Online app question- wife of armed forces

Help please! I've just started applying online for the spousal visa. My husband is an Armed Forces employee and to my knowledge, I thought I was supposed to complete VAF AF and Appendix 2 AF. On the visa4UK site though, there's no option for wife of AF under visa subtype. There's just wife. Should I just go ahead and complete it as is, or is there something else I need to do? Looking at the online application, it doesn't ask for any of his military details.

Also, will I be redirected to complete Appendix 2 once I finish VAF, or do I print off and complete the appendix off the gov.uk site?

Anyone? Hoping to get this submitted by Saturday.

I'm not familiar with the AF application enough to give you an answer for that one.

But you'll complete the online application and then print off and complete appendix 2 by hand.

I've been searching for solid answer, but am at a bit of a loss.  The UKVI site is a bit foggy about this.

The UKVI page for joining family doesn't mention that armed forces members need to complete wholly separate forms online, and you've mentioned there's no option online to complete an application as a family member of AF.  However, the VAF AF paper form exists and the link is still active (though, the form is dated 2013)

If I recall correctly, there was a time where spouses of armed forces did have a slightly different process - I think the financial requirement was different and/or the path to ILR was retained at 2 years (not extended to 5).  And then I recall that it was scrapped (or there was talk about it being scrapped) and it was proposed that the process should be uniform for everyone.  I don't know what happened with that - if it's different for AF, or if it was just standardized for everyone eventually. 

The UKVI page for joining family doesn't mention that armed forces members need to complete wholly separate forms online, and you've mentioned there's no option online to complete an application as a family member of AF.  However, the VAF AF paper form exists and the link is still active (though, the form is dated 2013)

If I recall correctly, there was a time where spouses of armed forces did have a slightly different process - I think the financial requirement was different and/or the path to ILR was retained at 2 years (not extended to 5).  And then I recall that it was scrapped (or there was talk about it being scrapped) and it was proposed that the process should be uniform for everyone.  I don't know what happened with that - if it's different for AF, or if it was just standardized for everyone eventually.

Good memory. From googling what you have said, it was scapped in 2013. Perhaps why that form is still dated 2013?

"Changes announced in Parliament on Thursday (4 July) aim to make sure families of members of HM Armed Forces are not disadvantaged when applying for settlement or leave to remain.

There will be more flexibility and the rules will take into account the realities of life in the Armed Forces, so that time spent overseas will count as time in the UK for them.

It also means that for the first time Non EEA (European Economic Area) partners and children of Foreign and Commonwealth citizens and of British citizens serving in HM Forces will be subject to a single set of rules."
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-immigration-rules-for-armed-forces-families-announced

That statement then linked to this guidance.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210673/SoIFamily_members_of_HM_Forces_WEB__2_.pdf


THIS MIGHT BE BETTER FOR YOU.

From the Army Family Federation UK website: their step by step guide for what you have to do if your sponsor is a member of the UK armed forces.
Visas to Enter UK and to Join soldier overseas
http://www.aff.org.uk/army_family_life/foreign_commonwealh/visas.htm

 "The Armed forces application is not available online so until further notice it is necessary to complete both a general online form and a paper-based VAF (AF) form which you can download here

As there is no specific drop down option for Armed Forces on the online form you must choose the following:
Visa Type: Settlement
Visa Sub Type: Husband/Wife/Child/Marriage (if coming to the UK to marry a soldier) etc
You will also have to complete Appendix 2 (VAF Armed Forces Dec 2013) Financial Requirement form. It is important that you complete the specific Armed Forces appendix, not the general Appendix 2. This will also need to be printed out and completed by hand."
etc

Read it all though as there are other instructions with links i.e. you must still apply for your Immigration Health Surcharge number even though you are exempt from paying this as your husband is in the UK armed forces, to make sure you won't get billed if you use the NHS. You will need to do this before you apply for your visa.

Your husband (and his CO) know about this forces family site and they can phone them for any help for armed forces and their families.

Thanks very much. There's really a lack of spouse of AF information out there. 

Also found this topic from September: http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=83731.0

Looks like she applied under wife settlement online, then included in her documents VAF AF and Appendix 2 AF in addition to the online printed application.

I was not aware that I was exempt from the NHS fee. However, I just now created an account on the gov.uk site as if I was going to pay the fee, and there's no option for dependent of AF. Actually, there's no option for AF anywhere. So, looks like I'll have to pay the fee after all. Not sure if I'd be eligible for a refund, either...

Thanks very much. There's really a lack of spouse of AF information out there. 

Also found this topic from September: http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=83731.0

Looks like she applied under wife settlement online, then included in her documents VAF AF and Appendix 2 AF in addition to the online printed application.

That's what it says in the quote from the Army Families Federation site that I gave in the post above.

From the Army Family Federation UK website: their step by step guide for what you have to do if your sponsor is a member of the UK armed forces.
Visas to Enter UK and to Join soldier overseas
http://www.aff.org.uk/army_family_life/foreign_commonwealh/visas.htm

 "The Armed forces application is not available online so until further notice it is necessary to complete both a general online form and a paper-based VAF (AF) form which you can download here

As there is no specific drop down option for Armed Forces on the online form you must choose the following:
Visa Type: Settlement
Visa Sub Type: Husband/Wife/Child/Marriage (if coming to the UK to marry a soldier) etc
You will also have to complete Appendix 2 (VAF Armed Forces Dec 2013) Financial Requirement form. It is important that you complete the specific Armed Forces appendix, not the general Appendix 2. This will also need to be printed out and completed by hand."
etc

I was not aware that I was exempt from the NHS fee. However, I just now created an account on the gov.uk site as if I was going to pay the fee, and there's no option for dependent of AF. Actually, there's no option for AF anywhere. So, looks like I'll have to pay the fee after all. Not sure if I'd be eligible for a refund, either...

From the UK government site

"When you’ll need an IHS reference number

You still need to use the service to get an immigration health surcharge (IHS) reference number but you won’t need to pay if: "

"you’re the dependant of a member of the UK’s armed forces"
https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/when-you-need-to-pay


From the Army Families Federation link for spouse visas that I posted

Immigration Health Surcharge

If you are a dependant of an HM Forces member entering the UK under the Armed Forces rules then you are exempt from the health surcharge introduced on 6th April 2015. However you are still required to get an immigration health surcharge (IHS) reference number. You can do this by following the instructions at the following link www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/pay. You will be given an IHS number but you will not have to pay for this. This is required before you can apply for a visa to enter the UK.

I understand all that and using the service to get an IHS number. Although I intend to work in the UK my husband will earn the most. That qualifies me as a dependent, no?

The part I'm confused about is that the text states that dependents of AF are exempt from paying the fee. However, logging in the gov.uk site itself as if I was actually going to pay there is NO option for dependents, spouse, etc. of AF. Putting in my visa category, there's settlement>wife... but no option for wife of AF. No mention of AF anywhere. Because of that, it's giving me no other choice than pay the fee. Why would the site state something like that, but then going in to actually pay tells me something different?

Is there something I'm missing?

I understand all that and using the service to get an IHS number. Although I intend to work in the UK my husband will earn the most. That qualifies me as a dependent, no?

There is no requirement for you or your husband to be in work to use the NHS for free. Don't think of the NHS as an health insurance scheme that people get from work. It's a national health service for the British which can be used for free whether they are in work or not. For foreign nationals; some are allowed to use the NHS for free (as you are allowed to because you are married to someone in the UK's armed forces),  others pay a contribution towards their healthcare, others need to buy insurance to pay their NHS bills or they pay their NHS bills themselves.

The part I'm confused about is that the text states that dependents of AF are exempt from paying the fee. However, logging in the gov.uk site itself as if I was actually going to pay there is NO option for dependents, spouse, etc. of AF. Putting in my visa category, there's settlement>wife... but no option for wife of AF. No mention of AF anywhere. Because of that, it's giving me no other choice than pay the fee. Why would the site state something like that, but then going in to actually pay tells me something different?

Is there something I'm missing?

I can't register to look and this IHS only started last month and is new to everyone. Can your husband contact the army families federation and ask them?

Thank you for the information. I previously lived in the UK a couple years ago on a student visa and used the NHS a few times so I'm familiar with it. I'm going to discuss this with my husband. Very strange there's no mention of AF on the site. Would hate to think that I'm paying nearly $1000 for a fee I might not need to pay all because of a possible website glitch. As it stands though, I don't see a way around not paying the fee.

Thank you for the information. I previously lived in the UK a couple years ago on a student visa and used the NHS a few times so I'm familiar with it. I'm going to discuss this with my husband. Very strange there's no mention of AF on the site. Would hate to think that I'm paying nearly $1000 for a fee I might not need to pay all because of a possible website glitch. As it stands though, I don't see a way around not paying the fee.

I've been having a play with the IHS but can't get as far as you can unless I register: which I can't do. I've been having a google too on the forums but can't find anyone who posted about problems with IHS armed forces spouse charges. It's so new.

You will not lose that money as you do not have to contribute. Your IHS bill should come up as £0.00 because of your husband being in the forces.

Sorry, not much help.

Perhaps when you find the way to make your IHS bill come up at zero becasue you are exempt, you could post back so that others can benefit from your information?

I've tried playing around with it, but the only category that applies to me is settlement>wife, which of course is linked with the fee. It's bizarre there's absolutely no mention of AF at all. I know this is a new service, but they should have dependents of AF on there- especially since the site states that dependents are exempt. Mildly aggravating.

I've emailed UKVI about my situation to see if they can provide me with any guidance. Thank you for your help. 

Sorry I can't be more helpful...    You're right - the UKVI site is pretty dismal about this situation.  And unless we attempt to actually go through the system ourselves, it's hard to offer any advice without seeing what's going on past the registration section.   

As Sirius said, once you get through this, if you could share your experiences, it would be helpful for other members who may need the info.   

I probably won't hear anything from them until Tuesday, considering Monday's bank holiday  . I'll trying calling on Monday, anyways. Will update when I get some clarification on this fee. It's frustrating since I was hoping to apply for this today... I was on a bit of a time crunch to get everything completed and sent off before June 3rd anyways, since I'm going on vacation with my family that day. I have as much done and organized as I can for the moment, just need to hear about this fee.

I've emailed UKVI about my situation to see if they can provide me with any guidance.

Perhaps email the army families federation too and ask them? They are the ones who gave the step by step guide to an armed forces spouse visa, in my quote above.

http://www.aff.org.uk/contact_us/index.htm