UK ILR- please help!

[EC225LP]

Hi Guys,

               Firstly, thanks for all your help last time I posted, you guys got me pointed in the right direction and the UK visa application was a success. (settlement visa). We have now lived in the UK for 8 months.

 

               The visa has a 2 year life, after which what happens? Reading on gov.uk it seems like ILR has to be applied for, but there seems to be a few different ways to do this ("5year route and 10 year route")

 

              I was wondering if anyone out there has any recent experience of this and could give me some advice on where and how to start this procedure.

 

      Thanks again for all your previous help!

[rasg]

If you were married in Thailand your wife's Settlement visa lasts for 33 months. Before that runs out your wife needs to apply for Further Leave to Remain. It lasts for 30 months. Pay the NHS surcharge. (£500) plus the visa. You really need to download the form now as there are requirements for FLR that are ongoing over the life of this current visa to prove you live together. Items mailed to the two of you for things like Council tax, bank statements etc that have to spread out over the course of the 33 months.

 

After 30 months of FLR, then your wife applies for ILR.

 

The language test requirements have have changed too for FLR and my wife will to take another test before her next FLR (we were married in the UK) as the Government changed the goalposts.

 

Here is the link for the form for you to manually download so you can take a look at the requirements.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/579278/FLR_M_-12-2016.pdf

 

This is where you now apply for FLR online:

https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/next

 

Your wife will need B1 for ILR and she will also need to take the Life in the UK test. The LITUK test is a lot of learning and it’s a while away but it needs to be because there is a lot of UK history and stuff to learn.

[rasg]

I think I got the second link wrong.

 

It's here:

 

https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/family-routes

[7by7]

Your wife is on the 5 year route to settlement.

 

After living in the UK with you for 30 months she applies for Further Leave to Remain; see Apply to remain in the UK with family. Note that, at the time of writing, it still says on there that A1 in English speaking or listening is required, but as rasg says, this will change to A2 for all applications made on or after 1st May 2017. See this statement of intent and the list of UKVI approved providers for which tests are acceptable and where she can take one.

 

She still has plenty of time, so if she is up to it I suggest that she aims for B1 as she will be able to use that for both her FLR application and then again for her ILR. Remember that for ILR she will need to pass the LitUK test as well.

 

FLR is valid for 30 months, and at the end of that time she applies for ILR, referred to by UKVI as 'settlement;' see Apply to settle in the UK. Remember that your wife is on the 5 year route.

 

The financial requirement needs to be met again for both FLR and ILR applications; but, unlike the initial visa, your wife's income, if any, can be used as well as or instead of yours if necessary.

 

As far as I am aware, the above is correct at the time of writing. But the government do change the rules from time to time. We are looking some time into the future, so whilst you need to start preparing now by gathering evidence and obtaining the language qualifications, you should check again nearer the time to make sure nothing has changed. The fees will certainly have gone up!

 

 

[EC225LP]

Guys,

        Once again, thanks so much for your help... got me started in the right direction!