HC 259 · published 2026-07-09 · in force 2026-08-03
Duration of leave for partners of protection sponsors
Partner (family)
What changed
Partners granted leave under Appendix FM will now have their permission duration matched to the remainder of their sponsor's 30-month protection status grant. This prevents dependants from holding longer permission than the main protection sponsor.
Who the official source says it applies to
Partners applying under Appendix FM whose sponsor holds protection status (refugee or humanitarian protection) with a 30-month grant. Partners of British citizens or settled people are not affected.
- applications made on or after 2026-08-03
The source does not state the conditions precisely enough to be certain who is affected. Routewatch sends this as "may apply" to everyone on the routes above.
a partner granted permission under Appendix FM will be granted permission in line with the remainder of the sponsor's existing grant, matching the time the sponsor has left.
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This page is information about a published rule change, not advice about your case. Whether a rule applies to you depends on facts Routewatch does not assess. For advice about your own situation, use a regulated immigration adviser.