Need advice on UK visa for a child please.

[melio]

I have looked and looked on this board but cannot find the answer to my questions. Sorry if they have been answered previously and I have overlooked it.

I have British Citizenship by descent, having parents from the UK. My problem is, I am wanting to move to England to be with my boyfriend, but I also have a child who is 5 years old and from a previous relationship. My son lives with me 100% of the time, his father sees him a couple of times a year, but never has him for overnight stays or anything. We do not have any parenting plans or court orders, and he pays child support. His father has said I can take him overseas, I just haven't gotten it in writing yet.

Also, when we get to the UK we will be staying with my boyfriend at his parents house, who have a 3 bedroom terrace house. Well, until my boyfriend and I can get a place to live.
My questions are:
Will I be able to apply for a settlement visa for my son?

I know I will need to get consent from my sons father to leave the country, will I also need written consent from him in order to be successful in obtaining a settlement visa for him?
If so, will that need to be through a lawyer or can he just send a document that has been signed by him and a witness?
Or will I need other documentation to show that my son lives with me and I have the consent from the father to take him overseas?

Will the fact that my sons father pays child support mean that I will not be able to get a visa for my son?

Do I need to provide documentation to show where we will be living?

Thank you for reading this, and thank you in advance for any help that anyone can offer.

[vinny]

Yes, subject to sole responsibility and MMA requirements.

Have you lived in the UK for at least 3 years before?

[melio]

Thank you for that, vinny. I can't believe I didn't see that before. I think I've been stressing about it so much I couldn't see what was right in front of me. Haha.

Unfortunately, I have not been to the UK before.

[melio]

I have been going through the vaf4a application, and, if it is not too much trouble, I need some help.

I have assumed that I would be the sponsor for my sons application. Is this correct? Or can I not be the sponsor because I have not yet been to the UK? I have British Citizenship by descent.

It is asking for a National Insurance Number for the sponsor, and employment details. I have put my current details of employment in Australia in the section with the parents employment details. Do I also put these details in the section about the sponsor? I assumed they meant employment in the UK, but if I have not been to the UK yet, I have neither. I am hoping to be in the UK by mid-December, so is it not worth applying for jobs now? If I don't have a National Insurance Number, then I cannot apply for jobs online, is that correct?

Could I put a list of current job advertisements that I may be qualified for? I have recently graduated from University with a Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching. I have a job in Australia at the moment, but it is only casual. I am also getting a parenting payment from the government.

I have $10,000 in savings, and my partners parents have offered to let us stay wth them.

Will his application be refused because I do not yet have employment in the UK?

Thank you in advance for any assistance anyone can offer me.

[melio]

Please, can anyone help me, at all?

I have been looking at the online application form to apply for a visa for my son. I have British Citizenship by Descent, because both my parents are from Enlgand. However, I did not apply for my passport until recently, so did not have it before my son was born. I have never been to the UK before. I will be living with my partner and his parents in their house (I have checked and there is enough rooms for it to not be considered overcrowding).

Now, would I be right assuming I would be able to be his sponsor? The online form is asking for employment details for the sponsor, does it mean my current employment details in Australia, or do they only mean employment in the UK? Should I just put in my current employment details and then show a list of jobs applications I would be suited to in the UK? Should I also send my transcript from my University degree?

Also, it is asking for details of whether I recieve public funds, I get a payment from the government in Australia, but that will cease once I move overseas, so do I provide details of that in the application?