Dependant visas

Your family members (‘dependants’) can travel with you or join you in the UK on a dependant visa. Your family members must obtain the visa before travelling to the UK, unless their personal circumstances mean they have the right to live in the UK without needing a dependant visa.

Please refer to the Dependant applying in the UK section if your family member holds a UK visa and will be switching to a dependant visa.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following

• your husband, wife or partner
• your child under 18, ( a child aged 16-18 must not be leading an independent life)
• your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as a dependant

Family member coming for a short visit

A dependant coming to the UK for a short period of time to visit you, family members or friends can apply for a standard visitor visa. This visa is valid up to 6 months. When filling in the visa application, please select the main reason for your visit as being 'Tourism (including visiting family and friends)'.

More information can be found, and the visa application can be submitted, on the Home Office Standard visitor visa website.

Family member coming to join the main applicant in the UK

Dependants intending to move to the UK to join you, must apply for a dependant visa before travelling. The visa granted will match the end date of your Tier 5 visa.

For any dependant child applying:

• Both of the applicant’s parents must either be lawfully present (other than as a visitor) in the UK, or being granted entry clearance or leave to remain (other than as a visitor) at the same time as the applicant; or
• One parent must be lawfully present (other than as a visitor) in the UK and the other is being granted entry clearance or leave to remain (other than as a visitor) at the same time as the applicant, unless: 
  • The Main Applicant is the applicant’s sole surviving parent, or
  • The Main Applicant is the parent that has and has had sole responsibility for the applicant’s upbringing; or
  • there are serious or compelling family or other considerations which would make it desirable not to refuse the application and suitable arrangements have been made in the UK for the applicant’s care.

A dependant child application will be refused if these requirements are not met. If you have any concerns about the arrangements for both parents to be lawfully present in the UK please discuss this with SIT. 

All arrangements for children’s care and accommodation in the UK must comply with relevant UK legislation and regulations. More information can be found in the dependant policy guidance.

Children over the age of 16

Dependant children over the age of 16 (but under the age of 18, unless extending their visa) need to provide two of the following documents to evidence they are not living an independent life:

• Bank statements
• Credit card bills
• Driving license
• NHS registration document
• Letter from the child's current school, college or university confirming their address. This must be on official headed paper and bearing the official stamp of the institution.

Children over the age of 18

If your child is over the age of 18 they cannot apply for a dependant visa if they are outside of the UK. They can apply from inside the UK if they are already here as a dependant.

Children born while you are in the UK

If you have a child born in the UK, you can apply for permission for them to stay.

You must do this if you want to travel in and out of the UK with your child. It also means you pay the Immigration Health (NHS) Surcharge so they can continue to have access to the services of the NHS without additional charges beyond the first 3 months following birth.

When you apply you must provide a full UK birth certificate showing the names of both of your child's parents.

Normally applications for dependants are submitted at the same time as the main applicant. It is possible for dependant applications to be submitted separately if your family will join you in the UK at a later date. 

They will not require a Certificate of Sponsorship, but each dependant will need to submit an application separately.

Complete an online application 

An online application can be completed here for each dependant, selecting a Partner or Child dependant visa application.

Once the application has been submitted, the system will generate a checklist of the required supporting documents that will need to be provided. Please refer to the section on Documents dependants will be required to submit for further information.

Biometric appointment

As part of the application process, you are required to apply for a biometric immigration document, commonly known as a biometric residence permit.

This means each applicant will need to attend an appointment to have their fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre

The  biometric residence permit BRP) is only printed within the UK, and this will need to be collected from a designated Post Office within 30 days of when it was indicated they were arriving into the UK. If the visa duration is for less than 6 months a BRP is not issued and the vignette placed in the passport will give the full visa length instead.

Costs

The visa application fee, Immigration Health (NHS) Surcharge will be paid as part of the online application. Further details can be found on the costs section.

Further guidance

The Home Office guidance provided further information.

Your dependants can apply to extend or switch their visa if they are already in the UK, as long as they do not currently hold a

• Visitor visa
• Short Term study visa
• Parent of a Child Student visa
• Seasonal Worker visa
• Domestic Worker visa
• they are outside of the Immigration Rules

They will not require a Certificate of Sponsorship, but they will need to apply for an extension of their permission to enter/stay in the UK.

Complete an online application 

It is best for your dependants to apply at the same time as you, but they can apply at a later date.

Applying together means their details can be included with your application and forms a ‘Family group’ application. The online application will ask whether any dependants are applying and the details are added by specifying whether they are a 'dependant partner or spouse' or a 'dependant child'. When applying as a ‘Family group’ the combined visa fees and Immigration Health (NHS) Surcharge for all those applying must be paid.

Costs

The visa application fee, Immigration Health (NHS) Surcharge and biometric enrolment fee will be paid as part of the online application. Further details can be found on the costs section.

Prepare your supporting documents and book a biometric appointment

Once the online application is submitted, you will automatically be directed to set up an account with and book a biometrics appointment at a UK Visas and Citizenship Application Services Centre (UKVCAS).

The online application provides a 'document checklist' scanned copies of these documents should be uploaded prior to the appointment.

You can decide to have these documents scanned for you during the biometric enrolment appointment but this has extra charges and is normally not necessary.

Please refer to the section on Documents dependants must submit for further information. 

Biometric appointment

As part of the application process, you are required to apply for a biometric immigration document, commonly known as a biometric residence permit.

At the UKVCAS appointment you will need to enrol your biometric details, fingerprints and facial image.

Once the application has been decided and the dependant visa granted, the Home Office will courier the biometric residence permit to the correspondence address listed on your application.

Further guidance

The Home Office guidance provides full details on the requirements. 

• A valid passport
• Medical certificate confirming that they are free from Tuberculosis (TB) (if applicable)
• Official record of any criminal convictions (if applicable)
• Marriage or Civil Partnership Certificate (for married/civil partners)
• Evidence of the relationship to the main applicant (for those who are not married or in a civil partnership) to demonstrate they are cohabiting and in a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years.
• Birth Certificate (for children under the age of 18)
• Additional evidence for children over the age of 16 to evidence they are not living an independent life.

Maintenance

1. If the Certificate of Sponsorship does not specify that the University of Oxford will support the maintenance requirement for your dependant(s) and
2. your dependants have not been living in the UK with permission to enter/stay for more than 12 months

You will need to provide evidence that the main applicant or dependant has an extra £285 of funds for a dependant partner, £315 for the first dependant child, and £200 for other dependant children and that these extra funds have been present in the account for at least 28 consecutive days ending no more than 31 days before the date of the visa application. Please note even £1 under on 1 day means you will not meet the requirements.

• No recourse to public funds
• Registration with the police, if this is required
• No employment as a sportsperson or sports coach