After Settlement Visa?

[Marko2]

Dear All,

Thanks to some excellent advise from people on this forum we successfully received a settlement visa from the UK embassy in BKK. We still have 10 months to run on this but I think it is sensible to begin thinking about what is next.

Does anybody have any experience of ILR (I think this is the correct term?) As i understand that this is the next stage. Does this allow my wife to get a UK passport? or what does ILR allow her to that is different from the settlement visa?

Are ILR often rejected?

Any advise or comments would be much apprieciated.

Thanks

M

[the scouser]

Marko,

ILR stands for indefinite leave to remain, and, as the name implies, it confers upon the holder the right to stay permanently in the UK without requiring any further applications to the Home Office or visas for the UK. However, if the holder of ILR spends more than 2 years outside of the UK, the ILR will lapse. Also, ILR is not naturalisation as a British citizen, but your wife will be able to apply for this once she has her ILR and has been in the UK for 3 years.

In order to qualify for ILR, you/your wife will need to submit various documents to the Home Office which establish that you have been living together, and, as your wife will be applying after 1 April 2007, she will also need to establish that she has either successfully undertaken an ESOL with Citizenship course, or has passed the Life in the UK test. She should make the application for ILR not more than 28 days before her current leave expires and a postal application will (at today's rates) cost £335.00.

Scouse.

[GU22]

In order to qualify for ILR, you/your wife will need to submit various documents to the Home Office which establish that you have been living together,

See section 6, note 4 of the application form for more on this and some suggestions of the type of documents required. Note too that these should be spread over the whole 2 year period, so start collecting now.

It is extremely rare for an ILR application to be rejected. I, personally, have only heard of one case. The applicant had delayed travelling to the UK with their initial spouse visa for more than 28 days so they had not completed 2 years in the UK when it expired. The ILR application wasn't rejected outright; they were granted FLR to cover the missing time and then they applied again for, and were granted, ILR.

Edited February 12, 2007 by GU22

[saranagon]

Hi Marko

Start by getting your wife on the utility bills ,Gas and electric ,I know that phone is not so easy ,get her a bank account,National insurance number,and any other documents you can think of ,as long as you remember to start saving these up as proof you are still living together as Husband and wife ,you should not have a problem

[Marko2]

Dear All,

Great advise as usual.

I started getting the Mrs's name onto bills a few monhs ago, so hopefully this will cover the docs (I'll study the link to fully understand)

Regarding the ESOL and citizen test, it's very hard to get on a ESOL course now (they are full before they start) currently we are being quoted a start date of April or even September! maybe it's because we are down south? or maybe it's all the new Eastern European EEC people? either way I'd advise getting on one of these ASAP.

Cheers

Marko

[Mahout Angrit]

Regarding the ESOL and citizen test, it's very hard to get on a ESOL course now (they are full before they start) currently we are being quoted a start date of April or even September! maybe it's because we are down south? or maybe it's all the new Eastern European EEC people? either way I'd advise getting on one of these ASAP.

Marko

There have been a number of reports of those courses being full from around the country and most state the reasons you have given.

If your wife's English language skills are up to it she can buy the 'Life in UK' syllabus at WH Smiths, study at home (with your help) and go to a test centre without doing the ESOL course. See info on Life in UK test

[mrbojangles]

Regarding the ESOL and citizen test, it's very hard to get on a ESOL course now (they are full before they start) currently we are being quoted a start date of April or even September! maybe it's because we are down south? or maybe it's all the new Eastern European EEC people?

Yep, we're in the north and we've been quoted September. In the words of the Teacher at the college "the classes are full of Assylum seekers and Polish"

[Marko2]

I've just had a look at the "British Citizen" test website; some of these sample questions are ridiculous!

eg:

Where have migrants come from in the past and why? What sort of work have they done?

Are there as many women in education or work as men?

When do children take tests at school? How many go on to higher education?

How interested are young people in politics? What do they see as the main issues today?

these are just a few of the first 2 pages, they seem total subjective to me (although it does say the answers are in the guide book- but in that case you will need to memories the answers to all 500! as they are not general knowledge questions)

I really don't see the point in making people jump through hoops like this, I mean your average school leaver these days wouldn't have a clue either (in fact most of them are less intelligent than the average foreigner wanting to stay in the UK- at least the foreigner has the get up and go to do something)

I'm all for making sure that foreigners can speak English and have a made an effort to understand the UK, but this test is garbage!

Regarding the ESOL and citizen test, it's very hard to get on a ESOL course now (they are full before they start) currently we are being quoted a start date of April or even September! maybe it's because we are down south? or maybe it's all the new Eastern European EEC people? either way I'd advise getting on one of these ASAP.

Marko

There have been a number of reports of those courses being full from around the country and most state the reasons you have given.

If your wife's English language skills are up to it she can buy the 'Life in UK' syllabus at WH Smiths, study at home (with your help) and go to a test centre without doing the ESOL course. See info on Life in UK test

[Mossfinn]

I've just had a look at the "British Citizen" test website; some of these sample questions are ridiculous!

eg:

Where have migrants come from in the past and why? What sort of work have they done?

Are there as many women in education or work as men?

When do children take tests at school? How many go on to higher education?

How interested are young people in politics? What do they see as the main issues today?

these are just a few of the first 2 pages, they seem total subjective to me (although it does say the answers are in the guide book- but in that case you will need to memories the answers to all 500! as they are not general knowledge questions)

Hi Marko2,

I have copied a post from a thread earlier today, it is also in my view relevant to yours, although it was specifically aimed at another question it has some relevance to yours, although perhaps not entirely.

As has been said buy the book from any good book store and read the preface, this will tell you what chapters you need to read, it used to be three but it has been reported on here that it might be five but with little additional content.

Study the chapters required and continually test and help with content and do not be phased by the banal questions asked, just try to remember the relevant content.

It is a multiple choice, touch screen test so the possibility of being able to eliminate certain answers and so the liklihood of better chance of answering those that you do not know in the first place, increases.

Good Luck

Moss

[Welsh John]

Hi All,

From looking at Life in Test site it seems there is a Second Edition Book now available and you would need to check that if you but it from a shop.

On a related note, my wife has just had her Settlement Visa Issued and it took only 3 days with no interview and we will be going to the UK together next month.

I would like to THANK all the people on this forum for posting their brilliant advice and experiences. I could never had this success without it.

As for the ILR well thats another headache for the future and I will be looking to glean more info from Thaivisa as time goes on.

( Ive yet to tell the Missus about the test etc )

Good Luck Marko

[Marko2]

Thanks Guys,

I will buy the book (vesion 2) and we'll work through that whilst waiting for the ESOL course.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Cheers All

I've just had a look at the "British Citizen" test website; some of these sample questions are ridiculous!

eg:

Where have migrants come from in the past and why? What sort of work have they done?

Are there as many women in education or work as men?

When do children take tests at school? How many go on to higher education?

How interested are young people in politics? What do they see as the main issues today?

these are just a few of the first 2 pages, they seem total subjective to me (although it does say the answers are in the guide book- but in that case you will need to memories the answers to all 500! as they are not general knowledge questions)

Hi Marko2,

I have copied a post from a thread earlier today, it is also in my view relevant to yours, although it was specifically aimed at another question it has some relevance to yours, although perhaps not entirely.

As has been said buy the book from any good book store and read the preface, this will tell you what chapters you need to read, it used to be three but it has been reported on here that it might be five but with little additional content.

Study the chapters required and continually test and help with content and do not be phased by the banal questions asked, just try to remember the relevant content.

It is a multiple choice, touch screen test so the possibility of being able to eliminate certain answers and so the liklihood of better chance of answering those that you do not know in the first place, increases.

Good Luck

Moss

[Mahout Angrit]

I will buy the book (vesion 2) and we'll work through that whilst waiting for the ESOL course.

I'll let you know how it goes.

You can order the book from www.amazon.co.uk if it is easier. Your wife doesn't have to do any ESOL course to apply for ILR or Citizenship if her English is strong enough to pass the test without. She can also take the test as many times as she wishes in the event of a failure. Good luck with it.

[coldcrush]

oops just booked an ESOL course....

Always last in line ....

Edited February 21, 2007 by lopburiguy

[Mahout Angrit]

oops just booked an ESOL course....

Always last in line ....

Then make sure it's an ESOL Level 3 with citizenship course then if she passes that she wont have to do the test. If it's an ESOL Level 3 only she will still have to do the test

[coldcrush]

Yeah I will have to look into that tomorrow. thanks for your reply.

It seems to change when you come to the next step, lucky I checked here!

Edited February 21, 2007 by lopburiguy