Skilled worker->GT->ILR queries

[mrkhang]

Hi everyone,

Before I post my queries, here is a summary of my immigration history:

* I was granted a Skilled Worker visa on 30 August 2023 and entered the UK with my family on 22 September 2023.
* On 15 August 2024, I switched to a Global Talent visa based on a peer-review endorsement from the Royal Academy of Engineering.
* My family did not switch at that time and remained on their Skilled Worker dependant visas.
* In August 2025, they switched to Global Talent dependant visas, which are valid until 15 August 2027.

I understand that, as a Global Talent visa holder endorsed by the Royal Academy of Engineering, I may be eligible to apply for ILR after 3 years. I have a few questions:

1. I have read that the qualifying period is counted from the date the visa is granted (visa issue date) and that an ILR application can be submitted up to 28 days before completing the required period. Is this correct in my case, where I switched from Skilled Worker -> Global Talent before applying for ILR? Or should I count the qualifying period from the date I entered the UK? I am a little confused about which date the Home Office uses? Are we mentioning it in application? If no then how Home office decide qualifying time.

2. I have travel history across multiple old passports. The passport on which my UK visa was issued contains many entry and exit stamps and visas, but all of those trips took place before I obtained my UK visa. After arriving in the UK, I renewed my passport in December 2023.

For my ILR application, do I need to provide:

- Full copies of all passports I have ever held?
- Full copies of only my current and previous passport (FULL)?
- Or only the relevant pages showing travel since I entered the UK?

3. Would you recommend using the Priority service (I believe it costs around £1,000), or is the standard service usually sufficient? I do not have any immediate travel plans. What are typical decision times these days?

4. My understanding is that my family will not become eligible for ILR until 2028, meaning they may require a further visa extension after I obtain ILR which will be of 3yrs. Also, when calculating their qualifying period, should I count from the date their visas were granted or from the date they entered the UK?

5. My eldest son will turn 18 on 27 August 2028. Assuming he is still eligible as a dependant child at that point, would he be able to apply for ILR with the rest of the family, or could turning 18 create any issues?

Thank you for any advice or experiences you can share.

Regards

[zimba]

1. The qualifying time starts from the very first visa approval/issue. As the time under the skilled worker counts, your qualifying period started from very first skilled worker visa issue date.

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

2. Only passports/stamps covering your ILR qualifying period (3 or 5 years), what you did before that is not of interest for the UKVI.

3. The choice is yours, whether you want a quick decision or not. Standard application can take between 8 weeks to 6 months, depending on the application. There is no definite answer as it depends on the circumstances of each application

4. The same rules apply to dependants. Time is counted from the first visa issue date

5. As he was granted a child visa before turning 18, he can continue as a child dependant and settle on his own using a separate SET(O) application, as your spouse settles.

[mrkhang]

Many thanks Zimba for the reply. Much appreciated !. I will now submit my ILR application rougly 25 days before 30 August 2023 when my first visa was granted (Stamped).

Best regards