Visa rules change
Dealing with more than 200 enquiries a month means AFF’s Foreign & Commonwealth team has a detailed knowledge of the rules in Appendix HM Armed Forces, including what’s working for families and what may b...
Evisa travel rule change
Expired biometric residence permits (BRPs) can no longer be used to travel to the UK.
You will need an eVisa if you’re on an overseas assignment and you’ve previously been resident in the UK.
Before travell...
Journey to citizenship
The AFF Foreign & Commonwealth team receives many enquiries from soldiers trying to navigate the immigration process and apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.
Wesley Grant Nell, who serve...
AFF resolves eVisa issues
After being contacted by veterans and families having problems proving their settled status, the AFF F&C team realised that instead of the status on the eVisa saying ‘settled’ it was stating ‘armed forces...
eVisa concerns
Since the introduction of eVisas on 1 January 2025, the AFF Foreign & Commonwealth team has received numerous enquiries from spouses worried about travelling back to the UK and proving their status. Here ...
Double success for AFF teams
A soldier was given assistance by two of AFF’s specialist teams while he was on assignment overseas.
Pte Jeannick Serieux contacted the Foreign & Commonwealth team when he needed assistance with the non-...
Global Health Insurance cards change
AFF’s overseas team spotted a trend in forces personnel assigned overseas reporting difficulties fulfilling the UK residency rules when applying for their first Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC), and renew...
Apply for ETA to travel to UK
All visitors to the UK who previously did not need a visa to visit for six months or less, will now have to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they travel. The ETA is not a visa, it is ...
Complex casework
AFF’s Foreign & Commonwealth team is made up of qualified immigration advisors and responds to thousands of visa and immigration enquiries a year from serving personnel and their families.
As well as bei...
The detail on COBSEO clusters
The Confederation of Service Charities (COBSEO) hosts a number of different cluster groups to help collaborative working between charities and to ensure that issues are raised and solutions and actions identi...