I wasn't thinking about the cost of the ESOL classes. I was thinking that if someone is due to apply for ILR soon, and won't have time to learn English well enough before their previous leave to remain expires, they will have to pay an application fee to renew their old leave, and then pay another application fee for ILR later on, after they pass the test. So they have to pay two application fees instead of one.
I am sponsoring an enquiry via ILPA about why victims of domestic violence and bereaved spouses are included in this new rule.
How much time and attention can a victim of domestic violence spend studying English and life in the UK when their life has been unimaginably disrupted and they are holed up in a woman's refuge?
Answer me that one and then we can worry about whether or not the courses are free.
