HM Armed Forces member or eligible family

This route is for members of His Majesty’s (HM) Armed Forces discharging from service (‘service leavers’) who wish to come to or stay in the UK. Applications can be made up to 18 weeks prior to discharge.

A partner or dependent child of a current member of HM Armed forces or of a service leaver can also apply on this route.

The HM Armed Forces route is a route to settlement.

AF 3.1. For the purpose of this Appendix, “HM Armed Forces” means Regular service personnel in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Army (including the Brigade of Gurkhas) and the Royal Air Force, and does not include the Reserve forces.

Reference to a member of HM Armed Forces or a service leaver includes an applicant who was a member of HM Armed Forces but was discharged within the period of 2 years before the date of the application.

A partner or dependent child of a current member of HM Armed forces or of a service leaver can also apply on this route.

AF 5.1. The applicant must have: (a) completed at least 4 years’ reckonable service in HM Armed Forces; or (b) met the medical discharge requirement in AF 6.1. or AF 6.2.

AF 5.3. On the date of application: (a) the applicant must be within 18 weeks of their discharge date; or (b) the applicant must have been discharged from HM Armed Forces for less than 2 years; or (c) in the case of an applicant who was medically discharged more than 2 years before the date of application, new information regarding their medical prognosis is being considered by the decision maker; or (d) the applicant must have last been granted entry clearance or permission to stay as an HM Armed Forces service leaver.

AF 6.1. The medical discharge requirement for settlement as an HM Armed Forces service leaver is met if the applicant has been medically discharged from HM Armed Forces and either: (a) the cause of the medical discharge was attributable to deployment on operations; or (b) the cause of medical discharge was attributable to service and it is appropriate to grant settlement following consideration of: (i) the seriousness of the illness or injury; and (ii) the need for further medical treatment in relation to the illness or injury and the availability of such medical treatment in the applicant’s country of origin; and (iii) the prognosis for recovery, including whether the injury or illness will affect the applicant’s ability to support themselves in their country of origin; and (iv) the length of reckonable service in HM Armed Forces at the time of the applicant’s medical discharge.

AF 1.1. If applying from outside the UK, the applicant must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “VAF AF”. AF 1.2. If applying from in the UK, the applicant must apply online on the gov.uk website on the specified form “SET(AF)”. AF 1.3. An application must meet all the following requirements: (a) any required fee must have been paid; and (b) the applicant must have provided biometrics, when required; and (c) the applicant must have provided a passport or other document which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality. AF 1.4. The applicant must be aged 18 or over on the date of application.

AF 2.1. The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant should not be refused under Part Suitability.

AF 4.1. An applicant seeking to come to the UK must apply for and obtain entry clearance as a HM Armed Forces service leaver before they arrive in the UK. AF 4.2. An applicant must, if Appendix Tuberculosis applies, provide a valid medical certificate confirming that they have undergone screening for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that this tuberculosis is not present in them.

AF 15.1. Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in speaking and listening of at least level A1.

AF 16.2. The financial requirement is: (a) a gross annual income of at least £23,496, alone or in combination with (b) savings of: (i) £16,000; and (ii) additional savings

AF 18.1. The applicant’s accommodation in the UK must not be overcrowded or contravene public health regulations.

AF 7.1. If the decision maker is satisfied that the validity, suitability and eligibility requirements for settlement as an HM Armed Forces service leaver are met, the applicant will be granted settlement.

AF 8.1. Where the decision is to grant permission to stay, the applicant will be granted permission to stay for a period not exceeding 30 months and will be subject to such conditions as to work, study and access to public funds as the decision maker considers appropriate.

AF 21.1. Entry clearance or permission to stay as a partner will be granted for whichever is shorter of: (a) 5 years; or (b) the remaining duration of the applicant’s partner’s enlistment; or (c) the remaining duration of the applicant’s partner’s extant permission; or (d) 6 months if the applicant is being granted entry clearance or permission to stay as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner.

AF 21.2. Entry clearance or permission to stay as a dependent child will be granted to end on the same date as the parent’s permission

AF 21.3. The grant will be subject to the following conditions: (a) no access to public funds; and (b) work permitted (including self-employment and voluntary work) (unless granted as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner where no work is permitted); and (c) study permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS (unless granted as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner where no study is permitted).

AF 27.1. The applicant must have completed a continuous period of 60 months with permission under this Appendix, or previous Appendix Armed Forces, as the partner or child of a member of HM Armed Forces or an HM Armed Forces service leaver (excluding any period of entry clearance or permission to stay as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner).

AF 29.1. Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must show English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in speaking and listening of at least level B1.

AF 30.1. Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement as set out in Appendix KOL UK.