This may be of an interest
read especially the law/rules for foreign service personnel settlement in the UK. A change in the law to allow Gurkhas to stay in the UK will also apply to other foreign serviceman. My posting this is to highlight the problem facing the government.
It also could be a problem in the pass as the new Maoist government may banned Nepalese
joining. I have encountered the Maoist when visiting Nepal as they have checkpoints where they impose a voluntary charge to visitors under the guise of supporting the villages. Most of the money go to support the Maoist and you are made to fear for your safety if you don't pay.
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Routes to ‘Settlement’ and UK Naturalisation. Since 22 Nov 06 eligible Commonwealth citizens serving in the Regular element of the UK Armed Forces have been able to count their service, at home and overseas, towards the 5 year residency criteria for applications for British citizenship whilst still serving providing they meet the other Home Office criteria . Applications including passing the ‘Life in the UK Test’ and the payment of the fee, are a personal matter between the individual and the Home Office. Once the serving soldier has successfully gained UK citizenship, dependants may initially apply for 2 years’ leave as the spouse/civil partner of a British citizen and then settlement also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). ILR normally gives recourse to public funds and generally precludes the need to purchase further UK visas. Once dependants have obtained ILR, they too may apply for naturalisation providing they have by that stage been resident in the UK for at least 3 years. Time spent accompanying their spouse on service overseas may also count towards the three-year UK residency requirement. Additional detail is available on the Army’s Commonwealth citizens and their families and BIA websites, details of which are at the end of this guide.
Dependent spouses/civil partners may also apply for ILR in line with an application for settlement lodged by their discharged spouse/civil partner or in their own right if they have been continuously resident in the UK for 10 years or more. Once granted settlement and provided that they meet the criteria for UK naturalisation, spouses/civil partners may then apply for UK Naturalisation. The Army has raised the subject of simultaneous applications where one of the applicants is a serving soldier. The Home Office response has confirmed the current situation explaining that because soldiers and their accompanying dependants are treated under different provisions within UK immigration legislation, simultaneous applications for UK naturalisation are not possible. Application forms, fees and guides may be obtained from the Home Office website.
Gurkha personnel are not included in the above policy as they remain Nepalese citizens whilst serving with the Brigade. Gurkhas seeking British citizenship may do so either by transferring to the wider Army after 5 years service (when they can take advantage of the UK naturalisation policy), or after discharge, by initially applying for settlement and then naturalisation as a British Citizen. Again their service period counts towards the relevant residency requirement.
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