1. I know correspondence needs to be spread evenly over 2.5 years. So if we apply in May 2024 are these the correct months?
12/21
5/22
10/22
3/23
8/23
1/24
5/24
But that's 7 items, not 6.
It's standard to provide 7 items for every application, including FLR(M), so that you cover both the first and last months of the 2 years (FLR(M)) or 2.5 years (ILR).
You'll need 1 item in each name every 5 months, so for an application made in May 2024, you will need items from:
November 2021
April 2022
September 2022
February 2023
July 2023
December 2023
May 2024
2. What book(s) are recommended to study for ILR? The Home Office website offers an "Official Guide for New Residents", "Official Practice Q&A Book" and "Official Study Guide Book". I'm not sure of the difference between the first and the last.
It looks like the "Official Guide for New Residents" is the latest edition of the official study book, and is where the test questions will be taken directly from.
The description for the book says:
This essential handbook contains all the official learning material and is written in clear, simple language – making it easy to understand.The "Official Study Guide Book" looks to be more about giving advice on the process of preparing for the test and tips on how to study for it.
The description for this one says:
The Life in the UK Official Study Guide features step-by-step advice about preparing for the test as well as activities to help you learn on the move and a section on what happens after the test.3. Other than the timing of the correspondence items, are there differences in the ILR application vs FLR(M)?
Only other differences are:
- you must have passed the Life in the UK test
- there is no IHS surcharge to pay
