My current GTV status is valid from July 2024 to July 2026. I plan to apply for ILR in June 2025, one month before completing 3 years on my GTV (which started in August 2022). I have questions about my dependents:
Am I required to extend my dependents’ visas when I apply for ILR, given that their visas remain valid until July 2026, regardless of my ILR application? If my wife will have been a GTV dependent for 3 years with 1 year remaining on her visa (expiring July 2026), is there any refund available for the remaining year of her IHS fee?
Should I also apply for a 3-year extension for my son’s GTV (currently valid from July 2024 to July 2026)? If I also need to extend my son’s GTV when I apply for ilr regardless remaining period of my son’s GTV-dependent visa, would it be “wasting” money on 3 years of GTV-dependent fees and IHS charges, as I understand that once my ILR is approved, we can immediately apply for British citizenship for my UK-born son (as per Apply for citizenship if you were born in the UK: If you're under 18 - GOV.UK).
→ Your dependent must extend their GTV dependent visa (or a different one anyway; but a GTV dependent is a really good visa as they can get any jobs) as they need 5 years, in any case, to apply for ilr. And the only option they have is 3 years when you are already applying for ilr. Also, unfortunately, there’s no refund for this if they go to ilr or permanent type of visa after fulfilment of 5 yrs. Otherwise, I think your dependent can consume all the period that is indicated in their visa and will apply for ilr finally (e.g., 6-7 yrs). My baby will become British when we get the ilr anyway so baby normally don’t need this extension when we have GTV (on the assumption that you will apply for ilr after 3 yrs in total).
I recently got GTV approved and I had applied it for one year only; as me and my dependents had already completed almost 3 years on skilled visa.
Now I am eligible for an ILR, but my dependents have two more years to go.
Since I had applied for only 1 year, their visa will also expire in 2025 and they will need extension for another one year.
Are you saying this is not possible and they will have to pay for 3 years extension when they really need it for just one more year to become eligible for ILR?? And that too without any IHS refund?
Sadly, yes, always 3 years…This is stated in the immigration rules, and there is no discretion to issue less than 3 years. Also, when they apply for the ilr/citizenship, there’s no refund of IHS.
