Adult Dependent Visa Applications

What is an Adult Dependent Relative Visa?

Also known as an ADR visa, a UK adult dependent visa allows you to bring your over 18 relative to the UK. This visa is often only granted under particular circumstances, and allows a parent, grandparent, sibling or adult child of a British Citizen (or person with settled status) to come to the UK in order to receive long term care.

To apply for a UK visa in this category, you must be over the age of 18 and be a close relative of the person sponsoring your application. It must also be the case that you cannot access this long term care in the country in which you currently reside. In addition, if you are under the age of 65, you must prove that there are “exceptional compassionate circumstances”. Generally the applicant is granted Indefinite Leave to Enter the UK on this visa.

Adult Dependent Visa Requirements & Eligibility

The eligibility requirements for an adult dependent relative visa are very strict. In order to be eligible, you must be dependent on a close relative who is permanently living in the UK. While you can be any age (over the age of 18), this visa is primarily designed for elderly relatives over the aged of 65 years. The eligibility requirements are as follows:

• You must be over 18 years old and a close relative of the person sponsoring your application;

• You must prove that you need long term care in order to complete everyday tasks, due to your age, illness or disability;

• The care required is unavailable or unaffordable in the country in which you currently live;

• Provide evidence from doctor or local or central Government authority that the care is not available in your country of residence; 

• Provide evidence that you have genuine and subsisting relationship with the adult dependent;

• You must not have any criminal convictions;

• Your sponsor - i.e. person in the UK - is able to support and care (maintain and accommodate) for you for 5 years without claiming any recourse to public funds

In order to fulfil these criteria, you may need to provide extensive medical documentation, while your UK sponsor will need to prove that they will be your carer. It certain cases it may be an advantage to provide a detailed plan on how you intend to care for the adult relative once they are in the UK. 

Adult Dependent Relative Visa Refusals

Due to the strict eligibility criteria, adult dependent visa applications can be refused. There are numerous reasons for this - you may have made an error on your application or supplied incorrect documentation, or it may be deemed that you don’t require long term care.

If your visa is refused, however, you should be given the right to appeal. If so, you should exercise this right, from outside the UK, within 28 days of receiving the decision. If you have been refused an adult dependent visa, get in touch with us for further advice, as the appeals process can be both complex and lengthy.