Advice needed regarding changing from FLR to ILR :

Do the new financial requirements (as from July 2012) also apply to ILR spouse applicants if already here with an FLR(M) visa issued over 1 year ago and now wanting to apply for ILR ? If not applicable is that a temporary exemption which is likely to change ?

Is it correct that ILR only needs a pass in Life in UK test and 5 years of settlement visas/extensions and can be applied for any time without waiting for an existing FLR(M) to expire ?

Finally, has there been any announcement as to when the current Life in UK test handbook (2nd ed) is going to be changed ?

Thanks.

Edited November 23, 201213 yr by tricolor

The new financial requirements only apply to those who applied for their original settlement visa on or after 9th July 2012.

As does the new 5 year qualifying period for ILR.

Those who applied before this come under the old rules. Whether the government will change this at some point in the future, I don't know.

The only change affecting those who applied for their initial visa before 9/7/12 is to the knowledge of life and language in the UK requirement.

If applying for ILR before October 2013 applicants need to have passed the Life in the UK test or progressed at least one level on an ESOL with citizenship course, see here.

If applying for ILR from October 2013 they must have

• Passed the Life in the UK test. and
  
• Obtained level B1 of the CEFR in speaking and listening, or better.
  

I have not heard anything about a third edition of the handbook.

Many thanks for the prompt and complete reply.