Master prompt
Family inclusion + ILR pathway — UK Innovator Founder / Global Talent
Map spouse / partner / children inclusion + work-study rights + ILR timelines (3y / 5y) + English language ILR test + naturalisation path.
UKInvestor visaInnovator FounderGlobal TalentILRFamilyDependantsIndefinite Leave to Remain
You are advising [CLIENT_NAME] on bringing family to the UK under [ROUTE], the ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) pathway, and the subsequent option of British citizenship. Both routes permit spouse + dependant children with full work and study rights.
CLIENT SNAPSHOT
- Main applicant: [CLIENT_NAME]
- Route: [ROUTE]
- Spouse / partner: None (Married)
- Children: None
- Spouse career plans: TBD
- Target ILR: [TARGET_ILR_DATE]
- Naturalisation goal: Yes — apply 12 months after ILR
§1 — WHO COUNTS AS A DEPENDANT
Per the relevant Immigration Rules (Appendix Innovator Founder Parts 5-6; Appendix Global Talent Parts 9-10; and the common Appendix Children):
ELIGIBLE PARTNER:
- Married spouse (marriage recognised in country where it took place)
- Civil partner (UK or recognised equivalent)
- Unmarried partner — must have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years before application
- Same-sex partner — equally treated
ELIGIBLE CHILDREN:
- Under 18 at the date of application (continuing leave for those who turn 18 while in UK)
- Both parents on the application OR sole parent has sole responsibility (evidenced) OR the other parent's leave is independent
- Not married / civil-partnered / leading independent life
- Adopted children — country-of-adoption recognition + adoption order
For None + Married:
- Married: marriage certificate + (if Indian marriage) registered marriage certificate from competent Registrar
- Civil partnership: civil partnership certificate
- Unmarried partner: joint tenancy / mortgage, joint bank account, household bills in both names, photos over time, travel records, friends/family letters — TWO YEARS of cohabitation evidence
For each child in None:
- Long-form birth certificate (with both parents' names)
- If one parent: sole-responsibility evidence (school letters, medical letters, financial responsibility)
- Adoption order if applicable
§2 — FINANCIAL / MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
For Innovator Founder (Appendix Finance):
- Main applicant: GBP 1,270 held in own name for 28 consecutive days, ending no more than 31 days before application
- Partner: GBP 285
- First child: GBP 315
- Each additional child: GBP 200
- EXEMPTION: if main applicant has been in UK for 12+ months immediately before application, maintenance funds NOT required (deemed self-sufficient)
For Global Talent: NO maintenance funds requirement (none of the dependants need to show funds either).
Compute for [CLIENT_NAME] family configuration. Show total.
§3 — WORK / STUDY RIGHTS FOR DEPENDANTS
BOTH routes grant dependants:
- Full work rights (employed OR self-employed)
- No employer-sponsorship requirement
- Study rights at any level
- Access to most public services
- No recourse to public funds (NRPF) — until ILR or naturalisation
None career options based on TBD:
- Employed UK role — register with HMRC; NI number application; standard PAYE
- Self-employed / freelance — register as sole trader OR Ltd company; HMRC self-assessment
- Remote work for Indian employer — UK tax-resident from day 1 (or as Statutory Residence Test applies); employer may need to set up UK payroll OR client engages as freelancer; flag with Indian + UK tax adviser
- Career break / family-focused — fully permitted
Children:
- State school free of charge from age 5 (Reception class)
- Private school permitted (no separate visa for child to study at independent school)
- University: home-fee status typically requires 3 years of ordinary residence — research the specific institution's policy; some institutions offer scholarships to dependants of Innovator Founder / Global Talent
- NHS access: full, with IHS already paid
§4 — IHS (IMMIGRATION HEALTH SURCHARGE) PER DEPENDANT
- Adult: GBP 1,035/year
// 2026-05 — verify current IHS rate
- Child (under 18): GBP 776/year
// 2026-05 — verify current rate
- Paid in full upfront with each visa application
For [ROUTE] = Innovator Founder (3y initial visa):
- Main + 1 partner + 2 children, 3 years each
- Adult: 2 × 3 × GBP 1,035 = GBP 6,210
- Children: 2 × 3 × GBP 776 = GBP 4,656
- Total IHS: GBP 10,866 upfront
For [ROUTE] = Global Talent (5y initial visa):
- 5 years × same rates
- Higher upfront cost but no renewal mid-period
§5 — ROUTE-SPECIFIC ILR TIMELINE
INNOVATOR FOUNDER (Appendix Innovator Founder Part 9):
- 3 years of continuous leave on the route
- At ILR: endorsing body re-confirms business is innovative + viable + scalable
- AT LEAST 2 of 7 IF 18 progress criteria met (see uk-investor-business-plan-narrative §12)
- English at B2 still required (no upgrade)
- Life in the UK Test passed (24 MCQ; pass 18/24)
- Continuous-residence test (Appendix Continuous Residence) — generally max 180 days absent in any rolling 12-month period; verify current
GLOBAL TALENT — EXCEPTIONAL TALENT (Appendix Global Talent Part 13):
- 3 years of continuous leave on the route
- Endorsement still valid (or maintained activity in field)
- English at B1 (Appendix English Language)
- Life in the UK Test passed
- Continuous-residence test — max 180 days absent in any 12-month period; verify
GLOBAL TALENT — EXCEPTIONAL PROMISE:
- 5 years of continuous leave on the route
- Otherwise as Exceptional Talent
If [ROUTE] is Innovator Founder, [TARGET_ILR_DATE] should be approximately UK entry + 3 years.
If [ROUTE] is Global Talent — Exceptional Talent, similarly 3 years.
If [ROUTE] is Global Talent — Exceptional Promise, 5 years.
§6 — DEPENDANTS' ILR
Spouse / partner: typically qualifies for ILR after 5 years of qualifying leave as a dependant on these routes — note this is LONGER than the main applicant for Innovator Founder (3y) or Exceptional Talent Global Talent (3y). This creates a "split ILR" scenario:
- Main applicant gets ILR at Year 3
- Spouse / partner must wait to Year 5 for their own ILR
- From main's ILR onwards, spouse remains on dependant visa (extension required if main's leave doesn't bridge)
Some clients prefer this; others find it awkward. Plan ahead.
Children:
- Children's ILR aligned with the family member they depend on
- Children who reach 18 during qualifying period can apply in own right
- Children who reach 18 and have spent 7 continuous years in UK may have private-life arguments
§7 — ENGLISH LANGUAGE AT ILR
Both routes require ILR-stage English:
- Innovator Founder: B2 CEFR (same as at entry — no upgrade required, but valid SELT must be in date OR exemption confirmed)
- Global Talent: B1 CEFR (FIRST required at ILR — at entry no English was needed)
Accepted at ILR:
- SELT — IELTS Life Skills B1 / B2, Trinity ISE I / II, LanguageCert SELT, PSI SELT
- UK degree (Bachelor's+) with UK ENIC English-confirmation letter
- Degree overseas in English with UK ENIC English-confirmation letter
- National of majority-English-speaking country (US/CA/AU/NZ/IE) — exempt
- Age 65+ or long-term mental/physical condition — exempt with medical evidence
For spouse / partner / adult children seeking own ILR — same requirement (typically A1 at entry as dependant, A2 at extension, B1 at ILR per Appendix Family-style requirements — but Innovator Founder / Global Talent dependant rules differ; verify per Immigration Rules current at lodgement).
§8 — LIFE IN THE UK TEST AT ILR
- 24 MCQ from "Life in the UK: A Guide for New Residents" (3rd ed, 2013 — current; verify)
- 45 minutes, pass 18/24
- Booked at Pearson VUE; GBP 50; re-sit after 7 days
- Ages 18-64
- Result valid indefinitely once passed (carry forward to citizenship later)
Both main applicant AND adult dependants seeking ILR must pass.
§9 — ILR APPLICATION
Form: typically SET(O) (Settlement on other routes) for main applicant; SET(M) or similar for partner / child depending on configuration.
Fee: GBP 2,885 per applicant
// 2026-05 — verify current
+ biometrics at UKVCAS
+ Priority service +GBP 500 (5 working days) or Super Priority +GBP 1,000 (24 hours) if available
+ NHS Surcharge does NOT apply at ILR-grant stage (ILR carries NHS rights)
Processing: 6 months standard; Priority shorter.
§10 — NATURALISATION (BRITISH CITIZENSHIP) — POST-ILR
Per Yes — apply 12 months after ILR:
If "Yes — apply 12 months after ILR":
- Per BNA 1981 s.6(1), naturalisation eligibility is 5 years' lawful UK residence + 12 months on ILR
- For [CLIENT_NAME] on Innovator Founder (3y to ILR) — eligible at Year 4 (3y + 12 months on ILR) — assuming continuous residence met
- For [CLIENT_NAME] on Global Talent Promise (5y to ILR) — eligible at Year 6
- For [CLIENT_NAME] on Global Talent Talent (3y to ILR) — eligible at Year 4
Naturalisation requires:
- Lawful continuous residence in UK 5 years prior to application
- ILR held 12 months at application
- Max 450 days absent in 5y window; max 90 days absent in last 12 months
- Good character
- English at B1 CEFR
- Life in the UK Test passed (carried forward from ILR if already passed)
- Intention to live in UK / Crown service
INDIAN CITIZENSHIP CONSEQUENCE:
- India does NOT permit dual citizenship (Article 9 of Indian Constitution + s.9 Indian Citizenship Act 1955)
- On UK naturalisation, Indian citizenship is LOST automatically
- Indian passport must be surrendered within 3 months at VFS Global UK
- OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) can be obtained post-naturalisation — lifelong visa, no FRRO, but NOT citizenship; restrictions on agricultural land + voting + government employment
- See uk-citizenship-india-renunciation-oci for full Indian-side process
If Yes — apply 12 months after ILR is "No — keep PR only" — ILR is renewable / carries on but lapses if absent > 2 consecutive years.
§11 — SPOUSE ILR + NATURALISATION TIMING
None ILR: typically 5 years on dependant route.
None naturalisation: after ILR + (12 months if spouse of British citizen at the time, OR 12 months if not specifically married to British) — different timing.
For couples where main becomes British first:
- At main's naturalisation, spouse becomes spouse of British citizen
- This opens BNA 1981 s.6(2) — 3-year qualifying-residence + immediate ILR-hold = eligible
- However, if spouse is already on ILR, simpler to apply via s.6(1) with 12-month ILR-hold
§12 — TIMELINE FOR [CLIENT_NAME] FAMILY
Based on [ROUTE] and target [TARGET_ILR_DATE]:
- Year 0 — UK arrival
- Year 1-2 — visa extension (Innovator Founder)
- Year 3 / 5 — main applicant ILR (route-dependent)
- Year 4 / 5+ — spouse ILR (separate qualifying period)
- Year 4 / 6+ — main applicant naturalisation (BNA s.6(1))
- Year 5+ — children ILR + naturalisation aligned with parent
- Within 3 months of naturalisation — Indian passport surrender (per s.9 Indian Citizenship Act)
- Year 5-6 — OCI application for the family
§13 — RISK / WATCH-OUTS
[ ] Absences from UK during qualifying period — both 180-day-rolling for ILR AND 450/90-day for naturalisation — schedule carefully
[ ] Spouse's UK tax residency from Day 1 — UK Statutory Residence Test (Finance Act 2013 Sch 45); engage UK + Indian tax adviser
[ ] Spouse remote-working for Indian employer — Indian PE risk for employer; UK income-tax obligation
[ ] Children's home-fee status at university — typically 3-year residence required; verify per institution
[ ] If main applicant's Innovator Founder business fails — main's ILR at risk; spouse's dependant status follows
[ ] If main loses Global Talent endorsement re-confirmation — flag
[ ] Indian agricultural land / inherited rural property — restricted for OCI holders post-naturalisation
[ ] Indian-side tax (Schedule FA, Black Money Act) on UK assets while Indian-tax-resident — ITR disclosure mandatory
End with: "DRAFT family + ILR pathway — for OISC-regulated adviser / SRA solicitor review. Verify against current UKVI Innovator Founder / Global Talent guidance, Appendix Continuous Residence, and Appendix English Language at the time of each application. Indian-side citizenship surrender + OCI is a separate workflow (see uk-citizenship-india-renunciation-oci) and must be coordinated with an Indian counsel + chartered accountant. The split-ILR scenario (main at 3y / spouse at 5y) is route-specific — confirm and plan ahead."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt