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Your partner and children can also apply to join you or stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.
If your partner or child’s application is successful, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. If a child’s parents have visas with different expiry dates, the child’s visa will end on the earlier date.
A dependant partner or child is any of the following:
You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship to your dependant when you apply.
You must be able to prove that either:
They must:
You’ll need to provide evidence of their address, such as:
Your partner and children must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they’re in the UK.
You - or your partner or child - will need:
Example
You - or your partner or child - would need to have £600 to bring your partner and one child with you to the UK (£285 for your partner and £315 for your child).
You would also need to have £1,270 available to support yourself for your own application.
You - or your partner or child - will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of you or them applying for this visa.
You’ll usually need to show proof of this when they apply, unless either:
If your partner or child is applying at a different time to you, they’ll only need to prove they have enough money to support themselves if they have been in the UK for less than 1 year.
Each family member will have to pay the healthcare surcharge when they apply.
If you’re eligible for a High Potential Individual (HPI) visa for:
If one of your family members gets a job in public sector healthcare after they have paid the healthcare surcharge, they may be able to get a refund.
Your partner and children must either:
Each family member will need to complete a separate application and pay the visa fee. They must apply before they travel to the UK.
They’ll also need your application number - you’ll get this when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.
As part of an application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity.
They’ll either:
They’ll be told what they need to do when they apply.
If they do need an appointment:
Once they’ve applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents, they’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks.
If you switch your visa, your partner or child’s current visa will still be valid until its original end date. Your partner or child need to apply to switch their visa, either:
This includes children who have turned 18 during your stay.
Your partner or children cannot apply to switch to your HPI visa as your dependants if they are currently in the UK:
If your partner or child is currently in the UK on a Student visa, they can only switch if they have either:
The application form will tell you if you can include your partner and children in your application or whether they need to apply separately.
If your partner or child apply separately, they’ll need to either:
They’ll need your application number - you’ll get this when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.
As part of their application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity. They’ll either:
They’ll be told what they need to do when they apply.
They must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision. Their application will be withdrawn if they do.
Once they’ve applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents, they’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks.
If you have a child while you’re in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen.
You must apply for your child’s dependant visa if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them.
The form you fill in depends on if:
You’ll need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.
You must apply for their dependant visa before they turn 18 if they want to stay in the UK.
Your partner or child can:
They cannot apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension.
If their application is successful, they’ll get a full list of what they can and cannot do.
Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
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