A fork in the road to naturalization

[seek]

Hello helpful moderators,

I'm a happily married Canadian living and working the UK; ultimately on the road to naturalization here. I'm hoping to clarify the next steps of the process to make sure that everything goes as smoothly and quickly as possible. I'd also like to ask someone who knows about the possibility of extended travel during the time that I'm waiting to become a citizen.

A little background: I arrived June 18th 2005 on a working holidaymaker visa to be with my boyfriend. He proposed in 2006 and we were married in September of that year. It'll soon be a year that we've been married (and switched to a spouse visa), and 2 years and 3 months since I've been here. As I understand it, I'm to apply for Idefinite Leave to Remain near the end of the 2 year period, first having taken my citizenship exam. Does this 2 year period include only time after my spouse visa started, or can my time prior to that be counted as well?
I'm a little unsure of what happens after that, to be honest...

My next question is regarding time spent away from the UK during this whole process. From what I've read, there are restrictions on how much time I can spend out of the country until I'm officially a citizen. My husband & I both love Canada and plan on moving back there (temporarily) at some point to spend time with family, friends and do as much travelling as we can. I'm sure we'll be repeating this whole immigration process for my husband at some point over there. We've just recently been exploring the idea of heading over as soon as next year. It may be the only chance we'll have to travel for awhile before we begin the long drawn out (not to mention bank account draining) process of building a house here. It appears, however, that I can't be outside the country for more than 270 days during the 3 year period, and no more than 90 days over the last year. Is this the case? Not that's I'd be willing to risk any setbacks to my immigrating, but what would be the consequences to a year spent abroad?

Pretty demanding to want to become a citizen but also come and go as I please in the mean time I know, but I figured I should get some answers now before we start to get ahead of ourselves with exciting, unrealistic plans.

Thank you for your time. Your help is really appreciated.

[Docterror]

You can apply for the ILR only at the end of 2 years on the spouse visa. Bt the good news is that the time spend before that can be used to reach the 3 year requirement needed for naturalisation.

So, if at the time that you get the ILR, you have the reqired residence for naturalisation, you will be able to apply for it the very same day.

[John]

seek, you do not actually give this information, as far as I can see ..... what is your husband's nationality?

If he is British, it appears to me that once your have been in the UK for 3 years you would be eligible to apply for Naturalisation using the so-called Ppron method. That is, after 18.06.08 ... and before you get your ILR .... you could submit a Naturalisation application to a British Mission overseas, such as the British Embassy in Dublin ..... assuming that by then you have passed the Life in the UK Citizenship test.

Want more information about Ppron? Use the search facility on this board.

[Docterror]

seek, you do not actually give this information, as far as I can see ..... what is your husband's nationality?

I may have jumped the gun, but judging by the research done into the residency requirement of 3 years, I am willing to bet that he is indeed British.

Also, why go through the hassle of entire Ppron method, if you are already on the spouse visa and can just apply for ILR and naturalisation the regular way? Just to save the SET(M) fees?