Morbid Question (sorry)

Hi, not sure if this is the correct forum section, please move if it should be in Repatriation or elsewhere. I have tried to search the forum first but couldn't find anything so thought I'd ask here.

I'm a UKC, my wife is 18 months into first (spouse) visa. As we're "older" we need to consider all possibilities and as we've been reviewing our wills the obvious question has come up regarding what would her status be should I die in the next 3 1/2 years, before she obtains ILR. She has said that they'd have to drag her kicking and screaming back to the US, but I've tried to point out that might actually be an option....

What would her status be, could she continue to ILR as a widow? (she'd be able to support herself financially due to life insurance/widow's pension)

Would the situation be considered differently during the first visa period and the second (FLR) period?

I'm assuming once she has ILR she can stay as long as she likes.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for bringing up such a downer of a topic!

She could apply right away to settle, ILR no matter where she was in the process. This allows her to stay indefinitely in the UK.

https://www.gov.uk/visas-partner-dies

Hopefully you'll stick around though!

Thanks larrabee, I wish the GOV.UK website was a bit easier to navigate, I did look there before posting as well.

I'm hoping to stick around too, I've never been happier than right now, but I'm a big believer in people of any age having wills, and this was an obvious question that arose, but my wife will be a lot happier now, she's really thrown herself into UK life and would hate to be forced to leave, so it's great to get that box ticked 

Just keep an eye on her for a while now. If you wake up in the night and she is hovering over you with a pillow......