Step-daughter education status

[liamwi]

Hello.

Thank you for reading and I hope you can assist.

I am married to a Mongolian woman who has an 18 year old daughter who lives with us. My wife was living in the UK as a student then spouse for 8 years. My stepdaughter joined us from Mongolia four years ago. Unfortunately, we were living in Guernsey (Channel Islands) then moved to Cyprus for a year. Stupidly, as it turns out, as my wife lost all 8 years she had built up towards her 10 year ILR residency. My daughter has been studying in the UK (if we include Guernsey) for 3 years, with the 1 year gap in Cyprus.

My daughter is still a dependent so has a visa based upon my wife's, which is a 2.5 year spouse visa. In July, we have to renew this to the second 2.5 year visa, after which we can apply for ILR etc.

I received some incorrect advice 4+ years ago, that if my daughter was in the UK, being educated in British schools, for 2+ years she would be able to apply as a domestic student to University. She is completing her first year of A-Levels, so we have been looking at the rules/law. It seems that she would need to have ILR before being treated as domestic.

I am simply wondering if anyone has faced this situation and knows of any way to expedite it. We received advice from an immigration lawyer on Friday that we may be able to go down the Singh route and pursue EEA status, due to having lived and worked in Cyprus for a year, but that still means the same period of time.

I realise we are probably out of luck, but I find it very unfair and strange to have to pay international fees.

Also, for anyone who had to go down this route, we seem to be trapped in a scholarship/funding assistance Catch22 also - she cannot apply for any scholarships or grants as a UK/EE citizen, but assistance to Mongolian students only goes to those students who are living in Mongolia. She is living with us in the UK.

If anyone can think of any way around this, or can recommend a specialist lawyer, that would be much appreciated.

Thank you very much indeed.

Liam