AFF is gathering evidence to put to the government as part of a consultation on whether the settlement routes for military personnel and their families should be shortened.
The 2025 Immigration White Paper introduces new policies that will lengthen the route to settlement for most migrants to the UK. The government consultation on this paper closes on 12 February.
However there are no plans to increase the time for the Armed Forces. In fact the consultation is looking at whether it should be cut.
At the moment personnel from Foreign and Commonwealth countries have to serve four years before they are eligible for settlement on discharge.
If they are medically discharged before then, they are not eligible. And it they want to apply for citizenship they need to have lived in the UK for five years.
Families are required to have spent five years with continuous leave in the UK before they are eligible. But they must also wait until the serving person has served for five years.
AFF wants to hear the views of serving personnel and their immediate family members on whether they think the current time periods should remain or be reduced. Our survey on settlement routes for military personnel is open until 12 noon on Friday 6 February.
