On 26th Sept, 2013, we had our appointments at Liverpool PEO. Both approved. Received our BRP cards in posts today. Big relief!
We got married last year, and my wife is in UK since January '13.
She hasn't lived in UK long enough. So, she had to extend her visa. I have been a Tier 1 General Participant. So, my wife could have applied for extension using either PBS Dependent or FLR(M). PBS Dependent form is very much simpler than FLR(M), PBS Dependent is £1920 to apply in person, where as, FLR(M) is around £920 (to apply in person.)
I have completed 4yrs, 11 months and 1 week as Tier 1 General migrant. I applied using SET(O) form. My wife was granted visa for 3 years. All she had to enclose with her PBS Dependent application was, my last 3 months bank statements with photocopies, 2 photos and photocopies of each page of her passport. It was that simple.
I enclosed the following with my SET(O) application:
(a) Accountant's letter
(b) Payslips
(c) Dividend Vouchers
(d) Business Bank Statements
(e) Personal Bank Statements
(f) Invoices
(g) Letter from employment/recruitment agency confirming my contract, duration, daily rate and their remittances for the last 15 months.
(h) photocopies of each page of my 2 passports.
(i) my own list of absences from UK for the last 5 years (as Tier 1 General participant). This was inserted inside the application form.
(j) my 2 passports
(k) my 2 recent photographs
(l) Life In the UK Test Pass Notification certificate
I wanted to keep my application simple, and I avoided anything that confuses the case-worker. The above documents were enough, and I wasn't asked for any more documents. However, to be on safe side, I had carried the following additional documents
(1) P60s for the last 2 years
(2) 'Employment History' from HMRC for the 3 years preceding that (as I lost P60s)
(3) SA302 for the last 2 years from HMRC. This shows your salary as well as dividends earned for the tax year. This basically is the summary of Self Assessment Tax Returns submitted by my Accountant to HMRC. I think this is a better indicator of your earnings than P60s because P60s do not mention about dividends.
(4) Business Bank Statements for the 2 years.
(5) Personal Bank Statements for the 4 years preceding the actual 12 months' period for which I claimed points for previous earnings
(6) Academic Qualification Certificate and Marks Transcript
(7) Print out of the screenshot of the page showing my University is listed in the PBS/Points Calculator.
(8 ) My own summary of company accounts (profit - loss statement, but not the balance sheet) for the 12 months' period I was claiming points under 'Previous Earnings' category.
(9) I keep transferring money to my home country. So, I got the statements for my overseas bank account for the last 2 years, to show these transactions. I learned that some case-workers look at the personal bank statements to check the 'economic activity', and to understand where the money is going or coming.
(10) I transferred money from my credit cards on to my personal bank account. So, I carried the credit card statements showing these transactions.
(11) Absence letters from employers, umbrella company and my own letter covering the last 2 years' period as the director of my limited company. They didn't ask me for these letters as I only had short trips and the total number of whole days of absence (that is, excluding the days of departure and arrival back to UK) was far less than 180 days.
(12) VAT Registration Certificate of my limited company
(13) Company Incorporation document from Companies House.
(14) VAT payments confirmation letter from HMRC
(15) Corporation Tax payment confirmation letter
(16) Electoral Registration letter and NHS Registration card of my wife, Council Tax Bill showing my wife's name. Education Qualification certificates of my wife, Tenancy Agreement.
(17) and many more documents, which I now feel are not even worth mentioning!
The directors of limited company are not classed as 'Self-Employed' by HMRC. So, no need to worry about Class 2 NIC, as this doesn't apply to the directors of limited company. For one to be self-employed, they must register with HMRC as such. I vaguely understand that only sole traders and non-limited partners are self-employed individuals.
I had a post-it on the front page of each set of documents briefly telling what the set is (for), and secured by clips. Don't use staples.
I had my appointment booked at 9:30am and my wife's at 10am. So, we entered the PEO at 9am. There were already at least 8 guys in the sitting area. We both were out of the PEO at 11:30am. When we were asked to pay the fee, we explained about our case, that we are making separate applications, and why. Case-worker called my token number at 11am, and said she had done my application, and would then start on my wife's application. She needed only 30mins for my wife's application.
The staff were fair and cool. They didn't seem unfriendly. Luckily, it was all easy and a positive experience for us.
FLR(M) vs PBS Dependant Form:
The case worker said my wife will need to finish her 5 years in the UK to apply for ILR.
Not sure about the difference between FLR(M) and PBS Dependant forms. However, people said if my wife apply as FLR(M), she would get visa for 2.5 years and if she apply as PBS Dependant, she would get 2 years visa.
However, when the case-worker gave the approval letter, she said my wife's given visa for 3years.
Different people said different things about FLR(M) and PBS Dependant forms.
If you look at both the application forms, and understand the requirements. PBS Dependant was quite simple but expensive.
I don't know much in this regard.
Feel free to ask any questions regarding the visas/applications.
Good luck, people.
