FLR FP: Extend Your Stay as a Partner

FLR FP is the form to use if you are applying to live in the UK with a family member for more than six months, or if you want to extend your stay in the UK for family or private reasons.

FLR stands for ‘Further Leave to Remain,’ while the letters ‘F’ and ‘P’ relate to family and private life, respectively, under UK immigration law.

In most cases, applicants are extending or changing their current visa.

This form will be used if you are applying to remain in the UK as a partner or parent of a British citizen or settled person, as a dependent of someone applying for limited leave to remain in the UK, or if you are applying based on your private life in the UK.

What is the difference between FLR M and FLR FP?

The distinction between FLR M and FLR FP is the period required to qualify as settled in the UK,  which is also known as indefinite permission to remain).

There are numerous paths to settlement. If you are unsure about your route, you should consult the letter you received from the Home Office when your leave to remain was most recently issued. The options are two-year, five-year, or ten-year, requiring you to have lived in the UK continuously for two, five, or 10 years before being regarded as officially ‘settled’ in the country.

FLR M refers to Additional Leave to Remain in the ‘M’ category, which includes spouses or partners of British citizens or settled persons, as well as dependant children of British citizens or settled persons in the UK. If you apply for FLR in the M category, you will need to meet the income and savings requirements as well as the English language requirement at the A1 level. You will be on what is referred to as the ‘five-year path’ to settlement (indefinite leave to remain).

By comparison, FLR FP petitions are typically placed on the ten-year path to indefinite leave to remain, as they are centred on family or private life, rather than income or savings.

It is feasible to apply as a parent under FLR FP and still meet the five-year settlement requirement, but you must meet all FLR M conditions. including the income and language requirements. It can also be possible to ‘upgrade’ from FLR FP to FLR M if you discover that you now meet the latter’s requirements.

FLR FP and FLR M are initially granted for 2.5 years. However, four FLR FP applications are required to reach the ten-year level, while only two FLR M applications are required to reach the five-year mark.

FLR FP eligibility criteria 

The eligibility requirements for FLR FP applicants fall into three distinct categories: family life, private life, and extraordinary circumstances.

All of the categories fall under the ten-year settlement path, with the exception of an application as a parent, which may qualify you for the five-year route under FLR M.

Family Life

As a parent in the United Kingdom (5 or 10 year route)

It is critical to remember that you must apply as a parent instead if you are eligible (see below). Your child must be under the age of 18 or have been under the age of 18 at the time you were granted leave and not be living independently. You must establish that you are the child’s exclusive or joint (shared) caregiver. If you have shared care, you cannot be the other parent’s partner, and the other parent must be a British citizen or have settled status in the UK. You must demonstrate your complete commitment to your child’s life, for example, by dropping them off or collecting them up from school. Additionally, you must demonstrate that you are financially capable of caring for the child. Your child must meet one of the following criteria: be a British citizen; be settled in the UK (indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence); or, if you are applying in the UK, the child must have lived in the UK continuously for seven years and leaving would be unreasonable.

As a dependent child of a person who has or is applying for limited leave to enter or remain in the UK in a manner other than through the points-based system or through UK ancestry (10 year route)

If the child is under the age of 18 and was born in the United Kingdom, they may be added to their parent’s application and will be granted the same permission to remain in the United Kingdom as their parent. If the child is under the age of 18 and was not born in the United Kingdom, one of their parents must apply to extend their stay in the United Kingdom as a parent, with sole parental responsibility for the child, or as a partner, with the partner they are joining in the United Kingdom acting as the child’s other parent.

As a partner or spouse

This applies if your partner is a British citizen or has indefinite permission to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence in the UK, or if your partner is receiving official humanitarian protection or has recognised refugee status. Both you and your spouse must be at least 18 years old and intend to live together permanently following the submission of your application.

Private Life

This route is available only if you are already a resident of the UK and you must demonstrate that one of the following is true:

• You are under the age of 18, have lived continuously in the United Kingdom for at least seven years, and it would be unfair to expect you to leave;
• You are between the ages of 18 and 24 and have lived in the United Kingdom continuously for half of your life;
• You are 18 years of age or older, have been in the UK for less than 20 years, and would experience considerable difficulties returning to your ‘home’ country, for example, because you do not know the language; or
• You must be at least 25 years old and have lived in the United Kingdom continuously for at least 20 years.

Exceptional Circumstances

In exceptional circumstances, you can apply outside the Immigration Rules pursuant to Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to a private and family life). The standard for this route is high, requiring the applicant to demonstrate ‘unjustifiably harsh consequences’ for themselves, their child, or another family member if they are unable to remain in the UK.

What is the difference between 5 year and 10 year route?

The five-year settlement route (also known as indefinite permission to remain) is given in conjunction with an application for further leave to remain in the M category (FLR M). This is a visa for a spouse, partner, or dependant child that is valid for 2.5 years if the application meets all of the criteria (income, language etc).

By contrast, those seeking additional leave to stay based on their private or family life (FLR FP) are often on a ten-year path to settlement. Their permission to remain is also granted for 2.5 years, but they must submit four applications in total, whereas FLR M applicants submit only two.

Supporting documents 

You will typically be required to provide the following supporting documents with your application:

• Two photographs of yourself, one of your partner, and additional photographs if you are applying for dependents.
• Passport, identification card, or travel document.
• Biometric residency permit, if you have one.
• If you have been required to register with the police, your police registration certificate.
• Evidence of your financial situation, such as bank records and payslips for the last three months at the very least
• Evidence of payment of the NHS immigration surcharge
• In some instances, you will also be required to demonstrate your command of the English language. This is not required if you are a child or an adult travelling to the UK to be cared for by a relative, or if you are over 65 or have a medical or mental condition that makes meeting the language requirement impossible. This may not be necessary if you are applying via the parent (5-year) method, but you should double-check.
• For a private life application, you will very certainly need to send utility bills, council tax bills, a letter from your primary care physician confirming your registration, mortgage statements, and previous immigration papers.
• For a dependent application, you must provide the child’s passport court records, birth certificates, proof of the children’s education, and letters from the child’s primary care physician (ren)
• Tuberculosis test results if you are visiting the UK from a country that requires a tuberculosis test prior to entry.
• Additionally, keep in mind that any document that is not in English or Welsh must be certified translated.

How much is the FLR FP application?

The fee to apply using FLR FP is £1033 for a single applicant from within the United Kingdom, and the same amount for each dependent added to your application.

If you are applying in the United Kingdom, you will additionally be required to pay £19.20 to submit your biometric information (fingerprints and a photograph).

The application fee is in addition to the Immigration Health Surcharge of £624 per year per applicant.

When do you need to make the extension application?

The Home Office recommends that all applications be submitted at least 28 days before the applicant’s present leave to remain in the UK expires.

FLR FP processing times

Processing times are subject to change and can vary depending on the volume of applications being processed and other factors such as pandemic-related backlogs.

The processing time also depends on whether the application is made from within the UK, and whether you use the premium service.

The Home Office advises that applications made using the standard processing can take up to eight weeks to process from within the UK. It might take up to 12 weeks for individuals applying from outside the UK.

If you apply from within the United Kingdom, you can pay £800 for the super priority service. This implies that if your appointment to supply your biometric information is on a weekday, you will receive a decision the next working day; if your appointment is on a weekend, you will receive a decision in two working days.

If you are applying as an adult seeking care from a relative, you cannot use the super priority service.

Even when your application is approved, it may take up to 10 working days to get your biometric residence permit.

Need assistance?

DavidsonMorris are UK immigration specialists. We have substantial experience helping individuals with all types of UK Home Office applications, including extension applications and completing Form FLR (FP). For guidance and support with your application, contact us.

Form FLR FP FAQs

Last updated: 11 March 2022