Family visas: apply, extend or switch

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Apply as a child

You can apply for a family visa to join your parent in the UK.

You may not need a family visa if at least one of your parents has indefinite leave to remain or proof of permanent residence. Check if you can apply to settle in the UK.

If your parent cannot include you in their form and you’re in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for Private Life in the UK.

If your parent has settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme.

You were born in the UK

You’ll get the same permission to stay as your parent if you were born in the UK.

If you’re under 18

You can either:

  • be added to your parent’s next application as a dependant
  • apply separately

To apply separately, you’ll need to know what kind of permission to stay in the UK (‘limited leave to remain’) your parent has.

If you’re over 18

Your parent can only include you in their application as a dependant if you:

  • got permission to come to or stay in the UK (‘leave to enter or remain’) on a family visa when you were under 18
  • do not live an independent life
  • are applying from inside the UK

You’re living an independent life if, for example, you’ve left home, got married and had children.

You were born outside the UK

Whether you can apply depends on your age and how your parent applied.

If you’re under 18

You must:

  • not be married, in a civil partnership or living an independent life
  • be financially supported without claiming public funds

One of your parents must also be applying or have applied for a visa or to extend their permission to stay as a:

  • partner - and the partner they’re joining is your other parent
  • parent - and they have sole parental responsibility for you

Otherwise, you might still be eligible to apply if there are serious reasons to let you come to, or stay in the UK and there are plans for your care.

If you’re over 18

Your parent can include you in their application as a dependant, or you can apply separately yourself. You can only apply if you:

  • got permission to stay in the UK (‘leave to remain’) on a family visa when you were under 18
  • do not live an independent life

You’re living an independent life if, for example, you’ve left home, got married and had children.

Apply from outside the UK

You’ll need to prepare information and documents to provide with your application.

Apply at the same time as your parent

Which form you need to fill in depends on whether your parent is applying to enter the UK as the partner of one of the following:

  • a British or Irish citizen
  • a person with indefinite leave to remain
  • a person settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
  • a person from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who has pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
  • a person with a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa
  • a person with protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)

If they are applying as one of these, you must fill in the Appendix FM online form.

If they are not, you must fill in both:

Apply separately

Which form you need to fill in depends on whether your parent has leave to enter or remain in the UK on a 5 or 10-year route to settlement as the partner of:

  • a British or Irish citizen
  • a person with indefinite leave to remain
  • a person settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
  • a person from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who has pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
  • a person with a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa
  • a person with protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee or a person with humanitarian protection)

If they do, you must fill in the Appendix FM online form.

If they do not, you must fill in both:

Apply from the UK

You’ll need to prepare information and documents to provide with your application.

If you’re already in the UK, you must apply online.

You can also check if you’re eligible for a different type of visa.

If you cannot pay the fee

You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot pay the fee because you:

  • do not have a place to live and cannot afford one
  • have a place to live but cannot afford essential living costs like food or heating
  • have a very low income and paying the fee would harm your child’s wellbeing

Apply for a fee waiver online from outside the UK. You can only apply for a visa fee waiver if you’re filling in the Appendix FM online form.

Apply for a fee waiver online from inside the UK.

Get help to apply online

You can get help with completing the online visa application form if you:

  • do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device
  • do not have internet access

You can only use this service if you’re applying in the UK.

You cannot get immigration advice through this service.

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