Visa fees scrapped for Non-UK Service Personnel

[SLXOwft]

A bit of good news - and about bl*&dy time.

'At present, all non-UK personnel leaving service who wish to settle in the UK have to pay the full fee of £2,389 for indefinite leave. This fee will now be waived for those with at least six years’ service or who are discharged due to an illness or injury attributable to their service.

The fee waiver will also apply to eligible veterans currently living in the UK who have not regularised their immigration status.

Currently there are over 9,000 non-UK citizens serving in the UK armed forces from countries around the world including Australia, Canada, Fiji, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, St Lucia and South Africa, many of whom may consider applying for indefinite leave to remain in the UK when their service ends.'

[MPN11]

A ray of sunshine on a cloudy day … good news indeed.

[Bill Macgillivray]

Great news - common sense has prevailed! (Just hope that there are no other "hoops" to jump through!) - why do I feel a bit cynical?

[sycamore]

And perhaps a refund for those who have already paid.....?

[hunterboy]

Why 6 years service? Why not One? These guys are potentially putting themselves in harms way for the U.K. …..The least we can do is front them the artificially inflated application fees.

[Bksmithca]

Why 6 years service? Why not One? These guys are potentially putting themselves in harms way for the U.K. …..The least we can do is front them the artificially inflated application fees.
hunterboy, they needed to pick a number. With one year have they truly offered anything to the country. If they were injured serving then I feel no time limit should apply but if no injury then 6 years is a round number.

[Bing]

hunterboy, they needed to pick a number. With one year have they truly offered anything to the country. If they were injured serving then I feel no time limit should apply but if no injury then 6 years is a round number.

I think six years is also when resettlement benefits kick in on leaving service so there's at least a consistency to it.

[diginagain]

Visa fees scrapped for non-UK Service personnel, but not their families.

[SLXOwft]

Visa fees scrapped for non-UK Service personnel, but not their families.

When one looks into the detail it is indeed a very small bit of good news.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/immigration-fees-public-consultation

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-armed-forces