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Family visa — child

United KingdomFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Official link

Explore pathways in United Kingdom Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

A child joining a parent in the UK: children born in the UK or outside it, who live with the parent (unless away in full-time education) and are not married or in a civil partnership; those 18 or over can only apply if they already have permission that started when under 18.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    You can apply for a family visa to join your parent in the UK.
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    You were born outside the UK Whether you can apply depends on your age and how your parent applied. You must: live with your parent, unless you’re living away from home in full-time education - for example, at boarding school or university not be married or in a civil partnership If you’re under 18 One of your parents must be applying or have applied for a visa or to extend their permission to stay as a: partner - and the partner they’re joining is your other parent parent - and they have sole parental responsibility for you You can also apply if your parent has protection status (permission to stay as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection). Otherwise, you might still be eligible to apply if there are serious reasons to let you come to or stay in the UK and there are plans for your care. If you’re 18 or over Your parent can include you in their application as a dependant, or you can apply separately yourself. You can only apply if you have permission to stay in the UK (‘leave to remain’) on a family visa which started when you were under 18.

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

For a child under 18 born outside the UK, one parent must be applying or have applied as a partner (joining the child's other parent) or as a parent with sole parental responsibility, or have protection status; otherwise serious reasons and care plans may allow an application. Children born in the UK get the same permission as their parent.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    If you’re under 18 One of your parents must be applying or have applied for a visa or to extend their permission to stay as a: partner - and the partner they’re joining is your other parent parent - and they have sole parental responsibility for you You can also apply if your parent has protection status (permission to stay as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection). Otherwise, you might still be eligible to apply if there are serious reasons to let you come to or stay in the UK and there are plans for your care.
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    You’ll get the same permission to stay as your parent if you were born in the UK.

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm the evidence needed to prove the family relationship.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Current GB capture review did not establish a literal, route-specific claim for this answer.

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

A child applying must prove the income of the parent(s) being joined; if applying separately, the parent's income must meet the financial requirement for their family visa type, and for a parent with refugee/humanitarian protection the financial requirement for partners applies.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Child-specific amounts are in the partner section and not restated for children.
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    If you’re applying as a child, you’ll need to prove the income of the parent (or parents) you’re joining.
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    If you apply separately from your parent You’ll need to include proof of your parent’s income when you apply. If your parent has a family visa Their income has to meet the financial requirement for their type of family visa. For example, if they have a family visa as a partner, you’ll need to include proof they can meet the financial requirement for partners . If your parent has permission to stay as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection You’ll need to include proof your parent can meet the financial requirement for partners , whether they have a partner or not.

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

When the child applies separately, the form depends on the parent's route: the Appendix FM online form if the parent is on a 5 or 10-year route to settlement as the partner of a listed sponsor (e.g. British or Irish citizen, settled person, person with protection status), otherwise both the online application form and the Appendix 1 paper form. Decisions usually take 12 weeks outside the UK and 8 weeks inside, or about 12 months if the parent is on the 10-year route to settlement. A child born in the UK gets the same permission as the parent; a child may not need a family visa if a parent has indefinite leave to remain or permanent residence. The official source does not state the length of permission granted to a child born outside the UK.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Grant length for children born outside the UK is not stated in the guide.
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    You may not need a family visa if at least one of your parents has indefinite leave to remain or proof of permanent residence.
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    You’ll get the same permission to stay as your parent if you were born in the UK.
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    If you apply outside the UK You’ll usually get a decision within 12 weeks. If you apply inside the UK You’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks. It takes about 12 months to get a decision if your parent has leave to enter or remain in the UK on the 10-year route to settlement.
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/print
    Apply separately Which form you need to fill in depends on whether your parent has leave to enter or remain in the UK on a 5 or 10-year route to settlement as the partner of: a British or Irish citizen a person with indefinite leave to remain a person settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence a person from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who has pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021 a person with a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa a person with protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection) If they do, you must fill in the Appendix FM online form . If they do not, you must fill in both: the online application form the Appendix 1 paper form

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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