My Global Talent 3-Year ILR + Dependant Extension Experience for My Wife and Children
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share our experience in case it helps others in a similar situation. This is not legal advice, only our personal experience. If your visa expire soon and you need to apply ILR and also you have a family this post is for you.
1. Our initial visa process
We came to the UK in November 2022. I came under the Global Talent / Exceptional Talent route, and my wife and two children came with me as Global Talent dependants.
At the time of our first application, I selected a 3-year visa period for all of us. I knew that the main Global Talent applicant could apply for ILR after 3 years, but I did not fully realise that dependants usually need to complete 5 years before they can apply for ILR.
If I had known this clearly at the beginning, I would have chosen a 5-year visa for my wife and children, if possible. The main applicant getting ILR after 3 years does not mean the dependants automatically become eligible for ILR.
2. My ILR application
As my visa expiry date was approaching, I did not want to take any risk, so I applied for ILR using the Super Priority service.
After completing around 3 years in the UK under the Global Talent route, I applied for ILR / settlement, and my application was decided in about one week.
After I received my ILR approval, we then applied separately for my wife and children’s Global Talent dependant extension.
3. Why did my wife and children apply for extension, not ILR?
My wife and children had not completed 5 years as dependants yet. Therefore, they could not apply for ILR at that stage.
So our situation became:
- Main applicant: ILR after 3 years
- Wife and children: Global Talent dependant extension
4. How the application type appeared on the UKVI system
For my wife, the application type appeared as:
PBS, Start-up, Innovator or Global Talent dependant partner
For the children, it was the dependant child version of the same route.
At first, I was unsure because the word “extension” was not clearly shown. However, because the application was made inside the UK and proceeded through UKVCAS, it was the correct dependant extension route.
5. IHS / NHS fee issue
People often call it the NHS fee, but in the system it is called the IHS – Immigration Health Surcharge.
In our case, the dependant extension was calculated for a minimum of 3 years. Unfortunately, this is a significant amount and has to be paid.
Even though the main applicant already has ILR, dependant family members still need to pay IHS when they apply for a dependant extension.
6. The confusing visa end date issue on the form
The most confusing part was this question:
“The person you are joining / main applicant visa end date”
Because I had already been granted ILR, technically I no longer had a visa expiry date. ILR does not have an expiry date.
However, the dependant form still asked for the main applicant’s visa end date.
When we tried to leave this empty or proceed as if we did not know the date, the IHS calculation became incorrect and showed a very high amount.
Our solution was:
- We applied for a 3-year dependant extension for my wife and children.
- To make the IHS calculate correctly for 3 years, we entered a date 3 years from the application date in the main applicant visa end date field.
- We explained this clearly in the cover letter.
In the cover letter, we wrote something like:
The main applicant has been granted ILR. ILR has no visa expiry date. Therefore, the visa end date field is not technically applicable. A date three years from the application date was entered only as a technical input so that IHS could be calculated correctly for a three-year dependant extension.
For my own ILR application as the main Global Talent applicant, I uploaded a relatively standard evidence pack:
7. Documents we uploaded For ILR
- Passport bio page
- BRP front and back
- Life in the UK test pass confirmation
- English language certificate
- Global Talent / Tech Nation endorsement evidence
- Cover letter
- Absence record / travel history sheet
- Evidence that I was active and earning in my field in the UK
- Company documents for my UK company
- Accountant letter
- Payslips / salary evidence
- Personal bank statements
- Company bank statements
- HMRC / tax-related documents where relevant
- Product/business evidence, such as income reports, payout reports and company activity evidence
8. Documents we uploaded For Extension
For my wife:
- Passport bio page
- BRP front and back
- Marriage certificate / FormĂĽl B
- Main applicant’s ILR approval letter
- eVisa / settlement proof / share code printout
- Address evidence: tenancy agreement, utility bill, bank statement
- Cover letter
- Consent form
- IHS payment reference
For the children:
- Passport bio page
- BRP front and back
- FormĂĽl A birth certificate
- Parental consent form signed by both parents
- School report / school record
- Address evidence such as a utility bill or bank statement in the parents’ names
- Main applicant’s ILR evidence
9. Our process in order
- In the first visa application, we selected a 3-year visa for all of us.
- We came to the UK under Global Talent + dependant visas.
- As my visa expiry date was getting close, I applied for ILR using Super Priority.
- My ILR application was decided in about one week.
- After I received ILR, we applied for Global Talent dependant extensions for my wife and children.
- The main applicant visa end date field caused confusion because I already had ILR.
- We entered a technical date 3 years from the application date so the IHS would calculate correctly.
- We explained this clearly in the cover letter.
- We paid the minimum 3-year IHS for the dependant extensions.
- We uploaded the documents through UKVCAS and booked the biometric appointment.
10. My takeaway
If I could go back, I would choose a 5-year dependant visa for my wife and children at the initial application stage, if possible.
The main applicant may be eligible for ILR after 3 years under Global Talent, but dependants usually have a longer route. Otherwise, you may later need to apply for an extension and pay another round of IHS.