If you have been granted a refugee status in the UK and you want to bring your family member/s (for some reason you had to leave them behind in your country of origin) to join you in the UK, your family member/s needs to apply for a refugee family reunion under Appendix Family Reunion (Protection). Refugee needs to sponsor their family member/s. Family members include spouses and children. Refugee and his/her family member/s must have formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin also known as pre-flight family members.

Who can reunite with the refugee in the UK?

Only direct family members can join the person holding the refugee status i.e. spouse with marriage formed before the departure of the refugee status holder, unmarried partner who lived together 2 years before the refugee status holder left or children under the age of 18 years or where the child is over 18 years of age their must be exceptional circumstances.

Conditions for each applicant

1. They must make a valid application.
2. Applicants must establish their identity and nationality by showing passports, travel documents, birth certificates, or national identity cards.
3. Family members must meet the suitability requirements. This means that they must not be involved in any act such as serious criminal offenses such as war crimes or serious non-political crimes that can cause their exclusion from the UK as per the exclusion clauses under the Refugee Convention.

Conditions for spouse/partner

 Spouse or civil partner
 If the sponsor and applicant spouse/partner are married or in a civil partnership, they will need to show the certificate of marriage or civil partnership
 Marriage or civil partnership must have been formed before refugee left their country of origin.
 Unmarried partners lived with the sponsoring partner for at least 2 years before they left their country to seek protection in the UK.
 Both partners must intend to live together in the UK.
 Both partner’s relationships must be ‘genuine and subsisting’

Conditions for children

 Children including stepchildren and adopted children (if adopted in a country whose formal adoption procedure is recognized by the UK) must be below the age of 18.
 Live with you and your partner when in the UK.
 Not be married or in a civil partnership
 Not leading an independent life.

Other than spouse/partner and children below the age of 18 in certain circumstances other family members such as parents, immediate family members such as nieces or nephews or grandchildren dependent on you for your support on exceptional compassionate grounds, and children above the age of 18 who are dependent on sponsoring parent for financial and emotional support.

Eligibility

The sponsoring person must be either
 A refugee in the UK or
 Have humanitarian protection status

Sponsoring refugees must also meet the following conditions:
 The sponsor must hold a current protection status in the UK
 The sponsor cannot hold British citizenship or ILR

Applicants need to meet the following conditions:
 The applicants must follow the process for applying to reunite depending on whether they apply from inside or outside the UK.
 Applicants must provide their necessary biometric details.

How to apply?

Each family member wanting to reunite must apply separately. They must apply online.

Applying from inside the UK

Usually, applications are made from outside the UK, but if a refugee’s family member has
managed to enter the UK somehow, they can apply for reunion within the UK.

Applying from outside the UK

Each family member must apply separately. The application forms are completed online and each applicant must have their biometrics taken at a visa application center.     

If you are looking to apply for your family reunion visa, you can seek services of Visa and Migration Ltd by calling 02034111261

For more details you can visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-family-reunion-protectionhttps:/www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-family-reunion-protection