My wife has bee in England for around 18 months now on her 2 year settlement visa.

Everything is good but now we are looking at the next round of the visa process and don't really know what the options are.

The good news is that she has passed her Life in the UK test, so that is one hurdle cleared.

So my question is - what's next? Any help would be appreciated.

Did your wife arrive in the UK within 28 days of her visa being valid? If so, once she has been in the UK for 23 months, and within 28 days of her visa expiring, she should apply for indefinite leave to remain on form SET(M). The cost is £750.00 for a postal application. Have a read of the guidance before you complete the form.

Scouse.

Thanks Scouse,

Yes she did arrive within 28 days. So from the little I do know, we can apply 28 days prior to the expiry of the two year visa.

I know the exact date of this, so I intend to have the relevant forms completed and ready to press the button.

My confusion is that I'm unsure which is the next step - ILR or FLR. We want to take the shortest route possible to having the future secured, but want to make sure we are doing things right first time.

Thanks again.

From the circumstances you have described, your wife can apply for indefinite leave.

Scouse.

Yes she did arrive within 28 days. So from the little I do know, we can apply 28 days prior to the expiry of the two year visa.

Her initial arrival date is important. She may apply for ILR no sooner than 28 days (4 weeks) prior to the 2nd anniversary of her initial arrival date and before her visa expires.

Thanks Vinny,

I hadn't spotted this distinction and would have been ready to go 28 days before the visa expiry. Now I know it will be a few days after that, but it does make a difference.

I've had a look at the ILR form and the guidence notes and I think we'll have everything we need, so its just a case of getting it all together and then checking it 17 times before we send it in.

Thanks again.