BritInParis

You can start filling in the form earlier but it’s a good idea not to submit it until you are within 28 days of the current visa’s expiry date.

mentalist

Merci Beaucoup

mentalist

Am struggling to find the gov link for starting our application for ILR. We have done 5yrs now. Thanks in advance for any help.

BritInParis

https://www.gov.uk/settle-in-the-uk

mentalist

Many thanks

mentalist

Started completing on-line application to extend my wife's visa from 5yrs and they ask for Life in the UK Test as well as a B1 Eng Lang test. We thought the Life in the UK Test was only for UK citizenship. Does that mean we cannot get the ILR but must instead extend her FLR another 2.5yrs? We are confused. Why don't they write and tell us what we need to do? Moved to the Finance section and they say we need annual income of £18,600 and yet we were going with the £62,500 savings route. Are we completing the wrong form perhaps?

mentalist

So how do we apply for another FLR given that we lack the annual income required for ILR?

Policy reader

If you have sufficient cash savings then you don't need the Annual income of £18600 despite the online application form insists on it. Bizarrely, it is very surprising that you never ever noticed that life in uk test and B1 is needed for ILR too. In my opinion, just apply another FLRM before visa expiry and then trying in passing the both tests as quickly as possible and if by miracle by then your FLRM won't be decided then can vary into SET M. In doing so, most likely your FLRM fee would be refunded whilst fulfilling the all necessary requirements for settlement.

mentalist

We asked on here about English Language tests and were told that B1 was suitable for our extended visa. We assumed that the cultural test was for citizenship only. Quite frankly I doubt that my wife would ever pass the Life in UK test. How is she supposed to know who built the Tower of London or when St Georges Day is? We will therefore proceed with another FLR instead. My question now is how do we actually do that? Maybe we simply complete the ILR form and state that we don't have the Life in UK Test, if the form lets us do that. Likewise for the cash savings. My wife met a lady at the language test centre who has been in the UK for 20 years without getting ILR.

spouse of scouse

I strongly suggest that you wait for Brit in Paris' input before deciding to apply for another FLR instead of ILR. You still have 5 weeks before your wife's FLR visa expires and can apply any time before that, even the day before.

Re the Life in the UK test, applicants are only tested on information contained in the official handbook, which is available through this government link
https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test

SanDiegogirl

If you research the Life in UK test you will see that the likely questions you can be asked AND their answers are all in the official handbook you receive with the information pack.
Frankly, your wife should know something about British history if living in the country.

SanDiegogirl

You don't need income of 18,600GBP if you have the savings route i.e 62,500GBP.

christmasoompa

Your wife would have to study, same as everybody else. My daughter’s studying for her driving test at the mo, obviously she had no idea what all the road signs or stopping distances were to start with, but she does now. Same principle for your wife, nobody expects her to just know these things, but that’s why she can revise the exact questions she’ll be asked.

I can’t comprehend why anybody would spend 20 years in the UK without getting ILR and/or citizenship. I’d want the security of ILR/citizenship but more importantly I’d want to save that money! It will have cost that woman a fortune over the years, what a waste.

mentalist

But she only has a few weeks before her current visa expires and cannot study. Maybe she can take the Life Test the next time around. As for the questions, many British citizens cannot answer all of the questions. I have a Masters Degree and only got 20/24 in a sample test, but I appreciate that rules must be obeyed. As for the FLR route, I still have no idea which form has to be completed. The one we are currently doing is for ILR presumably because she has been here five years. This is very stressful.

christmasoompa

She doesn't need much time, just a quick flick through the booklet before going to sleep each night would do it, and there are free online practice tests you can do online too. It's not something she needs to study for months for.

If you're struggling with the application, then would hiring a good immi consultant be possible, to make it less stressful for you maybe?