Hi everyone

Firstly, sorry if I have repeat posted, or have posted in the wrong forum. Really need some advice and reassurance on a few things...

A quick bio...I am a British National currently living in the UK. I have a wife, a stepson (8years old) and two biological children (2&1) living in the Philippines.

We are going thru the process of applying for my wife and stepson's spouse and dependents visa. I am one month into the 6 months work I need to do to support my wife's visa application, and am currently on target to meet the financial requirement, so first foot is on the mountain!

My biological children, were born after we were married, and have Filipino birth certificates, and NSO copies also. My plan is to have my wife apply for their UK passports using the

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

service, so they can come into the UK on their British passports. As far as I believe the application must be made from the country the children reside, so I cannot do it from this end.

Can someone confirm that is right?

Also..

1. Do I need to register their births with the British Embassy, or can I leave that and do it once they are in the UK?

2. My wife will apply for her spouse visa in her married name, but using her old passport with her maiden name. Is this OK to do? Any foreseeable problems?

3. What order should her visa application progress e.g., TB test, Language test, CFO stamp etc. Does anybody have a good timeline on when each process should be taken?

4. My stepson has his fathers surname, and the father is on the birth certificate, but was not married to his mother. The father does not support him and we do not know of his whereabouts. Any potential problems there? What is the right course of action to take on this?

Thanks so much in advance.. my mind is so restless, this is such an unfair, daunting process for my wife and I that I'm really stressing out about it all.. trying to take one step at a time, but seeing so many things that could go wrong. Hope I hear from you good people.

Many thanks