Hi, Robbie.
1. If the original visa was for 2 years as your spouse, then you can apply for ILR from the date she arrived in the UK. (Which means that if you got the visa and came straight over, you can apply for ILR; if you got the visa and waited a while before entering the UK, you may need to make up some time with Further Leave to Remain.) **However**, the loss of the original passport complicates things, obviously. I would strongly recommend you check with an immigration advisor about what you'll need to prove.
2. ILR is permanent life-long residence for as long as you remain in the UK. If you leave, she will have 2 years in which to return for settlement and if she does not within those two years, then you have to start all over. However, after 3 years, she can apply for citizenship, and that's permanent wherever in the world you are.
3. A Life in the UK test pass is now required for ILR.
4. Depending on where you are, you may have to book your Life in the UK test appointment a few weeks in advance. Plus, you'll have to have study time in order for her to pass. This website is an *excellent* free resource, and I passed the test easily, based on its study material. The test itself is in the neighbourhood of £40 last time I checked. The ILR application is £750 if you apply by post, £950 if you apply in person. You can send in an ILR application up to 28 days before the 2nd-year anniversary of your wife's arrival in the UK. If a case is straightforward, it usually only takes a couple or three weeks to process. But in your wife's case, it may take longer whilst enquiries are made about the lost passport. If it takes longer than her current visa will last, her stay in the UK will still be legal, provided she got the application in before her current visa runs out.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Will
Edited by user
8 years ago
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Reason: Not specified