Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Sh*t Journalists Say (more or less)
Ah, memories. Oddly, it doesn't include slamming down the phone/storming in and spewing forth the kind of profanity that would make a sailor stand up and salute. Ah well, maybe that's for the next vid. This was made by the good folks at Stuff Journalists Like.
Labels:
journalism,
Stuff Journalists Like
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Haiku to the working man
Labels:
haiku,
jackhammer
Saturday, 21 January 2012
ILR Superstar (Indefinite Leave to Remain success at Solihull)
We recently received Indefinite Leave to Remain through an in-person appointment at the Public Enquiry Office (PEO) in Solihull. For others looking down the barrel of this rather stressful, expensive process in bewilderment, here's our experience.
My husband was a work permit holder and I his dependant -- both Americans. We used Form Set(O). His five years were almost up and that meant we were required to apply for ILR. Annoyingly, you can only do this 28 days before your WP expires -- not a day sooner and no later. Which doesn't leave you much time to reorganize your life and get out of the country if it's denied, but them's the rules, folks.
Fortunately, our case was very straightforward. That fact did little to keep me from stressing out for months and over-preparing, but in the end that was probably a good thing because I discovered a couple little things that were necessary but not noted anywhere in the application.
We decided on the in-person appointment because we wanted our passports back the same day. This cost an eye-watering £2,025. We have no travel plans at the moment, but we couldn't imagine being unable to leave the country (possibly for a few months) if we needed to for some reason, not to mention it would just be really stressful waiting to find out if we made it.
Like I said, our case was very straightforward and we easily met qualifications, but the scary bit was the fear that we would not include some vital document and it would be denied on a technicality. The forms aren't as clear on exactly what's required as they could be.
Solihull PEO
We had a 9:30 appointment and were instructed to arrive a half hour early. We came up by train the day before and stayed at a nearby B&B.
The PEO is in a row of office buildings called Dominion Court at 41 Station Road. The sign is a not-very-obvious placard by the door -- you won't see it from the street. There's a small vestibule outside the entrance, and people are let in one application group at a time to go through airport-like security (though you don't have to remove belt and shoes, as I've seen some others state they did). One man asked to go through our bags and to see our application, while a security guard walked us through those scanner thingys and then used a wand if the scanner had beeped. We had to empty our pockets into a tray and put cell phones in as well. We didn't have to wait to go through security, but by the time we were leaving for good shortly after noon a line had formed in the vestibule. We booked early morning after I'd read many forums advising to do so, and I think that was good advice. The office gets more backed up as the day goes, and the best bet to get in and out in the same day is to schedule an early appointment.
Speaking of scheduling, I did that online. I made an account in my husband's name with the UK Border Agency. I had tried to call and book an appointment a couple months beforehand, and was told they only booked 6 weeks in advance. Using that info, I started looking at the online booking 6 weeks before the first date we were eligible to apply for ILR, checking just after midnight when a new day was added onto the booking system. Make sure you calculate this date correctly, because if you come a day sooner than 28 days before your WP expires, I don't think they'll see you. Also, if you have dependants, make certain to book an appointment with dependants even if they aren't coming with you to the appointment (though it seems pretty clear they really prefer all dependants to attend, and if they don't, the missing person should send a letter with you explaining why they aren't there -- no one will tell you this if you call the hotline with questions unless you specifically ask if you need to include a letter, you'll just be told only the main applicant is required and they won't think to mention the letter bit).
Solihull was hard to book. I checked it and Croydon as my two options in the online system, and only once did I see an opening at Solihull, and I grabbed it. Several times I saw some for Croydon, but passed them over as I'd read in many forums that Solihull was better -- mainly because in Solihull they look over your application and documents before they take payment (which proved true in my case), whereas in Croydon they reportedly take payment first. This is non-refundable, so once they take the money, if they find you need more documentation or you just don't qualify for ILR, you're out a huge chunk of cash. That alone sold me on Solihull.
We were given a number and sent to the waiting area, which was large and clean. In addition to a men's and ladies' bathroom, there was a disabled bathroom that doubled as a baby-changing room. As for disabled access, the office seemed accessible and surrounding streets did have lowered curbs. No stairs are required to get into or around the office. A car park is directly in front of the office, though I didn't note who could park there of if there were disabled spaces -- but at least anyone with special needs could be dropped off directly in front of the office. I think there was a pay car park around the corner (not certain as we didn't bring a car, but I saw a digital sign up the block stating spaces were available).
We had arrived at 9 for our 9:30 appointment and were called back for our interview at 9:20. Which documents to bring and how many is a very big part of this application, and it's a little fuzzy in places. Here's what my ILR caseworker asked for:
-Our passports (for me, that included my old passport in my maiden name because it had my visa in it, and a marriage certificate to prove name change because my new passport is in my married name)
-my husband's Work Permit (I don't recall anything in the application specifically asking for this; I think I brought it because I had read others were asked for this -- turns out we were too, even though many other things required on the application were *not* asked for -- so this was one instance where my over-preparing paid off)
-Employer letter (this listed my husband's salary and that his job is continuing, among other things. I'll put a copy of the letter in a separate post. It also included the SOC code for my husband's job, and the caseworker commented that it was good I had that, and that many people don't include it. We did not include an employer letter listing absences because he had less than 180 days in total, and no single trip of more than 90 days).
-Life in the UK test pass letters
-three months of payslips
-Two bills, one from each of the past two years, to prove residency/cohabitation (I used two council tax bills as that has both our names)
-A completed application form (of course)
The caseworker looked through everything and scanned our photos before having us go to another window to pay. We used credit card and had called the company in advance to let them know we'd be making the charge so that it wouldn't get denied for some reason. We also brought a couple of extra means of payment in case it was denied anyway (Tesco is our fav card to use to collect points, but they are bad to stop payment even on small amounts that seem "suspicious". Like shopping more than once a day in Boots -- um, doesn't everyone do that?) She also gave us our scores from the Life in the UK test -- we both got 23! Meaning we each missed just one question.
She then told us to come back in 2 hours, keeping the same number we'd been given for the initial interview. Directly across the street are several restaurants; the only one that clearly seemed open in the morning was The White Swan (a Wetherspoon pub). A block up are the shops of city center and Torchwood shopping center. We set up shop in Starbucks and read.
We got back by 11:30, but our documents weren't ready until a little after noon -- so that part actually took more than 2 hours, so you can see they were already getting a little backed up. We were given back all of our original documents except for the employer letter and had a new "settlement" page in our passports.
I have more tips and notes about the whole process, but I'll get into that in another post. Hope this helps someone!
My husband was a work permit holder and I his dependant -- both Americans. We used Form Set(O). His five years were almost up and that meant we were required to apply for ILR. Annoyingly, you can only do this 28 days before your WP expires -- not a day sooner and no later. Which doesn't leave you much time to reorganize your life and get out of the country if it's denied, but them's the rules, folks.
Fortunately, our case was very straightforward. That fact did little to keep me from stressing out for months and over-preparing, but in the end that was probably a good thing because I discovered a couple little things that were necessary but not noted anywhere in the application.
We decided on the in-person appointment because we wanted our passports back the same day. This cost an eye-watering £2,025. We have no travel plans at the moment, but we couldn't imagine being unable to leave the country (possibly for a few months) if we needed to for some reason, not to mention it would just be really stressful waiting to find out if we made it.
Like I said, our case was very straightforward and we easily met qualifications, but the scary bit was the fear that we would not include some vital document and it would be denied on a technicality. The forms aren't as clear on exactly what's required as they could be.
Solihull PEO
We had a 9:30 appointment and were instructed to arrive a half hour early. We came up by train the day before and stayed at a nearby B&B.
The PEO is in a row of office buildings called Dominion Court at 41 Station Road. The sign is a not-very-obvious placard by the door -- you won't see it from the street. There's a small vestibule outside the entrance, and people are let in one application group at a time to go through airport-like security (though you don't have to remove belt and shoes, as I've seen some others state they did). One man asked to go through our bags and to see our application, while a security guard walked us through those scanner thingys and then used a wand if the scanner had beeped. We had to empty our pockets into a tray and put cell phones in as well. We didn't have to wait to go through security, but by the time we were leaving for good shortly after noon a line had formed in the vestibule. We booked early morning after I'd read many forums advising to do so, and I think that was good advice. The office gets more backed up as the day goes, and the best bet to get in and out in the same day is to schedule an early appointment.
Speaking of scheduling, I did that online. I made an account in my husband's name with the UK Border Agency. I had tried to call and book an appointment a couple months beforehand, and was told they only booked 6 weeks in advance. Using that info, I started looking at the online booking 6 weeks before the first date we were eligible to apply for ILR, checking just after midnight when a new day was added onto the booking system. Make sure you calculate this date correctly, because if you come a day sooner than 28 days before your WP expires, I don't think they'll see you. Also, if you have dependants, make certain to book an appointment with dependants even if they aren't coming with you to the appointment (though it seems pretty clear they really prefer all dependants to attend, and if they don't, the missing person should send a letter with you explaining why they aren't there -- no one will tell you this if you call the hotline with questions unless you specifically ask if you need to include a letter, you'll just be told only the main applicant is required and they won't think to mention the letter bit).
Solihull was hard to book. I checked it and Croydon as my two options in the online system, and only once did I see an opening at Solihull, and I grabbed it. Several times I saw some for Croydon, but passed them over as I'd read in many forums that Solihull was better -- mainly because in Solihull they look over your application and documents before they take payment (which proved true in my case), whereas in Croydon they reportedly take payment first. This is non-refundable, so once they take the money, if they find you need more documentation or you just don't qualify for ILR, you're out a huge chunk of cash. That alone sold me on Solihull.
We were given a number and sent to the waiting area, which was large and clean. In addition to a men's and ladies' bathroom, there was a disabled bathroom that doubled as a baby-changing room. As for disabled access, the office seemed accessible and surrounding streets did have lowered curbs. No stairs are required to get into or around the office. A car park is directly in front of the office, though I didn't note who could park there of if there were disabled spaces -- but at least anyone with special needs could be dropped off directly in front of the office. I think there was a pay car park around the corner (not certain as we didn't bring a car, but I saw a digital sign up the block stating spaces were available).
We had arrived at 9 for our 9:30 appointment and were called back for our interview at 9:20. Which documents to bring and how many is a very big part of this application, and it's a little fuzzy in places. Here's what my ILR caseworker asked for:
-Our passports (for me, that included my old passport in my maiden name because it had my visa in it, and a marriage certificate to prove name change because my new passport is in my married name)
-my husband's Work Permit (I don't recall anything in the application specifically asking for this; I think I brought it because I had read others were asked for this -- turns out we were too, even though many other things required on the application were *not* asked for -- so this was one instance where my over-preparing paid off)
-Employer letter (this listed my husband's salary and that his job is continuing, among other things. I'll put a copy of the letter in a separate post. It also included the SOC code for my husband's job, and the caseworker commented that it was good I had that, and that many people don't include it. We did not include an employer letter listing absences because he had less than 180 days in total, and no single trip of more than 90 days).
-Life in the UK test pass letters
-three months of payslips
-Two bills, one from each of the past two years, to prove residency/cohabitation (I used two council tax bills as that has both our names)
-A completed application form (of course)
The caseworker looked through everything and scanned our photos before having us go to another window to pay. We used credit card and had called the company in advance to let them know we'd be making the charge so that it wouldn't get denied for some reason. We also brought a couple of extra means of payment in case it was denied anyway (Tesco is our fav card to use to collect points, but they are bad to stop payment even on small amounts that seem "suspicious". Like shopping more than once a day in Boots -- um, doesn't everyone do that?) She also gave us our scores from the Life in the UK test -- we both got 23! Meaning we each missed just one question.
She then told us to come back in 2 hours, keeping the same number we'd been given for the initial interview. Directly across the street are several restaurants; the only one that clearly seemed open in the morning was The White Swan (a Wetherspoon pub). A block up are the shops of city center and Torchwood shopping center. We set up shop in Starbucks and read.
We got back by 11:30, but our documents weren't ready until a little after noon -- so that part actually took more than 2 hours, so you can see they were already getting a little backed up. We were given back all of our original documents except for the employer letter and had a new "settlement" page in our passports.
I have more tips and notes about the whole process, but I'll get into that in another post. Hope this helps someone!
Labels:
ILR,
Indefinite Leave to Reman,
PEO,
Solihull
Monday, 14 November 2011
Blah Buildings
It's amazing how England has many beautiful old buildings, yet many of its modern buildings are fairly grim and/or hideous. It's like they got architecture so right in the past that there's no point trying in the present.
Case in point is Reading's own The Blade. It's interesting at first glance and hideous at every glance thereafter. I can't find my photo of it, but you can check it out on Bad British Architecture. Like much of the fugly newish buildings you see, this one looks like something from the '70s (and not in a good way) even though it's very recent.
The blogger's photos actually make The Blade look nicer and sleeker than it appears to the naked eye as it cuts its way into the local skyline, typically under overcast skies, which do little to enhance this bad boy. But at least it has a badass name and a big, pointy, dangerous-looking thingamajiggy on top, which must make someone somewhere feel all tough and virile.
Case in point is Reading's own The Blade. It's interesting at first glance and hideous at every glance thereafter. I can't find my photo of it, but you can check it out on Bad British Architecture. Like much of the fugly newish buildings you see, this one looks like something from the '70s (and not in a good way) even though it's very recent.
The blogger's photos actually make The Blade look nicer and sleeker than it appears to the naked eye as it cuts its way into the local skyline, typically under overcast skies, which do little to enhance this bad boy. But at least it has a badass name and a big, pointy, dangerous-looking thingamajiggy on top, which must make someone somewhere feel all tough and virile.
Labels:
architecture,
buildings,
The Blade
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Toy Soldiers - eye candy for the ages
Last night I re-watched Toy Soldiers, the 1991 unlikely action yarn about some Colombian terrorists who take over a boys' prep school in the States. It always gets just one or two stars in the TV Guide, but it's entertaining as hell. I remember watching it over and over on TV while I was in college (maybe we briefly had HBO?), and I was so incredibly hot for the head terrorist, played by Andrew Divoff. At the time, he was about 36 (which I normally thought of as kinda old at that point in my life), and his character was totally irredeemable -- which didn't stop me from drooling away and watching it over and over.
So last night I took a little nostalgia trip and watched it again for the first time since the early '90s. And the funny thing is, some of the male "high school" students (who in reality were around 20 when the movie came out), now were the ones that seemed kinda hot (George Perez and Sean Astin, I'm looking at you). When I was their age watching the film, I had little interest. Now, well, I'm still their current age, and I'm thinking a couple of 'em looked kinda right at the age they were in that film. Not sure what's going on with that, but I'm starting to get what Mrs. Robinson was on about.
The movie brought back days gone by. But then the suffocating nostalgia of lost youth and roads not taken left me feeling rather sad by the end of the movie. Time is a cruel mistress.
So last night I took a little nostalgia trip and watched it again for the first time since the early '90s. And the funny thing is, some of the male "high school" students (who in reality were around 20 when the movie came out), now were the ones that seemed kinda hot (George Perez and Sean Astin, I'm looking at you). When I was their age watching the film, I had little interest. Now, well, I'm still their current age, and I'm thinking a couple of 'em looked kinda right at the age they were in that film. Not sure what's going on with that, but I'm starting to get what Mrs. Robinson was on about.
The movie brought back days gone by. But then the suffocating nostalgia of lost youth and roads not taken left me feeling rather sad by the end of the movie. Time is a cruel mistress.
Labels:
Toy Soldiers
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Magic Corn, a real WTF moment
At Broad Street Mall this week I noticed a new stand with the goofily intriguing name Magic Corn. I assumed it meant popcorn, so went in for a closer look at what kind of heavenly kernels might be in the popper.Oh, it was kernels all right, but nothing as tasty and nostalgia-laced as actual popcorn, which brings to mind childhood memories of enjoying a carton at the movies. You know, back when you really would buy a big box of movie popcorn because people still thought of it as health food rather than a Big-Mac level of fat in a spiffily stripped box.
No siree, this was a big ol' cuppa corn, just piled high and looking icky. I tried to explain it to a disbelieving husband when I got home, upon which he Googled it and muttered in astonishment: "Sonofabitch, it's a cup of corn."
Yes, it really is. I'm assuming it's meant to be a "healthy" option, but A)It appears to be coated in butter and flavorings and B)It's kinda gross. I'd rather take my chances with a carb-filled granola bar. I can't find the calorie count or a description of what exactly is in the flavorings. And even if it were somehow fairly healthy, it's still a nasty snack. It's a cup of corn, dude. A cup of corn.

The flavors of this "healthy, juicy & nutritious" snack include Magic Lemon, Magic Curry, Magic Mexican Chili, Magic Sour Cream and Onion, and several other cringe-worthy varieties. Lemon corn? Sour cream and onion corn? I'm feeling a bit light-headed at the heinousness of it all.
Full disclosure: I'm not big on veggies. I do eat a few, but I have resorted to hiding them in food (a spinach omelet is great; plopping a scoop of spinach on my plate is going to put me off the rest of my meal).
Corn has always seemed the most useless of the lot, all the more so because it seems to pop up in the oddest places over here. Buy a nice sandwich at Boots? Yep, there's usually corn in there. Pop open a can of chicken noodle soup -- oh yeah, there's corn in there. It doesn't even say it on the front label and you can't make it out in the picture. It's just taken for granted you know corn will be in your chicken noodle soup. Because, come on, corn is just implied in a title like "chicken" and "noodle".
Now Magic Popcorn, that I might try. But only if you make it caramel instead of curry.
Labels:
Magic Corn
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Stress Test (aka Life in the UK test)
Hubby and I passed the Life in the UK test! Yay! This is the first hurdle in getting settlement, also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, also known as "Your work permit is expiring. No, you cannot renew it. You have to pay thousands for ILR or hit the road, Yanks."
Now that the test's over, I can reflect a bit. It sucked. The study materials sucked. Most of it was useless information. Which involved lots of numbers and statistics. Which turned out not to be on the test in favor of questions about when the frickin' pubs close. Aw, man!
I made notes, studied them over and over, and took the many official practice tests many times. I know the rules regarding children in jobs, what jobs they can have, what hours they can work on which days. I know the different minimum wages here (which vary by age). I learned the population of each country in the UK, what percentage that population was of the overall population of the UK, and what percentage of it was an ethnic minority. I learned how many of each ethnic minority there was, both in percentages and millions. I learned all that same info on the different religious groups in the UK. I learned about the different legislative bodies in each country, where they meet, what types of laws they can pass, what the members are called and how many seats there are. I learned loads of stuff I'll never need to know.
In light of all that type of information, I didn't pay too much attention to when the frickin' pub closes. And that question was on none of the practice tests. I put 11pm, as that's when it closed years ago when I was a younger lass visiting these parts and actually used to close down pubs. I know that here we have stayed out past midnight on the rare times I've gone out, but I assume rules have changed, and that they changed after this test booklet was made. I have no idea if I was wrong or right as, get this, we weren't told which questions we missed or even how many we missed. Just pass or fail baby, a smack on the ass and out the door you go. In a manner of speaking.
Other BS: There was a question about your landlord raising rent. Again, not something that was on a practice test nor anything I committed to memory as there was loads of other more likely data on which to make notes and study while cursing under my breath.
Then there were the questions I knew inside and out. And the test managed to phrase them in such a way that it was unclear what they wanted. Such as asking if EU nationals can vote in elections. Well, I knew they could vote in all but general elections. But the question didn't ask if they could vote in ALL elections, it just asked if they could vote in elections. I picked that they could -- hubby says that was probably wrong. Other things had similarly unclear wording.
This test cost £50 each to take and of course transportation costs to get there. We had to get to Maidenhead for a test, where it was given at the library. For some reason, despite all info clearly saying you needed to allow one-and-a-half to two hours to take the test and get your results, some people had parked in one-hour spots and had to move before it started. I thought evil thoughts about them if they were going to delay the test. Turns out they didn't as registration took so long.
It took forever to start as everyone had to be registered and do a practice test. Then no results were given out until everyone had finished (there were 24 questions; you could miss six and still pass). Most people were done in 10 minutes or so, but one person needed the full 45, and I imagine that's pretty common. Anyone who isn't up on their English would struggle. And, btw, this lovely mess of non-essential info started as an English proficiency test that many thought people from English speaking countries shouldn't have to take, anyway. Now it's a cash cow that should at least have the decency to have carefully prepared study materials and thoughtfully worded tests, but doesn't.
One interesting thing in it all was the Maidenhead Library. It was beautiful and exuded affluence. Upstairs where we were there was actually a little coffee bar, comfy chairs and bistro tables and a machine that popped out coffee and tea for a low price (50p? Can't recall, but inexpensive).
There was even this art(?) pictured below. I snapped it on a crappy cell cam, but it's some sort of sculpture stuck to a flag. I don't get the meaning of it, though I'm sure there is one. It was just an odd-looking thing.

Anyway, that's that. As long as we don't lose our official letters saying we passed, that is. Because if we do, despite the fact we are in the system and all is linked to our passports, if the letters go missing before we get ILR we have to take the freakin' test again. I'd rather get a root canal. And we'll have to save them even after ILR as the same test is needed for citizenship on down the road.
Next step: Loads of paperwork and big fees for ILR. And, surprise surprise, if the application is rejected for any reason, even some minor omission, you have to reapply and pay thousands all over. I will not rest easy until that's done. Man, I wish I liked alcohol, 'cause the thought of all this makes me want a drink. In theory.
Now that the test's over, I can reflect a bit. It sucked. The study materials sucked. Most of it was useless information. Which involved lots of numbers and statistics. Which turned out not to be on the test in favor of questions about when the frickin' pubs close. Aw, man!
I made notes, studied them over and over, and took the many official practice tests many times. I know the rules regarding children in jobs, what jobs they can have, what hours they can work on which days. I know the different minimum wages here (which vary by age). I learned the population of each country in the UK, what percentage that population was of the overall population of the UK, and what percentage of it was an ethnic minority. I learned how many of each ethnic minority there was, both in percentages and millions. I learned all that same info on the different religious groups in the UK. I learned about the different legislative bodies in each country, where they meet, what types of laws they can pass, what the members are called and how many seats there are. I learned loads of stuff I'll never need to know.
In light of all that type of information, I didn't pay too much attention to when the frickin' pub closes. And that question was on none of the practice tests. I put 11pm, as that's when it closed years ago when I was a younger lass visiting these parts and actually used to close down pubs. I know that here we have stayed out past midnight on the rare times I've gone out, but I assume rules have changed, and that they changed after this test booklet was made. I have no idea if I was wrong or right as, get this, we weren't told which questions we missed or even how many we missed. Just pass or fail baby, a smack on the ass and out the door you go. In a manner of speaking.
Other BS: There was a question about your landlord raising rent. Again, not something that was on a practice test nor anything I committed to memory as there was loads of other more likely data on which to make notes and study while cursing under my breath.
Then there were the questions I knew inside and out. And the test managed to phrase them in such a way that it was unclear what they wanted. Such as asking if EU nationals can vote in elections. Well, I knew they could vote in all but general elections. But the question didn't ask if they could vote in ALL elections, it just asked if they could vote in elections. I picked that they could -- hubby says that was probably wrong. Other things had similarly unclear wording.
This test cost £50 each to take and of course transportation costs to get there. We had to get to Maidenhead for a test, where it was given at the library. For some reason, despite all info clearly saying you needed to allow one-and-a-half to two hours to take the test and get your results, some people had parked in one-hour spots and had to move before it started. I thought evil thoughts about them if they were going to delay the test. Turns out they didn't as registration took so long.
It took forever to start as everyone had to be registered and do a practice test. Then no results were given out until everyone had finished (there were 24 questions; you could miss six and still pass). Most people were done in 10 minutes or so, but one person needed the full 45, and I imagine that's pretty common. Anyone who isn't up on their English would struggle. And, btw, this lovely mess of non-essential info started as an English proficiency test that many thought people from English speaking countries shouldn't have to take, anyway. Now it's a cash cow that should at least have the decency to have carefully prepared study materials and thoughtfully worded tests, but doesn't.
One interesting thing in it all was the Maidenhead Library. It was beautiful and exuded affluence. Upstairs where we were there was actually a little coffee bar, comfy chairs and bistro tables and a machine that popped out coffee and tea for a low price (50p? Can't recall, but inexpensive).
There was even this art(?) pictured below. I snapped it on a crappy cell cam, but it's some sort of sculpture stuck to a flag. I don't get the meaning of it, though I'm sure there is one. It was just an odd-looking thing.

Anyway, that's that. As long as we don't lose our official letters saying we passed, that is. Because if we do, despite the fact we are in the system and all is linked to our passports, if the letters go missing before we get ILR we have to take the freakin' test again. I'd rather get a root canal. And we'll have to save them even after ILR as the same test is needed for citizenship on down the road.
Next step: Loads of paperwork and big fees for ILR. And, surprise surprise, if the application is rejected for any reason, even some minor omission, you have to reapply and pay thousands all over. I will not rest easy until that's done. Man, I wish I liked alcohol, 'cause the thought of all this makes me want a drink. In theory.
Labels:
ILR,
Life in the UK test,
Maidenhead
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