Hi, I'm new to this forum, so please forgive me if this has already been answered.
I note from the Borders Agency website, that ILR may be granted immediately upon arrival to spouses who have been married and living with their UK national partners in a foreign country for not less than 4 years, and who can demonstrate sufficient knowledge of English and of Life in the UK.
I am a British national and I have been living in mainland China and Hong Kong for over 5 years, now. My wife is from mainland China. Eventually, we will return to the UK to settle, although for now we both have jobs in Hong Kong.
Has anyone got any experience of applying for ILR upon arrival?
The Life in the UK test cannot be taken outside of the UK, however it is possible for us to visit the UK next Easter or next summer, for my wife to take this test. From other posts on this forum, it seems that the certificate is valid forever.
My wife could easily take and pass the English test (which will soon be required), here in Hong Kong.
Then what do we do?
When the time comes to return permanently to the UK, we will have to get a visa for my wife. But what kind of visa? Do we need to spend a lot of money on a long term visa, when she should be granted ILR on arrival anyway? Would a simple family visit visa be ok? (she has had one of these visas issued to her once before, already). How do we apply for ILR on arrival? Do we do it at the airport? Do we have to notify someone of our intention (Borders Agency or British Consulate, for example) before we make the journey?
I think the ILR on arrival is designed for the wives of diplomats, since they don't have to take the Life in the UK test, so there is not much information on the Government websites for people like us. I would be grateful for any advice that anyone can offer.