Advice on BN(O) ILR Application Timing for Family Members

[elic]

I'm on BNO visa and my visa end date is on 17 Mar 2026. According to my understanding, my eligibility date will be 17 Feb 2026 (17 Mar minus 28 days). As a result, my earliest date to submit my ILR application will be on 3rd Jan 2026 (45 days before my fingerprint date) and my earliest date for fingerprint will be on 17 Feb 2026. May I know if my understanding is correct?

Thanks a lot !

Eric

[zimba]

There is only one date that matters: the earliest date of ILR eligibility. You also get 45 working days to submit your biometrics after you submit your application online. There are no limits or rules that tells when you need to apply at the specific point

Read --> All you need to know about applying early, the application date, 28-day concession and more

[elic]

Thanks zimba.

After reading your referred post, I think my understanding is correct. I can submit my application now and book biometrics appointment on or after 17 Feb which is my earliest ILR eligibility date.

Eric

[elic]

I had three driving offences in 2021 and 2022. These were minor speeding offences, all of which were resolved by attending a National Speed Awareness Course or by paying a fixed penalty with three penalty points.

According to DVLA records, these penalty points have now expired, as they were only valid for three years, and my driving record is currently clear.

Could you please advise whether I still need to declare these driving offences in my ILR application? If disclosure is required, should I select “Something else” as the offence type, as my offences do not fall under categories such as “Disqualification for speeding” or “No insurance”?

Thank you very much for your guidance.

Eric

[zimba]

No need to declare anything. Only FPNS and convictions must be declared

[elic]

Thanks, Zimba.

Just to confirm—do I still need to declare these three speeding offences since they involved fixed penalty notices, despite the DVLA records being cleared?

Eric

[zimba]

Thanks, Zimba.

Just to confirm—do I still need to declare these three speeding offences since they involved fixed penalty notices, despite the DVLA records being cleared?

Eric

No

[elic]

Apologies if this is obvious, but could you please clarify what “FPNS” refers to in your advice, so I ensure my declaration is accurate?

Thanks!
Eric

[zimba]

Fixed Penalty Notice (these are NOT the points on your licence)

[elic]

My wife, my son, and I applied for the BN(O) visa at the same time. However, my son’s visa and mine were approved earlier, in April 2021, while my wife’s visa was approved later, in August 2021.

My son and I will become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) this April. However, my wife will not yet be eligible at that time due to her later approval date.

Could you please advise on the best way to handle this situation? Would it be advisable for my son to extend his visa and apply for ILR together with my wife at a later date, or is there another way to manage this situation?

Thank you very much for your guidance.

[zimba]

Children do not have a residency requirement, they can only settle when both parents settle. So your child can only settle with your wife. So I believe an extension is inevitable

[elic]

Thank you for your advice.

I would like to ask whether it is possible to obtain a partial refund of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fee after my child applies for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Thanks!

[jimma]

Apologies for joining this discussion, but my family is in a similar situation.

My daughter and I had our BN(O) visas approved earlier, on 23 September 2021, while my husband’s visa was approved later, on 18 November 2021.

Given the difference in approval dates, I would like to ask whether my daughter can submit her ILR application shortly before her visa expires in September 2026 and then wait for my husband to attend his biometric appointment in October 2026, when he becomes eligible.

Our intention is to avoid paying for a visa extension if possible. Could you please advise whether this approach would be acceptable under the current rules?

Thanks in advance!!

[lolo2]

I would like to ask whether it is possible to obtain a partial refund of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fee after my child applies for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Thanks!

No, you'll be not eligible for a IHS refund if you're applying for ILR.

https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigrati ... t-a-refund

[elic]

Children do not have a residency requirement, they can only settle when both parents settle. So your child can only settle with your wife. So I believe an extension is inevitable

Hi zimba,

I have just read the BN(O) visa extension guidance, which states that children under 18 need to apply to extend with both parents who hold BN(O) visas and that they must use the parents’ extension reference number when applying.

Could you please clarify whether this means I also need to extend my visa together with my son? Or can my son apply for a visa extension based solely on my wife’s existing BN(O) visa?

Thank you very much for your advice.

[zimba]

The child will be issued visa in line with the less privileged parent

[elic]

The child will be issued visa in line with the less privileged parent

Just to clarify, does this mean that my son’s visa extension application can be submitted using my wife’s existing BN(O) visa reference number from her 2021 application?

Thank you for your clarification.

[zimba]

The rules determine how you can be granted a visa. There is no magical reference number that enables this. Your child can apply on their own and will be given a visa extension in line with the less privileged parent. If the parent happens to have applied as well, you may provide this reference when applying for the child but there is no need for such a reference

Your family members
Your family members can apply to extend their BNO visa. Each family member will need to make their own application. How they apply depends on their age and if they are dependent on you. They can apply at any time before their current visa expires.

https://www.gov.uk/british-national-ove ... -your-visa