Change in ILR Life in UK/Language requirements

Anglichanin · Post by **Anglichanin** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:49 pm

Hello,
My wife passed her Life in the UK test last week, and we have booked a same-day (premium) appointment for 13th Nov 2013 to lodge the application for ILR with form SET(M). I wanted to apply by post but as it will mean my own passport being away for six months, my employer pretty much forbade that.
My wife was informed at the test that the law changes as of 28th October and she will need to provide a certificate proving her level of English.
Her current visa expires at the end of November and so we need to get a Cambridge English test passed by 13th November. The centres I have spoken to do not run any exams until December. Her English is pretty much perfect and she passed the Key English Test with Merit in 2011, but under her maiden name, and I do not think that would suffice.

I tried ringing the 0870 UKBA number for guidance but was on hold for so long that my credit ran out before anyone answered. I'll try again later.

I assume that making the appointment and stumping up nearly 1500 quid for the privilege does not count as having actually made the application yet?

If anyone has any advice on what we should do next it would be much appreciated: ringing every test centre in the UK trying to get her tested and then results issued quickly would seem to be the only way forward at present, other than perhaps her returning to her native Russia for a while, but obviously we want to avoid that as we are happy and she is employed here in the UK.

Thanks very much in advance to anyone who may be able to help.

James

Amber · Post by **Amber** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:54 pm

Ensure that SET(M) is correct i.e. she was not a PBS dep.

If so then apply using the Settlement Checking Service (click) before 28-Oct-2013 which will allow you to keep all your documents including your passports. The SCS is around £90.

Anglichanin · Post by **Anglichanin** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:02 pm

Thanks very much for the prompt reply.
If we use this checking service, which I'm more than happy to do of course, does that restrict us to using the postal application service or can we then use the same-day premium service (so as I can travel on my passport and my wife can apply for new jobs with her immigration status settled)? And would using this service count as actually having lodged the application?
Thanks again for your helpful reply,
James

Amber · Post by **Amber** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 3:00 pm

The SCS is akin to a postal application but for the fact you get to keep all documents including passports and that they check the form for completeness. It is generally quicker ~6 weeks but can take up to 6 months.

The date of posting is the date of application. The old form will be accepted for 21 days following 28-Oct-2013. Once an in-time application is submitted then the applicant can continue on the same permissions i.e. working. A potential employer could verify her status by using the UKBA employment checking service.

Anglichanin · Post by **Anglichanin** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 3:17 pm

Thanks again- I rang around various Settlement Checking Services and they are swamped with applications and cannot see us until November, as everyone has booked up the appointments due to the change in the law.
The solution which I've come up with (and I hope works) is to book my wife onto the only B1/Grade 5 English test we could get at short notice, which she found via 'Trinity College' through the website englishexamcentres.co.uk, at a cost of 125 quid. I am not endorsing them- I never heard of them until now- but it seems to be a solution for anyone who may be in a similar situation (and the helpful lady at Nottingham SCS ensured me that there are a lot of people in this boat right now thanks to the change in the law).

Amber · Post by **Amber** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 3:19 pm

Does your spouse have a degree taught in English?

Anglichanin · Post by **Anglichanin** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 3:24 pm

No- her degree was taken in Russian. Her English is excellent and passing the test should be no problem- here's hoping that the appointment I just paid 125 quid for turns out to be genuine and that we get the certificate in time!

Amber · Post by **Amber** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 3:25 pm

Do keep us updated.

sidhujazz · Post by **sidhujazz** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:01 pm

Hi Anglichanin,

I can confirm that the english exam centre mentioned above is the correct and valid exam centre.

Your wife need to attend the exam in person (likely to be the Irish Centre based in London) and then her certificate will be posted in 7 to 10 working days after the test. Make sure you take your BRP with you on the exam day. The test require you to prepare a chosen topic and the examiner will ask question about this topic. The exam centre will send all this information once you booked the test. Please let me know if you need any further details on this. Regards, Dil

Good luck.

Anglichanin · Post by **Anglichanin** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:08 pm

Thanks, Dil.
What is a BRP? My wife has her visa in her passport, which she intends to bring along as her ID, having entered those details during registration for the test.
I have paid the extra for the courier service in order to cut down the 7 to 10 working day wait.
Cheers
James

sidhujazz · Post by **sidhujazz** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:13 pm

BRP is Biometric residence permit.

But as your wife have a valid visa in her passport that can be used also.

Normally the test centre requires a same id that used while registering for the exam.

sidhujazz · Post by **sidhujazz** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:19 pm

Please note that the courier service will certainly speed up the actual delivery of the certificate once it has been issued by the Trinity college, but will do nothing to speed up the actual certificate issuing process.

So the way it works is, once the exam is completed you will given the result on the spot in form of basic result sheet.

Then the test centre send your results to the trinity college which then process the certificates.

So it would be worth calling up the exam centre and the trinity college to see if they can speed up the certificate process, might even worth finding out if you could collect it in person if you really need it in hurry as i understand from your posts above.

Regards,
Dil

Anglichanin · Post by **Anglichanin** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:30 pm

She takes the test on 18th October and then we have an appointment for the visa Premium service on 13th November, which I count as 17 or 18 working days, so I think we should be okay with the courier delivery, but thanks again for the advice and we'll certainly mention it when at the test centre.
This reminds me of applying for her original UK visa, where my wife had to travel 18 hours each way by train to the nearest language test centre- twice in a week- only to find that Cambridge Uni had gone on holidays and would not issue her certificate until the end of summer. We spent that summer living at her grandparents' in Ukraine as it was a country we were both allowed to be in!

sidhujazz · Post by **sidhujazz** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:34 pm

17-18 working are more than enough to receive the certificate James, even without the express service.

I wish both of you very good luck and hope everything goes well on the day. Please keep us posted on your application process as it may help other users.

Regards,
Dil

mno2uk · Post by **mno2uk** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 3:06 pm

Good luck with it ..

Looks like I will be in a similar tight time situation and this Trinity college looks like a better option for me as well as I could find out from the exam center site and college website.. 10 mins .. money given and then certi. comes on time.. - job done .. no ifs n buts .. better done and over with as this would be no questions asked after for english language ..

keep us posted..

Anglichanin wrote:She takes the test on 18th October and then we have an appointment for the visa Premium service on 13th November, which I count as 17 or 18 working days, so I think we should be okay with the courier delivery, but thanks again for the advice and we'll certainly mention it when at the test centre.
This reminds me of applying for her original UK visa, where my wife had to travel 18 hours each way by train to the nearest language test centre- twice in a week- only to find that Cambridge Uni had gone on holidays and would not issue her certificate until the end of summer. We spent that summer living at her grandparents' in Ukraine as it was a country we were both allowed to be in!

mno2uk · Post by **mno2uk** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:21 pm

Dil,

Quick question : Have you had personal experience of sitting for test with the Trinity college center for GESE exams ?

Do their certificates arrive on time in normal order with 1st class delivery royal mail ?

Looks like as if they are trying to sell the secure delivery option !

your comments please ?

sidhujazz wrote:Hi Anglichanin,

I can confirm that the english exam centre mentioned above is the correct and valid exam centre.

Your wife need to attend the exam in person (likely to be the Irish Centre based in London) and then her certificate will be posted in 7 to 10 working days after the test. Make sure you take your BRP with you on the exam day. The test require you to prepare a chosen topic and the examiner will ask question about this topic. The exam centre will send all this information once you booked the test. Please let me know if you need any further details on this. Regards, Dil

Good luck.

sidhujazz · Post by **sidhujazz** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:55 pm

Hi mno2uk,

Yes. I took the test 2 weeks ago at THE LONDON WELSH CENTRE, 157-163 GRAY'S INN ROAD, KING'S CROSS, LONDON, WC1X 8U.

The certificate arrived in 10 days after the exam and did not pay for the secure service as i was in no hurry.

mno2uk · Post by **mno2uk** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:16 pm

Thank you for the quick reply Dil

sidhujazz wrote:Hi mno2uk,

Yes. I took the test 2 weeks ago at THE LONDON WELSH CENTRE, 157-163 GRAY'S INN ROAD, KING'S CROSS, LONDON, WC1X 8U.

The certificate arrived in 10 days after the exam and did not pay for the secure service as i was in no hurry.

sidhujazz · Post by **sidhujazz** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:32 pm

My pleasure.

Anglichanin · Post by **Anglichanin** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 6:04 pm

So, my wife took the test and obtained the maximum mark- just waiting for the certificate to show up now. 125 quid for a 5-minute conversation!

Anyhow, we have booked the same-day appointment and there are mentions that the SET(M) may be completed online, but I cannot find a link to do so, so we'll hand-write a paper version.

I do have one question which I'd really appreciate any help on: the appointment says it is for one person (I believe I selected this option when making it)- ie zero 'other people' are booked in- yet I as her husband need to be there. Should I have booked it for two people? It is not clear from any of the guidance I've found.

Thanks!
James

Amber · Post by **Amber** » Tue Oct 22, 2013 7:43 am

No, booking for 1 is correct.

Anglichanin · Post by **Anglichanin** » Tue Oct 22, 2013 8:04 am

Thanks again- your help is invaluable!

params0073 · Post by **params0073** » Thu Oct 24, 2013 9:17 am

Hi Anglichanin,
I know your spouse gave this exam but I cant find the reference of this exam in HO website i.e. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... -tests.pdf

Can you please let me know where did you get this info that this test is valid for ILR ?

Thanks

Param

Anglichanin · Post by **Anglichanin** » Thu Oct 24, 2013 2:21 pm

The test provider's website claims that this exam is valid, and a poster on here confirmed that, so I am hoping they accept the certificate, if it arrives in time.
Isn't the Trinity one the last one listed on the document you have linked to?
Cheers
James

params0073 · Post by **params0073** » Thu Oct 24, 2013 2:59 pm

Nope I dont think so it says about the level A1 nothing about B1.(I might be wrong)

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Change in ILR Life in UK/Language requirements

Change in ILR Life in UK/Language requirements