Adult Dependent Visa UK
The adult-dependent visa is reserved for someone who lives outside of the UK and requires long-term care from a family member who is already living in the United Kingdom.
If you have any questions regarding the Adult Dependent UK visa application or other immigration advice, you can contact our professional immigration lawyers to discuss any concerns you may have, or for some help navigating the application process. You can call us on 0333 305 9375 or contact us online seven days a week via our live chat.
Page Content:
- What is the Adult Dependent Visa?
- What are the requirements and eligibility for an Adult Dependent Visa?
- What documents are required for applying for the adult-dependent relative visa?
- How to apply for the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa?
- What are the fees for the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa?
- How long does the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa last?
- What are the reasons the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa may be rejected?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Adult Dependent Visa?
The adult-dependent visa falls within the UK family visa category. This visa has very specific requirements as it is strictly reserved for non- EEA citizens that require long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks whether that is due to age, illness or disability, or practical and financial help which can only strictly be provided by the relative that is either a British citizen living in the UK or is settled in the UK.
The Adult Dependent Relative visa offers entry clearance only to applicants outside the UK, it isn’t an option to switch to this visa from within the UK.
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What are the requirements and eligibility for an Adult Dependent Visa?
Current immigration rules allow for the dependent relative to move to the UK and get the care you require.
To be eligible, the applicant should be living outside of the UK and require long-term care from a parent, grandchild, brother, sister, adult child, son, or daughter. The person offering the care must:
- Be a British or Irish citizen
- Be settled in the UK with either Indefinite Leave to Remain, Settled Status, or proof of permanent residence
- Be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status, meaning they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
- Have refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK
To be eligible for the adult-dependent visa UK, you must prove the following:
- You require long-term care to do everyday personal and household tasks because of age, illness, or disability.
- The care you require isn’t available or affordable in the country you live
- The person you’ll be joining in the UK have to be able to support, accommodate and care for you without claiming public funds for at least 5 years
- You’re 18 or over
‘Personal care’ is different from ‘medical’ or ‘nursing’ care. Personal care must be care provided by another person not support provided by mechanical professionals/aids or medication. Personal care tasks may include ‘everyday tasks’ like washing, dressing and cooking, and other activities of daily living.
It must be determined that even with the practical and financial help of the relative settled in the UK, personal care cannot be obtained in the dependent’s own country. This could be due to financial circumstances and/ or a lack of reasonably affordable care in their home country or because there is no one in that country that can reasonably provide it. This means if the adult-dependent relative does have close relatives in his or her home country, this requirement will not be met.
What documents are required for applying for the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa?
There is extensive documentary evidence that is required when applying for an Adult-Dependent Relative Visa. You will also be informed of the total list of documents when you make your application. This includes:
- Full names
- Date of birth
- Current passport or other valid travel ID
- Copies of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps in your previous passports
- Copy of the biometric residence permit (If applicable)
- Details of any previous immigration applications you’ve made
- Details of any criminal convictions (if applicable)
- National insurance number, if you have one
- Tuberculosis test results (if applicable)
It’s important to note that all the documents need to be submitted in English.
How to apply for the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa?
Prior to applying, the applicant should prepare the necessary information and documents including, when applicable, their sponsor’s written undertaking that they will be responsible for the applicant’s maintenance, accommodation, and care for at least 5 years without relying on public funds and all medical evidence.
The application process for this visa is completed online on the UK government website. As part of the application, applications need to complete Appendix 1 as well.
What are the fees for the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa?
For applications done outside of the UK, the fee is £3,250.
If your family members are refugees or have humanitarian protection, then this fee is reduced to £388 as its considered exceptional circumstances.
How long does the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa last?
The length of the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa will depend on the status of your family member. If your family member is British, Irish, or settled in the UK then your stay is unlimited and it won’t be necessary to apply to extend or settle.
If your family member holds pre-settled status, then they must have been living in the UK before 1 January 2021. In this case, you are permitted to stay as long as your family member stays, and you will need to apply to extend or settle when they do.
If your family member has refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK, you can stay as long as your family member stays and you’ll need to apply to extend or settle when they do.
What are the reasons the Adult-Dependent Relative Visa may be rejected?
Due to the strict application requirements, rejections do happen. The reason an application might be rejected could be:
- Failure to provide enough sufficient evidence of the relationship between the UK sponsor and the visa applicant
- Not enough proof showing that the individual requires long-term personal care due to age, illness, or disability
- The Home Office is not convinced that a similar standard of care could not be found in the applicant’s home country
- Proof of sufficient financial, accommodation, and care maintenance for at least five years was not provided
Receiving a refusal can be very disheartening and stressful, as well as time-consuming and expensive. Per immigration rules, if the application is rejected, it is possible to challenge the decisions through an administrative review or appeal via the First-Tier Tribunal. If this occurs to your adult dependant relative, it is wise to seek expert legal advice from a legal advisor at Total Law.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
The family member must be either a British Citizen, hold Indefinite Leave to Remain, or be recognized as a refugee with granted asylum in the UK.
No, there is no English exam required when applying this route.
By collecting medical evidence to confirm you, the applicant, health condition and providing evidence from a local health authority confirming that the level of care is no longer available in your home country or sufficient evidence that care is unaffordable.
If the applicant’s sponsor is a British Citizen or settled in the UK, the applicant will be granted Indefinite Leave.
If the applicant’s sponsor holds limited leave as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection then the applicant will be granted entry clearance with an expiration date expire that matches the sponsor’s limited leave.
No, the adult-dependent visa is strictly available to people who live outside of the UK, and all applications need to be made in the home country before moving.
For an Adult Dependant application to succeed, the applicant has to:
- Due to their age, illness, or disability require long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks e.g. washing, dressing, and cooking
- Are unable, even with the practical and financial help of the sponsor, to obtain the required level of care in their specific home country because it is not available and/or there is nobody in that country who can reasonably provide it or because it is not affordable
- Be adequately maintained, accommodated, and cared for by the sponsor without needing to access public funds. If the sponsor is a British Citizen or settled in the UK, they must sign a 5-year undertaking to that effect, at the entry clearance stage.