as advised.. thanks

2. The P60 and P45, are these for proof of address or proof of income. For income, a letter from your employer stating your ​gross salary, length of service with the company, type of employment and job title with stamped and signed payslips should suffice. The P60 is recommended but not mandatory. I have never submitted P60. A lot of times, salary increases even make the P60 obsolete as details no longer match. Have a look at the earlier pages for documents successful applicants submitted.

I was thinking of using it for sponsor/employment documents, and yes you're right about salary increases not making P60 match. However, i thought that won't matter as only 6 months payslip will be submitted to meet the minimum income requirements.

3. I'd say leave it out. Except I am missing something, I don't see the need to include your latent TB treatment details. It's not a requirement as far as I am aware. You already reside here, you have been treated for it. I fail to see how it applies to the application except to potentially open up other issues.

Thanks.. leaving it out

My advice is don't overthink the application. Cheers.

abubarakat:
I went to Nigeria with family and we stayed for 2 weeks (2018) Also, I went to Australia for work related stuff for 2 weeks and came back with a month or two left on my spouse visa (2019).

I explained in the section where you are asked to declare your absences away from the UK. I basically stated i was away on family holiday and work related travel. In total, it was about 31 days.

I got the visa extension - late 2019.

newbie715:
Hmmmm...to be honest, I am not sure how your case will be treated. I don't want to lead you down the wrong path.

newbie715:
I can back it up with personal experience, mine and several other people.

You are required to spend 2.5 years residence in the UK before applying for an extension (spousal route, not certain about other routes). When I got my first visa 2015. They would give you 33 months expecting you to use the extra 3 months to get yourself together before travelling. If you travel in the same month, you don't have to wait till the end of the visa, you become eligible once you spend 2.5 years (30 months). I don't believe they give up to 3 months anymore but the principle still applies.

People often choose to wait till the visa expiry to get documentation ready or funds. Different strokes for different folks and all.

newbie715:
That is pertinent information, in that case you can even apply 28 days before the end of your 30 months.

newbie715:
One of the mandatory requirements for flr is any one of :a valid passport, travel document or national identity card. And like I stated, typically you need 6 months validity to apply for a visa. I cannot categorically say it must be 6 months validity for flr hence the use of typically.

On the other hand, a review of the information she provided shows that her passport expires 26.06 and as she is eligible to apply for flr from 10.06, one could then argue that if 6 months validity isn't required and if she applies between 10.06 and 25.06 the passport is still valid as at application date. I think it's left for her to decide if she is comfortable with this.

Having said that, I think your statement that there will be no need to renew because the expiry date is too close to the renewal and the passport may not be ready is erroneous. The onus lies on the applicant to ensure all mandatory documents are included and valid.

Between now and June seems long enough to renew the passport, and if the passport application has been made and the passport is not ready, then that can be stated on the application. That's what I'd do though.

Cheers.

newbie715:
Happy New Year

1. You need to apply for a new passport, typically, you need 6 months validity in a passport in order to apply for a visa.

2. Not earlier than 28 days before 07.07.2022. So any day from 10.06.2022

Cheers

evenda:
so the hospitals he worked with via an agency didn't let him work until new brp. but his main employer was ok with working.

thankfully, application has been successful.

submitted 8.12.21
biometrics 4.1.22
successful application email 8.1.21
waiting on new brp.

we were both surprised that it took 4days from date of biometrics. and just last night hubby was saying he should have paid d extra 800k. Thank God we didnt.

and thank you all too. all info on this thread were very useful.
he did the b1 exam instead

Specialtee:
Hello all.

First of all I want to say thank you to all who keep posting and providing those of us who have newly migrated or planning to with so much valuable information. This thread, especially part 1 has been a treasure trove for me and my family. God bless you all.

Secondly, I will like to contribute this important information, as my own way of helping out as well. It comes in form of a warning, Please do not send your BRP to the DVLA at this time in the name of applying for a provisional licence, if you have any intentions of travelling or using it to apply for work within at least 6 months. There are terrible delays at this time, people are having to cancel weddings, not able to visit sick parents, not being able to get a job or work etc because the DVLA is holding their BRP or passport and there is no way to contact them to send it back earlier. A quick Twitter search will show you hundreds of people who are crying out of frustration with only bots giving them standard replies. My advice is not to apply for your provisional licence yet, enter bus, train and uber and postpone your application till you don't need the BRP for at least 6 months to even a full year! Also when you do send it, pay extra to send it by special delivery signed for mail ( to and fro) so that if anything happens along the way, you have evidence it was sent to them and also that you included a signed for, self-addressed envelope to them to send it back.
I also applied and my BRP has been with them since August, I am hoping and praying they return it soon by God's grace because the matter has now become one that requires God's intervention.

deept:
You are eligible to apply 28 days before expiry, do not submit before then. That will be 31st of August if my math is correct.

When you submit your application, you will have to register with sopra steria, you will be given a link after you have paid the application fee. You cannot register with them before submission. There you will be able to upload your supporting documents and book an appointment for biometrics. You can submit the documents on the sopra steria site when you upload them up to two days before your appointment. Note, you can only submit once through the website then you will not be able to submit through the website again but you can still upload documents. Do not fret, at the appointment for the biometrics they will ask if you are happy with all the uploaded documents and will submit everything there for you.

I hope i have been able to help.

profemebee:
hi,

Thanks for all the knowledge received.

Please i have some questions:

- I applied for Provisional license and got something in the postcode asking i send in my BRP, passport pics, etc.. I was to travel in 2weeks time so i couldn't follow up with the application. Do i get the 34 pounds back? [/b]or [b]can i just re-apply when i know i wont be travelling? i dont have any means of contacting them..

- I also checked the naija portal where you pay for the Day7 covid test before leaving UK.. when i select Lagos, i dont see the list of covid test providers.. this is strange as the other states display the list of covid test providers.. How does one manage that?

Demoore:
My advice is that you factor in the number of days you've been out of the Country into your calculation for 5 years. In essence 365 days x 5 years = 1825 days. So if your 5 years was meant to be due by 1st Jan 2022, but you've been away for 60 days, add an extra 60 days to your wait time. It then becomes c.7th March 2022. That way you are sure that you have a total cumulative time of 5 years in the Country prior to your application.

The application in this context, is it the ILR or British citizenship?


There's also a limit to the length of time you can be away from the country within your 2.5/5 years wait, I advise you to investigate so it doesn't jeopardize your application.

i heard 90days in some research, while i heard 180days in others..

All the best!

humblemoi:
Got my decision standard Application:
Application date: 01/06/2021
Biometric date: 30/06/2021
Decision email: 26/07/2021
Biometric card received: 28/07/2021

KOVIC19COVID20:
I would say yes.
I know someone who used their day 8 (in the UK) to travel back to Nigeria ( because the day 8 sample was taken less than 96 hours prior to departure). So yes. 1 bird to kill 2 stones.

Lexusgs430:
Are you transiting with Lufthansa or Airfrance?.....

I was actually going for Lufthansa... does flying direct reduce the nos of covid tests needed?

If yes, just fly BA/Virgin direct (budget £500 for covid logistics)......

500 pounds for covid logisitics is wayyyyyyy too much lol

1 - PCR test before you board in the UK

2 - Covid test 7 days after you arrive in Nigeria - what happens if i want to stay just a week? 7 days? how does that affect your point 2 & 3??

3 - Covid test before you board return flight - please see point 2 question above.. thanks

4 - You pay £210, for your UK covid test, before you board return flight....... - before boarding return flight? can you pay it as you pay for PCR test in point 1 above before boarding in the UK?

Phew, I can see why having an expired passport in this period..... Is actually an advantage..........

wallg123:
If you are applying for FLR, then it’s £600 for each year which would make it £1500 for 2.5 years visa. This is what I paid late 2019 when I applied for my FLR. This might have changed now so it’s best you check on there .Gov site