does anyone know when the "free to apply after one year" timeline begins?
Is it one year from when you initially applied, or is it one year from when you received the letter?
by letter i mean the rejection letter
365 days from the date on the rejection letter. That gives you a year to address any shortcomings that may have undermined the competitiveness of your initial application. The idea is that as of the date of that letter, you were not competitive. Hence, a year from that date.