UK family visa for children, parents and dependent relatives

A child under 18 born outside the UK can apply if a parent is applying for or holds a partner visa and the partner is the child’s other parent, if a parent has a parent visa with sole parental responsibility, or if a parent has protection status. The child must live with the parent and not be married. If a parent is already settled, the child may apply to settle directly. The parent’s income must meet the income rule for their own family visa type.

A parent can apply to care for a child under 18 who lives in the UK and is British, Irish, settled, or an EEA or Swiss citizen with pre-settled status. You need sole or shared parental responsibility (if shared, the other parent must not be your partner and must be British, Irish or settled) and must take an active role in the child’s upbringing, shown with letters from schools, doctors or courts less than 4 years old. English and support requirements apply.

Child and parent applications cost £2,064 from outside the UK and £1,407 inside, plus the health surcharge (£3,105 for an adult or £2,328 for a child for 2 years 9 months). Adult dependent relatives pay £3,635, or £452 if joining a relative with protection status, and no surcharge is charged on settlement. Most decisions from outside the UK take about 12 weeks.

An adult who needs long-term care with everyday personal and household tasks because of illness, disability or age can join a parent, grandchild, brother, sister, son or daughter who is British, Irish, settled, a pre-settled EEA or Swiss citizen resident before 2021, or has protection status. You must show the required care is not available or affordable in your country and that the UK relative can accommodate and care for you without public funds, for 5 years if they are British or settled. This route is applied for only from outside the UK.

Partners and children of people with refugee or humanitarian protection status apply through the family visa routes above, where protection status holders are listed as eligible sponsors. If the sponsor claimed asylum after 2 March 2026, the family member’s permission ends when the sponsor’s does. Caseworker guidance on Appendix Family Reunion was updated in August 2026; check GOV.UK for the route that applies to you.

Family visa decisions involve a human rights claim, so a refusal normally carries a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). From outside the UK the appeal must be lodged within 28 days of receiving the decision; the tribunal fee is £82 without a hearing or £144 with one. The refusal letter states whether you can appeal.