To extend stay

[nav1956]

I am a British Citizen leaving in the UK. My wife lives with me and received a Residence Permit in Apr 2014, which is to expire this April. She needs to pass the Life in the UK to apply for permanent stay, but unfortunately she needs more time to pass this. She wishes to apply for an extension so that she can take her time to do the test. Which Form should she use to apply for this extension of her stay?
Your advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you.

nav1956

[Casa]

FLR(M). When you say a 'residence permit', I assume you mean a spouse visa? If so, when did your wife submit her application as for all applications after 9th July 2012, the route to ILR is 5 years, i.e 2.5 + 2.5 years.

[secret.simon]

My wife lives with me and received a Residence Permit

Did your wife get a spouse visa under the UK Immigration Rules (most likely) or did she get a Residence Card under the EEA Regulations by you doing the Surinder Singh route together?

If the former, which is more likely, your wife is not eligible for ILR till five years after the initial grant of the spouse visa. So, if she got the spouse visa for the first time in April 2014, she must apply for FLR(M) near the expiry of her first visa and will only be eligible for ILR in April 2019.

If the latter, she does not need to do Life in the UK test as she acquires PR automatically.

[Casa]

@secret.simon I greatly respect your knowledge on the SS route, but don't family members who have been issued with a RC have to follow the EEA Regulations by applying for PR after 5 years and not FLR(M) and then ILR?

[secret.simon]

@secret.simon I greatly respect your knowledge on the SS route, but don't family members who have been issued with a RC have to follow the EEA Regulations by applying for PR after 5 years and not FLR(M) and then ILR?

Oh absolutely. It was not clear from the OP's initial post whether his wife was in the UK under the Immigration Rules or the EEA Regulations and I outlined both possibilities.

Reflecting on my earlier post, I realise that it is somewhat ambiguous.

If the latter, she does not need to do Life in the UK test as she acquires PR automatically.

To the OP; for greater clarity, if your wife is here with a Residence Card issued under the EEA regulations by virtue of you having exercised Surinder Singh, she will automatically acquire PR in April 2019 after five years of residing in the UK on the Residence Card.

Assuming that she got her initial visa after July 2012, the earliest she would be eligible for settlement under either route would be five years.