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Your partner and children can apply to join you or stay in the UK as your 鈥榙ependants鈥� if they鈥檙e eligible.

If your partner or child鈥檚 application is successful, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. If a child鈥檚 parents have visas with different expiry dates, the child鈥檚 visa will end on the earlier date.

A dependant partner or child is any of the following:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18 - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18 if they currently have permission (鈥榣eave to enter鈥� or 鈥榣eave to remain鈥�) to be in the UK as your dependant

You鈥檒l need to provide evidence of your relationship to your dependant when you apply.

If you鈥檙e a care worker or senior care worker

Your partner and children cannot apply to join you or stay in the UK as your dependants unless you were employed as a care worker or senior care worker in the UK and on a Health and Care Worker visa before 11 March 2024 and one of the following is true:

• you鈥檙e currently still on a Health and Care Worker visa
• you鈥檙e extending your Health and Care Worker visa with your current employer
• you鈥檙e changing to a new job within the same occupation code while on a Health and Care Worker visa

Your partner

You must be able to prove one of the following:

• you鈥檙e in a civil partnership or marriage that鈥檚 recognised in the UK
• you鈥檝e been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
• you鈥檝e been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but you cannot live together, for example because you鈥檙e working or studying in different places, or it鈥檚 not accepted in your culture

If you鈥檙e not living together, you鈥檒l need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by providing evidence that you:

• communicate regularly with each other
• support each other financially
• care for any children you have together
• spend time together as a couple, for example on holiday or at events

Your child

They must:

• live with you, unless they鈥檙e living away from home in full-time education - for example, at boarding school or university
• not be married or in a civil partnership

You鈥檒l need to provide evidence of their address, such as:

• a bank statement
• credit card bills
• driving licence
• NHS registration document
• an official letter from their university or college

Money they need to support themselves

Your partner and children must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they鈥檙e in the UK.

You - or your partner or child - will need:

• 拢285 for your partner
• 拢315 for one child
• 拢200 for each additional child

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鈥檒l usually need to show proof of this when they apply, unless either:

• you have all been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
• your employer can cover your family鈥檚 costs during your first month in the UK - this must be confirmed on your certificate of sponsorship

If your partner or child is applying at a different time to you, they鈥檒l only need to prove they have enough money to support themselves if they have been in the UK for less than 1 year.

Apply from outside the UK

Each family member will have to pay the application fee. The fee depends on whether they鈥檒l be in the UK for:

• up to 3 years - 拢284 per person
• more than 3 years - 拢551 per person

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鈥檒l also need your application number - you鈥檒l get this when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You鈥檒l find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.

They can also enter a 鈥榝amily linking code鈥� if you got one when you applied. This will connect your applications.

Proving their identity

As part of an application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity.

They鈥檒l either:

• use the 鈥楿K Immigration: ID Check鈥� app to scan their identity document - they鈥檒l also create or sign into their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• have their fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre

They鈥檒l be told what they need to do when they apply.

If they do need an appointment:

• the visa application centre may need to keep their passport and documents while they process their application
• they may have to travel to get to their nearest centre (this could be in another country)

How long it takes to get a decision

Once they鈥檝e applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents, they鈥檒l usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

They may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Apply from inside the UK (extend or switch their visa)

If you extend or switch your visa, your partner or child鈥檚 current visa will still be valid until its original end date. Your partner or child need to apply to extend or switch their visa, either:

• at the same time as you
• at any time before their current visa expires

This includes children who have turned 18 during your stay.

Your partner or children cannot apply to switch to your Health and Care Worker visa as your dependants if they are currently in the UK:

• on a visit visa
• on a short-term student visa
• on a Parent of a Child Student visa
• on a seasonal worker visa
• on a domestic worker in a private household visa
• on immigration bail
• because they were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example on compassionate grounds

If your partner or child is currently in the UK on a Student visa, they can only switch if they have either:

• completed the course they were sponsored to study
• studied for a PhD for at least 24 months

If you鈥檙e a care worker or senior care worker

Your partner and children cannot apply to join you or stay as your dependants if you switch to a Health and Care Worker visa from another visa.

They can only apply to join you or stay if you were employed as a care worker or senior care worker in the UK and on a Health and Care Worker visa before 11 March 2024 and one of the following is true:

• you鈥檙e currently still on a Health and Care Worker visa
• you鈥檙e extending your Health and Care Worker visa with your current employer
• you鈥檙e changing to a new job within the same occupation code while on a Health and Care Worker visa

How to apply

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鈥檒l need to either:

They鈥檒l need your application number - you鈥檒l get this when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You鈥檒l find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.

They can also enter a 鈥榝amily linking code鈥� if you got one when you applied. This will connect your applications.

Proving their identity

As part of their application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity.

They鈥檒l either:

• use the 鈥楿K Immigration: ID Check鈥� app to scan their identity document - they鈥檒l also create or sign into their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• have their fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point

They鈥檒l be told what they need to do when they apply.

How long it takes to get a decision

Once they鈥檝e applied online, proved their identity and provided their documents, they鈥檒l usually get a decision within 8 weeks.

They may be able to pay to get a faster decision.

Children born in the UK

If you have a child while you鈥檙e in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen.

You must apply for your child鈥檚 dependant visa if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them.

The form you fill in depends on whether your child is inside or outside the UK. Your child must either:

You鈥檒l need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.

What your partner or child can and cannot do

Your partner or child can:

• work, except as a sportsperson or coach
• study
• travel abroad and return to the UK
• apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as 鈥榠ndefinite leave to remain鈥�) if they鈥檝e lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements

They cannot apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension.

If their application is successful, they鈥檒l get a full list of what they can and cannot do.