The United Kingdom is a staple on the list of the best countries to visit. The land opened for wide opportunities, from exploration to business and jobs, which require multiple visits to the country, and the UK multiple entry visitor visa help people to achieve the opening up of their dream business.
While several UK visa types define the purpose of your visit, in this blog we have curated a detailed overview of UK family visa types, requirements, and processes.
UK Family Visas
UK family visas are a category that falls under the UK entry and residence authorizations issued for those who want to settle or establish a permanent family life with their UK resident family members.
Eligibility Criteria for a UK Family Visa
To obtain a family visa to the UK, you must meet the following requirements:
- Must be 18 and above.
- Must be visiting the UK for less than six months and will leave after their visa expires.
- Must have sufficient funds to support themselves without asking for any assistance from the public funds or engaging in paid activities, or their relatives or friends can offer support while in the UK.
- Have funds to pay for their return travel.
- They are in transit to a country outside the UK.
Eligibility Criteria for the Applicant’s Relative
- British citizen
- Settled person
- Under the humanitarian protection of the UK
- A spouse or partner of a UK resident
- A child of a UK parent
- A parent of a UK resident
- A widowed partner of a late UK resident
- A separated spouse or partner
- A disabled, elderly, or sick relative who needs long-term care from a UK resident
- Based on private life
Types of UK Family Visas
The UK has issued different types of family visitor visas UK that are obtained based on your circumstances and your relationship with the sponsoring UK resident.
Spouse Visa
A UK spouse visa can be obtained if you want to join your spouse or partner in the UK who is either a British citizen, a settled person, a refugee, or someone under humanitarian protection. Parent Visa: A UK parent visa is issued to the parents of a British citizen or a settled person who has spent at least seven consecutive years in the UK.
Child Visa
Such a visa is issued to children of a settled person in the UK, and you have to be the dependent child residing in the UK with your parent who is making a joint application with you for the UK or an extension of stay.
UK Family Visa for Those Who Need Long-Term Care
This visa is issued to those who require care by a relative who is a British citizen, settled person, refugee, or under humanitarian protection. The applicant must be over the age of 18 and suffer from a disability, or medical condition, or have reached old age.
UK Family Visa Based on Private Life
It is issued based on your private life to remain permanently in the UK, due to unfavourable situations for leaving the UK or overlong residence in the UK.
Deceased Partner Visa
If Your Partner dies visa is issued to those who want to permanently reside in the UK as a former spouse, civil partner, or partner in a durable relationship.
Separated Or Divorced Dependent Partner
This visa is issued to become a permanent resident if your relationship has broken down due to domestic violence.
UK Partner & Spouse Visa
This visa comes under UK family visa that permits eligible individuals to join their partner/spouse in UK and enables them to reside, work, and study here. The applicant should be,
- Married or in civil partnership with a UK-based partner
- Have been residing with the UK-based partner in a relationship for 2 years minimum
The applicant along with their UK-based partner should also prove they earn a minimum of £18,600 annually and £3,800 & £2,400 annually for their first and more children. The applicant should speak English up to the level A1 on the CEFR scale.
Partner/spouse visa holders are permitted to stay for 2 years & 9 months. It can however be extended further for 2 years & 6 months. During this stage, it becomes possible to apply for ILR.
Fiance Visa
This is another form of family visitor visa UK that lets a proposed civil partner, fiancee, or fiancé of an eligible UK-based person come here for up to about 6 months to tying the nuptial or enter a civil partnership. Both the financial requirements and English language criteria outlined in the aforementioned partner/spouse visa should be catered to as well.
Post-marriage or during civil partnership with their UK-based partner, one is entitled to apply for a complete UK Partner & Spouse visa. Being a holder of such a visa, one may stay for about 2 years & 9 months followed by an extension of their visa for another 2 years & 6 months. During this phase, it becomes likely to apply for the indefinite leave to remain.
Child Dependent Visa
The child visa one of the family UK visa types permits a child to join their parents in UK. Kids however may not require any family visa provided one parent has the UK ILR. During such circumstances, it is likely to right away apply for ILR. In fact, the child visa requirements rest on whether the kid had been born in UK or not. Should the child originate from UK and be below 18, they may be added in the likes of a dependent family member to their parent’s succeeding visa application or apply separately. Should the child originate from UK and is 18 plus, he/she may be added to the application of their parents till they are dependent on the UK-based parent.
Any applicant who is born outside UK should prove he/she is dependent on their parents based in UK and neither in civil partnership/nor married.
Generally, visas are not given in line with the parent’s leave. There is also a possibility of a child visa extension which can be used for gaining settlement (ILR).
Adult Dependant Relative Visa
This visa lets overseas relatives in touring UK get long-term care from a daughter, son, sister, brother, grandchild, or parent residing in the UK permanently.
This family visitor visa UK requirements comprise,
- He/she is 18 or above.
- Need long-term care for performing daily household and personal tasks owing to age, disability, or illness
- The care needed is not accessible or within means in the home country.
- An individual who will care for them in UK should be capable of supporting and accommodating them sans the requirement for claiming public funds for 5 years minimum.
- An adult-dependent relative visa holder may reside for an unlimited time once in UK.
PBS Dependent Visa
This visa lets the partner & kids of those having an eligible visa to come to the UK. Eligible dependants comprise,
- Civil partner, married partner, or unmarried partner (should the person be unmarried, they are required to live with their partner in a relationship for 2 years minimum.
- Children below 18 (this comprises those born in UK)
- Children above 18, should they be dependent
- Reside with them lest they reside away from complete education at a boarding school, university or college
- Not married or in a civil partnership
- Not have kids of their own
- Is reliant on one financially
Being a holder of a dependent visa, one’s family member can stay as long as their visa is valid. Should they extend their visa, their dependents will be capable of applying for extending their leave. Similarly, when one becomes eligible for ILR, they will be capable of applying to settle, provided they cater to the eligibility needs.
Parent Visa
This visa enables a parent to join and care for their kid in UK and live, work, and study here. For applying for a parent visa, a child should be below 18 or had been below 18 when their parent had been granted leave initially and not live in an independent life.
A child must reside in the UK and be,
- An Irish or British national
- Settled in UK
- Have the pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme
- Have constantly lived in the UK for seven years and not reasonable for them to leave
Further, the applicant should have shared or sole parental responsibility for the child. Normally a child visa is given in line with the parent’s leave. There is also a scope for extension as well as can be utilized for gaining ILR (settlement).
The holder of a parent visa can reside for 2 years & 9 months which can be extended further for 2 years & 6 months. Post 5 years, it is likely to apply for ILR.
Ancestry Visa
This visa allows eligible foreign nationals to live, work, and study in the UK. The applicant for an ancestry visa should be one of these,
- Citizen of Zimbabwe
- British national (overseas)
- Citizens of the British overseas territories
- British overseas citizen
- Commonwealth citizen
They should also be capable of showing that one of the grandparents had been born in the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, or the UK.
The holder of an ancestry visa can remain for 5 years initially, post which it can be extended further or apply for ILR.
Family Reunion Visa
As per this scheme, one may bring their immediate family members to reside with them in UK provided they have been given humanitarian protection or refugee status in the UK. As an individual getting family members to UK, they will be the sponsor. An ideal sponsor is a UK resident lawfully, has not received British citizenship yet and is under any one of these immigration categories,
- Refugee status
- Admitted to UK under Gateway Protection Program
- Humanitarian protection status (held for 5 years minimum)
- Admitted to UK under Mandate Refuge Program
- Admitted to UK under Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement
Just immediate family members who are dependent on a UK-based sponsor are entitled to a family reunion visa, comprising the sponsor’s dependent,
- Adopted children
- Child
- Same-sex partner or unmarried
- Civil partner or spouse
- As a holder of a Family Reunion Visa, it is likely to extend one’s leave and apply for the ILR when entitled.
EUSS Family Permit
Let an individual coming to the UK should they be a family of someone from Liechtenstein, Iceland, Switzerland, or EU. The EUSS Family Permits assure that holders may tour UK, gain entry post-arrival, and join family members sans any refusal risk. For making a successful application for an EUSS Family Permit, one’s family is required to reside in UK by the end of 2020.
The holders of EUSS family permits can reside in the UK for 6 months and may work, study, or travel at this time. Should they desire to extend their stay, they will be required to apply under the EU settlement scheme. If entitled under EUSS, one will be given pre-settled status that will let them reside for 5 years maximum and then gain complete settled status.
UK Family Visa Requirements
The applicants must submit the following documents to meet the UK family visa requirements:
- An invitation letter from your relative
- Proof of financial and employment status, such as bank statements and payslips
- Proof of immigration circumstances in the UK, demonstrating that they reside in the UK permanently or
- Have sought humanitarian status by providing an immigration stamp in their passport or visa.
- Long-term visit visa requirements
- Proof to show that they can support themselves financially for their entire stay in the UK.
UK Family Visa Extension
The UK provides an extension for your stay in the country if you are already in the country on a sponsor visa UK for your family. You can extend the visa at any time before your current visa expires.
If you are extending your family dependent visa in the UK to stay with the same family member, you will only get up to 28 days of additional stay on your current visa. It requires you to stay in the UK for a certain amount of time before you are eligible for permanent settlement. If you have stayed in the UK for many years, which is seven years or more, you can apply for the visa based on your private life.
Cost of a UK family visa
If joining your partner, parent, or child:- Apply in the UK: £1048
- Apply outside the UK: £1538
- Apply in the UK: £1048/person
- Apply outside the UK: £1538/person
- Apply in the UK: £1048
- Apply outside the UK: £3250
A UK family visa usually has a validity period of up to six months. So, if you are planning to join your dependents in the UK, you can go for a family visa application UK. Besides, you can opt for a C multiple entry visa UK to visit and stay with your dear ones as needed.