Child Dependant Visa UK for Nigerians

Want to Bring Your Child to Stay With You in the UK?

We have helped many Nigerians with the Child Dependent Visa application. Our immigration advisers can guide you through the process and ensure it’s hassle-free for you and your child. We can help with the visa application process for your dependents and ensure that your application is completed to the highest standards and to maximise your visa approval.

Nigerian Emigration

For Nigerian emigration matters, please call +2342013306361 or +44 (0) 3316300929

Other Immigration and Emigration Matters

For immigration/emigration to/from other countries, please call:

US –  +1 844 290 6312

Ireland –  (+353) 061 518 025

UK –  (+44) 333 4149244

Overview of a Child Visa UK

If you are a Nigerian resident in the UK and you are considering bringing your child to stay with you in the UK, your child might be eligible for a Dependant Visa.

This route is popular among immigrants who can prove that their child relies on them and have adequate resources to support their dependent children during their stay in the UK.

One of the key aspects of this visa is the relationship requirement. Your child must be under 18, and their relationship to you must be proved by adequate supporting documents.

Eligibility Requirements for a UK Child Visa

Overview

To bring your dependent child, you must reside in the United Kingdom on a valid UK visa or be in the process of applying for a UK visa at the same time as your child is applying for a Dependant Visa.

Who Can Bring Their Dependants on a Child Dependant Visa?

You must reside in the UK on a valid visa to bring your child to the UK. There are different types of long-term visas that allow holders to bring their dependents to the UK. These include:

• Skilled Worker Visa
• Full-Time Student Visas
• Health and Care Worker Visa
• Innovator Visa
• Start-Up Visa
• Global Talent Visa
• Ancestry Visa
• International Sportsperson Visa
• Minister of Religion Visa (T2)
• Global Talent Visa
• British National (Overseas) Visa
• Senior or Specialist Worker Visa (Global Business Mobility)

Can My Child Be Granted ILR if I am an ILR Status Holder?

If you hold Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or British Citizenship, your child will be granted Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE). However, you are still required to prove your sole responsibility over your child.

Eligibility Requirements for Dependent Children

To apply for a Dependant Child Visa, your child must be under 18 at the time of application.

If your child is 16 or over, they will be eligible if they can prove that:

• they live with you as their parent (unless they are in full-time education at boarding school, college or university)
• they are not living an independent life (this means that they must not be married, in a civil partnership or have any children)
• they must be financially reliant on you
• If your child is over 18, they might be eligible to apply for a Child Dependant Visa if they previously obtained permission to stay in the UK and are not living independently.

Meeting these key requirements is essential for the Home Office to consider Child Dependant Visa applications.

Financial Requirements

Overview

If you are a long-term UK visa holder from Nigeria, who is considering bringing a dependent child to join you in the UK, you must fulfil financial requirements to prove that you have money to support yourself and your child during your stay in the UK. How much money you will need to support your child will depend on the type of visa you hold.

Financial Requirements for Dependants Applying Through Skilled Worker Visa

If you are a Skilled Worker Visa holder, you must show that you have £1,270 available to support yourself for your own Skilled Worker Visa application. The visa holder is responsible for supporting and sponsoring dependents. In addition to the amount to support themselves, a sponsoring skilled worker will need additional proof of funds, including:

Financial Requirements for Dependants Applying Through Student Visa

If you are a Student Visa holder who is a PhD candidate eligible to bring dependents, the money your child will need will depend on where you study. Therefore, to support your dependent child, you must have either enough money to support yourself, and additional money to support your dependents. You will need to prove the following funds to support a dependent if you are already in the UK on a Student Visa and you are applying for your child to join you:

• £845 each month (for up to 9 months) if you are studying in London, or
• £680 each month (for up to 9 months) if you are studying outside of London

Similar to the Skilled Worker Visa, if you are applying at the same time as your child for your Student Visa, you will need to prove that you have money to pay for your course and support yourself and that you have money for your dependent child. The amount you will need to show to support yourself, in addition to the amount to support your dependents is:

• £1,136 each month (for up to 9 months if you are studying outside of London
• £1,483 each month (for up to 9 months if you are studying in London.

Please note that you must prove that you have had enough money available for at least 28 days in a row, and day 28 must be within 31 days of you or your child applying for a visa.

Proof of Relationship Requirement

The dependent child must have a genuine relationship with the main visa holder/applicant. The relationship requirement is based on the “parental responsibility” aspect. Therefore, if you are the main visa holder, you must have sole responsibility for your child.

To prove your relationship when you apply, you will need a full birth certificate for your child that includes the names of both parents.

You can also prove your child’s relationship to you with a court order, such as a special guardianship order, or a government-issued registration certificate, to show sole responsibility or sole custody.

In addition, you might be asked to provide photos, messages, emails or other correspondence between you and your child as evidence of your relationship.

Suitable Accommodation Requirements

In addition to the financial and relationship requirements, you would need to ensure that you arrange appropriate care and accommodation for your child while they stay in the UK. The living conditions where your child will stay must comply with relevant public health regulations.

In addition to this, the accommodation at which you and your child will be living must be:

• owned or occupied exclusively by you
• obtained without the use of public funds

Required Documents for the Child Dependant Visa Application

You will need to provide supporting documents with your child’s application to prove their eligibility for the Child Dependant Visa.

The required documents are as follows:

• Valid passport of the main visa holder
• Valid passport of the dependent child
• Proof of the main visa holder’s immigration status
• Child’s birth certificate (or a court order, such as a special guardianship order or a government-issued registration certificate).
• Evidence of relationship with a child (such as photos or correspondence)
• Pay slips, bank account statements, or P60 as proof of meeting the required financial criteria
• Tenancy or mortgage documents to prove that the child will live in a suitable accommodation
• If you are from Nigeria, you will be required to show the Tuberculosis test results for you (if you are also applying from outside the UK) and for your child

In some cases, your child might be required to provide additional documents to ensure they fulfil the eligibility criteria.

How to Apply for a Dependant Visa for a Child?

To apply for a Child Dependant Visa, the applicant must complete the required visa form, and submit supporting documents. The application can be completed online through the UK Government website.

After completing the application and uploading the necessary documents, you will be able to pay the visa fees, such as the application fee, the Biometrics fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge fee.

Attending Visa Appointment

After submitting your visa application you will need to book an appointment at your nearest visa application centre. In Nigeria, there are three UK visa application centres located in Abuja, Lagos Ikeja, and Lagos Victoria Island.

The purpose of this appointment is to have fingerprints scanned and photo taken for biometric information.

Child Dependant Visa UK Cost and Processing Times

Overview

The cost of the Child Dependant Visa depends on the immigration route through which the application is made and whether the application is submitted from outside or inside the UK. The application fees will therefore be as follows:

• Dependent Children through the Family Visa route costs £1,938 when applying outside the UK or £1,321 if applying inside the UK.
• Dependent Child through a long-term visa route (e.g., Skilled Worker Visa) is £769 for up to 3 years or £1,519 for more than 3 years if applying from outside the UK, and £885 (up to 3 years) or £1,751 (more than 3 years) if applying from inside the UK.
• Dependant Child Visa of a Settled Person costs £1,938. The cost is the same from outside and inside the UK.

Biometric Residence Permit and Immigration Health Surcharge

In addition to the visa application cost, there is a Biometric Residence Permit Fee (£154) which is paid once. The Immigration Health Surcharge fee (£776) is paid every year per each dependent child and provides access to the NHS service in the UK.

Processing Times for Child Visa UK

The visa processing time will depend on the route that your child is applying through. Visa processing times can take between 3 weeks to 12 weeks.

If you find it necessary to receive a faster decision on your visa, your local visa application centre might offer super-priority service at an additional fee. This costs £1000 for a decision by the end of the next working day.

How Can IAS Help?

Bringing your family to the UK can be a complicated process. It can be challenging to understand who is eligible and how to prove it. IAS can help make this process less stressful. Our team of experienced and understanding legal advisers have helped many visa applicants from Nigeria get their visa approved.

IAS offers help with visa applications, assisting candidates with gathering relevant supporting documents and ensuring their application is completed to the required standard to increase chances of approval and, as a result, helping people bring their family to the UK worry-free.

For more information about the services IAS offers, call +2342013306361 or UK phone number at +44 (0) 3316300929 to discuss your case today.