Prepping for ILR(M)

Hey all!

It's time again for some quality time with UK/Yankee!

I will be able to apply for my ILF January 29th 2024. (I landed February 25th 2019) and I am looking for the ins and outs of applying.

I know I need to take my life in the UK Test can you point me in the direction of the best forum post about this. I am wondering when I should study and take this (I have the study book and have been browsing it but I want to make sure I leave enough time to take that)

When I apply on the 29th of January, what is the timelines for applications now, do I need to do biometrics again?

We are using savings to satisfy the Financial component, what are the requirements for ILR?

Residence wise my husband owns our home-what do we need to prove there?

Thanks SO much as always!

Hey all!

It's time again for some quality time with UK/Yankee!

I will be able to apply for my ILF January 29th 2024. (I landed February 25th 2019) and I am looking for the ins and outs of applying.

I know I need to take my life in the UK Test can you point me in the direction of the best forum post about this. I am wondering when I should study and take this (I have the study book and have been browsing it but I want to make sure I leave enough time to take that)

When I apply on the 29th of January, what is the timelines for applications now, do I need to do biometrics again?

We are using savings to satisfy the Financial component, what are the requirements for ILR?

Residence wise my husband owns our home-what do we need to prove there?

Thanks SO much as always!

Read the book, study, study, study. Take online practice tests (there are loads, just google) until you are consistently passing, then book the test.
You want to get it done and out of the way asap and not be stressing about it at the last moment.

The house. Just as for FLR. Land Registry document, recent mortgage statement and council tax bill.

Biometrics are done for every single visa, and citizenship application.

Savings for ILR 16k plus 18.6k = £34,600

Read the book, study, study, study. Take online practice tests (there are loads, just google) until you are consistently passing, then book the test.
You want to get it done and out of the way asap and not be stressing about it at the last moment.

The house. Just as for FLR. Land Registry document, recent mortgage statement and council tax bill.

Biometrics are done for every single visa, and citizenship application.

Savings for ILR 16k plus 18.6k = £34,600

Amazing! Can I take the LITUK anytime before?

If my husband owns outright no mortgage do we just use the land registry?

Savings sounds good.
Once I have ILR will I need to renew that again? I know there is no deadline to apply for citizenship could you explained the 270 day rule for that?

In terms of cohabitation what would be a good schedule of documents if I plan on applying Jan 29th ?

Thanks! 

Amazing! Can I take the LITUK anytime before?

If my husband owns outright no mortgage do we just use the land registry?

Savings sounds good.
Once I have ILR will I need to renew that again? I know there is no deadline to apply for citizenship could you explained the 270 day rule for that?

In terms of cohabitation what would be a good schedule of documents if I plan on applying Jan 29th ?

Thanks!

The LIUK test doesn't expire, you can take it any time. But do it sooner rather than later.

Deeds if you have them, or land registry if owned outright. But you still need the council tax statement.

The ILR asks for mail evenly spaced "since your last grant of leave to remain" That's usually 2.5 years which means a 5 month spacing.

Do you mean length of time out of the country for the citizenship application?

This is the guidance- It means as it says. If you have been out of the country more than that, you would have to wait until enough time in country has passed before you would be eligible to apply.

Time you’ve spent outside the UK
To be eligible, you should not have:

spent more than 270 days outside the UK during the 3 years before your application
spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months

https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-spouse

Although there is no time limit at all to apply for citizenship, I always advise doing it right away after ILR. The reason being, it's easier to do while you still have the momentum from visa applications and if you don't do it right away, it's very easy for life to get in the way and before you know it, you're bank in the US without UK citizenship and two years have passed after which you would have to start the whole process all over again!

You used to have to renew the ILR BRP every 10 years but I think they are doing away with that. But you would still need to keep up with and comply with any future changes in immigration law which may affect you.

Thanks that sounds good.m
What do you mean after 2 years you would have to start the process over again?

If you don’t need to reapply for the ILR what are the positives of getting citizenship?  Do you mean thay if anything changes if you’re only existing on a ILR you might need to update or change this if immigration rules changed? Basically you’re not safe until you have citizenship?

Thanks!!

The LIUK test doesn't expire, you can take it any time. But do it sooner rather than later.

Deeds if you have them, or land registry if owned outright. But you still need the council tax statement.

The ILR asks for mail evenly spaced "since your last grant of leave to remain" That's usually 2.5 years which means a 5 month spacing.

Do you mean length of time out of the country for the citizenship application?

This is the guidance- It means as it says. If you have been out of the country more than that, you would have to wait until enough time in country has passed before you would be eligible to apply.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-spouse

Although there is no time limit at all to apply for citizenship, I always advise doing it right away after ILR. The reason being, it's easier to do while you still have the momentum from visa applications and if you don't do it right away, it's very easy for life to get in the way and before you know it, you're bank in the US without UK citizenship and two years have passed after which you would have to start the whole process all over again!

You used to have to renew the ILR BRP every 10 years but I think they are doing away with that. But you would still need to keep up with and comply with any future changes in immigration law which may affect you.

Thanks that sounds good.m
What do you mean after 2 years you would have to start the process over again?

If you don’t need to reapply for the ILR what are the positives of getting citizenship?  Do you mean thay if anything changes if you’re only existing on a ILR you might need to update or change this if immigration rules changed? Basically you’re not safe until you have citizenship?
Thanks!!

ILR is indefinite leave to REMAIN. If you leave the country for more than 2 years, you loose it and would have to start from the beginning on a spouse visa again.
This doesn't mean you can't travel but also it doesn't mean you can move away and keep your ILR by visiting occasionally.

So perhaps the main advantage of citizenship is being able to leave without worrying you are not going to be able to come back. And being able to vote of course.

  Do you mean thay if anything changes if you’re only existing on a ILR you might need to update or change this if immigration rules changed? Basically you’re not safe until you have citizenship?

Yes!

An example of a rule change a lot of people were caught out by was when they made it a requirement to have a valid ILR BRP in order to be able to work. The older ILR was a stamp in the passport which was valid for them to live in the UK but no longer valid for work purposes so technically, they were working illegally unless they or their workplace had kept up with the rules and they had applied for a BRP.

Thanks that sounds good.m
What do you mean after 2 years you would have to start the process over again?

If you don’t need to reapply for the ILR what are the positives of getting citizenship?  Do you mean thay if anything changes if you’re only existing on a ILR you might need to update or change this if immigration rules changed? Basically you’re not safe until you have citizenship?

ILR only remains valid if you continue to live in the UK permanently. If you leave the UK to live in another country (say you wanted to move back to the US), your ILR would become invalid after 2 years away.

So, if you wanted to move back to the UK again and it had been more than 2 years since you left, you would have to start the 5-year visa route over again from scratch with the spousal visa, FLR(M) and finally ILR.

However, if you apply for citizenship, you will have the right to live in the UK whenever you like for the rest of your life - you could leave for several years and still come back to live here again without doing anything… you would simply enter the UK on your British passport.

Also, having British citizenship means:
- you can vote in UK elections
- you can travel to countries that US passport holders are either not allowed into or require a visa for (which UK citizens don’t).


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ILR is indefinite leave to REMAIN. If you leave the country for more than 2 years, you loose it and would have to start from the beginning on a spouse visa again.
This doesn't mean you can't travel but also it doesn't mean you can move away and keep your ILR by visiting occasionally.

So perhaps the main advantage of citizenship is being able to leave without worrying you are not going to be able to come back. And being able to vote of course.

Yes!

An example of a rule change a lot of people were caught out by was when they made it a requirement to have a valid ILR BRP in order to be able to work. The older ILR was a stamp in the passport which was valid for them to live in the UK but no longer valid for work purposes so technically, they were working illegally unless they or their workplace had kept up with the rules and they had applied for a BRP.

Amazing Thanks!

So schedule wise Take the Test at anytime before my date Then apply on the 29th of January with all my documents ready to go. Once I fill out the online application how soon after can I do the biometrics?

Amazing Thanks!

So schedule wise Take the Test at anytime before my date Then apply on the 29th of January with all my documents ready to go. Once I fill out the online application how soon after can I do the biometrics?

It depends on the wait at the time. Someone recently applied using priority and wasn't able to find an appointment for 2 or 3 weeks but usually it's a bit quicker than that. I think if you are prepared to travel or pay more for the appointment (there are various levels) that you might not have to wait as long.

Ok sounds good.

So since I can apply by the 28th of January it doesn't matter when the biometrics are? I assume all of my documents are scanned in before the biometrics and after the bio's are done it's just waiting for the decision?

Neil

Ok sounds good.

So since I can apply by the 28th of January it doesn't matter when the biometrics are? I assume all of my documents are scanned in before the biometrics and after the bio's are done it's just waiting for the decision?

Neil

The clock stops with your application date so your financial documents, for example, need to be dated within the 28 days before that date but as long as they are, they won't then be out of date as time moves on.

You can scan them yourself beforehand or pay extra to have them scanned at the appointment.  And yes, once the appointment is done, you just wait.

Great Thanks!

So final question for now.

I landed in the UK February 25th 2019 so I have counted back and it looks like I can apply January 28th 2024. My BRP expires March 8th 2024.

If I apply on the 28th of January, by a miracle (and 1 am bedtime) get a super priority appointment and make a biometrics appointment within the next two weeks that decision will come the day after the biometrics? After that how long does it take to get my ILR BRP in the mail?

I asks because I am slated for a work trip around the 21st of Feb 2024 to the united states and want to see how realistic this is?

Also, since my BRP expires 8th of march, I assume if the ILR takes longer than this that I am still legal to work in the UK while they make that decision?

Thanks

Great Thanks!

So final question for now.

I landed in the UK February 25th 2019 so I have counted back and it looks like I can apply January 28th 2024. My BRP expires March 8th 2024.

If I apply on the 28th of January, by a miracle (and 1 am bedtime) get a super priority appointment and make a biometrics appointment within the next two weeks that decision will come the day after the biometrics? After that how long does it take to get my ILR BRP in the mail?

I asks because I am slated for a work trip around the 21st of Feb 2024 to the united states and want to see how realistic this is?

Also, since my BRP expires 8th of march, I assume if the ILR takes longer than this that I am still legal to work in the UK while they make that decision?

Thanks

Yes, as long as you've made a valid, in-time application before your permission to stay expires, you are protected under section 3 c. of the immigration act.1971. and your current permissions are extended.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1066178/3C_and_3D_leave_v11b.pdf

If you're lucky you'll get the BRP in less than a week.  I think they quote 2 weeks or thereabouts but they are usually faster than that.

And the super priority decision has been sent in hours after the biometrics is that what I have been reading?

And the super priority decision has been sent in hours after the biometrics is that what I have been reading?

Hopefully, although it can be the next day.