If you are in the UK living or working with a valid UK visa and you want your family members who are dependent on you to come to the UK so that they can join and live with you, there is a UK dependent visa for this purpose. The family members for the UK dependent visa include:

• Husband and wife 
• Civil Partner
• Unmarried Partner
• Dependent children younger than 18 years old at the date of application
• Dependent children over 18 who were last granted permission as a dependent child of their parent or parents and continue to be financially dependent on their parents, or
• Dependent child over 18 where there are compassionate and compelling circumstances – for example the child is mentally disabled and there is no one else available to care for them

What is a UK dependent visa?

The UK dependent visa is a visa route that allows family members of the “lead applicant” or “primary visa holder” to stay with them in the UK. The lead applicant means those who are applying for or already have permission to stay in the UK.

Dependent family members, if granted the leave, can live, work, and study in the UK. If the lead applicant holds a UK skilled work visa, student visa, representative or overseas business visa, or ancestry visa, then their family members can apply for a dependent visa provided they meet other eligibility criteria.

A UK dependent visa can be applied for when:

• A partner/spouse/parent is already in the UK on a visa or
• At the same time, the lead applicant makes an application themselves.

Rules for the UK dependent visa

The general rule for a UK-dependent visa is that foreign nationals who are in the UK on a visa that allows dependents of the primary visa holders to enter the UK and join them can apply for a UK-dependent visa.

General visa routes that allow the lead applicant’s dependent family members to apply to join them in the UK are

• Skilled Worker Visa
• Student Visa
• Global Talent Visa
• Start-up Visa
• Innovator Visa
• Investor Visa
• Intra-company Transfer Visa
• Youth Mobility Scheme
• UK Ancestry Visa
• Family Visa
• Global Business Mobility Visa
• Temporary Worker Visas (including Religious Workers, Creative Workers, and Charity Workers)
• Representative of an Overseas Business Visa

Changes to the UK dependent visa rules

Dependents of Care Worker and Senior Care Worker—

Last year in March 2024, a big change was made for care workers and senior care workers (SoC 6136, 6135, 6145 or 6146), which come under the UK Health and Care Worker Visa, which has affected their
dependents significantly. After this change, if someone applies as a care worker and home carer or senior care worker under the UK health and care worker visa, after 11 March 2024, then his dependent family members (spouse and children) can no longer apply to join him in the UK.

However, those lead applicants who were granted a visa or CoS before 11 March 2024 as a care worker or senior care worker can still bring their dependents (spouse and children) to the UK provided they meet the eligibility criteria.

Dependents of UK Student Visa Holders –

Changes were brought to the UK student visa in January 2024. These changes are the following:

1. Dependents of foreign students studying full-time in the UK on an undergraduate course cannot bring their family members to the UK unless they are on a fully government-sponsored program lasting more than six months, and
2. Students on a full-time UK postgraduate level course that starts on or after 1 January 2024 cannot bring their family members to the UK unless the postgraduate level course is either a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8) or a research-based higher degree.

These changes have discouraged foreign nationals looking to apply as care or senior care workers and students, as they cannot now bring their dependent family members to the UK. This has resulted in a drop in the number of net immigrants coming to the UK on a dependent visa.

Requirements for UK dependent visa

Requirements for a UK-dependent visa vary depending on the visa type the lead applicant is applying for or holding already. For example, dependents applying based on the UK family visa will have to meet different criteria than dependents applying based on the lead applicant applying for or holding a UK skilled work visa.

However, there are common requirements for the UK dependent visa irrespective of the visa the lead applicant holds.

 Validity Requirements -

In most cases, dependents should meet the following requirements:

a. They must have paid the visa application fee and Immigration Health Charge (where applicable). 
b. They must have submitted any required biometrics (fingerprint and photograph).
c. They must have submitted documents such as a passport or other travel document to prove their identity.

 Suitability Requirements -

The applicants must not be in a situation where they can be refused the UK dependent visa under the general grounds for refusal. Some of the general grounds for refusal include, but are not limited to:

a. Previous Overstaying beyond the leave granted
b. Involvement in a criminal activity and convicted for the crime
c. Breaching the UK’s immigration law

Eligibility Requirement

 Relationship Requirement -

The dependent visa applicant must be in a relationship with the primary visa holder. This relationship can be as a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, or child younger than 18 years of age. To prove a relationship as a dependent child, documents such as the birth certificate of the child on which the name of the parent/s is mentioned can be produced.

 Financial Requirement -

In most cases, the financial requirement must be met by the primary visa holders. The following funds must be available to support the application.

a. £285 for a dependent partner
b. £315 for the first dependent child
c. £200 for any other dependent child

However, in most cases, there is no financial requirement if the lead applicant and the dependent visa applicant have been in the UK for at least 12 months.

 Tuberculosis Test Certificate Requirement—

All applicants applying for a UK-dependent visa must produce a valid tuberculosis certificate confirming that they are free from tuberculosis (TB) along with their application if they come from a country listed
under Appendix TB of the immigration rules. These are the common requirements for a UK-dependent visa. Before applying, you should look for the primary visa holding category and its specific requirements.

How can we help?

We understand that a UK-dependent visa application can be a complex process for you, so we assist you at every stage of your visa application. We have helped dependent applicants from many countries to join and live with their partners and parent/s in the UK.

If you have any problems or require any information regarding your UK-dependent visa application, you can contact us, and our experienced team will work to facilitate a smooth visa application for you.