Final year of FLR before citizenship

[BIGJIMMY]

Hi TV peeps, it’s been a while.  The wife’s FLR is up on the 31st January and that will be the 5 years complete so once she is granted the ILR we can then crack on with citizenship.......and we have a few questions, I’m admittedly being a bit lazy and coming straight here for the answers.

Does the current Mrs Ellis need the Life in the UK test before we can even apply fir the ILR, what happens if she doesn’t have it before the end of January, can it be applied for later I.e before citizenship Is applied for?

 

What are the rules regarding time out of the country for this last year?

 

Thanks in advance folks.

 

Bigjimmy

[7by7]

1 hour ago, BIGJIMMY said:

Does the current Mrs Ellis need the Life in the UK test before we can even apply fir the ILR, what happens if she doesn’t have it before the end of January, can it be applied for later I.e before citizenship Is applied for?

A pass in the LitUK test is a requirement for ILR. If she doesn't have it when her current FLR runs out, then she will have to apply, and pay, for FLR again. 

 

Having used it for ILR, she can. of course, use it again for citizenship.

 

1 hour ago, BIGJIMMY said:

What are the rules regarding time out of the country for this last year?

There is no set maximum period allowed out of the UK whilst qualifying for ILR. However, as with FLR, she will need to show that she is, and has been for the entire period, a UK resident. This may be difficult to do if most of the last year has been spent outside the UK. But each case is treated on it's own merits, so in such a situation a lot depends on why the applicant has done so.

 

There is a maximum time allowed outside the UK whilst qualifying for citizenship.

 

For the spouse or partner of a British citizen this is a maximum of 270 days in total over the preceding three years, with a maximum of 90 days in the final year.

 

Absences up to 300 days and 100 days respectively will be ignored. Longer absences may be allowed in exceptional circumstances. Accompanying a spouse/partner who is UK government employee stationed abroad being one such.