Hello again,

My Thai gf is coming to the to study a masters, which is a year, and then work for a year. So she's going to get a student visa.

Questions:

1/ If we married near the end of the second year and apply for a settlement visa, how long before she can be a british national? As far as I understand it is 1 year for settlement, then you get a 2 year ILR, then you can apply for a passport.

2/ Would she have to leave the country to change to settlement visa?

3/ If we married now, she would obviously be able to apply for a settlement visa immediately, but would she be allowed to study a master's degree as she won't be on a student visa?

Thanks, yet again. Especially the scouse.

If you were to be married, your girlfriend could apply for naturalisation after being in the UK three years and on the basis that she would possess indefinite leave. There are other qualifications too, but the ones I've cited are the basic criteria.

Once married she could apply for an extension without having to leave the UK and this would be valid for two years. At the end of the two years she could then apply for indefinite leave. So, to use your timeline, 1 year studies + 1 year IGS + 2 year spouse extension = 4 years before her indefinite leave at which point she could seek naturalisation.

There is nothing prohibiting your wife studying whilst present in the UK on a settlement visa.

Scouse.

but would she be allowed to study a master's degree as she won't be on a student visa?

Yes - but, despite the marriage, the university will still class her as an overseas student for fees. Once she's been resident in the UK (or the EU) for 3 years she'll be treated as a 'home' student if she wanted to go on to a PhD, as you indicated earlier.