Dependant Children Visas – Rules for Bringing Children to the UK

Table Of Contents:

1. What is a UK Dependant Children Visa
2. Rules for Bringing Dependant Children to the UK
3. Bringing a Child If You are on a UK Skilled Worker Visa
4. Bringing Your Child If You Are on a UK Student Visa
5. Bringing Children under the UK Family Visa
6. UK Dependant Children Visa Indefinite Leave to Enter the UK
7. Final Thoughts

A UK dependant children visa allows children living overseas to apply to join their parent in the UK. In other words, parents in the UK can bring their children to the UK to live with them through dependant children visa. Dependant child means the one who is:

• Under the age of 18.
• Not married, in a civil partnership, or have not formed an independent family unit.
• Not leading an independent life.
• Financially dependent on their parent(s) in the UK (not claiming public funds).
• Normally living with their parent in the UK (unless there’s a good reason, such as higher education, for which the child has to live in a boarding school or a university).

A dependant child can apply to join their parents in the UK, depending on the immigration status of their parents.

In this article, we are going to discuss how to bring your child from overseas through a UK dependant children visa.

What is a UK Dependant Children Visa?

The UK Dependant Children Visa allows children under 18 to join or stay with their parent(s) in the UK. Their parent(s) should have one of the following immigration statuses:

• UK work visa (such as Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker).
• UK student visa.
• UK spouse or civil partner visa.
• British citizen or person with ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) status.

The type of application that can be made for dependant children depends on their parents immigration status. If their parent (s) are settled or applying for settlement in the UK, a child may be eligible to apply for ILE (Indefinite Leave to Enter).

If the child’s parent is on a temporary visa, such as a UK skilled worker visa or UK student visa, different rules apply.

Rules for Bringing Dependant Children to the UK

If the parent(s) of a dependant child want to bring them to the UK to join them, the children can be included in the same application when one of their parents are applying as a partner of someone in the UK on a temporary visa or a British citizen or with settled status in the UK. The children can also separately at a later stage.

1. Bringing a Child If You are on a UK Skilled Worker Visa

Your partner and dependant child can apply to join you as your dependants. Your child should be one of the following:

• Under 18 – including if they were born in the UK during your stay in the UK.
• Over 18 if they currently have permission to enter or permission to stay in the UK as your dependant.

For a UK dependant children visa, you will need to prove that your child is not married or in a civil partnership and they are living with you, unless for reasons such as full-time education, for which they have to live in a boarding school or university.

Your child will need to make a separate application and pay the visa fee. If their visa is successful, it will end on the same date as yours. Your child can then apply to extend their visa and followed by making an application for ILR in line with their parent.

If a child’s parents’ visas expire on different dates, the child’s visa will end on the earlier date. You will need to prove your relationship with your child.

Money Required Supporting the Dependant Children

If you are in the UK on a skilled worker visa, your annual salary must be £38,700 or the ‘going rate’ for the job, whichever is higher. You may be paid less if your job is on an immigration shortage list, you are a new entrant to the labor market, or you have a PhD in a STEM or non-STEM subjects.

You need to show £315 for bringing one child and £200 for each additional child. You also need to show £1,270 to support yourself unless you have been in the UK on a valid visa for at least 12 months or your sponsor is going to cover your expenses up to £1,270 for the first month.

Proving Your Child’s Identity

Your child needs to prove their identity through either using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app or by enrolling their biometric information (fingerprints and facial photograph) at a visa application center.

If you are a Care Worker or Senior Care Worker

You cannot bring your child to join you in the UK as your dependant unless you were employed before 11 March 2024, as a care worker or senior care worker in the UK, and on a Skilled Worker visa, and one of the following is true:

• You are currently in the UK, still on a skilled worker visa.
• You are extending your skilled worker visa with your current employer.
• You are changing to a new job within the same occupation code while on a skilled worker visa.

2. Bringing Your Child If You Are on a UK Student Visa

Your partner and children can apply to join you as your dependants at the same time when you are applying for a UK student visa, or they can apply later.

For a UK dependant children visa, you will need to prove that your child is not married or in a civil partnership and they are living with you, unless for reasons such as full-time education, for which they have to live in a boarding school or university.

If their UK dependant children visa application is successful, their visa will end on the same date as yours.

You will also need to prove your relationship with your child. For example, you can submit the child’s birth certificate.

Financial Support

If you are applying at the same time as your child, you’ll need to prove you have both the money to pay for your course and to support yourself, and additional money to support your child in the UK.

If your child is applying separately at a different time, they only need to prove that they have the money to support themself in the UK.

If you have a student loan or financial sponsorship and it covers your child, you’ll need to provide evidence of this from your loan or sponsorship company. However, if your loan does not cover your child, you will need to prove that you have extra money to support your child in the UK.

If you are applying at the same time as your child and your child is from a country listed under the ‘differential evidence requirement’, they are exempt from showing they have the money to support themselves.

Proving Your Child’s Identity

As part of the application, your child will need to enroll their biometric information at a visa application center to prove their identity.

3. Bringing Children under the UK Family Visa

If you are a British citizen or have settled status in the UK and your non-UK spouse or civil partner wants to join you in the UK, they can apply for a UK spouse visa or UK civil partner visa. They can include their child (you may or may not be the child’s other parent) in their application as dependants if the following applies:

• The child is under 18 when your spouse/civil partner applies.
• The child does not live an independent life.
• The child is not married and has not formed an independent family unit.
• You meet the financial requirement; and
• There will be adequate accommodation for the family, including dependant children.

Financial Requirement for UK Dependant Children Visa

If your partner is applying for a UK spouse or civil partner visa along with the child as dependants you must sponsor them. Your annual gross income must be at least £29,000, or you must have cash savings of at least £88,500. If you are going to combine income and savings to meet the financial requirement, you must have cash savings of at least £16,000 and the remaining amount as income.

4. UK Dependant Children Visa Indefinite Leave to Enter the UK

The following must be true for a dependant child applying for ILE.

• The child must be under 18;
• The child must not be leading an independent life;
• The child must be adequately maintained and accommodated in the UK by the parent.

A child may be eligible to apply for ILE (Indefinite Leave to Enter) the UK if one of the following circumstances exists:

• Both parents are present and settled in the UK or applying for settlement;
• One parent is present and settled, and the other is applying for settlement;
• One parent is present and settled, and the other parent is dead;
• One parent is present and settled or applying for settlement and has sole responsibility for the child;
• One parent or a relative is present and settled or applying for settlement and the child’s exclusion from the UK is undesirable due to serious and compelling family or other considerations, and suitable arrangements have been made for the child’s care in the UK.

Final Thoughts

Bringing a depandant child is an important and emotional decision for the parent(s). The UK dependant children visa is a way to bring the child to the UK to join or stay with you in the UK. If you are in the UK on a temporary leave such as skilled worker visa and student visa or the child is applying for indefinite leave to enter with you or at a later date, you need to prove that the child is dependant on you and you have the money to support the child in the UK.

If you are unsure of how to bring the dependant child to the UK, you should take legal advice from a UK immigration expert lawyer.

Read Other Blogs:

Requirements for a UK Unmarried Partner Visa in 2025

Switching from a UK Spouse Visa to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

Parent of a British Child: Navigating the Family Visa Route