🇬🇧 Family reunification

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has updated its rules for people applying to settle in the UK based on family and private life. These changes started on 17 August 2026. This new version 5.0 of the guidance includes specific rules for paragraphs 297 and 298 in Part 8 of the Immigration Rules. It also updates information about suitability checks. New instructions explain how to handle applications where people have applied for both settlement and the EU Settlement Scheme at the same time. Caseworkers must work together, and applicants must say which application they want if both can be approved. They have 14 days to choose.

What changed

The UK Home Office updated its instructions for staff on 12 August 2026. These instructions are called 'Appendix Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection): caseworker guidance'. The update adds specific instructions for staff on how to issue a Form for Accompanying an eVisa (FAV). This form helps people with an eVisa, which is a digital visa, prove their status when they travel. The instructions apply to immigration staff who review applications from children. These children want to live with or join a close family member who has protection status in the UK. This change is an internal update to how eVisa documents are handled.