Flr Extension

[dan060975]

Hi

Here is my situation, My wife's FLR spouse visa runs out on 04/02/12 she has sat 2 life in the uk tests and failed her next test is on sat 26/11 but im starting to get very worried now, what if she can't pass.We have a 4yr old daughter who would be distraught if her mum has to go home. I have started looking at flr extension to find she would have to sit a different english test A1 standard. so have started contacting the training bodies to see if they can book her in for test only find the next test are Feb at earliest. So on this if she doesnt pass the life in uk test she has to go home to Thailand. Is there any advice or a different visa we could go for as this is going to affect my daughter big time.

I honestly don't know what to do please help

thankyou

Dan

[tricolor]

You would have to apply for another extension (Further Leave to remain FLR(M)) if she is unable to pass the Life in UK test and so apply for Indefinite leave to remain before her current visa expires.

The FLR(M) application now requires submission of an English test A1 certificate so best to get it sorted out now.

This test centre charges £75 and schedule regular weekly exams :

www.trinitycollege.co.uk/site/?id=2094

Edited November 18, 2011 by tricolor

[7by7]

Indeed.

If she hasn't passed the LitUK test or progressed in an approved ESOL with citizenship course then she cannot apply for ILR.

If she has not passed an approved A1 (or equivalent) test then she cannot apply for a second FLR.

Or rather she can apply, but she will be refused.

Hopefully, she will pass on the 26th and so apply for ILR; but if she doesn't then she will have to find and sit an A1 test before her current leave to remain expires so she can apply for FLR.

List of approved English language tests. You should contact a provider to find out where she can sit the test locally.

[dan060975]

Hi

Thankyou for taking time to reply, The trinity college london i over looked as thought it was just in London but after clicking the link they have a centre in Sheffield which is not far away so i will phone them next week to get esol a1 test booked hopefully as have to have a back up if she fails LIUK test .....

I don't know what you guy's think but i have had enough of visa's to last a life time, looking forward to the day we get ILR as i won't have to go through this again

thanks again guys

Dan

[tricolor]

I agree it's a long-winded tedious drawn-out and now very expensive process where the goal-posts are continually changing.

After ILR you will still need to apply and pay-out more for citizenship and a UK passport if you want complete and restriction free right of entry.

It's not that long ago (6 years?) that these visas and citizenship were supplied free or at a low cost and automatically given out to someone who'd lived in UK for about 4 years. Now it's approaching £ 3000+.

[dan060975]

cheers

£3000 + for citizenship "WOW" i can't see the benefit apart from having uk passport which will enable you to travel freely..

say in a year or two after being granted ILR we decided to go for citizenship would we have to go through the life in uk again ?

thanks again

Dan

[tricolor]

cheers

£3000 + for citizenship "WOW" i can't see the benefit apart from having uk passport which will enable you to travel freely..

say in a year or two after being granted ILR we decided to go for citizenship would we have to go through the life in uk again ?

thanks again

Dan

Not too sure of the exact cost for citizenship and passport but it's not reached £3000+ (yet!!).

That figure was including all that preceeds it as well, such as the initial Settlement visa, possible FLR's, and ILR with Life in UK or A1 English test etc. etc.

The Life in UK test pass certificate doesn't expire so can be used for both ILR and Citizenship applications.

It's obviously the quickest and cheapest solution if she can pass it.

There is a Thai / English guidebook from Garuda publications now available which may be of some help.

Edited November 19, 2011 by tricolor

[7by7]

£3000 is not the cost of citizenship, it's a rough estimate of the total cost from the first visa through to a British passport. At least, I assume that's what tricolor meant.

The current cost of an adult citizenship application is £836.

Having passed the LitUK test to obtain ILR, she wont have to do so again for citizenship; it's valid for life.

For more on citizenship, see Requirements for naturalisation if you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen.

But that's for the future. To be eligible for citizenship she, among other requirements, must have ILR.

Edit;

Tricolor beat me to it.

Edited November 19, 2011 by 7by7

[dan060975]

cheers

£3000 + for citizenship "WOW" i can't see the benefit apart from having uk passport which will enable you to travel freely..

say in a year or two after being granted ILR we decided to go for citizenship would we have to go through the life in uk again ?

thanks again

Dan

Not too sure of the exact cost for citizenship and passport but it's not reached £3000+ (yet!!).

That figure was including all that preceeds it as well, such as the initial Settlement visa, possible FLR's, and ILR with Life in UK or A1 English test etc. etc.

The Life in UK test pass certificate doesn't expire so can be used for both ILR and Citizenship applications.

It's obviously the quickest and cheapest solution if she can pass it.

There is a Thai / English guidebook from Garuda publications now available which may be of some help.

thanks

yes the Thai/English guide book i bought of Amazon last week, my wife is finding is understanding it alot more now so the book is a good buy for any Thai .. To be honest i haven't looked into citizenship just going to concentrate on ILR for now but great info for future

cheers

Dan

[dan060975]

Hi Guys

Good news, my wife passed the life in uk test yesterday & she only got 1 wrong compared to her two previous tests where she got 12 & 13 wrong so the thai/english book must have worked.

now i need to start looking at the two options of ILR or Citizenship

thanks

Dan

[7by7]

It is not two options; ILR or citizenship.

She cannot apply for citizenship unless she has no time restrictions on her stay in the UK, i.e. ILR!

To apply for ILR, see Completing application form SET(M).

Once she has ILR and satisfies the other requirements, she can apply for citizenship; see the link in my previous.

Congrats on her pass.

[dan060975]

It is not two options; ILR or citizenship.

She cannot apply for citizenship unless she has no time restrictions on her stay in the UK, i.e. ILR!

To apply for ILR, see Completing application form SET(M).

Once she has ILR and satisfies the other requirements, she can apply for citizenship; see the link in my previous.

Congrats on her pass.

oh i see so its ILR i need to apply for

thanks for your advice

Dan

[7by7]

Indeed.

If she wishes to remain in the UK indefinitely without paying for expensive FLR applications every two years then she must obtain ILR.

Citizenship is optional; although obtaining it does have some advantages.

1. Visa free travel throughout the EU and to other countries where Thais need a visa but Brits don't.

2. If you ever decide to live in Thailand then living outside the UK and using ILR just for visits is not, strictly speaking, allowed. If it became apparent to an immigration officer at her port of entry to the UK that this is what she was doing, then her ILR would be canceled; although she would be allowed in as a visitor on that occasion. Furthermore, if she spent a continuous period of two or more years out of the UK then her ILR would lapse and she would need to obtain the appropriate visa to enter the UK again. Once granted, citizenship cannot lapse and she, like any other British citizen, would be free to leave and enter the UK as often and for as long as she wished.

3. British citizenship will allow her to take a full and active role in her new home. This includes voting in elections and standing for public office, e.g. your local council, even Parliament, if she so wished.

4. Hopefully never applicable to her, but ILR can be canceled and the holder removed from the UK if they are convicted of a serious criminal offence; any conviction resulting in a prison sentence could result in this. British citizenship obtained via naturalisation can only be removed if convicted of a very serious criminal offence such as terrorism or treason.

[norrona]

that LITUK book in Thai and English was published in June 2010 from what I have seen?

What's peoples opinions on how long this book is good for? Just wondering whether to get it for the wife in preperation for the future, she is on FLR till July 2013 but I think it's a good idea to start to take it next year so theres no mad panic towards the end like I had last time

[tricolor]

that LITUK book in Thai and English was published in June 2010 from what I have seen?

What's peoples opinions on how long this book is good for? Just wondering whether to get it for the wife in preperation for the future, she is on FLR till July 2013 but I think it's a good idea to start to take it next year so theres no mad panic towards the end like I had last time

It's worth having as much of it will remain relevant even if there are some future minor changes to the LITUK test.

Also it's the only Thai study aid for the test readily available for now ?

I read somewhere of an alternative approach when preparing to pass the test.

The idea was not to try and read through all the chapters but to start straight away with some practice tests and keep repeating them.

Then refer to the relevant parts of the chapters, as needed, to help in understanding any failed questions.

Any comments from succcessful candidates about such an approach?

Edited November 30, 2011 by tricolor

[norrona]

that LITUK book in Thai and English was published in June 2010 from what I have seen?

What's peoples opinions on how long this book is good for? Just wondering whether to get it for the wife in preperation for the future, she is on FLR till July 2013 but I think it's a good idea to start to take it next year so theres no mad panic towards the end like I had last time

It's worth having as much of it will remain relevant even if there are some future minor changes to the LITUK test.

Also it's the only Thai study aid for the test readily available for now ?

I read somewhere of an alternative approach when preparing to pass the test.

The idea was not to try and read through all the chapters but to start straight away with some practice tests and keep repeating them.

Then refer to the relevant parts of the chapters, as needed, to help in understanding any failed questions.

Any comments from succcessful candidates about such an approach?

thanks for the answer, will check back to see if anyone can shed any light on the other questions posed as this is totally new to my wife and me :jap: