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EU Immigration Portal

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Conditions

If you have permission to enter and remain in the United Kingdom permanently or temporarily as a worker or student on a post-graduate course, you may be able to bring the following family members to live with you:

  • Your spouse, civil partner, unmarried or same sex partner;
  • Your fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner if you have permission to stay permanently;
  • Your dependent, unmarried minor children, including adopted children, and those of your spouse/civil partner/unmarried / same-sex partner;
  • Adult dependent relatives, including a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, son or daughter, in some circumstances, but only if you have permission to stay permanently. They must show that, as a result of age, illness or disability, they require long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks. They must also show that care is not available or affordable in the country where they are living.
  • All family members must meet a financial requirement. Rules differ according to your immigrant status and the relationship of your family member.
  • If you have permission to stay permanently your spouse or partner must also be able to speak and understand English.

More on family reunification for temporary workers and students

More on family reunification for non-EU citizens with permission to stay permanently in the United Kingdom

Procedures

Where and how to apply

All persons applying to come to the United Kingdom from abroad as family members of Points-Based System migrants (except for the family members of a small number of Tier 5 migrants) or as an Adult Dependent Relative of a person with permission to stay permanently must obtain an entry visa at a visa application centre in the country where they are legally resident.

More on applying from abroad

If your family member is already in the United Kingdom and wants to switch into the immigration category of spouse or partner, he/she can submit an application by post or in person. He/she may need to meet other immigration status requirements. Rules differ according to your immigrant status and the status of your spouse or partner.

Documents required

The documents to submit with the application depend on your status, the type of family member involved and his/her current location.

Partners

If you have permission to enter or remain in the United Kingdom temporarily, as a worker, or as a student on a post-graduate course, your eligible partner must fulfil the following criteria before being allowed to join you for the duration of your stay:

  • that he/she has specific amounts of maintenance;
  • that the relationship is continuing at the time of the application;
  • that you intend to live together as a couple for the period of limited leave;
  • that he/she does not intend to stay beyond that period; and
  • that he/she is applying at a time when his current leave to remain satisfies certain criteria which allows him/her to switch.

Unmarried partners must also prove they have lived together in a relationship similar to marriage for two years prior to the application, and that any other relationship has broken down.

Children

If you have permission to enter or remain in the United Kingdom temporarily, as a worker, or as a student on a post-graduate course, your children must fulfil the following criteria before being allowed to join you for the duration of your stay:

  • you have specific amounts of maintenance, the level of which is calculated according to the number of children you have;
  • they do not intend to stay beyond that period;
  • they are applying at a time when their current leave to remain satisfies certain criteria which allow them to switch; and
  • they are not leading an independent life; are not married or in a civil partnership; have not formed an independent family unit; and are aged under 18.

If the child is a child of a Tier 4 migrant, the parent's course of study must be for more than six months.

Generally children are not allowed to come and live in the United Kingdom unless both parents are already living in or coming to the United Kingdom. If the other parent is not coming, the parent here must have sole responsibility for the child, or there must be serious and compelling reasons why the child's exclusion is undesirable.

Partner of a person with permission to stay permanently in the UK

If you have permission to stay permanently in the United Kingdom, your eligible partner must fulfil the following criteria before being allowed to join you:

  • you have a minimum income of £ 18,600 or savings at the required level;
  • the relationship is genuine and subsisting at the time of the application;
  • you and your partner have an intention to live together permanently in the UK;
  • your partner is able to speak and understand English at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference

Children of a person with permission to stay permanently in the UK

If you have permission to stay permanently in the United Kingdom, your children or children of your partner must fulfil the following criteria before being allowed to join you:

  • you have specific amounts of income or savings, the level of which is calculated according to the number of children you have (children whose parents both have permission to stay permanently are required to meet a different financial requirement); and
  • they are not leading an independent life; are not married or in a civil partnership; have not formed an independent family unit; and are aged under 18.

Duration of validity of permits

Partners

If you have permission to stay permanently in the United Kingdom, your partner can apply for permission to enter the UK as your spouse, civil partner, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner or unmarried/same-sex partner. The duration of the resulting stay will depend on the nature of the relationship:

  • Spouses, civil partners and unmarried/same-sex partners who successfully apply to live with you will be granted permission to stay in the United Kingdom for 33 months, or to remain for another 30 months if you are already in the UK when you apply. Shortly before the end of this period, your partner will be able to apply for leave to remain for a further period of 30 months. After completing a total period of 60 months your partner will be able to apply for permission to stay permanently in the UK.
  • Your fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner will be admitted for no more than six months and cannot work during this time. After they have married or registered their civil partnership, they may apply for permission to extend their stay. If the Home Office approves this application, they will be granted permission to live and work in the United Kingdom for a further 30 months. At the end of this time, they may apply for a further 30 months. After completing a period of 60 months as a spouse or civil partner they will be able to apply for permission to stay permanently in the United Kingdom.

If you have limited leave to remain, your partner and/or child will be granted leave in line with you if their applications are successful.

Children

If you have temporary permission to stay in the United Kingdom, and your child fulfils the requirements, he/she will be given permission to stay for the same period as you.

Your child will be granted permanent permission to stay from his/her date of arrival if:

  • You and your partner have permission to stay permanently in the United Kingdom or you have permission to stay permanently and you alone have had sole responsibility for your child or you are related to the child and there are serious and compelling family or other reasons making exclusion undesirable and you have made suitable arrangements for the child's care; and
  • your child fulfils the other requirements.
Appeals If a family member applies unsuccessfully from inside the United Kingdom, to join a family member who is here permanently, they may have a right of appeal. Their refusal letter from the Home Office will explain whether and how they can appeal. If they can appeal, an appeal form will be included with their refusal letter.

If a family member applies unsuccessfully from outside the United Kingdom to join a family member who is here permanently, they may have a right of appeal. Their refusal letter from the Home Office will explain whether and how they can appeal. If they can appeal, an appeal form will be included with their refusal letter.

Further requirements Upon arrival and during their stay, family members may need to register with the police.
Further information More on reuniting with your family members in the United Kingdom

Rights

Permanent residence statuts If you are settled in the United Kingdom, your partner can apply for permission to enter the UK with a view to settlement as your spouse, civil partner, fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner or unmarried/same-sex partner.

If the application is successful, they will be granted permission to live in the United Kingdom for 33 months, or to remain for another 30 months if you are already in the UK when you apply. Shortly before the end of this period, your partner will be able to apply for a further period of 30 months and, after a total period of 60 months, they will be able to apply for permission to settle permanently in the UK.

More on permanent residence status of spouse and partner

A child whose parents have permanent residence status will be given permanent residence status if their application succeeds.

Access to employment The spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner of a person with permission to stay permanently is entitled to work. A fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner of a person with permission to stay permanently may not work until they are granted permission to extend their stay in the United Kingdom having married or entered into a civil partnership.

Children granted permanent residence may seek employment while in the United Kingdom, subject to general restrictions on the hours and nature of work that apply to British children. Children of parents with limited leave to remain as Tier 4 migrants may be restricted from working. Children of other migrants here temporarily may work.