How Can My Child Join Me In the UK Permanently?
Can My Child Apply?
- If you / your partner are a British or "qualifying person", your child can apply for a Child Dependant Visa to join you in the UK.
- If your child is a non-British citizen living in the UK legally, (with a valid visa/leave to remain issued for more than 6 months, i.e. not a visitor, and whose visa/leave has not yet expired), they can apply for a Child Dependant Visa while they are in the UK and remain in the UK. - If this is their situation, find out more about Form FLR (M) here.
- If your / your partner's child is a non-British citizen living in the UK as a visitor, or as an overstayer not having a valid visa, they must return home and submit an application from there, unless there are other compelling factors involved, which could enable them to submit an application while they are in the UK.
- Child Dependant Visas applications are available to biological and *step-children of a British or or "Settled Parent" in the UK.
How Much does it Cost?
The Home Office Fee
The Current Home Office fee for applications made outside the UK is £1,846. For applications made inside the UK (using Form FLR M), the fee is £1,048.
Note, that you would typically only 'make an application inside the UK' if you are either extending your existing child dependant visa to remain in the UK, or switching from another visa category to a Child Dependant Visa.
The Immigration Health Surcharge
For all child dependant visas with a term over 6 months (i.e. NOT the child dependant of a Fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner applicant), you will also need to pay for the Immigration Health charge which gives the applicant access to the National Health Service (NHS) for the duration of their visa term. This fee is mandatory and is currently
£2,328
(for entry clearance visas applications) and
£1,940
(for FLR M/applications being made inside).
How Long Does an Application Take?
The average time for the Home Office to make a decision on a child dependant visa application is currently 2-3 months. You also have the option to fast track your application by paying an additional premium/fee.
Delays in your application being processed can occur if the Home office require more information or further documents to support your application.
What you Can and Can't do on a Child Dependant Visa UK
You Can:
- Apply for this visa outside the UK
- Switch to this visa from another valid visa category and remain in the UK (via FLR M)
- Extend your visa to remain in the UK (via FLR M)
- Study
You Cannot:
- Claim benefits/other public funds (though there are exceptions to this)
- Apply for UK settlement until you are eligible i.e. have been in the UK for the required period of years
What Are the Requirements?
For an application to be successful, Applicants must satisfy all of the requirements under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, such as:
1. The Suitability Test Requirement; and
2. The Eligibility Requirement, which includes the Relationship Requirement, the Financial Requirement and the Accommodation Requirement; and
3. The Tuberculosis Test Requirement (if they are citizens of certain countries, as listed by the Home Office)
How Can We Satisfy The Requirements?
To demonstrate that all of the requirements are met, supporting documents from both the Applicants and their qualifying Parent/step-parent must be submitted, AND that these documents comply with Appendix FM-SE (Supporting Evidence) of the Immigration Rules, i.e. the documents you submit must be specific. It is the quality of the documents that is important, not the quantity.
What Happens When The Application is Successful or Unsuccessful?
- If an application is successful, the Applicant is granted with a visa, which is stamped on their passport. If applying as the child of a British/Settled person or a child dependant of a Spouse / Civil Partner/ Unmarried Partner, the visa is granted for a maximum period of 33 months (just over 2 and a half years), which they can then extend for a further 2 and a half years. If applying as the dependant of a Fiancé(e) or a Proposed Civil Partner, the visa is granted for a maximum period of 6 months. Once their parent is married, they and their parent can apply to the UKVI (without leaving the UK) to switch to further leave to remain as the dependant of a civil partner/spouse. Once the applicant has had a minimum of 5 years' on the child dependant visa, they will then be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.
- If
an application is unsuccessful, the Applicant may have a right of appeal to the Immigration Appeal Chambers, (IAC), or they can re-apply again.
If you have any concerns about meeting the requirements, or the submitting the correct documents to support your application,
Contact Us now for expert advice and full peace of mind that your application will be successful.
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Frequently Asked Questions - UK Child Dependant Visas
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