British Citizenship for my wife

[tripas33]

Dear Friends,

Me and my wife are now married for more than a year. I was on ILR when I got married in 2015. She was granted a dependent visa for 3 year (till 2018) and she is with me in UK from November 2015. I got naturalised as a British citizen in October 2016.
I want to know what will be the best path to follow for my wife to become a British citizen also ??
I am trying to find if she can become a British citizen before 2018 so there is no need to renew her visa.
We have a baby who is also a British Citizen by birth.

It would be of great help if you share your experience and guide in the right direction.

Thanks
Tripas

[vinny]

Unfortunately, she requires ILR prior to her citizenship application. Didn't they grant her a 33-month spouse visa?

[tripas33]

Yes she has a 33 months spouse visa.
Since I am British citizen now isn't there any way she becomes a British citizen without applying for ILR ?

thanks

[KatieWills]

No, wife will need 5 years on spouse visa before she can apply for ILR. Once she has ILR she can apply for citizenship. The only advantage she has by being married to a British citizen is that she doesn't need to hold ILR for 12 months before being eligible to apply for citizenship.

[tripas33]

Hmm..That's disappointing
So basically she would need a 2 year extension visa and then a ILR visa.

Can you tell me if we decide to return back to India for couple of years and if her 33 months visa expires in India , what she needs to do if she wants to come back to UK and settle here ?

Thanks,

[Casa]

Hmm..That's disappointing
So basically she would need a 2 year extension visa and then a ILR visa.

Can you tell me if we decide to return back to India for couple of years and if her 33 months visa expires in India , what she needs to do if she wants to come back to UK and settle here ?

Thanks,

Her FLR(M) extension will be for 2.5 years.

If you are absent from the UK for a considerable amount of time and her FLR(M) visa expires, your wife's immigration clock will be reset to zero and she will have to apply for a new spouse settlement visa.

Even ILR is lost if the absence is more than 2 years.

[CR001]

Hmm..That's disappointing
So basically she would need a 2 year extension visa and then a ILR visa. It is a 2.5 year visa extension. You have to pay whatever the visa fee is at that time PLUS the £500 immigration health surcharge.

Can you tell me if we decide to return back to India for couple of years and if her 33 months visa expires in India , what she needs to do if she wants to come back to UK and settle here ? Apply for a spouse visa again and start again from scratch with a new 5 year residence period before qualifying for ILR.

Thanks,

Edit : Beaten by @ Casa

[tripas33]

Thanks Guys for replying to my queries

Regards,