FARAH1305

Edited to provide clearer information:

Hello

I am submitting my ILR for my spousal visa. My current spousal visa expires in July 2019.

I am just filling out the question form and was wondering if anyone could provide some help.

In the Your social, cultural and family ties section they ask about :

Are you part of any social groups or do you have other cultural ties in your country of birth, nationality or any other country where you have lived for more than 5 years?
these could include social networks or connections to any of these countries?

I have no clue what information they want here.

secondly - under listing family and friends along with their names and how you keep in contact with them... how specific are you? I've listed just my immediate family (parents and siblings) - not nieces and nephews at home in Canada.

For friends - again I've just listed close friends i still keep in contact with.

Second, under convictions and penalties it says:

A penalty for a driving offence, for example disqualification for speeding or no motor insurance

I have received a speeding ticket here - does this count? I did have to pay a fine. I did not have my licence revoked. I don't remember exactly when this was or how much the fine was. I went 23 mPH in a 20 mph zone and was caught by a speed camera.

Can anyone help with these questions??????

spouse of scouse

What visa are you applying for?

FARAH1305

my ILR ... on a 5 year spousal visa.

between two worlds

Farah, I too have been wondering about these puzzling questions. Surely they don't want the names of everyone one has known back in the original country?! Luckily, there is a character limit....
An internet search turned up a possible explanation of the intent of these questions, on another forum. I am paraphrasing:
These answers don't affect the application if you meet the requirements for ILR. If you do not meet the requirements, then these answers help determine whether you could live elsewhere, since if you couldn't, rejection might be a breach of your human rights.

If that's the case, it's nothing to worry about for those who meet the requirements. I imagine a basic list of friends and networks will suffice.

But I wonder if one of our own experts will chime in on these questions about social network, ties, and the ability to live outside the UK, on the spousal ILR online application. OTOH, if the questions' intent is as indicated above, I can see why it isn't clear, and why an expert might be reluctant to comment!

BritInParis

It's to make it easier for the Home Office to deport if your application fails and you try claim the right to stay in the UK under human rights legislation.

Mention the speeding ticket. It won’t negatively affect their decision but failing to disclose it might.

between two worlds

Thanks so much, BritinParis. You are so helpful, these forums are so indebted to you for informative and precise responses!

So, in answering the questions about social ties etc, just a shortish list of closer friends and main social networks will suffice?
They ask "where do they live?" and obviously I don't plan to give street addresses but do they expect town? State?

I gather you are saying that these answers don't have much weight in the normal ILR application where all is in order and application isn't expected to fail. That is reassuring.
But they are confusing questions! I don't recall their being asked at the FLR stage. One finds oneself wondering how much information they want/expect, and do they really want long lists of names of individual people, and why—are they going to get in touch with those people? whose permission I suppose we should really ask before putting them on the form, but that could take ages?!

BritInParis

Keep it short and sweet. Your closest relatives/friends and the cities and countries they live in. They won’t be getting in touch. It’s just to stop people saying they have nowhere to go in their home countries if faced with deportation.

between two worlds

Thank you so much. So much clearer now. It's confusing until one understands why. I feel this question will reappear on the forums!

FARAH1305

Thanks so much for your response.

Just another quick question if you have some insight. My husband is paid a day rate of £400 GBP ... he earns around 8000 before tax each month. However he is not paid on bank holidays ... for his annual salary do we just do 8000 x 12? He is employed through an umbrella company that issues him a p60 and acts as his employer, he receives a pension with them as well. He is on a fixed term non salaried contract.

BritInParis

I take it you are applying under Category B?

FARAH1305

BritInParis

Then I would just use the actual total that he earned in the last twelve months.

FARAH1305

BritInParis

When was your initial visa issued?

FARAH1305

My spousal visa commenced July 8th 2014 - it expires July 8th 2019.

I have my online formed filled out and ready to go - I just don't know if I should wait till June 11th to submit and get in a priority appointment slot or wait until the 11th submit then and get a priority slot at that point.