Table Of Contents:
- What is a UK Adult Dependant Relative Visa
- Sponsor’s Immigration Status for this Visa
- Demonstrating the Family Relationship
- Demonstrating Long-term Personal Care
- Demonstrating Unavailability or Unaffordability of Care in the Applicant’s Country
- Demonstrating Adequate Maintenance and Accommodation in the UK
- Entry Clearance to the ADR of a British citizen in the UK or a person settled in the UK
- Settlement for the Adult Dependent Relative Visa Applicants
- At the end
The UK ADR (Adult Dependent Relative) visa allows qualifying individuals to live in the UK with a close relative who is a British citizen, settled in the UK, having protection status (refugee status or humanitarian protection) on a long-term or even permanent basis.
The purpose of the ADR route is to allow a non-UK national who needs long-term personal care as a result of either age, illness, or disability to live with a close relative in the UK, provided the applicant can demonstrate that the level of long-term care they need can only be reasonably and adequately provided in the UK by their sponsor.
The Court of Appeal, on 24 May 2017, upheld the lawfulness of the ADR (Adult Dependent Relative) Rules in Britcits v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [24 May 2017] EWCA Civ 368. This comprehensive guide for 2025 has taken into account the judgment.
What is a UK Adult Dependant Relative Visa?
The Adult Dependent Relative Visa is intended for families wishing to reunite with elderly parents or other close relatives who can no longer take care of themselves adequately in their home country.
The adult dependant relative visa falls under the UK family visa route. Under this visa, an overseas national who needs long-term personal care, that is, help performing everyday tasks, for example, washing, dressing, and cooking, can apply to join their close relative (also known as ‘Sponsor’) in the UK who will provide them with the required care.
The applicant on the ADR route must show that they need long-term care due to age or medical condition, such as illness or disability, and they cannot obtain the required level of care in their home country or the country they are living in because it is not available or affordable there.
An ADR visa applicant must be outside the UK because a person cannot switch into this route in the UK.
Sponsor’s Immigration Status for this Visa?
An applicant’s sponsor in the UK under the ADR route must be 18 or over and one of the following:
• A British Citizen in the UK
• A person with Indefinite Leave to Remain (‘Settled) in the UK
• A person with protection status (refugee status or humanitarian protection) in the UK
• An EEA (European Economic Area) or Swiss national who was granted limited leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU’s paragraph EU3 based on meeting condition 1(a) (i) in Appendix EU’s paragraph EU14 (also known as pre-settled status under the EUSS (EU Settlement Scheme)). This means that they were granted limited leave based on their residence in the UK before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, and that they were an EEA or Swiss national by then.
Demonstrating the Family Relationship
The applicant on the ADR route must be the
(a) Parent aged 18 years or over;
(b) Grandparent;
(c) Sibling (brother or sister) aged 18 years or over; or
(d) Child (son or daughter) aged 18 years or over,
of the sponsor in the UK.
Please note that where both the parents or grandparents of the sponsor are applying for an ADR visa, only one of them must require long-term personal care. Both must apply at the same time, and the partner must be unable to provide care.
It will be required to provide evidence of the relationship between the applicant and the sponsor. The evidence should be in the form of birth or adoption certificates or other evidence. The ECO (Entry Clearance Officer) will need to assess whether other evidence is needed.
Demonstrating Long-term Personal Care
Applicants can use medical evidence from a doctor or healthcare professional to demonstrate that they need long-term personal care as they are incapable of performing everyday tasks, for example, washing, dressing, and cooking, due to their age, illness, or disability.
Demonstrating Unavailability or Unaffordability of Care in the Applicant’s Country
An applicant for a UK ADR visa must also demonstrate to the Home Office that
The level of care they need for their specific conditions is either unavailable or unaffordable – even with the feasible and financial help of the sponsor, in the country where they are currently living (ADR 5.2), and
There is no person (such as a close relative or wider family member (such as friend, or neighbour), nurse, carer, or care or nursing home) in that country to reasonably provide the care at the required level.
Applicant must provide evidence that the required level of care is not, or is no longer, available in the country where they are living. This evidence should be from a local authority, a central or local health authority, or a doctor or other health professional in the applicant’s country. If the applicant was receiving care through a private arrangement, they must provide details of that arrangement and why it is no longer available.
Applicant must provide evidence that the required level of care is not, or is no longer, affordable in the country where they live. Iel of care to be provided. If payment is currently being made for care of the applicant, or was made previously, the ECO (Entry Clearance Officer) should check records of such payments and ask for an explanation of why this payment cannot continue. If the sponsor or other close family member in the UK has provided the financial support, the ECO should ask for an explanation of why they cannot continue this support, or why this is no longer sufficient to enable the required level of care to be provided.
Demonstrating Adequate Maintenance and Accommodation in the UK
To meet the financial requirements set out at ADR 6.1 to 6.3, the evidence must be provided to prove that the sponsor can adequately maintain, accommodate, and provide care for the applicant in the UK without any recourse to public funds.
A signed undertaking from the sponsor must be provided by the applicant. This undertaking must confirm that the applicant will have no recourse to public funds. It should also confirm that the sponsor will be fully responsible for the applicant’s maintenance, accommodation, and care either for five years (if the sponsor is a British citizen or has settled status in the UK) or for the duration of the period of permission to be granted to the applicant which will be in line with the period of leave held by the sponsor (where the sponsor in the UK has protection status or they are an EEA or Swiss national with limited leave to enter or remain granted under the Appendix EU).
Additionally, in all cases, the applicant must provide evidence from the sponsor confirming that the sponsor can meet the requirements of ADR 6.2 to 6.5, provide the maintenance, accommodation, and care required to the applicant, in the form of any or all of the following:
- Bank statements for the last 6 months
- Other evidence of income – such as salary slips, income from savings, shares, bonds, for the last 6 months
- Relevant information on outgoings, for example, utilities, Council Tax, and support for anyone else who is dependent on the sponsor
- A mortgage or tenancy agreement copy showing ownership or occupancy of a property
- Planned care arrangements for the ADR visa applicant in the UK (this can involve other family members in the UK) and the cost of these arrangements (which must be met by the sponsor, without undertakings of third-party support)
Entry Clearance to the ADR of a British citizen in the UK or a person settled in the UK
The applicant will be granted ILE (Indefinite Leave to Enter) if they successfully meet the requirements of the ADR Rules (and whether or not there are exceptional circumstances under ADR 7.1, and ADR 7.2 does not apply) and their sponsor is either a British citizen in the UK or a person present and settled in the UK.
Entry Clearance to the ADR of a person in the UK with Protection Status or an EEA or Swiss national with Limited Leave to Enter or Remain granted under the Appendix EU.
If the applicant successfully meets the requirements of the ADR Rules (and whether or not there are exceptional circumstances under paragraph ADR 7.1 and ADR 7.2 does not apply) and their sponsor is in the UK with protection status or an EEA or Swiss national with limited leave to enter or remain, the applicant will be granted entry clearance to the UK.
The applicant’s entry clearance will expire at the same time as the limited leave of the sponsor, and will be subject to a condition of no recourse to public funds. In this case, if the sponsor applies for, and is granted, further limited leave in that category, in accordance with ADR 9.2, the ADR visa applicant may also apply for further limited leave of the same duration. The applicant must continue to meet all the suitability and relevant eligibility requirements in accordance with ADR 8.1. Further limited leave will be subject to a condition of no recourse to public funds.
Settlement for the Adult Dependent Relative Visa Applicants
If the sponsor is a British citizen in the UK or is present and settled in the UK, a successful ADR applicant will normally be granted settlement (also known as indefinite leave to enter or remain) in the UK.
On the other hand, if the sponsor is in the UK with protection status or an EEA or Swiss national with limited leave to enter or remain, the Adult Dependent Relative will generally be granted limited leave in line with the sponsor’s status, and once their sponsor has applied for settlement, the ADR is also able to apply for settlement.
At the end
The UK Adult Dependent Relative visa falls under the family route. The ADR visa is specifically designed for family members who, due to age, illness, or disability, require long-term personal care that is not available or not affordable in the country where they are living. It is a highly restricted route, with a high evidential threshold.
The ADR visa application process involves demonstrating the family relationship, financial stability, and proof of dependency. The sponsor must also commit to taking full responsibility for the applicant’s care in the UK for the relevant period. Processing times can vary, and hence careful preparation is needed to avoid delays or refusals.
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