Global Talent Dependant Extension vs Family Visa - Which Is Better for my situation?

[arun007]

I would appreciate some advice on the best option for my family's immigration situation.
I came to the UK on a Global Talent visa in September 2021, and my wife came as my dependant. We were both granted visas valid until September 2026. My wife returned to India in late 2023 for childbirth and came back to the UK in June 2025 with our child (as a GTV dependant). Because of this long absence, her qualifying continuous residence for ILR has likely been broken, and the clock was reset in June 2025.

I now have ILR and plan to apply for British citizenship in September.

As my wife's and child's visas expire in September 2026, I'm considering the following options:

1. Extend their Global Talent dependent visas.
2. Switch my wife and child to the family/spouse visa route.

My understanding is that the family route is considerably more expensive and would require a fresh 5-year route to ILR. On the other hand, Global Talent dependants appear to be excluded from the proposed 10-year settlement changes, although no one knows what future immigration rules may look like.

Given the situation, which option would you recommend?

One more question: my wife's passport expires in about 11 months. Can she still apply for a 3-year Global Talent dependent extension using that passport, provided it is valid at the time of application?

Thanks in advance for any advice.