AimTo introduce you to the United Kingdom and the British Army so you understand where to get advice and information to help you settle.

What I will cover An introduction to:

The United Kingdom The British Army The Regiment

Sources of: Civilian and military support Immigration and Visa information

Questions

About the United Kingdom

About the United Kingdom (UK) Consists of Wales

England, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Population - about 60m people

Major ethnic groups - White, Asian, Black Caribbean and Black African

Currency - the Pound (£) Average Annual

Temperature 9.7celsius Annual average rainfall -

753mm

Wales

Scotland

England

Northern Ireland

United Kingdom - social culture and law UK social culture and laws

may be different to your own

UK law provides and protects quality of life whilst bringing to justice those who commit offences.

This includes: Equality of opportunity Preventing discrimination

because of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation

Outlawing domestic abuse Immigration law Safeguarding children

Provides equality of opportunity

UK law

Reduces domestic violence

Safeguards children

Protects the UK from illegal immigration

Education Eligible children must

normally attend school which is free between the ages of 5 –16 years.

Eligible four-year-olds and the majority of three-year-olds are entitled to free early years education

Children with Additional or Special Educational Needs or a disability must be registered with the Army

Service Families Accommodation (SFA) is for soldiers and their immediate family

Monthly rent deducted from soldiers pay

Seek permission if visitors are staying for longer than 28 days

Contribution in Lieu of Council Tax deducted from soldiers pay monthly

Housing

Housing

Emergency and routine repairs

Electricity/Gas/Oil Bills

TV licence Telephone charges You should return

accommodation in the same condition as you took it over

Healthcare The National Health

Service (NHS) Families normally

register with a General Practitioner (GP)

Dental treatment also available but you do not normally register

Get to know you local emergency services: NHS Direct, Hospital and Ambulance

Work

Seeking employment in the UK

Seeking employment on an overseas posting

Applying for a National Insurance (NI) Number

Checking employment qualifications and driving licences

Sources of civilian support

Guidance - for newcomers to the UK

Directgov

Citizens Advice Bureau

In an emergency in the UK to get assistance from: Police Fire service Ambulance Coastguard

Dial 999 or 112 Explain to the operator which service

you need and where it should go to

Emergencies

About the British Army

The British Army

Sources of military support

UWO Team

Events

Briefings

Homecoming

Your Unit Welfare Office (UWO)

HIVE

Pastoral Care The Army has a

department called the Royal Army Chaplains Department

Priests or ministers are called padres

Padres provide support to all irrespective of their religion or belief

Civilian Chaplains to the Military support other world faiths

The Army Welfare Service A welfare service

for soldiers and their families

Professionally trained

Confidential Free Available locally Independent of

your unit or Regiment

Confidential Support Line

Free telephone and email helpline

Trained councillors

Confidential Available 7 days a

week

Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre You will be told if something

has happened to your serving soldier

The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre works 24 hrs a day 7 days a week all through the year

In an emergency (death in the family, serious injury or crisis) whilst your your soldier is deployed overseas ring the JCCC using the telephone number on the JCCC emergency card

Children’s Education Advisory Service

Guidance -InternetArmy Families Federation

ArmyNET

About 125k users Families need to be registered for an ArmyNET guest account by their serving soldier

Army Home Page on the Internet

About our Regiment

Insert Regiment/Unit slides

About Commonwealth Citizens and their families in the British Army

Commonwealth citizens Non-UK nationals including Commonwealth citizens

have served with great distinction alongside their UK counterparts in two World wars.

Numbers increased from 1998, and now have: 6,500 serving 3,000 married or in a civil partnership Countries with over 500 serving:

Fiji 1,983 Jamaica 958 S Africa 740 Ghana 693 Zimbabwe 570

Brigade of Gurkhas Gurkhas associated with the British Army since 1815. In 1947 (Tri-Partite Agreement), 8 battalions of Gurkhas

joined the British Army. Since 1 Jul 97 Gurkhas UK-based.

About 3400 serving. 2350 are married. Since Apr 07 after 5 years service Gurkhas may transfer to the wider Army. Gurkhas after discharge able to retire in the UK and

apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Our approach Commonwealth citizens serve under the same

Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) as their UK counterparts.

Since 1 Apr 07 Gurkhas also serve on UK TACOS though slightly different to take account of their unique circumstances.

Home Office entry visa conditions and or non-UK citizenship may affect eligibility to some UK state support (particularly for families)

Immigration - UKVisas Part of UK border

control & security 2000 staff working

within British missions overseas

They scrutinise applications from those needing permission to enter the UK

They employ Entry Clearance Officers who process and can interview applicants

Policy on immigration, nationality and asylum applications

Border control and entry clearance enforcement

UK Immigration law enforcement (overstayers, illegals and people trafficking)

Powers of arrest and deportation

Immigration - Borders and Immigration Agency

Normal entry process

Potential recruits apply to Recruiting Group, those successful are called forward and pay for own UK visa and flight.

Families apply through UKvisas, may be interviewed, need to demonstrate: Legally married/civil partnership Intend to live together Have met each other Financial support/accommodationavailable without recourse to public funds

A UK Exempt Armed Forces Dependants Visa may be granted for up to 4 years (£200 per person), passport endorsed or application refused.

Families pay for their own travel to the UK.

Clear entry controls Soldiers get a free ‘Exempt

Immigration Control’ endorsement once they have joined the Army

Families in Germany apply to their units for a Status of Forces Agreement stamp

In UK prior to expiry of current visa apply for an up to 4 year Exempt Armed Forces Dependants visa (£395 per family)

Passport/UK visa renewal normally a personal responsibility, duty travel/visas paid for

Country of Origin Final Destination

UK State benefits -’No recourse to public funds’ Eligible serving soldiers may claim the following on behalf of their

family: Child Benefit Working/Child Tax Credit Sure Start maternity grant

Spouses/Civil Partners with ‘no recourse to public funds’ are normally ineligible for the following Income Support and Job Seekers Allowance Housing and Homelessness assistance Housing and Council tax benefit A social fund payment, Disability allowance, Carers allowance

This is because their Serving soldier, as sponsor, has agreed to support their family financially during their stay in the UK

Spouses/Civil Partners who have paid enough National Insurance contributions may be eligible to certain benefits and some bilateral arrangements exist between the UK and other counties. Check with Job Centre Plus or the Government Department concerned if unsure

Heath and Education do not count as public funds

UK Nationality in Service UK Home Secretary announced a change to UK

naturalisation policy 22 Nov 06 Eligible Commonwealth citizens (Regular soldiers) can

count their service, at home and abroad, towards the residency criteria for an application for British citizenship whilst still serving

Gurkhas only eligible if transfer out of Brigade of Gurkhas

Accompanying families better off but not normally able to apply at the same time as serving soldier

Note dual nationality implications

Should couples decide to end legal a legal relationship units notify Borders and Immigration Agency (BIA)

Current visas remains valid though some may have no recourse to public funds so units advise those estranging spouse to use the 93 days' Notice to Vacate period to: Decide if they wish to apply to remain in the UK at the end of their

current visa Ensure that they have sufficient means of support and

accommodation if they are not planning to leave the UK Regularise their families’ immigration status directly with the

Borders and Immigration Agency (BIA) or plan on leaving the UK by the end of their current visa period (note taken by BIA of Domestic violence)

and provide the estranged spouse with contact details for BIA and welfare support agencies

Estrangement

Discharge If already a UK national, normal discharge Units notify BIA on discharge Discharge normally takes place in the UK, eligible

individuals may apply for ILR (settlement) up to 10 weeks prior to discharge

Immigration control re-imposed by BIA during unit discharge process on both soldier and family

Individuals are not regarded as ‘overstayers’ providing within 28 days of discharge they have applied to regularise their immigration status with the BIA

Like their UK counterparts individuals must plan on being self supporting (normally unable to work or access to public funds until immigration status regularised)

For less than 4 years service, leave to remain is at Home Office discretion but new policy for medical dischargees

Any questions?

Summary Remember you can always seek assistance

from: Unit Welfare Office Padre HIVE Army Welfare Service Confidential Support Line Army Families Federation Your doctor or general practitioner

I hope this has helped introduce you to the United Kingdom, the British Army and our Regiment

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