Uk Citizenship & Esol

[bobrussell]

also with regard to the first bit about national insurance number and 'no problem we got a form for this'

you still need to present your wife and as much ID she has at the job centre to get the number!

it will be a weekday appointment and only at specified job centres so be ready if you work to take the day off work and escort them there....that's if there isn't one on your door step!

My wife got her NI number without an interview. I think they reserve the right to interview but I am not sure it is routine. We sent passport off with the form and the number was issued. They have a phone helpline as well.

It was very painless!

[norrona]

also with regard to the first bit about national insurance number and 'no problem we got a form for this'

you still need to present your wife and as much ID she has at the job centre to get the number!

it will be a weekday appointment and only at specified job centres so be ready if you work to take the day off work and escort them there....that's if there isn't one on your door step!

My wife got her NI number without an interview. I think they reserve the right to interview but I am not sure it is routine. We sent passport off with the form and the number was issued. They have a phone helpline as well.

It was very painless!

I was told over the phone everyone must have an appointment just this morning?

this was from the national 0845 number that is on the website, either they changed it or we may get the option to send off when they send details through....will update when we receive the letter with details etc

cheers

[housepainter]

My wife joined an ESOL course level 1 after only a month of being here(Nov 2010) and we was charged £8 per hour, she was my fiancee at the time as we didn't get married till March 2011 .

Again to take the level 2 course which she will be signing up for next month it is the same £8 per hour.

typically the courses are over 2 terms for 1 day a week and for 2 hours, total approx 50 hours of studying.

she has the certificates from cambridge for her level 1 pass.

What I have been told is after she has been married to me for 1 year (March 2012) is when I will see a reduction on the charge.

That 'reduction in the charge' should be FREE. As the wife of a UK national [british Passport holder] she qualifies for free ESOL courses.

We are 'on the books' of a local College for next year [ after staying a full year] and it is then free for us.

Last week my wife went to her first free conversation class and thoroughly enjoyed it. She said it was fun, the teacher was very friendly and good, and that the other students knew little, pronounced very badly and this gave great encouragement to my wife.

We have bought the Citizenship materials [all of them] and are making tentative steps, knowing that we have the time.

Edited September 23, 2011 by housepainter

[norrona]

My wife joined an ESOL course level 1 after only a month of being here(Nov 2010) and we was charged £8 per hour, she was my fiancee at the time as we didn't get married till March 2011 .

Again to take the level 2 course which she will be signing up for next month it is the same £8 per hour.

typically the courses are over 2 terms for 1 day a week and for 2 hours, total approx 50 hours of studying.

she has the certificates from cambridge for her level 1 pass.

What I have been told is after she has been married to me for 1 year (March 2012) is when I will see a reduction on the charge.

That 'reduction in the charge' should be FREE. As the wife of a UK national [british Passport holder] she qualifies for free ESOL courses.

We are 'on the books' of a local College for next year [ after staying a full year] and it is then free for us.

Last week my wife went to her first free conversation class and thoroughly enjoyed it. She said it was fun, the teacher was very friendly and good, and that the other students knew little, pronounced very badly and this gave great encouragement to my wife.

We have bought the Citizenship materials [all of them] and are making tentative steps, knowing that we have the time.

this is what I have been told from Essex council who run our classes....

must be married to me for 1 year(so March 2012) then it is free but that must be married for 1 year will soon turn into 3 years to qualify.

the missus has just got a job and even after a week working and interacting with English speaking people and a few foreigners, there is a huge difference in her confidence and even forward thinking.

[bobrussell]

My wife joined an ESOL course level 1 after only a month of being here(Nov 2010) and we was charged £8 per hour, she was my fiancee at the time as we didn't get married till March 2011 .

Again to take the level 2 course which she will be signing up for next month it is the same £8 per hour.

typically the courses are over 2 terms for 1 day a week and for 2 hours, total approx 50 hours of studying.

she has the certificates from cambridge for her level 1 pass.

What I have been told is after she has been married to me for 1 year (March 2012) is when I will see a reduction on the charge.

That 'reduction in the charge' should be FREE. As the wife of a UK national [british Passport holder] she qualifies for free ESOL courses.

We are 'on the books' of a local College for next year [ after staying a full year] and it is then free for us.

Last week my wife went to her first free conversation class and thoroughly enjoyed it. She said it was fun, the teacher was very friendly and good, and that the other students knew little, pronounced very badly and this gave great encouragement to my wife.

We have bought the Citizenship materials [all of them] and are making tentative steps, knowing that we have the time.

Why should any course be free to a non-UK citizen? They have to be paid for somewhere so either the individual pays (and gets the benefit of the education) or the tax-payer does. If your other half is granted British Citizenship then she will automatically become entitled to everything a British Citizen is due.

Being allowed leave to remain is not the same as being British. Stay in the UK and take the steps required to become British (or dual nationality), make the commitment to Britain and agree to the responsibilities and get the benefits that go with it!

Sounds like the conversation classes will increase your wife's confidence. If the ESOL course is free then you are very lucky because all the colleges I know make some charge!

[7by7]

Most councils run free basic English classes, but I have never heard of any council providing a free ESOL with citizenship course!

Make sure that your wife is doing the correct course. Having her ILR application refused because she has done the wrong course will be an expensive mistake!

[bangkockney]

Surely residency should be (and is) the qualifying factor - most are paying taxes anyway. Absurd to have no access to what you are paying into through tax!

My wife joined an ESOL course level 1 after only a month of being here(Nov 2010) and we was charged £8 per hour, she was my fiancee at the time as we didn't get married till March 2011 .

Again to take the level 2 course which she will be signing up for next month it is the same £8 per hour.

typically the courses are over 2 terms for 1 day a week and for 2 hours, total approx 50 hours of studying.

she has the certificates from cambridge for her level 1 pass.

What I have been told is after she has been married to me for 1 year (March 2012) is when I will see a reduction on the charge.

That 'reduction in the charge' should be FREE. As the wife of a UK national [british Passport holder] she qualifies for free ESOL courses.

We are 'on the books' of a local College for next year [ after staying a full year] and it is then free for us.

Last week my wife went to her first free conversation class and thoroughly enjoyed it. She said it was fun, the teacher was very friendly and good, and that the other students knew little, pronounced very badly and this gave great encouragement to my wife.

We have bought the Citizenship materials [all of them] and are making tentative steps, knowing that we have the time.

Why should any course be free to a non-UK citizen? They have to be paid for somewhere so either the individual pays (and gets the benefit of the education) or the tax-payer does. If your other half is granted British Citizenship then she will automatically become entitled to everything a British Citizen is due.

Being allowed leave to remain is not the same as being British. Stay in the UK and take the steps required to become British (or dual nationality), make the commitment to Britain and agree to the responsibilities and get the benefits that go with it!

Sounds like the conversation classes will increase your wife's confidence. If the ESOL course is free then you are very lucky because all the colleges I know make some charge!

[bobrussell]

If residency was enough there would not be the 'No recourse to public funds' printed on the visa.

ESOL is a further education course. The cost depends to some extent on the college. Other further education courses such as university degrees come with a much mightier fee structure (up to £9000 a year) so these are far from free to British citizens! I pay what feels like a fortune in tax but my children (or me) will still need to pay for their education once they leave school.

Residency allows those between 5 and 16 years of age to get a full time education free. That is what taxes are for!

As I said earlier a few hundred pounds to improve someones language skills and understanding of how the UK 'ticks' is very good value.

[bangkockney]

Residency is the qualifying factor when judging someone to be a home or international student for the purposes of fees, as set out in the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007.

Any visa endorsement is irrelevant.

In order to qualify as a home UK student, you must meet all of the following criteria:

you must be 'settled' in the UK on the 'first day of the first academic year of the course' 

AND

you must also have been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK on the 'first day of the first academic year of the course'

AND

you must have been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK and Islands (the Islands means the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for the full three year period before the 'first day of the first academic year of the course'

AND

the main purpose for your residence in the UK and islands must not have been to receive full-time education during any part of that three year period.

If residency was enough there would not be the 'No recourse to public funds' printed on the visa.

ESOL is a further education course. The cost depends to some extent on the college. Other further education courses such as university degrees come with a much mightier fee structure (up to £9000 a year) so these are far from free to British citizens! I pay what feels like a fortune in tax but my children (or me) will still need to pay for their education once they leave school.

Residency allows those between 5 and 16 years of age to get a full time education free. That is what taxes are for!

As I said earlier a few hundred pounds to improve someones language skills and understanding of how the UK 'ticks' is very good value.