PrairieWriter

We've been looking at the immigration steps/path to citizenship for hubby in the UK, and are trying to make sense of it all so that we can stay ahead of the game.

I thought it'd be good to ask you lovely people for advice, since I know several of you have been through this process before. I know that fees are probably going to go up after Brexit, but as it stands, am I right or wrong in assuming that these are the usual steps to citizenship (?):

1: Family visa/partner/spouse: £1,464 plus £1,000 NHS surcharge (because of the doubling charges later this year—I'm aware it's £500 right now). Or is the NHS surcharge included in the visa fee? I'm slightly confused about that. I'm assuming there will be a charge for the medical as well, though I'm guessing that will vary depending on the doc? We're going the savings route to satisfy financial requirements.

2: After 2.5 years, we have to file for an extension. I'm assuming the fees are the same as above? Might use the savings route again to satisfy financial requirements, but may also use self-employment income, which (barring disaster—hubby is an artists and I am a writer) ought to be established by then.

3: After another 2.5 years, we apply for indefinite leave to remain: £2,297. What happens to the financial requirement? As far as I'm aware, the NHS surcharge disappears at that point.

4: At that point, I assume he's also eligible for citizenship. If my research is correct, that currently costs £1,202. Are there additional charges for that?

Please pick all this apart if you can! We want to create a fund for these charges, though we know they may go up (probably...) while we're there. It seems a bit of a bummer that he can't just go for citizenship at the end of five years, rather than applying for ILR first, but there you go.

Okay, folk: tear this analysis apart!

michali

I won’t tear it apart but,unfortunately, the fees will most likely go up in April of this year as they do every year, so nothing to do with Brexit! So with an increase in fees and an increase in IHS, it is impossible to predict exactly how much each visa will cost.

The NHS charge is not included in the visa fee but is paid at the same time as the visa.

Your understanding of the path to citizenship is correct though and the financial requirement for ILR is less. I THINK it is around £34,000.

Of course, the financial requirements could be increased too but normally anyone already on the route to settlement would not be affected....but who knows!

PrairieWriter

So if savings route for ILR, it would be £34,000? Hopefully we'll be well established by then and won't need to go the savings route, but that is good to know anyway!

michali

Hopefully someone will confirm that figure as I am never too sure about it.

Benson55

Don't assume he is in for citizenship as thats another route to go down and should be checked out separately from the initial spouse visa.
Costs are extra for citizenship as well.

PrairieWriter

I'm not concerned about his eligibility for citizenship. We'll be fine there: he'll meet all the requirements. If anything, that'll be the simplest part of the process in comparison to all the other hoop-jumping and so forth. I'm also aware that there are fees and tests associated with citizenship.

Benson55

well all is good in the woodshed then...

PrairieWriter

Oh yes, certainly! We're really just trying to get a sense of the whole cost (factoring in predictable fee hikes and so forth) so that we can put money into an account to cover the majority of it. We're planners! In the end, we've decided to set aside £10,000 after we arrive (after the first visa fee/NHS surcharge payment etc) in an attempt to stay ahead of the game over the next five+ years. It may well come to less than that, but hopefully if fees go up enormously after Brexit, we'll at least have a head start.

Benson55

I suppose you know which are of the UK you are going to ?

PrairieWriter

Yup! We're moving to Scotland. I grew up in England, but my dad and brother have been in Scotland for many years.