Uk Settlement Visa

[a man with a plan]

Hi there, me and my wife came over to the uk almost two years ago now, here visa will expire at the end of the year. What is the procedure for extending it? I know that there are two ways, one where they take some tests and then they get permenant residence and one where they just get an extension.

How difficult are the tests?

how much preperation time does it take (ie do I need to apply well in advance of her visa expiry date?)

I'm just a little unsure as to what I have to do/prepare

Thanks for any help guys.

[the scouser]

There are two possible tests. Your wife can either sit an ESOL with Citizenship course, or take the Life in the UK test. The former can be undertaken at a local authority college and qualification is by attending every class of the course. The cost is either minimal or free but you will need to contact your local authority to find out where to enrol, how much it costs and whether there are any spaces left for a course starting in September. If you can get your wife on one of these courses, she should complete it before the end of the year.

The Life in the UK test costs £34 to sit the test and preparation is through studying the government-issued handbook which costs around a tenner. How quickly your wife can pass this will depend upon her current English reading ability, her comittment to studying the book, and her general aptitude for such things. The Life in the UK test can be taken as many times as necessary, but the £34 is payable each time.

Scouse.

[connor]

Hi

The ESOL courses are very good however i believe the costs are changing. To my knowledge if you are not from the EU you have to pay £6 per hour. Sounds cheap but classes are 2 hours long & 3 days per week, running for up to 16 weeks.

They do have nursery's for the nippers but change the same cost per hour. Total this up with cost of your wife travelling & it goes well over a grand! For 16 weeks!

There are consessions or should i say there was. One was if you have been married for more than a year + another. However i have been informed these are being dropped.

If your wifes visa has NO RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS stamped in it then they wont want to give any discount.

I may be wrong & would appreciate being put right if thats the case.

Thanks

[the scouser]

I know little of the fee-charging process but, from my limited understanding, it varies from local authority to local authority. The wife of a TV member recently sat an ESOL with Citizenship class in the People's Republic of South Yorkshire which was free. Then again, that might have now changed, too.

Scouse.

[AZZZEY68]

Totally free for my wife why cant he just apply for ILR i thought you only took that test if you wanted a UK passport.

[the scouser]

It all changed on 1 April just gone. The qualification is now required to obtain indefinite leave.

Scouse.

[AZZZEY68]

I was aware of that so the uk goverment are saying you must pass this test before the give you ILR so what if you dont pass it and you visa runs out ?

Also my wife has been atending an ESOL will that suffice if she gets any qualification ?

[Mahout Angrit]

I was aware of that so the uk goverment are saying you must pass this test before the give you ILR so what if you dont pass it and you visa runs out ?

She will have to apply for FLR instead (before the visa runs out!)

Maybe you should read this

[connor]

Hi

I have called & looked at many websites. They seem to have all changed there fees & now charge.

[AZZZEY68]

She is on FLR at the moment so what if she gets another 2 years passes the test in between they will want more cash i suppose.

ILR does not qualify her for a UK passport she can only apply for that on year 4 .

It should be interesting as her daughter is on FLR and they both run out together so will they want 1200 pounds they take the smichael at times.

[Mahout Angrit]

She is on FLR at the moment so what if she gets another 2 years passes the test in between they will want more cash i suppose.

ILR does not qualify her for a UK passport she can only apply for that on year 4 .

It should be interesting as her daughter is on FLR and they both run out together so will they want 1200 pounds they take the smichael at times.

FLR for another 2 years will cost £395, as soon as she passes the Life in UK test she can apply for ILR (she doesn't have to wait till the FLR expires). ILR will cost £750.

She can only apply for UK citizenship (and thus qualify for a British passport) after she has been married to a UK subject and lived in the UK for 3 years and have obtained ILR.

The last time I helped a family apply for ILR and FLR (last year) the fee was for the family and they didn't have to pay the fee per person but I can't find if that is still the case now, maybe Scouse knows.

Edited June 27, 2007 by Mahout Angrit

[the scouser]

If you have a butcher's at the SET(M) guidance, section 4 says:-

There is only one fee for each application form. You may include children under the age of 18 in your application if they are applying for an extension of stay as your dependants. If they apply separately, they must pay the prescribed fee.

The same is true for applications for leave to remain too, so as long as the child is a dependant and is aged under 18 at the time of application, only one fee is payable.

Scouse.

[Mahout Angrit]

If you have a butcher's at the SET(M) guidance, section 4

Thanks Scouse

AZZZEY

If your step daughter is under 18 she doesn't have sit the Life in UK test so could apply direct for ILR when her current FLR expires (provided she has been in UK for 2 years) even if your wife is not ready but if she doesn't apply at the same time as your wife then you will have to shell out the ILR fee for your step daughter and again later for your wife.

Edited June 27, 2007 by Mahout Angrit

[a man with a plan]

Totally free for my wife why cant he just apply for ILR i thought you only took that test if you wanted a UK passport.

It all changed on 1 April just gone. The qualification is now required to obtain indefinite leave.

Scouse.

The plan is to get her a british passport eventually, though I don't know if there's time to get everything sorted out for that this time around as we only have about 4-5 months left. But if I just go for the extension (which was still about £400 when I checked), where do I do it?

[Mahout Angrit]

The plan is to get her a british passport eventually, though I don't know if there's time to get everything sorted out for that this time around as we only have about 4-5 months left. But if I just go for the extension (which was still about £400 when I checked), where do I do it?

She applies for Further leave to remain on FLR(M) form using FLR(M) guidance notes

Once she has the relevant Life in UK qualifications she can apply for ILR.