kororareka

I'm a US citizen getting ready to apply for a settlement visa, based on marriage to my British husband for over 4 years and we've lived overseas all this time.
I was expecting / hoping to get IDE as we've been together for so long.

But have just noticed that a KOL test is now required for settlement...and it seems to only be available to take in the UK.

Any advice about whether this test is required for native English speakers who are applying from outside the UK. If so, how / where?

I want to apply before the new rules go into effect in April!

roaringmouse

It is required for everyone applying for ILR/ILE however it can only be taken in the UK.

You will have to indicate that you've been married & living outside the UK for 4+ years, and ask for the KOL REQ code on the visa (can't remember off hand what the full code is). Then once in the UK you'll need to take the test (as early as possible) and apply for ILR (no need to wait the normal 2 year period).

Yes, this will mean another application fee - which is currently £972 for a postal application, and from April is proposed to increase to £991.

pennylessinindia

This requirement has been there for sometime. No way round it except as previous poster said and sit the test immediately on arrival in the UK and then convert to ILR

Previously you could sit the test as a visitor and whilst you needed your address proof in those days it now says on the web page that the address document needs your name on it, which makes it quite hard if you live overseas. Unless you have previously lived in the UK and maintained a bank account in joint names with a mailing address.

kororareka

Thanks roaringmouse and pennylessinindia. We found the guidance doc online today for the KOL...and discovered that if you meet all the requirement for applying from overseas (having been together for 4+ years) for IDE except having taken the KOL test, you will be granted a 27 month visa. Once you get to the UK, you take the test and then apply for the IDL...I assume as roaringmouse said...for another fee....
SIGH!!!!!!
Thanks for your input.

Tr1boy

Short answer is you can't (as you already now).

I did write this about our experience.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=745755

But the relevant paragraph is here:

Markusha

The option of a (joint) bank account with the spouse's name and a UK address certainly works fine. The test site supervisor asked my wife to recite the address from memory (the photo likeness was not, it seems, enough), but that was all.

mayhemuk

This is exactly what we did! The missus sat the KOL and we then applied for ILR. You can take up to the 27 months but why wait for them to put the prices up/move the goal posts further!

Good Luck!

TomInHongKong

My wife sat the Life in the UK test last summer, whilst a visitor. I remember there was discussion on some 'Life in the UK' forum about what evidentiary proof of residence was required. One visa applicant wrote that her test centre had demanded a utilities bill and that her husband had had to jump into the car, dash off back home, grab a bill and come back.

According to the rules at the time, however, and also according to what other people on the forum had said, it seemed that her test centre shouldn't have insisted on such a proof. The general conclusion seemed to be "phone your test centre before you go and clarify what evidence they need". That's just what we did, and we were told that as long as she knows her post code, she doesn't actually need any evidence of it.

So we turned up at the test centre and my wife waited in line. A short while later she was sat down, registering with one of the staff at a computer. Suddenly she gets up, runs over to me and asks "what's the post code?". I went over to where the stafff member was still sat, waiting for the details, and I told him the post code. That was all that was required. No questions; no problem.

It does seem as though the wording on the Life in the UK website has changed since last summer, but it still might be worth checking with the test centre that you propose to use.

englishguygoinghome

Sounds like you were lucky Tom.

We tried to do that last July and got turned away. They were very helpful and spent 30 minutes trying to get the home office on the line but when they still had no response they turned us away because no one else had been able to start the test until everyone was seated.

We rebooked for a week and a bit later and went back with a UK bank statement showing the right address and full name.

Note: We had booked using a UK address as the system would only show you the nearest 5 centres (so if you're abroad that means the ones on the coast nearest to you!). Then changed the address to our foreign one, for which we had evidence with us first time - but still, big no, they didn't see the address change, just the one we'd used to book