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.

You can either:

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

You must:

  • live with your parent in the UK, unless you’re living away from home in full-time education - for example, at boarding school or university
  • not be married or in a civil partnership

If you’re under 18, you’ll need to know what kind of permission to stay in the UK (‘limited leave to remain’) your parent has.

If you’re 18 or over, you can only apply if you have permission to stay in the UK (‘leave to enter or remain’) which started when you were under 18. They must also apply from inside the UK.

You were born outside the UK

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

You must:

  • live with your parent, unless you’re living away from home in full-time education - for example, at boarding school or university
  • not be married or in a civil partnership

If you’re under 18

One of your parents must 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 18 or over

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

You can only apply if you have permission to stay in the UK (‘leave to remain’) on a family visa which started when you were under 18.

If you apply separately from your parent

You’ll need to include proof of your parent’s income when you apply. Their income has to meet the financial requirement for their type of family visa.

For example, if your parent is applying for a family visa as a partner, you’ll need to include proof they can meet the financial requirement for partners.

Check the information and evidence you’ll need to prove your parent’s income.

Apply from outside the UK

You’ll need to prepare information and evidence 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)
  • a person with permission to stay as a stateless person

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)
  • a person with permission to stay as a stateless person

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 evidence 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.

How long it takes

If you apply outside the UK you’ll usually get a decision within 24 weeks.

If you apply inside the UK you’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks. 

You may be able to pay for a faster decision.

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.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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