Checklist for this page

Changes in Home Office regulations that affect Foreign and Commonwealth Service personnel and their families
UK Naturalisation for serving Commonwealth citizens
MHS Gurkha Translation Service
Advice for Fijian citizens
Cutting the cost of courses
Higher Education for Foreign & Commonwealth Students
Funding for student grants in the NHS
Smiling through?
Joining the Army community
Further sources of information
Visas for flights to Fiji

Changes in Home Office regulations that affect Foreign and Commonwealth Service personnel and their families.

The Home Office have announced that they are strengthening UK border security. Some of the points in this policy will have a direct impact on Army families with effect from 2nd April 2007.

Increased costs of visas and naturalisation

6 month visit visa will increase from £50 to £65
Long term visit visa from £85 to £200
UK naturalisation from £200 to £575
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) £335 to £750
The increased costs are to cover the expense of biometric technology in the UK and overseas now deemed necessary for visa applications.

Those applying for ILR will have to sit and pass a ‘Life in the UK’ test.
Spouses coming to join their soldiers will have to pass an English Language test.

Both the sponsor (soldier) and spouse will now have to be at least 21 years old before the spouse can apply to come to the UK, in the past it was 18.

For further information please visit the following websites:

• www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk
• www.homeoffice.gov.uk
• www.ukvisas.gov.uk
• www.army.mod.uk/welfare-support/family/1151.aspx

The Home Office have confirmed that imminently there will be an ‘Exempt Armed Forces Visa’ for initial entry into the UK for up to 4 years depending on serving soldiers length of service. This should be available soon.

Useful links for those wishing to learn English:

• www.direct.gov.uk
• www.britishcouncil.org

UK Naturalisation for serving Commonwealth citizens

Welcome news has just been announced by the Home Office that under a change to the rules, Commonwealth soldiers serving in the British Armed Forces can now seek UK citizenship whilst still serving.

Can spouses/civil partners also apply for citizenship?
Providing that they meet the relevant criteria they can apply, but only after their serving spouse has become a British citizen – they cannot apply in their own right.

Under the new rules, dependants will generally be able to obtain indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK two years after their serving spouse or civil partner has been naturalized as a British citizen. Once they have obtained ILR, they too may apply for naturalisation providing they have by that stage been resident in the UK for at least three years – time spent accompanying their serving spouse on overseas posting will also be counted.

This is an improvement on the previous arrangement, however both the Home Office and the MOD recognise that there is still more to be done and are together reviewing the requirements for dependants.

For further information or contact:

www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk - UK Immigration and Nationality Directorate. Responsible for Immigration control. Considers applications for permission to stay, citizenship and asylum. Information and application forms for those already in the UK.
www.oisc.gov.uk - Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. UK Government Agency that regulates immigration advisors in the UK and provides a search facility for those seeking a qualified local immigration advisor.
www.iasuk.org - Immigration Advisory Service
UK charity providing independent UK immigration information and legal advice.

The provision of immigration advice is closely regulated by the UK’s Immigration Services Commissioner – if you are seeking advice from a non-Government source, make sure that it is licensed by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.

Read the AFF update on the new naturalisation rules
Read the announcement on the Home Office website

MHS Gurkha Translation Service

MHS have recently introduced a Gurkhali translation service at the Helpdesk. This is proving to be extremely useful. However families need to make sure that when the Helpdesk operator answers and acknowledges the need for the translation service, it will take a few minutes for the translation link to be established. Please wait for the link. Some families appear to be hanging up before the link can be established.

Advice for Fijian citizens

Advice for Fijian citizens serving in the British Army and their families as a result of the recent coup in Fiji.
If you are planning to travel to Fiji in the near future and require further information contact either;

• the Fijian High Commission in London at www.fijihighcommission.org.uk or telephone +44(0)207 5843661
• the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk or,
• your soldier's unit.
  

In addition, a helpline has been established for Fijian soldiers or their families who require immediate or more detailed advice and support, call +44(0) 1980 615958 (during normal UK working hours)

Cutting the cost of courses

Sharon Watson has some valuable advice for non-UK national spouses keen to study

Non–UK national Army spouses in Colchester have successfully applied for eligibility to study at the local College paying Home fees as opposed to International fees.

Conrad Nedd was our first candidate to apply. Conrad and his family came to the UK last December, leaving his home in Guyana. Keen to settle into his new environment and adapting to the then freezing cold weather, Conrad considered all his options and decided he would like to totally change direction and study to become a nurse.

Concerned by the huge difference in course fees he was quoted, I contacted Mark Falcard, the Research and Statistics Officer at the Colchester Institute. Mark spoke to the local Learning Skills Council to find out precisely what the criteria was for access to Home Fees. The information he received said that people who have been married for 12 months or more living in the UK would be eligible for funding. However, each individual case would be looked at on its own merit.

I submitted Conrad’s application and enclosed a letter from his Unit Welfare Office confirming entry date, his spouse’s occupation in the British Army and the length of their tour. It took four weeks for the application to be processed and approved, and I am pleased to say that Conrad is now studying Human Biology AS level.

Dawn Djokey had to wait a little longer to have her application returned, but started the first phase of an Access course in January following on with the main course in September. If Dawn were to pay the International study fees for this course it would cost £4,500, as opposed to £80!

If you are a non-UK national currently married to a serving British soldier and you would like to take a further education course, these are the steps to take:

Firstly, contact your nearest Further Education provider.
Decide on the type of course you would like to do.
If you have lived in the UK for less than three years, you may be told that you will be subject to International fees.
If this is the case, ask the College to refer to the Funding Guidance for Further Education in 2003/4, paragraph 196. This states “ Learners of other nationalities serving in the British Armed Forces, for example Ghurkha soldiers posted in England, their spouses and dependants, should be considered eligible for funding for the duration of their posting in England”.

Useful Numbers and Websites

The National Learning Skills Council www.lsc.gov.uk
The Learning Skills Council General Enquiry Helpdesk 0870 900 6800
Department of Education and Skills Public Enquiry Line 0870 000 2288

Higher Education for Foreign & Commonwealth Students

AFF has been lobbying for Universities to accept F&C spouses as home fee paying students. Unfortunately there has not been a change to the rules, and at present International fees apply which can be as much as £7,000 a year for some courses.

However, the Open University will accept F&C spouses as students as long as they meet the following criteria:

Students must be living in the UK for the length of their course or be temporarily or unavoidably abroad but still be liable for UK income tax (or be a dependant of someone who lives in the UK)

Students must confirm that they have been living in the European Economic Area (EEA) for at least the three years before the start of the course.

If you would like to contact the Student Registration and Enquiry Service with any questions or if you would like a prospectus, they can be contacted at

The Student Registration and Enquiry Service,
The Open University
PO Box
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6BJ
Tel: 0870 333 4340

Funding for student grants in the NHS

Sharon Watson recently wrote to the Students Grants Unit in Blackpool to enquire about student grants for non–UK national spouses hoping to study to become a nurse. It would appear that the ruling that students must have resided in the UK for three years strictly applies, and if a non-UK national has been in the UK for less time, they must then pay international study fees. Whilst funding has been made available to non-UK national spouses at Colchester Institute for various courses, the College is a Further Education centre rather than a Higher Education provider and this is where the difference in funding is defined. The Further Education provider can act outside of the Department for Education and Skills rules regarding funding, whereas the Higher Education provider can’t. So, for the moment there isn’t any special provision for student grants for non-UK national Army spouses. We will have to wait and see whether this changes in the future.

Smiling through?

Getting used to the Army way of doing things is never easy for a family – but what if you are a family from a different culture, thousands of miles away from the UK? The AFF received the following letter from a Fijian wife:

“I came to the UK last year from Fiji, which is in the South Pacific and about three to four hours’ flight from Australia and New Zealand. We saw it as a great opportunity for us and our family, compared to the opportunities in Fiji. It has been quite a transition. Settling in a new country is never easy - the Fijian and English cultures are poles apart, and the environment here is totally different, but we are learning every day.

I believe there are hundreds of Fijian soldiers serving in the British Army. We are all far from home, and less lucky than our British counterparts who have relatives around them, or can fly to see them at far less cost. Family is very important in the Fijian culture and I lament the fact that our kids will not have their extended family around them.

Because of their cultural upbringing, Fijians are not outspoken, and will just smile at all times, regardless of their situation – but there are some issues on which we really need assistance. I believe a survey should be carried out for all Fijian families to voice our concerns.

Passports
My passport and my daughter’s were taken in February this year so that they could be stamped by the Home Office. We have not heard anything since, which is delaying things like opening a bank account. For the moment, I am with nothing. We applied for Child Benefit in January but have heard nothing more. It is difficult to understand what we should do.

Phone charges
Many telephone companies offer discounted phone rates to certain countries such as the USA, Greece, Australia and India, because there are lots of people of those nationalities here in the UK. With so many Fijians in the Army, could the Army or AFF lobby a telecommunications company to provide discounted rates for calls to Fiji? Our phone bills can be quite astronomical, but if we cut down on calls to home, we feel out of touch with our immediate families. Email is not a real alternative, as it is costly for our families back home to email us.

Plane fares
Many Fijian families would like to visit our families back home every two or three years, or bring relatives over to visit. Travelling to Fiji takes nearly 24 hours, regardless of the route or the airline you choose, and the cost of travel to our home country is expensive. If we want to fly home for a visit, a return flight to Fiji would cost us between £700 and £800 – a lot of money, especially if you have just settled in a country, or have plenty of kids (the average in Fijian families is three to four). I don’t see my family visiting our home country within the next two years, which is a long time, especially for our children not to have their extended family around them. Perhaps an airline could also be approached about discounts.

Quarters’ maintenance
Since we moved into our 2-bedroom quarter, my husband has told me time and again that we have to give the quarter back at the end of our time here just as it was in the first place. Otherwise, we will be charged for damages, such as stained carpets, dirty walls or a stained stove. I would just like to clarify if what my husband says is true of the DHE expectation. I have no problem with the maintenance of our quarter, as I only have one child and she has not reached the stage of making a mess all over the place, but for bigger families and active children it must be quite a struggle. If DHE has such standards, it might just be like living in a palace where everything has to be clean at all times.

Orientation Reps
I think that every Army base should have a representative to orientate new families, or maybe visit them to welcome them. Perhaps there could be a scheme where people who have been there for a year or so could visit someone when they move in and help the newcomers settle in, according to what help the family needs. I arrived in December and was housebound with my little girl until a wife of another Fijian soldier advised me on healthcare registration and the facilities around the camp. The cold weather was a factor in my staying indoors, but the absence of people to reach out to us so that we could talk to someone about our new life in the Army, let alone life in a new country, was quite difficult for us newcomers. ”

The last sentence of this letter is the most telling. This Fijian wife did not receive any information about coming to the UK and living with the British Army before leaving Fiji in December last year, and has clearly not found it easy to access information in the UK. Since she left Fiji, a Fijian Welfare Officer has been appointed on the island (although we understand his role does not currently include providing information to families), and regular detailed Families Briefings are held. However, even after six months here, she is still unsure of many basic procedures, such as Move Outs, mainly because of lack of communication. AFF and Personal Services 4 (Army) were able to help this wife with information and advice. Her passport was returned to her, but had not been sent on to the Home Office for her visa to be renewed. This has since been addressed.

AFF is very aware that Fijian families are not alone in finding travel home expensive – British families in Cyprus and elsewhere overseas face exactly the same problems.

Joining the Army community

There are over 2000 Fijians currently serving in the British Army, many of whose families have followed them to the UK, and there continues to be a high number of applicants who wish to join the British Army on Fiji. Since November 2002, pre-selection tests have been run on the island at regular intervals by the Commonwealth Selection Team from the Army Recruiting Group. Approximately one third of the applicants pass the pre-selection tests, who are then given a formal invitation for two members of their immediate family to attend an in-depth families briefing about joining the British Army, with the opportunity to ask questions of the Team. The Fijian Welfare Officer also attends these briefings, the aim of which is to fully inform the potential soldiers and their families about joining the Army and the various procedures involved. However, some families may find it difficult to attend the briefings in Suva – Fiji is an archipelago, made up of scattered islands, and travel to the capital may not be possible. Our correspondent’s soldier was already in training in the UK before these briefings started, and although she was still in Fiji, she would not have been told about the briefings. All married pre-selected applicants now also receive copies of the “A Practical Guide For Families Arriving from Overseas” booklet which should be passed on to their families. Our correspondent has just seen it for the first time, but found it very helpful.

The facts about joining the British Army from overseas: The following facts and information may be helpful both to Commonwealth soldiers and other members of the Army community:

Getting to the UK

• Once pre-selected, Fijian applicants then fly at their own expense to the UK to complete the selection procedure and, if successful, go on to training. They are advised to buy a six month return ticket, as those who fail the selection process, or who may be injured during training, must return to Fiji at their own expense.
• Fijian nationals wishing to join the British Army should not come to the UK without successfully passing the pre-selection process in Fiji.

Families

• Fijians enlisting in the British Army have to pay the cost of moving themselves and their families to the UK and will also be responsible for the cost of returning to Fiji on discharge from the Army.
• Families of married Commonwealth soldiers are advised not to come to the UK until the soldier has finished training. There is no entitlement to family accommodation until training is complete, unless the soldier is doing Phase Two training for a period of twelve months.

Visas

• Commonwealth soldiers enlisted into the British Army are exempt from immigration control, under Section 8(4) of the Immigration Act 1971. This entitlement ceases when they are discharged from the Army and they then have up to 28 days to leave the country, or apply to the Immigration Authorities for permission to stay.
• The exemption to immigration control is not extended to the soldier’s spouse or children, who are instead granted “Leave to Remain without recourse to Public Funds”, which will be stamped as a visa inside their passports. This visa may be granted up to a maximum period of three years at any one time (although some are only given for six months), provided that the Immigration and Nationality Directorate has evidence that their soldier spouse has enlisted for at least that period. If their soldier spouse is discharged from the Army, their right to remain in the UK ceases.

Immigration Office charges for visas:

• Families must get an entry visa before they leave their country of origin and are responsible for getting their own visas from the relevant British High Commission. Renewal applications must be made well before this visa expires via the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at Croydon. If you are a spouse of a Commonwealth soldier and do not have this stamp in your passport, you should contact your Unit Welfare Office as soon as possible.
• Families should obtain a visa before booking any flights and allow plenty of time for the visa to come through.
• Under recent changes in immigration rules, anyone who comes to the UK on a visitor’s visa and then subsequently gets married, has to return to their country of origin and apply there for entry clearance as a spouse.

Claiming Benefits

• Spouses are prevented through the “Leave to Remain” visa from claiming any public funds in their own right, including Child Benefit and Tax Credits. However, the soldier can claim such benefits for his/her family, as long as the qualifying criteria are met. To do this, the soldier must have a National Insurance Number. This will be requested for him by his unit or Training Regiment via a ‘Request to Issue a National Insurance Number’, signed by the soldier and sent on his behalf by the unit to the Inland Revenue. All Regimental Admin Offices have details of this procedure.
• Child Benefit claims should be made as soon as possible after arrival of the family in the UK. Claims will only be backdated for up to a period of 3 months, so any delay may result in benefit being lost. All Unit Welfare Offices and Regimental Admin Officers have details of how to claim.
  

Spouse Employment

• The Leave to Remain visa entitles the spouse to seek employment, but she/he will also need a National Insurance Number. To obtain this, the spouse should make an appointment at their local Job Centre, taking their stamped passport with them. The Job Centre will then issue them with a temporary National Insurance Number. Once the spouse has found a job, the Job Centre can issue a permanent National Insurance Number.
  

Renewing Passports

• Renewals or replacements of Fijian passports can currently only be processed in Fiji, even for babies born in the UK. Completed applications forms must be sent directly to Fiji by either courier or registered mail. Payment for passports must be in Fijiian dollars. The current fee for renewals is F$66.00 and for replacements is F$165.00. All Regimental Admin Offices have full details.
  

Leave

• There are no allowances for Fijian and other Commonwealth soldiers to help pay for family trips home at public expense. The soldier and family receive the same assistance back to the UK as other British soldiers if serving elsewhere overseas, but not back to their home country. They are also entitled to three travel warrants for travel in the UK.
• Soldiers who are normally domiciled outside the UK and Irish Republic are entitled to Domiciled Collective Leave (DOMCOL) of 45 working days after 5 years’ service.
  

Commonwealth soldiers and their families with any queries or concerns about any of the above information should contact their Unit Welfare Officer or Regimental Administration Office, who have full details and will be able to help. The Army publishes two information booklets, available from units, HIVEs and AFF: A Practical Guide for Families Arriving from Overseas, and A Guide for Army Families. If you have a local HIVE, they will be able to help you with all kinds of information. Alternatively, contact your local AFF Co-ordinator, or AFF Central Office on 01980 615525. For employment advice, contact the AFF Employment Team.

Further sources of information

The British Army website contains a great deal of information for soldiers and their families. For information on serving as a Commonwealth Soldier, see:

www.army.mod.uk

National Insurance: Registrations Helpline
tel: 0845 91 57006 or 0845 91 55670 Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4.30pm

National Insurance: International Services Helpline
From the UK: 0845 9 154811 Fax: 0845 9 157800
From outside the UK: (+44) 191 2254811 Fax: (+44) 191 2257800
Open Monday to Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm

Department of Work and Pensions website: www.dwp.gov.uk

For details of Job Centre offices, go to the Job Centre Plus website at: www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

Inland Revenue Enquiry Line: 020 7667 4001
A general helpline if you have any questions not covered elsewhere.
Open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm
Website: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk

The High Commission of the Republic of Fiji:
34 Hyde Park Gate, London SW3 5DN
Tel: 0207 584 3661 Fax: 0207 584 2838

Any Commonwealth citizen interested in joining the British Army must first write to:

The Overseas Cell, Army Training and Recruiting Agency, Room 009, Building 38b, Trenchard Lines, Upavon, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 6BE.

For further advice and guidance about extending your stay once in the United Kingdom, contact:

The Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Croydon Public Caller Unit
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
CROYDON CR9 2BY
General enquiries: (+44) (0)870 606 7766
Application forms: (+44) (0)870 241 0645
email: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
website: www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

Immigration Advisory Service
An independent charity that gives free and confidential advice, assistance and representation to persons who are applying for an entry clearance for the United Kingdom.

County House
190 Great Dover Street
LONDON SE1 4YB
Telephone: (+44) (0)20 7357 6917; Duty Office (24 hrs): (+44) (0)20 8814 1559
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7378 0665; email:advice@iasuk.org

UK visas
You can get guidance leaflets, information and further advice about visas from:

Visa Correspondence Section
UKvisas, LONDON SW1A 2AH
General enquiries: (+44) (0)20 7008 8438
Application forms: (+44) (0)20 7008 8308
email: Visas.ForUK@fco.gov.uk
Fax numbers: +44 (0)20 7008 8359/8361

Visas for flights to Fiji

When flying home to Fiji, Fijian soldiers routing/transiting through the USA will need a visa. Under a bilateral agreement with the USA, UK citizens travelling with a recognised airline and possessing a valid return ticket enjoy an exemption from normal visa entry requirements. This is not the case for Fijian soldiers, even though they are serving members of the British Forces. However, they may be entitled to Transit Without a Visa (TWOV), as the rules differ. Eligibility depends on transiting through one of the 43 designated US airports, and on whether the airline has an agreement with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service. Fijian soldiers are advised to research visa and other entry requirements with their travel agent when making a booking, if transiting via the USA. The cost of a visa (£67) may offset any savings on flight tickets if you choose the wrong airline or US airport. The alternative route to Fiji via Australia does not require a transit visa for periods of eight hours or under, provided there is an onward flight booked to a third country within that period. However, obtaining a free transit visa (covering periods of up to 72 hours) is still highly recommended, as the aircraft may be delayed or the passenger could become ill and need treatment in Australia. Remember, if you do need a visa, it may take some time to process your application.

The US Embassy, London (Visa Section)
Tel: 0906 8200290 (calls cost 60p/min), or check the website at www.usembassy.org.uk

The Australian High Commission, London (Visa Section)
Tel: 0906 5503500 (calls cost £1/min); website: www.australia.org.uk