Form AN - "when did you arrive"?

[paulseb]

I am filling in this form and am stuck on 2.1 in Section 2.
My wife arrived in 2000 as a student but the note to the Q. says 'with a view to staying permanently'.
I am filling out the form with her and, as we are married, just putting absence dates for the last 3 years.
However she actually settled in prior to 2008 when we married and had our first child.
Should I put a date for 'arrival' in 2008, yet just fill in 'absence from UK' detals from 2011?
Thanks in advance for answers.

[VR]

GUIDE AN says...
2.1 Enter the day you first arrived with a view to staying in the UK on a long-term basis,
and the airport or seaport through which you then entered. If this is less than 5 years
before the date on which we receive the application, or less than 3 years before this
date if you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, you might not meet
the residence requirement (see pages 4 and 5 of the Booklet AN) and your application
may be unsuccessful

Put the first date she landed in UK as a student, Add a note on the Additional Information not covered in other sections page.Mention there she returned to her home country and returned with a view to settle permanently as mentioned in 2.1
Then Put the first date she returned before marrying you and settling down in 2.1 and list the absences since then.
Good luck
vr

[lynxukauq]

With a view to staying in the UK on a long-term basis

Technically this does means that a student will be staying in the country on a long-term basis.

I did not add any extra information and had no issues with my application.

Just put the date when she first arrived in UK which you mentioned year 2000, i.e if she has been living continuously in the UK since that time.