Table Of Contents
- Types of UK Family Visa
- UK Spouse/Civil Partner Visa
- Fiancé, Fiancée, or Proposed Civil Partner Visa
- UK Parent Visa
- UK Child Visa
- UK Adult Relative Visa
- Family Visa Requirements
- Application Process
- How long do you have to wait
- Conclusion
The UK family visa is for your loved ones. The UK Family Visa is a route to unite eligible family members in the UK. If you are a British citizen or one with a settled status in the UK and have family members who are foreign nationals, you can bring them to the UK. Your family members can apply for a UK family visa to join you in the UK. The UK family visa is valid for 6 months or more.
A family member can be your spouse or partner, fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner; child; parent; or relative who’ll provide long-term care for you.
Please note that a UK family visa is a route to settlement.
Types of UK Family Visa
The Family Visa your loved one needs to apply for depends on their relationship with you.
1. UK Spouse/Civil Partner Visa
You can bring your spouse/partner to the UK if you are one of the following:
- British or Irish citizen
- Settled in the UK—for example, they have indefinite leave to remain.
- From the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status
- On Turkish Businessperson Visa or Turkish Worker Visa
- Someone who has leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee, or a person with humanitarian protection
- Someone who has permission to stay as a stateless person
Your spouse or civil partner can apply to join and live with you from outside the UK or inside the UK (if they are already in the UK on a different visa).
2. Fiancé, Fiancée, or Proposed Civil Partner Visa
Your fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner who is a foreign national can join you in the UK. First, they need to apply for a UK fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner visa. After they are in the UK, you both must marry or enter into a civil partnership within 6 months of their arrival in the UK. After marrying or entering into a civil partnership, your fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner can apply for a UK spouse visa or civil partner visa, and thus you can live with them.
3. UK Parent Visa
If you are a child, your parent can apply to join you in the UK to take care of you. You must be under 18 on the date your parent applied or have been under 18 when your parent was first granted leave. You must live with your parent, not be married or in a civil partnership, and your parent must have sole or shared responsibility for you.
4. UK Child Visa
You can bring your child to the UK on a UK Family Visa. The other parent (your partner/spouse) can include your child in their application when applying to join you. Your child does not require a family visa if you have indefinite leave to remain or proof of permanent residence. If you have pre-settled or settled status under EUSS (European Union Settlement Scheme), your child may apply to the free EUSS to join you in the UK.
5. UK Adult Relative Visa
Adult relative means that you are a parent, grandchild, brother, sister, son, or daughter of someone from outside the UK. If you are a British or Irish citizen or have settled status in the UK, you can bring them to the UK on a UK family visa. Your relative must need long-term care from you. If you have pre-settled or settled status under the EU settlement scheme, your relative can apply for the EU settlement scheme.
Family Visa Requirements
If you want to bring your loved ones to the UK, you and your family member have to meet certain requirements. Here we will discuss what you need to prove to bring your family to the UK:
Sponsorship Requirement
In order to bring your family to the UK, you must sponsor them (the applicant). Sponsoring means that you will support your family members financially and have adequate accommodation for them during their stay in the UK. You will not rely on public funds.
Relationship Requirement
The applicant must prove their relationship with you. For example, if your spouse is applying to join you, they must show a marriage certificate that is recognized in the UK. Similarly, if your child is applying to join you, they/you need to submit documents such as the birth certificate of the child where the names of both parents (you being one parent) are mentioned.
Financial Requirement
You must show documents such as pay slips, bank statements, or cash savings statements to prove that you can financially support yourself and the family member you want to bring to the UK. For example, if your spouse/civil partner and/or children are applying for a UK family visa, you must meet the minimum annual income requirement of £29,000. This minimum income threshold has come into effect from 11 April 2024 and covers your spouse/civil partner and children (if any).
Application Process
If you want to bring your family on a UK family visa, they need to apply for it from outside the UK. If they are already in the UK on another visa, they can apply to switch to a UK family visa. We are considering here that you want to bring your family member who is living outside of the UK.
Apply Online – Your family member needs to apply online. As part of the application, they need to prove their identity. They can submit it online or at their nearest visa application center. If they do it at a visa application center, they need to submit their biometric information (fingerprints and photograph) there.
Pay the Application Fee – If your family member applies for a UK family visa from outside the UK as a partner, parent, or child, they need to pay £1,538, while for a dependent adult relative applying for the visa, the application fee is £3,250.
Submit the Documents – The applicant must submit the documents required to apply successfully for the family visa UK.
How long do you have to wait?
You need to wait for the decision on your family member’s visa application. The time it would take depends on the relationship you have with the applicant (spouse, children, parent, and adult relative) and where the application is submitted.
If your spouse/civil partner is applying from outside the UK to join you, it usually takes around 12 weeks to get a decision.
If the application is for a parent, it generally takes 12 months, and if it is for an adult relative whom you would take care of, it takes about 12 weeks to process the application.
Conclusion
The UK Family Visa is for reuniting family members where one is either a British or Irish citizen or has settled status in the UK, such as indefinite leave to remain. The visa can be applied for from outside the UK and from inside the UK also, where the applicant is in the UK on a different visa.
After your loved one has lived continuously in the UK for 5 years, they may apply for ILR, and after holding ILR for 1 year, they may apply for British citizenship also.
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UK Fiancé Visa vs. Spouse Visa: Key Differences