Citizenship Areas
Immigration support after the death of a partner, with a careful assessment of existing permission, family circumstances and the appropriate settlement application.
We review whether your current or last permission falls within a category covered by the Bereaved Partner rules, including relevant family and Armed Forces provisions.
We assess the relationship and intention to live together at the time of the death, alongside the relevant immigration history and any children.
Bereavement does not give every partner automatic eligibility for settlement. Fiancé or proposed civil partner permission is excluded from this route, and work or study dependants may need a different assessment.
We help identify the appropriate next step without assuming that you must complete the usual partner settlement period first.
We can take you through the immigration application with advice suited to your circumstances and the family’s immediate plans.
Assess the partner grant, relationship history, bereavement and the position of any children.
Advise on relevant supporting information and prepare the appropriate settlement case and representations.
Assist with submission and the required identity process, including any linked eligible child applications.
Review the outcome, proof of status and the family’s future immigration arrangements.
An eligible application can be considered after the death without waiting for the current visa to expire. We assess timing, application costs, any fee-waiver eligibility and available services during the case review.
We review current and earlier grants to establish whether the Bereaved Partner rules apply. Family partner permission, Armed Forces provisions and EU Settlement Scheme rights should not be treated as interchangeable.
Applications are normally made from within the UK. Certain qualifying Armed Forces partner cases have different provisions for applicants overseas.
We assess whether a child can apply with the bereaved parent or needs a separate application, taking account of earlier permission and the relevant route.
A child may already have permission or British citizenship rights. We review their position before choosing an application.
We review the children’s circumstances, care arrangements and existing grants alongside the parent’s case. Settlement for the parent does not automatically update every child’s status.
We assist with Bereaved Partner settlement applications, including SET(O) where relevant. Armed Forces cases and children applying separately can require different forms.
This route has its own eligibility conditions and does not require completion of the ordinary five-year partner period. The usual English-language and Life in the UK requirements do not apply to the main applicant’s Bereaved Partner settlement application.
We review the decision and status record and advise on the next steps for the applicant and any children. If the route is unavailable or an application is refused, we can assess the decision and other relevant immigration options.
Settlement does not automatically confer British citizenship. Naturalisation has separate status, residence, absence, language, good-character and other conditions, including any applicable exemptions.
The exemptions applying to Bereaved Partner settlement should not be assumed to apply to a later citizenship application. We assess the relevant nationality rules and your circumstances at that stage.
We can review longer-term immigration or nationality options for you and your children once the immediate application has been addressed.