Settlement options for my wife

[nickmpco]

Hi All,

I am seeking clarification about the settlement options that my wife has. I hold a Tier 2 visa, but will be eligible for residency in about one year under the 10 year route. Our daughter was born in the UK, and will be eligible for citizenship once I obtain residency.

My wife is a Tier 2 dependent, and she will only have been a Tier 2 dependent for about 4 years once I apply for residency. I do not think it is possible to extend my Tier 2 visa. At this point, she will have been in the UK for 7 years.

As far as I understand, once I am obtain residency then the only way my wife can remain in the UK is to obtain a "family of settled person visa." She will then be eligible for residency once she has been in the UK for 10 years in total.

Is my understanding of this correct? Or are there any quicker/cheaper settlement routes for my wife that I am not considering given her close ties to the UK?

[CR001]

Your understanding is correct. If you apply for ILR (it is not called 'residency'), then she will have to apply on FLR(M) before her PBS Dependent visa expires. The FLR(M) spouse visa will be issued for 2.5 years.

There is no other 'cheaper' option.

[nickmpco]

Your understanding is correct. If you apply for ILR (it is not called 'residency'), then she will have to apply on FLR(M) before her PBS Dependent visa expires. The FLR(M) spouse visa will be issued for 2.5 years.

There is no other 'cheaper' option.

Thanks very much CR001. Just to clarify, my wife and I will have been married for nearly 6 years at the point (And have been living together in the UK this whole time). For part of our marriage, however, she was a Tier 4 student. She will have been with more for more than 5 years by the time I settle. Given this additional information, is she still ineligible?