Life In Uk Test Centre Refused To Allow Wife To Take Test

[Kadafi]

My wife booked her life in the uk test online and paid the 50 pound fee. We arrived 20 minutes early and straight away the lady in the centre started moaning that we should have arrived 30 minutes early and that maybe we would loose the fee and had to rebook.

She then asked for her i.d, we explained my wife is on a tourist visa and does not have any utility bills in her name to show her address and no bank account. We showed her family name passport along with a letter from the UKBA with her family surname and correct england address. As we are recently married we showed her married surname passport also and thai marriage certificate. Straight away she said ''no good, leave and pay again and come back when you have UKBA letter in married name''.

We believe this is unfair, it felt like a money scam to be honest. They had only one customer in the test centre taking there exam and seems like they were itching for a reason to send my wife away to rebook. Do we have any grounds to try and claim our money back and put in a complaint?

[Eff1n2ret]

What do the terms and conditions of the booking website say?

[7by7]

Did she book the test as Miss X or Mrs Y?

[Kadafi]

She booked the test in her married name, she showed her passport in her married name. The UKBA letter had the correct address but was in her maiden name, in which she showed her maiden passport also.

Even though she showed both passports they refused her, told her to obtain a ukba letter with her married surname and rebook the test.

[falangUK]

Hi Kadafi,

Very sorry to hear about this.

It's is unfair, but the test centre has a check list, and this being the UK they will not go beyond the check list.

What you can do is

1. Contact the life in the UK test helpline (0800 0154245), if you are abroad use the information at

http://lifeuk.info/blog/2010/06/19/life-in-the-uk-helpline-0800-0154245-how-can-they-help/

to contact they for free from outside the UK .

2. Contact the test centre manager (it's definitely worth a try)

btw, I am replying to this because of 2 reasons

1. I took the test long time and
   
2. I run a free service to help people with the Life in the UK test.
   

Hope this helps, please let me know how you guys get on.

Thanks.

[chogiekim]

What settlement visa will my wife get,been living together over 4 years in Bangkok. Hoping to take the uk test in England once we get there.

[tribalfusion001]

What settlement visa will my wife get,been living together over 4 years in Bangkok. Hoping to take the uk test in England once we get there.

Which visa did you apply for?

[chogiekim]

It is all confusing. I can't remember what we put down now.

[chogiekim]

We put down settlement. But don't they look at how long you been living together to see what visa will be given. ILE and then you take your test in the uk if you been living together for over 4 years?? am i correct?

[tribalfusion001]

We put down settlement. But don't they look at how long you been living together to see what visa will be given. ILE and then you take your test in the uk if you been living together for over 4 years?? am i correct?

I'm not sure, pm visa plus, he will probably have an answer for you.

[bobrussell]

You need to have id including address in the name you booked the test. If the UKBA letter, passport and test used the same name you should complain to the test centre.

The tests are run in a very similar way to driving theory tests. My wife found the staff in Southampton ranged from really helpful to downright rude and obstructive.

There is a helpline for the service!

0800 015 4245

[Kadafi]

You need to have id including address in the name you booked the test. If the UKBA letter, passport and test used the same name you should complain to the test centre.

The tests are run in a very similar way to driving theory tests. My wife found the staff in Southampton ranged from really helpful to downright rude and obstructive.

There is a helpline for the service!

0800 015 4245

Likewise, the member of staff at the test centre was very rude from the moment we arrived. I have put in a complaint and a claim for a refund but to be honest i dont hold much hope of getting our money back.

Today I have rang around trying to get a utility bill sent out in my wifes name, If Mr and Mrs Kadafi is on a utility bill will that be excepted or does it have to show her full name?

[Guest jonzboy]

this is what the UKBA website says

When you register for a Life in the UK account we'll ask what ID you'll bring with you on the day of your test.It is very important that you bring the same ID that you registered with to your test - if you do not bring the same ID you will not be able to take your test and you will not receive a refund of your test fee.

We'll also ask you for proof of your address. Please bring an original of one of the following (photocopies or printouts will not be accepted):

• gas/electricity/water bill,
  
• a council tax bill,
  
• bank or credit card statement,
  
• UK photocard driving licence,
  
• or a letter from the Home Office with your name and address on it.
  

You won't be able to take your test without the above documents, so please don't forget to bring them with you.

emphasis on one of the following is mine

what is also important is to ensure that any passport used to register and book the test is the same passport that will ultimately be submitted for the ILE/ILR visa

[marstons]

There is heaps of information on Goverment websites, i dont understand why people have these problems. I always found UKBA site good, e mail service helpfull. I got tourist, join unmarried partner, and ILR over time all with no hassle. they have to have a valid reason to turn people down. I always e mailed them, never asked for answers on a forum where you will invairably get deffern't and incorrect answers.

having just looked at website seems prity clear what to take, booked in one name and letter in another name may be a reason.

• . or a letter from the Home Office with your name and address on it.
  

[paully]

booked in one name and letter in another name may be a reason.

Either that or different ID was used from that when registering for the test (although the OP maintains it was the same). Annoying and pedantic, but there it is. However, there's no excuse for rudeness.

Edited May 9, 2012 by paully

[7by7]

An off topic post with unpleasant, racist undertones has been deleted, as have responses to it.

Please read the forum rules before posting.

[saroq]

It is all confusing. I can't remember what we put down now.

It's beginning to sound like you didn't read the requirements first and are now complaining because the government department won't let you slid through doing it the way you want to. Sorry that's not the nature of governement offices. Not in the UK, not in Thailand, not in China, the US or anywhere else that I dealt with them.

[h5kaf]

She booked the test in her married name, she showed her passport in her married name. The UKBA letter had the correct address but was in her maiden name, in which she showed her maiden passport also.

Even though she showed both passports they refused her, told her to obtain a ukba letter with her married surname and rebook the test.

Sounds like the UK is learning from the Thai immigration. This is exactly the same scenario that frequently happens in Thai immigration. Main difference is that the low level clerks in the UK have no tea money incentive, so they get their kicks from their power to be negative.

[bkk_mike]

We put down settlement. But don't they look at how long you been living together to see what visa will be given. ILE and then you take your test in the uk if you been living together for over 4 years?? am i correct?

The problem is, until she's passed the life in the UK test, she isn't eligible for ILE/ILR. (unless you can show she previously had ILR status - i.e. got ILR prior to the Life in the UK test being implemented).

So if she hasn't passed the test (i.e. on a previous visit to the UK on a tourist visa for instance), you'll get a standard settlement visa and then have to sit the test and apply for ILR (with associated costs) in the UK.

If she had already passed the test, and included the pass in the application, then I believe you're correct and she'd have been given ILE on the basis of the length of your marriage.

One consolation. The ILE stamp is the worst designed visa on the planet as the date by which you must make your first entry is labelled an expiry date so there is a lot of fun with check-in staff once that date has passed if you get someone that hasn't seen one before.

Edited May 13, 2012 by bkk_mike

[thaigirllondon]

My ILE still has an expiry date on it!

[Baerboxer]

We put down settlement. But don't they look at how long you been living together to see what visa will be given. ILE and then you take your test in the uk if you been living together for over 4 years?? am i correct?

The problem is, until she's passed the life in the UK test, she isn't eligible for ILE/ILR. (unless you can show she previously had ILR status - i.e. got ILR prior to the Life in the UK test being implemented).

So if she hasn't passed the test (i.e. on a previous visit to the UK on a tourist visa for instance), you'll get a standard settlement visa and then have to sit the test and apply for ILR (with associated costs) in the UK.

If she had already passed the test, and included the pass in the application, then I believe you're correct and she'd have been given ILE on the basis of the length of your marriage.

One consolation. The ILE stamp is the worst designed visa on the planet as the date by which you must make your first entry is labelled an expiry date so there is a lot of fun with check-in staff once that date has passed if you get someone that hasn't seen one before.

If the date you must make your first entry by has passed, and you have not made your first entry by that date, then the right to make a first entry granted under the visa has expired. Seems simple enough! Good old plain English.

I can imagine the fun at check-in!!

[jambco984]

Sorry to hear about all the trouble you have encountered. I hope next time things work out for you.