Overview

People from overseas can come to the United Kingdom as the partners, children and/or elderly dependent relatives of people who are already in the United Kingdom or are entering the UK under any of the visa categories. Work Permits and Visas are designed to permit the applicant's family to share the benefits of living in the UK.

There are specific limitations on the dependents, based on the visa held by the sponsor such as the age of the dependents and the length of the relationship they share with the principal applicant permanently settled in the UK. Dependents are allowed to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR), often referred to as permanent residency. Dependent visa holders have no restrictions on the type of work and business they can undertake.

Eligible dependents

• Spouses
• Fiance
• Same-sex civil partners, proposed same-sex civil partners.
• Unmarried partners.
• Child
• Sibling
• Widowed parent and Grand parent aged 65 years and above
• Parents or grand parents of whom at least one among them is aged 65years and above
• If the parent of the applicant is aged 65 and above and is not able to take care of his/her spouse or children of the second marriage due to lack of financial support and applicant who is the citizen of the UK is able and agrees to sponsor them.
• Parent or grandparent living alone and dependent on the applicant who is settled in Britain for his/her financial support.
• The person who is related to applicant as Son, Daughter, Sister, Brother, Aunt or Uncle over the age of 18 and living alone in the most exceptional circumstances and mainly dependent financially on relatives settled in Britain.

Requirements

• Demonstrate that the person migrating is financially dependent on the relative who is a citizen of the UK
• Demonstrate that the relative who is in the UK is able to financially support and accommodate himself and his/her dependents with out having recourse to public Funds.
• The dependent should not have any other relative in the UK to whom he/she can turn for financial support.

Benefits

Dependents are given permission to enter and live in the UK and can stay for the same length of time as of the main applicant. Dependents have the same freedom to live and work in Britain without restriction and can undertake any kind of employment without any restriction.

The applicants can also apply for British Nationality once they have spent a continuous period of 5 years in the country. They should also have held permanent residence status for one year before the application is lodged and must meet with all other naturalization requirements.

Duration of UK Dependent Visa

The dependent visa holder is permitted to stay for indefinite period in the UK. The only condition is that he/she should not stay outside the UK for more than 2 years. This will result in loss of indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.

Dependents - Temporary Visa Categories

The dependents can migrate to the UK under the following categories.

• As spouse or unmarried partner of HSMP/HSW Tier 1 visa holder, provided they demonstrate that their relationship existed for two years prior to the application.
• The dependent can also migrate to the UK with a marriage visa, and the De Facto visa or unmarried partner visa. This visa allows unmarried partners to live and work in the UK for an initial period of two years after which ILR may be applied for.
• The dependent can also enter the UK on a fiancee visa, issued for a period of six months.
• As dependents of Tier 2, Tier 4 applicants holding a valid visa to live and work in the UK

While there are several reasons for refusal of your visa. Our visa & immigration specialists are well acquainted with the reasons for refusal of applications and ensure that our clients do not have to be disappointed. Since we have handled huge number of Refusal visas of different countries, we increase your chances to get the visa.

We thereby gear you with useful advice to easily qualify through every step and overcome every hurdle without any hassle and finally get your visa approval, easily. Grounds on which visa application is usually refused are:

• Inability to produce sufficient relevant documents
• Insufficient funds to support one`s own or dependants' expenses
• Criminal record of the applicant
• Disclosure of any essential fact about the applicant, otherwise hidden by them
• Insufficient proof to provide evidence for residence abroad or strong ties, such as family, employment or any other that ensure your return to your native country
• Not presented the file properly
• Inefficiency to convince the consular in every respect that you deserve visa and you meet their requirement in all angles
• Insufficient information provided in the application form and lack of providing the demanded documents may also cause the return of application and extends your visa procedure but this doesn't cause the refusal of the applications

The partners of applicants in all the above categories except in HSMP/HSW Tier 1 should hold settled status in the UK. Dependents on the Tier 2 visa require their own work permit to work in the UK.

Dependents on Tier 1, Tier 4 visas can live and work without restriction.

Extension of the stay under UK Dependent Visa

The dependents can apply for extension of their stay by applying for further leave to remain along with the applicant, provided the applicant provides all the necessary details and supporting documents required are given. Any child aged 18years and above has to lodge a separate application with a required fee paid.

Settlement

Dependents can apply for extension of their stay by applying for settlement visa along with the applicant, provided the applicant gives all the necessary details and supporting documents required. Any dependent aged 18 years and above have to demonstrate their knowledge of English and life in the United Kingdom before the settlement visa is granted. If not, they should apply for extension of their stay.

Tier 4 - Dependents

Applicants can bring their dependents provided they are married partners and demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to meet their maintenance requirement with out having recourse to public funds.

Dependents are granted a visa for the same length of time as the applicant. There is no provision for dependents to migrate to the UK when the applicant is a child student.

Tier 2 - Dependents

Spouse, common law, civil or unmarried partner of the applicant and any dependent children can be included in the application at the same time. Any such dependents would be granted the same period of leave as the main tier 2 visa applicant.

Dependents will be able to work in the UK, but would need to apply for their own work permits.

Post Study Work Visa - Dependents

Applicants can bring their dependants, including their spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, and/or children under 18 with them. They have to prove their ability to support their dependents without seeking help from public funds.

Marriage / Spouse Visa

Foreign nationals who are already married to a British citizen or person who has settlement status in the UK can enter or remain in the UK on a Spouse/marriage visa. Applicants should apply for entry clearance, if applications are made outside the UK. For those inside the UK, an application for further leave to remain as a spouse should be made. Dependents can take up any employment and there are no restrictions on the type of work that can be undertaken

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the spouse visa the following criteria should be met

• You are married to or are the civil partner of a person who is present and settled in the United Kingdom;
• You must be 21 years of age or over and the partner with settled status in the UK must be 21 years of age or over.
• You are legally married to each other and the marriage is subsisting
• You and your spouse intend to live together permanently as husband and wife
• You have met each other
• Both of you have adequate funds to be able to support yourselves as well as any dependants without claiming public funds.
• Accommodation for yourselves, and any dependants, must be suitable and available.
• You must now show that you can speak and understand English if you are a non-European migrant and you want to enter or extend your stay in the UK as the partner of a British citizen or a person settled here.

If a person has more than one husband or wife, only one of them will be allowed to join them in the UK as their husband or wife under the UK marriage visa.

Spouses seeking to come to the UK on the basis of marriage to a UK national should apply for entry clearance before entering the UK. If the couple get married in the UK, it is permissible for the application to be lodged in the UK. If the application is made within the UK, then the person should have leave to remain in the UK on a visa category that was initially issued for a period of more than six months, at the time of making the application.

Duration of the UK Dependent Visa

Successful applicants are granted permission to stay and work in the UK initially for 2 years. At the end of the 2 year probationary period, a person can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK, if they are still married and living together.

Applicants may also be granted permanent stay in the country; this is usually applicable to a person who has been married and living abroad with their spouse for four years at the time the application is made for entry into the UK.

Children under the age of 18 will be granted entry to the UK as dependants and can make their application at the same time as the main applicant. After a total period of three years in UK and if they meet the residence requirements they can apply for British naturalization in order to remain in the country under a grant of UK citizenship.

Fiance / Fiancee Visas

A UK Fiance/fiancee visa allows a person to bring their fiance/fiaeee to live with them in the UK. The person should have a settled status in the UK and should be currently living in the UK or are returning to the UK with him/her to live permanently.

Eligibility Criteria

The following requirements must be fulfilled to apply for a fiance/fiancee visa

• You are seeking to enter the UK because of your relationship to a person who is present and settled in the UK
• You and the sponsor are aged 21 and over
• You plan to marry or register a civil partnership within 6 months
• You and your fiance/fiancee intend to live together permanently after you are married or registered a civil partnership.
• You have met your future spouse
• You are seeking entry for marriage in the UK and not seeking entry as a married person
• You and your fiance/e must show that there will be sufficient funds and accommodation in the UK without requiring public funds before and after the marriage.

Even if your fiance, fiancee or proposed civil partner is a national of a country where there is normally no need for a visa to enter the United Kingdom, he/she must obtain permission to enter the United Kingdom before traveling. Applications should be made to the British Diplomatic post in the country the applicant resides in.

Duration of the visa

Fiances/fiancees will be given entry clearance for a 6-month period, for the purpose of traveling to the UK to get married. During this period they are not allowed to be employed and are prohibited from having access to public funds.

If there are exceptional reasons for delaying the marriage until after the initial six months, an extension to stay in the UK may be granted. However you need to demonstrate good reason as to why the marriage has not taken place and be able to show when the marriage will take place.

After you have married or registered a civil partnership, the applicant is eligible to apply to stay in the UK as a spouse. The applicant will then be entitled to a 2-year probationary period of leave. Once the fiance/fiancee visa has successfully been switched to a Marriage visa, the applicant will be able to start working in the UK

After two years, if you are still married or in a civil partnership and plan to live together, your husband, wife or civil partner may apply to live permanently in the UK.

Unmarried Partner Visa

A person who has a settled status in the UK can bring over their unmarried partner, both in a heterosexual and same sex relationship, to live with them in the UK.

Both partners need to prove that they have been living in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years and that it is a permanent relationship.

Eligibility Criteria

The following requirements must be fulfilled to apply for an unmarried partner visa

• You and your partner are aged 21 and over
• You have to prove that any previous relationship whether in marriage or as an unmarried couple has ended; evidence should be provided of how long ago the previous relationship ended, whether by divorce or separation
• You must be able to show that both have been living in a relationship akin to marriage for two years or more. Documentary evidence confirming the same should be provided.
• You intend to live together permanently with your partner.
• You possess sufficient funds to pay for you and your partner's living expenses and those of any dependants without claiming public funds
• Accommodation for the unmarried partners, and any dependants, must be suitable and available

Duration of the Visa

The partner should obtain entry clearance before coming into the UK from the British Diplomatic post in their home country. If both the partners have been living together for less than four years, a two-year probationary visa is granted. At the end of 2 years, if both are still living together, the partner can apply for indefinite leave to remain.

If both the partners have been together for more than four years outside the UK, you will be eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK without having to go through the probationary period.

Unmarried partners of those who hold an Ancestry visa, work permit, HSMP and Tier 1 visa should apply for entry clearance.

Children of the unmarried partners who are under 18 years old are allowed entry to the UK as dependants. Children can be included in the application at the same time as the main applicant.

Why Global Gateways

VISA SERVICES