A decision by the Government of UK to implement legislation that will make it easier for people living abroad to bring their families to Britain is a significant step towards addressing the issue, but it does not absolve the authorities from delivering on a commitment to reduce family visa wait times, according to a leading immigration law firm.

A person who is seeking a British visa and wishes to settle in the UK permanently can apply for the visa under two categories. A permanent settlement (indefinite leave to remain) or limited stay (temporary residence) under various kinds of visas.

You may have come to one of my free webinars on family-based visas — or perhaps you’ve read my book on the subject. But if you’re still confused, let me help out by explaining each of the steps involved in this process.

Overview

You need a family visa to live with a family member in the UK for more than 6 months.

Applying from outside the UK

You can apply for a family visa to live with your:

• spouse or partner
• fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner
• child
• parent
• relative who’ll provide long-term care for you

If you’re visiting the UK for 6 months or less, check if you need a Standard Visitor visa or Marriage Visitor visa.

Extending your family visa

You can apply to extend your stay with your family member if you’re already in the UK on a family visa.

You can extend at any time before your current permission to stay in the UK expires.

If you’re extending to stay with the same family member, you’ll only get up to 28 days left on your current stay added to your new visa.

You must live in the UK for a certain amount of time before you’re eligible for settlement (‘indefinite leave to remain’). Before you extend your visa, check how much time you need to settle in the UK.

You might be able to apply to stay on the basis of your private life if you’ve lived in the UK for many years already.