Skilled Worker Dependent Visa UK
If you are in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, your partner and children can also apply to join you in the UK. A Skilled Worker Dependent visa allows them to do so.
However, applying for a Skilled Worker Dependent visa involves numerous immigration rules and applying for this visa type can often be complicated to navigate. If you are a Skilled Worker visa holder and wish for your family to join you in the UK, contact Total Law today on +44 (0) 333 305 9375 to learn more about how we can help make the process as smooth as possible.
Skilled Worker Dependent Visa Overview
The Skilled Worker Dependent visa allows the immediate family members of Skilled Worker visa holders to join them in the UK. If you are in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, your partner and children can apply separately to join you.
If their applications are successful, they will generally be granted leave to remain in the UK for the same duration as your own visa. This generally means that they will be granted permission to stay for a period of up to 5 years, at which point the original Skilled Worker visa and any associated Skilled Worker Dependent visas will need extending. If both parents have visas with different expiry dates, the children will generally be granted leave to remain until the earliest of the two expiry dates.
Page Contents
- Skilled Worker Dependent Visa Overview
- Eligibility Criteria for the Skilled Worker Dependent Visa UK
- What if I am a UK care worker or senior care worker?
- Documents required for skilled worker dependent visa UK
- How to apply for UK skilled worker dependent visa
- Cost Breakdown of a UK Skilled Worker Dependent Visa
- Processing Time for Skilled Worker Dependent Visa
- Skilled worker dependent visa renewal in UK
- What rights will my family have within the UK?
- How can Total Law help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility Criteria for the Skilled Worker Dependent Visa UK
If your partner or child(ren) plan to join you in the UK on a Skilled Worker Dependent visa, they will need to satisfy a number of eligibility criteria. The exact criteria will depend on the familial relationship in question.
Children
In order to be eligible for the Skilled Worker Dependent visa route, your children will generally need to satisfy the following criteria:
- Live with you, unless they are in full-time education for which they live away from home (e.g. boarding school or university)
- Be neither married nor in a civil partnership
You will also be expected to provide evidence of your child(ren)’s address. This evidence can take many forms, such as a bank statement, driving licence, NHS registration document, or official letter from their educational institution.
Partner
In order to be eligible under the Skilled Worker Dependent route, your partner will need to satisfy one of the following criteria:
- Be in a UK-recognised civil partnership or marriage with you
- Have been cohabiting with you for at least 2 years at the time of application
- Have been in a relationship with you for at least 2 years but unable to live with you, e.g. because of studying or working in separate places or due to cultural considerations
In the case of the last category, you will need to provide evidence of an ongoing relationship even though you were not living together, such as evidence of regular communication, raising children together, shared finances, and shared travel.
What if I am a UK care worker or senior care worker?
If you are a care worker or senior care worker within the UK, the eligibility conditions are slightly different. Your partner and children will not be eligible to join you in the UK unless you were employed before 11th March 2024 and are able to satisfy one of the following conditions:
- You still possess a valid UK Skilled Worker visa
- You are planning to extend your Skilled Worker visa with the same employer
- You have a Skilled Worker visa and are switching to a new job which has the same occupation code
Note that, if you were employed as a care worker after 11th March 2024, your immediate family will not be eligible for Skilled Worker Dependent visas.
Documents required for skilled worker dependent visa UK
When applying for a Skilled Worker Dependent visa, there are a number of documents which are required. In general, Skilled Worker Dependent visa applicants will require the following:
- Valid passport
- Family records (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc., as applicable)
- Proof of sufficient financial means
- Proof of address
- The exact documents which are required will depend on your family’s circumstances.
Note that all documents must be provided in English or Welsh. Where documents are in need of translating, you must make sure to use an authorised translation service.
How to apply for UK skilled worker dependent visa
The exact application steps for the Skilled Worker Dependent visa will depend on whether or not you are applying from within the UK.
Applying from outside the UK
If your family members are applying from outside of the UK, they can submit their applications online. Each family member will need to submit their own application and pay the associated visa fee. They will also need to provide your application number. In some cases, you may also have been provided with a ‘family linking code’, which should also be included in their application in order to link your applications.
Your family members will also need to verify their identity. This can be done either via the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app or at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point, where they will provide their biometric information (their photograph and fingerprints).
Once the application has been submitted, it will then be processed. If the application is successful, your family members will be provided with a visa which can then be used to enter the UK.
Applying from within the UK
If your family is applying from inside the UK, this likely means that they are applying to extend or switch their current visa.
The application should be submitted online, via the UK government website. They will need to provide your application number as part of their own application. Additionally, if you were provided with a ‘family linking code’, they can also provide this in order to link your applications.
They will also need to verify their identity. They can do this either using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app or at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point, where they will need to provide their biometric information (their photograph and fingerprints).
Once your application has been submitted, it will be processed and you will receive a decision. If you are successful, your leave to remain in the UK will have been extended, per the terms of your new visa.
Note that, if your partner or children are currently in the UK on any of the following visas, they will not be able to apply to switch to a Skilled Worker Dependent visa:
- Visitor visa
- Short-term Student visa
- Parent of a Child Student visa
- Seasonal Worker visa
- Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa
- On immigration bail
Cost Breakdown of a UK Skilled Worker Dependent Visa
There are a number of financial requirements associated with the Skilled Worker Dependent visa.
Firstly, you will need to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family.
If you are being joined by your partner, you will need to show that you have £285. If you are being joined by one child, you will need an additional £315. This amount reduces to £200 for each additional child. This money will need to have been available (to either you, your partner, or your child) for at least 28 days, and these 28 days will need to fall within 31 days of when they submit their visa application.
However, there are some exceptions where you will not need to provide evidence of this, specifically if you have all been living legally in the UK for at least 12 months or if your employer will be covering your family’s costs when they first arrive in the UK (which they will need to confirm on your certificate of sponsorship).
There are also application fees associated with this visa type. In the case of Skilled Worker visas where the certificate of sponsorship has been issued for 3 years or under, the application fee is £769. In cases where the certificate of sponsorship has been issued for over 3 years, the cost is £1,519.
Processing Time for Skilled Worker Dependent Visa
You should generally receive an answer on your application within 3 weeks if you are applying from outside of the UK and within 8 weeks if you are applying from inside of the UK. However, note that this time may vary based on a number of factors, such as whether you are required to provide additional information and how many other applications are simultaneously being processed.
In order to minimise delays to your application, make sure to correctly submit your application, including all required documents, and to promptly provide any additional information which is requested after submission.
Skilled worker dependent visa renewal in UK
Note that, if you apply to extend your own skilled worker visa, the visas of your dependants will not automatically be extended. Instead, they will need to apply to extend their own visas. They can either do so at the same time as you or before their own visas’ expiry.
Due to the possibility of delays, it is important to submit visa extension applications in good time in order to ensure that you and your family members are able to maintain legal status within the UK.
What rights will my family have within the UK?
Upon arrival in the UK, your partner and child(ren) will have a number of rights. They are eligible to work (except as a sportsperson or coach) and study. They will also be authorised to leave and re-enter the UK.
Once they have lived legally in the UK for 5 years, they may also be eligible to apply for permanent settlement (known in the UK as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) which also provides a route to eventual British citizenship. As a British citizen, they will be eligible to vote in UK elections and to obtain a UK passport.
However, there are some rights which a Skilled Worker Dependent visa does not grant, such as the right to apply for most welfare benefits or a state pension.
Note that, in the case of a successful application, the applicant will be provided with a full list of the rights and restrictions associated with the Skilled Worker Dependent visa.
How can Total Law help?
Skilled Worker Dependent visas allow the partner and children of skilled workers from overseas to join them in the UK. This visa type brings many benefits, such as the right to live, work, and study in the UK and a path to eventual permanent settlement and British citizenship. As such, it is a popular choice amongst many families where at least one member has a UK Skilled Worker visa.
However, the immigration rules surrounding the UK Skilled Worker Dependent visa are complicated and can often be confusing. At Total Law, we offer a range of services designed to make the application process as smooth as possible. We can help you with every stage of the application, from gathering the right documents to navigating the appeal process in the event that you have already submitted an unsuccessful application. Contact us today on +44 (0) 333 305 9375 to learn more.
Advice Package
Comprehensive immigration advice tailored to your circumstances and goals.
Application Package
Designed to make your visa application as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Fast Track Package
Premium application service that ensures your visa application is submitted to meet your deadline.
Appeal Package
Ensure you have the greatest chance of a successful appeal. We will represent you in any case.
The Advice Package
During this untimed Advice Session with our professional immigration lawyers in London, you will receive our comprehensive advice, completely tailored to your needs and your situation.
The Application Package
With our Application Package, your dedicated immigration lawyer will advise you on your application process and eligibility. Your caseworker will then complete and submit your forms to the Home Office on your behalf.
The Fast Track Package
Our Fast-Track Application Package is a premium service for those who need to submit their application in time with their deadlines. Your case will become a top priority for our lawyers and you will benefit from our highest-quality services.
The Appeal Package
By choosing our Appeal Package, you can rely on our lawyers’ legal knowledge and experience to ensure you have the highest chance of a successful appeal. We will also fully represent you in any hearings/tribunals.
Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Skilled Worker Dependent visa holders can work in the UK. There are only a couple of exceptions: they will not be authorised to work as either a sportsperson or a coach.
However, their right to work in the UK is contingent on your own right to work in the UK. If your own visa expires and is not able to be extended, your dependants will no longer be eligible to work in the UK.
Yes, Skilled Worker Dependent visa holders can study in the UK. If your children are living in the UK as your dependents, they will be able to attend UK school, college, or university.
Yes, dependants are allowed to travel in and out of the UK on a Skilled Worker Dependant visa. However, they will need to make sure to maintain legal status within the UK in order to reenter. Upon expiry of their current visa, they will need to make sure to renew their visa in order to be allowed to reenter the UK.
Unlike with the UK Skilled Worker, Skilled Worker dependants will not generally need to satisfy any language requirements in order to obtain a Skilled Worker Dependant visa. However, note that if they eventually wish to apply for either permanent settlement (indefinite leave to remain) or British citizenship, they will be expected to satisfy the associated language requirements.
