Family

[sohail akhter]

If a HSMP visa holder gets indefinite stay after 4 year continuous residence in UK, but the HSMP holder never applies and brings his spouse and kids during that 4 yer period in UK. What status will now his family have when he applies for thier visa in the BHC?
Will his family have to spend 4 years to get indefinite stay or will indefinite stay be automatically issued to all his family?

Thanks

[John]

If you now have ILR, and now wish to bring your wife and family to the UK, you need to take account that you are now "settled" in the UK.

So your wife and children should be using forms VAF2 to apply for settlement visas .... your wife for a two-year spouse visa and each child for a two-year child settlement visa. All the applications can be made at the same time.

In the last 28 days of those two-year visas they will be able to apply for ILR. And assuming you have got naturalisation as British in the meantime, your wife and children will be able to apply for British Citizenship three years after first arriving in the UK, assuming they have got their ILR.

Just one little additional factor to take into account regarding those applications on form VAF2 .... separate form needed for each person and the visa fee for lodging those applications is £260 per form .... or rather the defined equivalent of that payable in local currency. How many children have you got? This could work out a bit expensive!

You can download a form VAF2 by clicking here. Also have a good read of Guidance - Husbands, wives and partners (INF 4). Also Guidance - Family members (INF 6).

[sohail akhter]

Thanks John for such a detailed reply.

Cheers