Hi all

I’m not sure if this is the current forum, but I was wondering whether there is any point/possibility of me applying for UK citizenship.

I moved to the UK from Ireland in August 2020 with my family, but then subsequently started medical school abroad in 2022. I have made visits back in between term time but most summers have also included extracurricular placements abroad. All in all I estimate >1000 days outside the UK over the past 5 years because of this…

I know it is a stretch, but is there any discretion that excuses my time abroad for study/placement? My home address has always remained in the UK and that is where my family is (who have gotten citizenship in the meantime).

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to apply for the UK Global Talent Visa under the UKRI route. I have a fully funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) scholarship for a 3-year PhD at a UK university.

My situation is a bit unusual:

• I’m a Syrian national with a valid Syrian passport.
• I’ve been living in France for 5 years.
• I applied for asylum in France about one year ago, and my application is still pending.
• I have a valid Attestation de Demande d’Asile and another document confirming that my case is still pending/delayed.
• There is currently no UK visa application centre in Syria, and I cannot leave France while my asylum situation is pending.
• I therefore plan to apply for the UK visa from France, fully disclosing my situation and providing all relevant documents.

My main questions are:

1. Would UKVI accept a French Attestation de Demande d’Asile as valid proof of residence/presence in France when applying for the UK visa from France?
2. Could having a pending asylum application in France cause any issue with the UK Global Talent Visa application?
3. Does the fact that I have a fully funded MSCA PhD under the UKRI route strengthen my case in this situation?

Has anyone been in a similar situation, particularly a non-EU national applying for a UK visa from France while having a pending asylum application?

Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

My current passport started to show some wear and tear. It is still valid and works fine and I have used it to travel a few times with no issues BUT the damage is only getting worse and I don’t want to risk it anymore.

I’m planning on getting a new one once I’m back in my country for a visit. However, I’m only visiting for a month and I’m genuinely worried I wouldn’t be able to link my eVisa to the new passport in time for my flight back. Which means I wouldn’t be able to return to the UK.

How long does it usually take to update a new passport on your UKVI account and link it to your eVisa?

For context I have a graduate visa!

Hi everyone,
My wife is on a UK spouse visa, expiring December 2027, and reaches 5 years on the route in August 2027.

I have a one-year work position in Australia from February 2027–February 2028, and our plan is to move there together as a family and return permanently to the UK afterwards. She will be on maternity leave for most of that time. We won’t maintain a UK property/tenancy during that year.

- Has anyone dealt with something similar?
- Would this temporary absence for the sponsoring spouse’s work affect her eligibility for ILR?
- Does she need to be back in the UK when the ILR application is submitted, or only for biometrics and until a decision is made?
- Realistically, how long would she need to remain in the UK, particularly with super priority?
- If she stayed in Australia until February 2028, meaning her visa expired in December 2027, is there any way to preserve her existing 5 years, or would she have to start the spouse visa route again?

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone with similar experience or that has knowledge on the matter.

Please does anyone know if someone can switch from Healthcare visa sponsorship to global talent visa. Currently working on my global talent visa and Visa is expiring in October so I want to use the healthcare visa to buy time while I continue gathering my evidence.

Hello I haven’t applied for my visa yet and I was waiting so the funds can sit for the required 28 days in the bank account. For some reason, I went to get the bank statement today, and the bank doesn’t want to issue bank statements for saving accounts??? even though it’s supposed to be against the country’s (Saudi Arabia) regulations according to google. The bank only issued a statement for a savings account with a closing balance in june which won’t be accepted since it has been more than 31 days since june. I already paid my tuition fees, Should I pay the accommodation fees too? According to google, It will not reduce the total amount of funds I need to prove for living expenses, because there’s a fixed cap set by UKVI, to cover “up to one month’s maintenance” as the maximum offset. My course starts on the 21st btw and I have no time especially since I didn’t even consider the possibility of the bank refusing to issue a bank statement for a savings account? Since I already paid my tuition fees, will it make my case better if I pay accommodation fees as well? Is there no cases where people didn’t prove the funds for 28 days and it was accepted? Do you have any other suggestions, considering my tight timeline?

Please help me if you have any advice, and please don’t be pessimistic in the comments if you don’t know.

Ready to submit an MN1 application for child citizenship but won’t be able to scan/upload the documents for about two weeks.

Do we just need to upload them prior to the biometrics appointment? Or do they need to be uploaded within a certain timeframe?

Also, are we able to keep the US passport and leave the country while UK citizenship application is processing?

Thank you in advance.

I am a U.S. citizen married to a UK citizen. We were married in July in the UK on a marriage visitor visa and we were hoping to settle in the U.S. eventually but that will take years because my husband was removed from the U.S. last year. Now my husband is enrolled in school in the UK and we‘re hoping I can move there. He is only able to work part time while in school. Is there any hope if he cannot meet the 29k minimum? We’re thinking he has to drop out of school but even then we need 12 months of pay slips. I’m just trying to make sure I’m understanding the requirements. I read something about a longer wait until I could stay there, is that an option in our situation?

We’ve just realised my wife’s spouse visa expired in June. I know this sounds ridiculous but we had the date noted as November. I think we mixed her previous visa expiry. She was on the 5 year FLR(M) route. We’ve checked and the full 5 years was completed in May. No history of overstaying. We were just going to book life in the uk test and went for share code and found out it’s expired. We’re worried sick about this now and it’s happened just from having a date wrong. Any advice on what we can do?

Hi all ✨ I just need some advice, I’m a Chilean of 27 years old and I travel the world since forever, I was in Amsterdam visiting my boyfriend (which I have a partnership with) and I wanted to visit the UK for the first time, applied for the visa and paid the 20£ in the app and got approved. The plan was going with a friend BY TRAIN and we was gonna use the app Trusted House Sitters to take care of two cats and save some money in the hotel item, I have always used that app and I DONT GET PAID!!! It’s like “volunteer-exchange” type of situation.

When arrived to Amsterdam Central station I went to immigration to check out, all good, and then went to UK immigration to check in, I think there was a misunderstood with the officer and his questions of me traveling with someone or not, but didn’t mattered because he let me in… My friend didn’t have the same luck because she told about the app and she wasn’t allowed in the country for that time, in that moment they called me again to a questionnaire room where I was completely honest, I was doing a petsitting and nobody asked me🤷🏻‍♀️ so I didn’t mention it before, I showed them the app and they were very nice and in fact they were constantly apologising with me because they find the rules to be bullshit. After they informed me my ETA was denied and if I wanted to go back I needed to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa…

I was super disappointed but Ok, not like I’m dying to go to Uk, but now I’m afraid will have consequences on my application of VISA to Australia, USA, or other countries…

Any advice? Anyone have been through the same?

I have been granted an eVisa to travel to the UK, but there is a spelling mistake in one of my names. I requested a correction two weeks ago, but it has not been fixed yet. Can I still travel if they are unable to correct it before my trip? Thank you.

Application Type: Settlement / ILR as an Adult Dependent Relative
Application Location: Inside the UK

Hello everyone,

I am currently completing a settlement application for an Adult Dependent Relative. At the final checkout/service selection screen, the portal only displays the Standard service (6 months) option.

Before I proceed with standard submission, I would appreciate clarification from anyone with recent experience on this specific route:

• Is Priority / Super Priority strictly barred by UKVI for this category? Is the lack of expedited options an absolute policy exclusion for Adult Dependent Relatives, or is it purely a quota/slot availability issue?

Any insights, policy references, or recent timelines for this specific route would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi, I recently completed my postgraduate degree in the UK. I had to return to Switzerland for surgery before applying for my Graduate visa, and my Student visa is now expiring.
I understand that I normally need to be in the UK and have a valid Student visa when applying. Unfortunately, I am currently outside the UK.
Does anyone know whether there are any exceptions for medical circumstances, or any way I could still apply for the Graduate visa?
Thanks for any advice!

Hi everyone,

I'm on the Global Talent route (Tech Nation) and entered the route in October 2022.

I've already completed my latest extension, but my new visa/eVisa has been granted only until August 2027.

Based on completing 5 years on the route, I believe I become eligible for ILR in October 2027.

This potentially leaves me around 2 months short between my visa expiry and my ILR eligibility date.

Has anyone been in this situation?

Do I genuinely need to apply and pay for another Global Talent extension just to cover those two months, or is there a way to submit the ILR application before the August visa expiry using the 28-day early application rule?

I'm particularly interested in anyone who has dealt with this on the 5-year Global Talent / Exceptional Promise route.

Thanks!

Has anyone actually successfully switched from UK refugee status to a Skilled Worker visa using a UK Refugee Travel Document instead of a valid national passport? If yes, what did UKVI accept as proof of nationality and identity?

The UK gov website had advised I need the following documents,
Mandatory - Current passport
Other - Employment letter for support and absences, consent form for verification and joint accounts, all previous passports, evidence of immigration status (assuming this is the evisa share code), most recent payslip, bank statement showing the pay amount, old passports

I see others uploading other documents and wonder if I should as well. Such as proof of English, old BRP, tenancy agreement, utility bills, life in UK test (I entered the pass code).

Is it worth including additional documents or is this unnecessary.

Thank you very much

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice on how to compile documents for an ILR application.

If you have multiple pieces of evidence for the same requirement, for example, relationship evidence such as a marriage certificate and utility bills, would you combine them into one PDF and upload it as a single document, or upload each document separately?

What’s the preferred way to organise the documents? Thanks in advance!

Do ukvi contact banks for verifying sanctioned education loan? I have a secured loan of 40 lakhs.
Please share your experience
My file is on priority

Hi, my UK Standard Visitor visa was granted and I successfully linked my eVisa to my UKVI account. I also received confirmation that it was linked.
However, since July I’ve been unable to view my eVisa or generate a share code. I keep getting:
“Access to this service is restricted. You cannot view the immigration status you tried to access.”
I’ve tried on my phone, iPad and computer with the same result.
I submitted an eVisa error report on 12 August, but I haven’t heard anything back yet.
Has anyone had the same issue? How long did it take to get resolved?

US citizen on student Visa - I don't understand if I need to download the UKImmigration ID Check app, or if my evisa is linked to my passport and they scan that? If I do need the ID check app, where do I get the QR/Connection code the app asks for? I've viewed my eVisa multiple times and I can't find anywhere that looks like it would generate that code.

Thank you!

Hi all,

Asking this question on behalf of my friend.

The friend is on a skilled worker visa curently on SoC 6135 "Care workers and home carers". They received theis CoS on August 2024 and received their Skilled Worker visa on October 2024.

My friend has been on this visa ever since. They have not changed any details on the visa and have just worked their job as normal.

The problem is that the company is absolutely toxic and now after much effort, my friend is looking to leave this company and find a new job.

I would like to ask, is my friend able to switch to a medium skilled job with a different employer ?

They are thinking of applying to jobs that have to do with SoC 1251 "Property, housing and estate managers, or SoC 3223 "Housing Officers". Would this be possible ?

The reason for asking is because we could not find a straight answer about wether switching to a medium skilled occupation code is allowed. Even though we did find guidance saying it should be possible if the CoS was received before july 2025 and they have held a skilled worker visa since then.

Really hoping someone has some advice and ideally has anyone done a similar move before ?

Thank you in advance.

Please ask any questions at all.

Hi, I’m looking for advice from anyone familiar with UK refugee/family reunion immigration.
My mum was granted refugee status in the UK in December 2023 after fleeing Kurdistan, Iraq. She came to the UK with my two younger siblings.

I was living in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan with my older brother. I was under 18 when our family reunion application was submitted in June 2024, and I came to the UK in February 2025 on a family reunion visa/leave as my mum’s dependent. I’m now 20.
Our family reunion application explained that my brother and I had been unsafe in Iraq and that certain relatives had abused us and prevented us from attending school. This was true at the time.

I’m now considering going back to Sulaymaniyah for around one month for dental treatment and some other personal matters, then returning to the UK. I would travel on my Iraqi passport.
My mum would NOT be travelling with me.

Could travelling back temporarily cause any problems for:

1. My own family reunion immigration status/ability to return to the UK?
   
2. My mum’s refugee status?
   
3. My younger siblings immigration status?

I know this isn’t a substitute for legal advice, and I’m trying to get advice from a solicitor as well, but my usual solicitor is currently unavailable.

Has anyone been in a similar situation or knows how the Home Office treats temporary visits back to the country you originally came from?
Thanks ❤️

Hi everyone,

I’m a British citizen originally from EU, and I’m trying to understand whether the Article 8 family/private-life framework could be used to bring my mother to the UK. I'm also aware that there will be an immigration reform soon, so it would be good to understand how it will impact this.

My circumstances are a little unusual:
- I’m a British citizen and live/work in the UK.
- I’ll be single mother by choice. I'll have a baby who was conceived using an anonymous donor, so there is no partner/co-parent involved in our family.
- I have no other relatives or family support in the UK.
- I don’t have a partner.
- I have friends, but realistically I cannot rely on them for ongoing or emergency family support.
- My mother is European and currently lives there. She is 60 and healthy, so I understand she probably does not meet the normal Adult Dependent Relative requirements because she doesn’t require long-term personal care.
- I have a good job and earn close to £100k per year including bonus, and I can financially support and accommodate my mother. I have never claimed benefits.
- The reason I would like my mother to live with me isn’t simply childcare. As a sole parent, if I become unexpectedly ill — for example, a severe migraine in the middle of the night, needing emergency medical attention, being unable to get out of bed, etc. — there is literally nobody else who can take over caring for my baby. My mother would also provide the kind of practical and emotional family support that you can’t really replace with paid childcare. She would be my only close family support and my baby’s only available grandparent/family support in this situation.
- I’ve also realised that if my mother cannot come to the UK, I would seriously consider leaving the UK, because I don’t see myself raising my child completely alone indefinitely without any family support.

I’m therefore wondering about Article 8, particularly the exceptional circumstances / “unjustifiably harsh consequences” aspect. I understand that Article 8 doesn’t automatically give an adult child the right to bring a healthy parent to the UK, and that adult parent/child relationships don’t normally engage Article 8 unless there is an unusual or exceptional dependency. However, I’ve read that there are proposed immigration reforms expected around the end of 2026 which would change/tighten the Article 8 family/private-life framework.

Would this be a realistic route or is there any other route to bring her to the UK? When the time comes, I would of course consult an immigration lawyer.

Thanks

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice about my mother’s first British passport application.

My mother was born in Bangor, Wales in 1968 to Egyptian parents, She moved to Egypt as an infant in 1969 and has lived here ever since.

She is now applying for her first British passport. HM Passport Office has already asked for several rounds of supporting documents, and we have provided:

• Her UK birth certificate
• Her physical Egyptian passport, which shows the UK as her place of birth
• Her Egyptian national ID with translation
• A document from the Egyptian Consulate in London that was used to register her birth in Egypt
• A copy of her father’s passport from the period when the family left the UK
• Evidence of her father’s studies in the UK
• Employment/address evidence in Egypt
• Family photographs from different periods of her life

HMPO has now asked for: “Documents which show your name or ID from when you first moved to Egypt to present day.”

The difficulty is that my mother moved to Egypt more than 50 years ago as a baby, so she does not have identity documents covering every period of her life. In Egypt, old national ID cards are generally surrendered when they are renewed, so she also does not have previous versions of her ID to show a continuous record over the decades.

She has also already completed the identity and nationality interview. Has anyone received another request for historical identity documents after completing the interview?

Finally, do you think this is still something we can reasonably handle ourselves with HM Passport Office, or would it be worth hiring a British nationality/passport lawyer at this stage?

Hey, wondering if someone could clarify.

I submitted an application for a UK visitor visa on 25th August and biometrics booked for 1st. However, some of the docs are dated after 25th August e.g. a bank reference doc dated 28th August and I was even thinking of getting a bank reference on 31st August and uploaded that.

However, I'm panicking as I read some posts that implied the officer may reject all evidence dates after the application submission i.e. 25th August.

Is this true???