My first spouse visa was approved in Jan 2018. It expires at the end of this month. When/if it gets approved for this round, will it be good until Jan 2023?
It will be valid for 30 months from the date it is approved.
So, for example, if it is issued on November 1st 2020, it will be valid until May 1st 2023.
You will be eligible to apply for ILR 28 days before reaching 5 years in the U.K., so if you arrived in Jan 2018, you will be eligible for ILR in Jan 2023 and can apply for it in Dec 2022.
You will have until your FLR expires to apply, so you should have a few months leeway.
If that's the case, are there things I should be doing to prepare for a citizenship application, or is that something I pursue after I apply for ILR? I mean, we watch Pointless, so that's got to help with some of the citizenship test questions, surely.
ILR is first and you need to pass the Life in the UK test before you can apply for ILR, as the test is a requirement for both ILR and citizenship... so your main focus should be preparing for ILR, rather than citizenship.
You can take the Life in the UK test at any time as the pass certificate never expires, so you have the next 2 years or so in which to pass it.
Once you have ILR, the UK citizenship application is pretty simple. You just make sure you meet the residency and good character requirements and you apply. Compared with ILR, the citizenship application is a breeze.
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