RoqVodster

Thank you everyone for advice on here that was very useful for my first application (spouse visa). It will be time for me to renew before 18/07/22 - where has the time gone?! I have some questions below I would appreciate your views on:

1. My BRP is valid to 18/07/22. Based on lots of threads, general advice seems to be to submit renewal application around 18/06/22 (and obviously before 18/07/22), would this be advisable? (I know lots of people have asked this but it is always good to hear again!)
2. Is priority and/or superpriority available for a renewal? Some online advice has been conflicting. I am trying to balance the cost vs. having a prompter decision for piece of mind.
3. My foreign passport allows use of smartgates, where available. I first arrived in the UK on 25/10/19 after getting my decision (my British wife had returned a few months earlier, to start her new job and while I sold the house and served my notice and waited on the visa). Despite my entreaties to staff I was told to use the smartgates, and so did not get the initial stamp in my passport. However, we took an overseas trip within two weeks (to celebrate being reunited) so I left the UK and returned within my vignette period, so I could get the stamp and enter properly on 14/11/19. Since 14/11/19 we have left the country only once (family wedding, pre-Covid) and I used smartgates each time. When I renew, should I take the date I arrived as 25/10/19, or 14/11/19, (I will explain what happened in my application). I want to be completely open and not muddle things, especially as we were overseas for a week between 25/10/19 and 14/11/19.
4. Similar to 3) - when I travel in future, should I never be using the Smartgates to re-enter the UK (where available), and always get a stamp?

Thank you in advance. The help and advice you give people is invaluable.

SanDiegogirl

1. If you are here on family route (as spouse or unmarried partner), and you entered UK on 33-month visa, then the earliest you can apply to renew your leave on form FLR(M) is on the 30-month anniversary of your UK entry (not from 'valid from' date on your visa, unless you arrived here on the first day of validity), minus 28 days. So for example, if you arrived in UK on your settlement visa on 17th June 2015, you can apply on 17th December 2017 (30-month anniversary), minus 28 days which will be 19th November 2017

2. Priority and Super Priority are available at present - although not always easy to book. People say you just have to keep trying if dates are not open....
3. This is a muddle to start with as it may affect the 28 day deadline? Presuming that one's entry is recorded even if going through the smart gates, personally, I'd put 25 October and an explanatory letter.

RoqVodster

Thank you very much for this, SanDiegogirl, I'll put 25th October 2019 as entry date and include an explanatory letter. I presume there is no way to 'tell' UKVI this now in advance of my application? I'm intending to apply a month before my BRP is up and will compile documents etc. in the meantime. By not applying as soon as I am able, rather towards the end of the BRP period, this should also avoid the 28 day issue now as well as when it comes time to apply for ILR after a total of 5 years.