hello everyone!!!! been so long since i last posted on here. I am now here in Cardiff for one month and 5 days now. I am loving every minute being a wife and a daughter in law as i have a wonderful family that i came home to in here. BUT NOT THE WEATHER ( hahahhaa anyways, i need some answers or idea on when one should be applying for ILR? my visa is due to expire on the 9th of September 2012 and i want to be ready and keep a reminder as to when i should apply for it just in case i get too busy. MICAWBER... please help....
Hello there missusmakulit, it's actually a good idea to plan for ILR even though you just arrived here and still have some way to go. Some documents etc need to be planned to span the whole 2 years of living here in UK. Also you will need to think about passing and being granted that important "Life in UK" test Under the "old rules" the probationary/qualifying period is that of 24 months living in UK as a spouse.(this does not include any time here in UK under Fiancee Visa) For example if you arrived/landed in UK on 29 July 2012 then your 'qualifying' period of 24 months ends on 29 July 2014 Now, the earliest you can apply for ILR is 28 days before the end of your 24 month qualifying period. So in the example I give, the application could actually be made on 1st July 2014 Of course the very latest to apply is 1 day before visa expiry. But that is a very high risk strategy! Does that help you?
