Wife has FLR visa. 90 day absence exceeded. What now?

[kittste]

Hi,

This is my first post here.

I am British. My wife is Russian. We married in the UK in 2010 and she obtained her FLR visa in the UK in Oct 201,0 shortly after we were married.

My wife is not working at the moment and hasn't held a job in the UK at all since we were married. She has passed her Life in the UK Test and is taking ESOL FCE exams.

Her FLR visa is due to expire in Oct 2012, at which point we would, of course, like her to apply for an ILR visa.

However, she has been out of the country for a significant period of time during the past two years, because she made numerous trips to Russia during the past two years. I'll have to check her passport stamps, but I think that one or two of her trips , in themselves, were each over 90 days.

Basically, she had to be in Russia because of family problems and also because of issues surrounding a couple of off plan properties she had bought prior our getting married.

I remained in the UK working during her trips to Russia.

What exactly should my wife apply for now?

Should she apply for an FLR extension?
Or should she apply for an ILR anyway?
Is it possible they could reject an application for any type of new visa because of her absence?

Thanks,
Andrew

[geriatrix]

I think that one or two of her trips , in themselves, were each over 90 days.

Irrelevant.

See also Time spent outside the UK

[kittste]

Thanks for the reply and link.

So we'll simply for the ILR visa and provide a cover letter and any relevant documents that explain her absence from the UK.