Uk Visa For Dependents

Expanding your family overseas, planning to retire abroad or thinking of moving to study or work abroad? Here are a few points to help you make your case.

As a UK Visa holder, or someone wanting to become one, you most likely want to bring over your spouse or partner. What your wife, husband or partner will have to do is dependent on your certain visa. The information below will help you determine which visa category your spouse or partner falls into.

Uk Visa For Dependents

If you’re considering applying for a UK visa, you’ll want to know about its rules for dependents.

You can bring your spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner with you to the UK if they are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. If your dependent is from the EEA or Switzerland, they will need to apply for their own visa.

Your dependent must be able to prove that their relationship with you is genuine and continuing. You should also be able to prove that you are able to support them financially without having to rely on public funds.

Dependents are the ones who require a visa to enter the UK. The main reason for this is that they cannot go there without the permission of their sponsor and the sponsor will have to be present when they arrive in order for them to be granted entry into the country.

Dependents are allowed to travel with their sponsor and stay with them for up to six months as long as they have a valid visa. However, if you want your dependent to stay longer than six months, then you will have to apply for an extension before the six-month period expires.

If you want your dependent child under 18 years old to travel with you on holiday, then they must have been issued with an EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card) and any other necessary documentation before they leave home; otherwise they won’t be allowed into Britain because it’s illegal for anyone who isn’t British or an EU citizen (or Swiss citizen) to enter England without proper documentation.

Dependents of non-citizen visa holders in the United States can apply for a dependent visa to become lawful permanent residents. A dependent visa is also known as a family preference immigrant visa. The eligibility requirements for obtaining a dependent visa are the same as those required for an immigrant visa. However, there are additional requirements that must be met in order to obtain a dependent visa.

A non-citizen spouse or child who is currently residing in the United States may apply for a dependent visa if they meet the following requirements:

They have a relationship with the principal applicant;

They are not subject to grounds of inadmissibility; and

They are able to support themselves financially without assistance from public funds.

Who Can Apply for a UK Dependant Visa?

To qualify for a Dependant Visa, you must be a dependant family member of a qualifying migrant.  The Immigration Rules define a ‘dependant’ as being a:

• Husband, wife or civil partner;
• Unmarried or same-sex partner;
• Child aged under 18 years at the time of application.

It is highly unlikely that any other family members would be successful in claiming dependant status for the purposes of a Dependant Visa.

To obtain a Dependant Visa as a spouse or partner, you must be the spouse or partner of someone who is either:

• In the UK on a relevant visa, or
• Applying for a visa at the same time as you are making your application for a Dependant Visa

Same-sex or unmarried partners must also be able to show they have been in a subsisting genuine relationship akin to marriage for the past two years.

Children may apply for a Dependant Visa if:

• Both parents are applying for entry-clearance at the same time, or;
• Both parents are already in the UK and the child is applying to join them, or;
• One parent is already in the UK and the other parent is applying for entry-clearance to join them along with the child.

Children can only apply for a Dependant visa of a sole parent if:-

• The parent is the only surviving parent; or
• The parent has sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing; or
• There are serious or compelling reasons for why the child can exceptionally apply as the dependant of only one of his/her parents.

An essential requirement of the Dependant Visa is that the family have enough money to support themselves without having to rely on public funds.  For example, if the main applicant is applying for a Skilled Worker Visa, they will need to show that they have £285 in savings for the dependent partner plus an extra £315 in savings for the first dependent child and £200 for each additional dependent child.  However, if a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence holder with an A-rating can certify that these funds will be made available, the applicant may not have to provide proof funds availability.

How Do I Apply for a Dependant Visa?

Applications for a Dependant Visa can be made inside or outside the UK, and online (unless the applicant is from North Korea).  Our expert lawyers will assist you and make the process seamless.

What Documents Do I Need to Provide to Apply for a UK PBS Dependant Visa?

You will need to include the following documents in your application (Note: This is not an exhaustive list):

• A passport or other valid travel document
• Marriage Certificate for Spouse or Birth Certificate for Child
• Bank statements
• Evidence of relationship between the dependant and main applicant
• The results of your tuberculosis test (if applicable)
• The result of a criminal record check (if applicable)

We will assist you with collating the required documents for your entire family.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are typically rigid in requiring that all documentation must be accurate and meet the stated specifications.  Failure to comply means your application risks refusal or rejection.  Any documents that are not written in the official languages of the UK (English or Welsh) must be translated by a certified professional translator.

In addition, the UKVI can enact checks to verify documentation for validity and accuracy. Any anomalies may lead to suspicion of deception, which may not only lead to application refusal but also can incur a 10 year ban on being granted entry clearance to the UK in future.

What is the processing time for the Dependant visa?

From outside the UK, a Dependant visa could take 12 weeks to be processed, from the date of your visa appointment.

For an additional fee the application can be submitted using the priority service, which would normally expedite the decision to within 5 working days.

From inside the UK, the current service standard is 8 weeks, from the appointment date.

There are priority and super priority services available for an additional cost. The priority service expedites the decision to 5 working days and the super priority expedites the decision to 24 hours.

What are the fees for a Dependant visa in the UK?

The dependent visa fee is charged in line with the main applicant.

Each dependent is also subject to the Immigration Health surcharge, which is currently £624 per year for adults and £470 per year for child applicants.

Inside the UK, there is a biometric enrolment fee of £19.20.

Fees for Skilled Worker dependents are as follows:

Skilled Worker dependent – 3 year visa – entry clearance – £610

Skilled Worker (Shortage Occupation List) – 3 year visa – entry clearance £464

Skilled Worker dependant – 5 year visa – – entry clearance £1,220

Skilled Worker (Shortage Occupation List) – 5 year visa  – entry clearance £928

Skilled Worker dependant – 3 year visa – leave to remain – £704

Skilled Worker (Shortage Occupation List) – 3 year visa– leave to remain £464

Skilled Worker dependant – 5 year visa– leave to remain £1408

Skilled Worker (Shortage Occupation List) – 5 year visa– leave to remain £928

Entry Clearance and Leave to Remain Fees for dependents of other visa categories can also be found on the Home Office’s current fee list, including:

• Health and Care Visa
• Sole Representative
• Innovator
• Ancestry
• Intra-Company Transfer Graduate Trainee
• Temporary Workers

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify as a dependent you must be the spouse, unmarried, or civil partner of the sponsor. Children under the age of 18 years can also accompany the sponsor to the UK as the sponsor’s dependents. Please note that if you are applying as a dependant on someone who is an EEA national, the dependency age for children is 21 years of age.

Note that different criteria are applicable depending on the type of UK visa held by the person who is sponsoring your application. Please contact us for more information.

As a Dependent Visa holder you will have no recourse to public funds. Before your application can be approved you will need to show that your sponsor (the person in the UK on whom you wish to become dependent) has the necessary financial means and is willing to support you.

Dependent Visa Conditions

If your application for a Dependent Visa is successful you will be granted leave to enter the UK and freedom to live in the UK without restriction. There no work restrictions placed on dependency visa holders, meaning you can work in any job, at any skill level.

As mentioned above, as a dependent visa holder you will have no recourse to public funds.

Duration of Stay

Provided that you satisfy the relevant immigration rules for this visa you will be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. Dependency Visa holders can usually apply for British Naturalisation as a UK citizen after having spent 5 years continuously in the UK.

Conclusion

The UK is a great choice for expats. It’s also a popular place to bring family members and to retire overseas, as it has a beautiful landscape, plenty of cultural attractions, and more. The UK visa process can be tricky at times, however, especially when comes to bringing your dependents. If you’re unfamiliar with the process , use the information in this article to get started on understanding your options.

When I started my web page, I wanted to be of help to people from around the world, who decide to live in UK. To achieve this goal and make it come true, I will be gradually writing some useful articles about UK visas , and I strongly encourage you to read them .