Skilled Worker Dependant Visa Extension After Main Applicant Got ILR – CoS Dates & IHS Issue

[marksuraka]

Hi All,

I am about to submit a Skilled Worker Dependant visa extension application for my dependants. I received ILR last year through the 10-year route, and before that I was on a Skilled Worker visa.

While completing the application, there are a few questions about the main applicant (myself) asking for:
- CoS start and end date
- Visa start and end date

My current CoS end date is 18-Mar-2026, and visa end date is 01-Apr-2026. When I input these actual dates, the system does not calculate the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) correctly, which is where I am currently stuck.

I have also heard that 3 years is the minimum extension period granted for Skilled Worker dependants, and that the duration cannot be reduced.

Some online forums discussions suggest entering dates as below to resolve the issue and mention it in cover letter:

- CoS start date: main applicant’s work/CoS start date (or application date)
- CoS end date: application date + 3 years − 1 day

However, I have not found any clear or official guidance confirming this approach.

1. Has anyone recently submitted a Skilled Worker dependant extension in a similar situation (where the main applicant already has ILR)? How did you handle the CoS dates and IHS calculation in the application?

2. In this current situation, if my dependants receive a 3-year Skilled Worker dependant visa extension but become eligible for ILR in about 1 year 9 months, what happens to the remaining unused visa time?
Will the unused Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) be refunded once they obtain ILR?

Any guidance or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

[lolo2]

1. The formula: application date + 3 years − 1 day is appropriate for CoS start and end date.

2. There's no IHS refund when the applicant is applying for ILR, irrespective of the time remaining on their visa.