UK Dependent Visa

About the Dependent Visa in UK

A UK dependent visa enables you to travel with or have your family members join you in the UK. The dependent must be your family member or partner. Being your dependent partner means, you have a genuine and subsisting relationship with them. A dependent is any of the following:

• Husband or wife.
• Unmarried or civil partner.
• Child (under 18 years of age).

A dependant visa differs from a UK spouse visa, marriage visa, and family visa, though they enable you to join your family in the UK.

Your access to a dependent visa relies on the type of visa or leave to remain you have. The following type of UK visa enables you to stay in the UK with your family:

• Some long-term work visas.
• Qualifying short-term work visas.
• Student visa (depending on course/level of study)
• Investor, business development and talent visas.

Eligible Visas to Have Dependants in UK

Long-Term Work Visas

The following long-term work visas are eligible to have dependants in the UK:

• International Sportsperson visa
• Minister of Religion visa (T2).
• Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility).
• Scale-up Worker visa.
• Skilled Worker visa.

Changes introduced in 2024 means visa holders employed as a care worker or senior care worker are not able to have dependants join them in the UK unless they were employed on a Skilled Worker Visa prior to 11th March 2024.

Short-term or Temporary work visa

The following short-term work visas are eligible to have dependants in the UK:

• Charity Worker visa.
• Creative Worker visa.
• Government Authorised Exchange visa.
• Graduate Trainee visa.
• Graduate visa.
• High Potential Individual (HPI) visa.
• International Agreement visa.
• Religious Worker visa.
• Secondment Worker visa.
• Service Supplier visa.
• UK Expansion Worker visa.

Investor, Business Development and Talent Visas

As a business person, you can travel with your dependents with the following visas:

• Entrepreneur visa (Tier 1).
• Global talent visa.
• Innovator visa.
• The investor visa (Tier 1).
• Start-up visa.

Other UK Visas

Due to the following special visa programmes, you can live in the UK with your dependant:

• British National (Overseas) visa
• Representative of an Overseas Business visa
• Turkish Businessperson visa
• Turkish Worker visa

Criteria of Students Eligible to Have Dependants

Changes to UK immigration rules in 2024 mean if your spouse or partner has permission to study in the UK, you can only apply for a dependent visa if they are:

• Enrolled as a government-sponsored student starting a course that lasts longer than 6 months
• A full-time student studying a postgraduate level course (RQF level 7 or above) that 9 months or more

If their postgraduate level course started after 1st January 2024, it must be either:

• A PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8)
• A research-based higher degree

Eligibility Requirements of UK Dependent Visa

To qualify for a dependant visa, you must meet the following conditions:

Dependant Partner or Spouse

If you are applying as a dependant spouse, you must have proof that verifies your marriage or civil partnership with your immigrant spouse or partner. Your marriage or partnership must conform to the law of your country.

You must provide proof of living together as partners or couples for a minimum of two years prior to your application.

You and your spouse or partner must be 18 years or more at the time of your visa application.

You two must intend to live together during your stay in the UK and not long that stay limit.

For Dependant Children

Dependant children are not eligible to apply for a dependant visa on their own. Children can apply for a dependent visa if one or two parents are applying for entry clearance at the same time. Another permissible situation is if one of the parents is already in the UK and the other is applying for entry clearance.

At the time of your application, the children must be under 18 years and be living with their parents. The only exemption is if they are in boarding school, college or university full-time.

The children must be unmarried, without children, and financially dependent on their parents.

For Unmarried Partners

You must be able to present evidence of having a genuine relationship that is relatable to marriage or partnership with your partner. You must also present proof of living together for at least two years before applying.

Document Required for Dependent Visa in UK

The following are the required documents for dependant visa application:

For Student’s Dependant

The following are the supporting documents you must provide during your application:

• Passport.
• Bank statements.
• Biometric Residence Permit (if applicable).
• Partner’s Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
• Tuberculosis certificate (if applicable).
• Police registration certificate.

For Dependant Spouse or Civil Partnership

The following are the necessary documents for your application:

• Marriage certificate; or
• Civil partnership certificate.
• overseas same-sex marriage registration document.
• Partner’s Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) (for sponsored workers).

For Unmarried Partner

The following are the necessary documents for your application:

• Bank statements
• Council tax; or
• Utility bills.
• Residential mortgage statements; or
• Tenancy agreement.

For Dependant Children

The following are the necessary documents for children application:

• Special guardian order (if applicable)
• Birth certificate for dependant child; or
• Household registration certificate.
• Credit card bills.
• Driving license.
• Passport.
• NHS registration document.
• Confirmation letter from an educational institution.

What Are the Financial Requirements?

Although you are travelling as a dependant, you still need financial support to cover your living expenses without recourse to public funds during your stay in the UK.

The financial requirements are:

• Spouse or partner – £285.
• A dependent child – £315.
• Additional child – £200.

You or your child must have had the money for 28 consecutive days preceding your application.

You must provide evidence of financial requirement except:

• You have been residing in the UK with a valid visa for at least a year.
• You have a certificate of sponsorship from your spouse or partner’s employer that funds your family’s living expenses during your first month in the UK.

If you are not applying at the same time with your spouse or partner, you only need to provide proof of financial support if you have been staying in the UK for under a year.

What Is the Cost of the Dependent Visa Application?

The Visa application fee depends on your UK immigrant spouse or partner type of visa. You do not need to pay a visa fee if you meet the following criteria:

• You are joining your spouse or partner residing in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and is a beneficiary of the EU Settlement Scheme.
• You live with a British Citizen in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein.
• You are joining a Northern Ireland resident who resided in the UK as of December 31, 2021.
• You were related to a family from the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and “retained the right of residency.”

If the criteria above do not apply to you or you plan on living in Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man, you will have to pay a visa fee. Your visa fee depends on your nationality and the type of visa your spouse or partner holds. Reach out to IAS for more information on the cost of applying for a Dependent Visa.

What Are the Procedures for Dependant Visa Application

Overview

Application for a dependant spouse visa application is online. If you are applying with your child, you do not need to apply separately. Before starting your application process, verify if you need a visa to travel as a dependant.

If you do not require a visa, you must prove your identity. Providing your identity is verifying that you are eligible to bypass getting a visa and move on with your application.

If you are eligible to come to the UK without a visa and do not have a valid passport, you will have to apply for a Partner Dependant visa or Children Dependant visa, as the case may be.

How to Prove Your Identity from Outside the UK

To prove your identity as a spouse or partner and children of a UK immigrant, you must either:

1. Provide your biometric information – fingerprints and photographs.

If you can not provide your biometric online, you must provide your biometrics at a visa application centre close to you. If you do not have a centre in your country, you will have the travel to the one near your country. The visa office will use your biometric information to process your Biometric Residence Permit.

Your Biometric Residence Permit will help you prove your identity, study permission, and entitlement to public services and other benefits.

2. Verify your identity through the ID Check App.

You can verify your identity through the free UK Immigration: ID Check app. Your passport must have a biometric chip to use this app.

The app will scan your biometric chip for your information. You can also upload your photo.

The application is compatible with iPhone and Andriod with near-field communication (NFC) feature.

If you are applying for your children, you can use the app to verify their identity.

3. Create UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account

You can create a UKVI account to verify your identity, apply to join your spouse or partner, and access other immigration services. You need your email address, passport, phone number, and date of birth to open an account.

Locate a Visa Application Centre

Suppose you do not have a valid passport to affirm your identity or you plan to live in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. In that case, you must locate a visa application centre in your country or close to you to provide your fingerprints and facial photograph.

Have All Your Documents

Before you apply, ensure to have all documents ready for submission. Verify the documents that apply to your status as a spouse, civil partner, unmarried or proposed civil partner, or child.

Start Your Application

Download and complete your application form. Submit all your supporting documents while submitting your application form.

You will need to pay your visa fee and immigration health surcharge as part of your application process. Your health surcharge depends on your nationality, visa type, and other considerations. You can calculate your health surcharge before applying.

If you are unable to finish your application on time, you can save it and resume later. The system will automatically log you out after 25 minutes of inactivity.

After your application, you may need to book an appointment at the visa application centre to submit your biometrics. You will have to pay extra fees for biometric registration.

Applying from inside the UK: Visa Extension or Switch

If you wish to stay longer than your duration of leave to remain, you can extend or switch your visa when your spouse or partner applies for an extension or switch of visa. You can also apply with your partner or spouse before your visa deadline.

Children who turned 18 during their stay can also get a visa extension or switch.

When Do I Get a Decision on a Dependent Visa?

Once you submit your application and documents and successfully prove your identity, you will get a decision within 3 to 8 weeks, depending on your partner’s type of visa.

You may get options to make your visa decision process faster than the standard duration after your application. The faster options are:

• Priority service: You will get your decision within five working days.
• Super priority service: You will get your decision the next working day.

Note that working days are Mondays to Fridays and exclude bank holidays.

You will need to pay extra charges for faster service. Priority service requires a fee of £500. Super priority service requires payment of £1,000.

You will get a notification if there is a delay in your application processing due to the following:

• Verification of supporting documents.
• Need for an interview.
• Personal circumstances, such as criminal conviction.

How Long Can You Stay in the UK with a Dependent Visa?

Your duration of stay in the UK depends on your visa type. If you apply as a dependant spouse or civil partnership, you will get leave to remain for up to 3 years. If you are an unmarried partner, you will get six months of leave to remain.

You can apply for an extension if your visa duration exceeds your spouse’s or partner’s stay duration.

What Can You Do During Your Stay in the UK?

As a dependant visa holder, you can work at any skill level or be self-employed. You may encounter restrictions if you are a sportsman, dentist or doctor in training.

What If I Have a Child During My Stay in the UK

If you have a child during your stay in the UK, your child is not entitled to British citizenship by birth. You must have a child dependent visa for your child to travel out and return to the UK without restrictions.

You will need to prove your child’s identity with a UK birth certificate. The birth certificate must have your name and that of your spouse or partner as the parent.

How Can IAS Help

If your spouse or partner has been granted entry clearance and has permission to travel with a spouse and children, you can rely on IAS assistance to understand your travel conditions and leave to remain in the UK.

IAS has a team of specialists ready to relieve the documentation and application stress, assuring a successful application.

With our services and packages, you will have an immigration lawyer with in-depth knowledge and expertise in your situation. This means you have a personal immigration buddy to take you through your dependant route.

You can get information on other related immigration processes, such as UK spouse visa requirements or UK spouse visa application.

Call us on +44 (0)333 414 9244 for immediate help & assistance with your situation. We’re here to help you in person, via the phone or online.