Family Reunion Application

Partners and children of people with refugee status or 5 years humanitarian protection in the UK can qualify for family reunion to join their family member in the UK.

To be eligible for family reunion as the partner of a refugee or someone with humanitarian protection you must be able to prove that you are married or in a civil partnership. If you cannot prove this, you may still qualify for family reunion as the partner of a refugee if:

• You were given refugee status or humanitarian protection on or after 9 October 2006
• You’ve lived together in a relationship like in a marriage or civil partnership for 2 years and you’ve been given asylum or humanitarian protection after 9 October 2006

You and your partner must also intend to live together and continue your relationship after they apply.

If you wish to bring your child to the UK to join you using Refugee Family Reunion your child must:

• Be under the age of 18
• Live with you and your partner when in the UK
• Not be married or in a civil partnership

Unlike other types of family visas, there is no income of English language requirement for the Family Reunion Visa.

If outside the UK, your partner and children must apply for an entry clearance visa under the family reunion category online at the gov.uk website. As well as this application, your family members must fill in the family settlement application form (VAF4A) with Appendix 4.

You can apply for your children on their behalf but in most circumstances your partner will need to complete their own application to join you in the UK.

Applications for family reunion made in the UK should be made by writing to UKVI and the letter should include the following information:

• The sponsor’s full name, date of birth, nationality and Home Office reference number
• 2 passport sized photographs of each applicant
• A valid passport for each applicant (where possible)
• A statement from the sponsor, setting out who is in their family, giving names and dates of birth, how came to leave their family behind, what contact they have had with their family whilst separated, what contact they have with their family currently and what circumstances their family is living in
• Any supporting documentary evidence available – see the section in this guidance on ‘Evidence’
• Contact details in the UK of the sponsor and any representative

As well as submitting the relevant application forms, your family members will need to have their biometric information, this is their photo and fingerprints, taken at a visa application centre near them.

If your application for Family Reunion is successful you will be granted an entry clearance visa that permits you to travel to the UK. This visa is only valid for 30 days, any family member travelling to the United Kingdom under family reunion must come to the UK within this 30 day validity period, otherwise they will not be able to enter the country. The start date for this validity can be deferred by up to 3 months if needed.

Upon arrival a Border Force officer will check the identity of the family member and will examine the entry clearance visa to ensure that they are joining family in the UK for the purposes of family reunion.

Once here, you will need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit within 10 days, this can be collected from your chosen post office. Your Biometric Residence Permit can be used to prove your leave to remain in the UK.

You will be granted leave to remain in the UK for the same amount of time that your refugee sponsor has been granted leave to remain, if you wish to extend your leave to remain you should apply to do so at least 28 days before it is set to expire.