Dependants
Applying for a student dependant visa
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Applying for a student dependant visa
Dependants
Some students are eligible to bring dependants to the UK. This section is designed to help you prepare for a student dependant visa application.
You should read the UK Government website and the student dependant sections in the Student Route caseworker guidance for full details on applying with dependants. You can also find more information on the UKCISA website.
Current UEL students wanting to invite dependants to the UK should refer to the Dependant Visa on the intranet for further information.
Who is eligible to bring dependants to the UK?
You can only bring dependants to the UK if you have or, are applying for a student visa and
- You are studying a full-time postgraduate level course of 9 months or longer, OR
- You are Government sponsored to study a full-time course at least 6 months in length.
If your course starts after 1 January 2024:
You can only bring dependants to the UK if:
- You are studying a full-time PhD course, other doctoral qualification, or a research-based higher degree, OR
- You are Government sponsored to study a full-time course at least 6 months in length.
Who are dependants?
Your partner and children are the only family members that can apply for a student-dependant visa.
Your partner can be:
- Your husband
- Your wife
- Your civil partner
- Your unmarried partner, or same-sex partner
Your children must be:
- Aged less than 18 years old when they apply OR,
- Aged 18 or over only if they are already in the UK as a dependant child and are extending their dependant visa.
Your children must not have formed an independent family unit or be leading an independent life, and they must not intend to do so when they are in the UK.
When bringing dependant children to the UK, both parents must either be in the UK or, coming to the UK with the children at the same time. In exceptional circumstances can one parent come to the UK alone, such as when the child’s other parent is not alive, if you have sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing, or if there are serious or compelling reasons. You would be required to provide evidence with the student-dependant visa application. Please see UKCISA for further information.
The following documents must be submitted to support the student-dependant visa application.
Passport
Your dependant(s) must submit a valid passport in support of their visa application. Their passport will need at least one full page that is blank on both sides.
Tuberculosis (TB) test certificate
Your dependant will need to take a TB test and submit their TB test certificate with their visa application if they are coming to the UK for more than six months and they have been living for at least six months in one of the countries specified by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) on their website.
The test must be taken at a TB test clinic that has been approved by UKVI. The test will involve having a chest x-ray and if their test shows that they do not have TB, they will be issued with a certificate which is valid for six months. They must include this certificate in support of their visa application.
Proof of relationship
Partner
A marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate showing the relationship between you and your partner. If you are married or in a civil partnership, your dependant should provide the marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate. The application also requires your dependant to provide 'evidence the relationship is subsisting'. UKVI advise providing official documents as evidence you are living together.
If you are not married, your dependant will need to provide evidence that you have been living together in a relationship similar to marriage for at least two years. Only official documents will only be considered, and they will need to cover the minimum two-year period in full. For example, you may use bank statements, utility bills or tenancy agreements, that show you have been living at the same address.
Please see the Relationship with a Partner guidance for further information.
Children
A birth certificate or government registration certificate showing the relationship between you and your child.
Children aged 16 and over at the time of application will need to submit two different documents demonstrating that they have not formed an independent family unit or are leading an independent life e.g. NHS registration document, a letter from their educational institution confirming their address or bank statements.
Financial documents
The student-dependant visa application requirements are very strict, it is important to ensure their financial documents contain all the required information.
Please refer to the tab 'Financial requirements' for more information.
Translations
If your dependsnt's documents are not in English, they will need to submit the document in their language and include a fully certified translation by a professional translator or translation company of these documents.
The translation must provide the following:
- A statement from the translator or translation company confirming that it is an accurate translation of the original document
- The date of the translation
- The translator or an official of the translation company's full name and signature and,
- The translator or translation company's contact details.
As part of the student dependant visa application dependants must have enough funds to cover living costs in the UK.
How much maintenance must my dependants show?
Your dependants are required to show £845 for each month of the visa duration, up to a maximum of nine months. This is a total of £7,605 per dependant if the visa will be granted for 9 months or more (9 x £845).
Living in the UK for longer than 12 months
If your dependants have lived in the UK with a visa for 12 months or more by the date they submit the visa application, and they submit the visa application inside the UK, they will meet the funds' requirements and not need to submit evidence of funds with the visa application. They should still prepare the funds in case they are required to submit as part of a random selection.
Differentiation arrangement
If you and your dependant(s) are applying at the same time and are both nationals of one of the below countries, you will qualify for the differentiation arrangements for 'low-risk applicants'.
Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, The Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, British National Overseas, plus EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals.
Please see paragraph 22 of Appendix ST of the Immigration Rules for the most up-to-date list.
This means you and your dependants will not need to submit financial evidence with your visa application if you are applying at the same time. However, it is important to still prepare them in case requested during the visa application decision-making process.
Evidence of funds/ bank accounts
Your dependants can show they have the required funds in a variety of formats. For example, your dependants could submit a bank statement, bank letter, passbook or fixed deposit certificate.
The funds can be held in either your name, your dependant’s name or in the case of dependant children their other parent's name.
The financial documentation must show that the required level of funds have been held for a minimum consecutive 28-day period. This means that the funds must not have dropped below the amount that your dependants need to show at any time during the 28 day period. This amount your dependants need to show should remain in the account until the visa has been issued to them. In addition, the financial document must not be more than 31 days old on the date the visa application is submitted.
If you are in receipt of official financial sponsorship from either a government or international company which covers the living costs of any dependants, a letter from the sponsor confirming this can be submitted to meet the financial requirements. The letter would need to confirm the amount they are providing to cover the living costs for any dependants. If it does not cover the full amount required, additional financial documentation would need to be provided to cover the shortfall.
More information can be found on the UK Government website and in the Financial Requirement Caseworker Guidance.
Before your dependants start their student-dependant visa application, they should make sure they are familiar with the requirements.
The more prepared they are before making their visa application the less risk there is of making a mistake. In order to become more familiar with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements they should read advice from the UKCISA website.
They should also read the Student and Child Student Guidance before applying for their student-dependant visa.
How do my dependants apply for a dependant visa?
The student dependant visa application is online. Your dependants can make their online application once they have prepared all the required documents.
Applying outside the UK
Each dependant must complete a separate application online.
In most countries, as part of the online application, an appointment is booked to attend the visa application centre to enrol biometrics (have your fingerprints and facial image taken) and submit supporting documents.
The visa application fee is currently £490 for each dependant application. Dependants are also required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which is charged at £776 per year for the duration the visa will be valid.
More information on the visa application fees can be found on the UK Government website.
If your dependant’s application is successful, they will receive a visa vignette (sticker) in their passport. If they are given immigration permission for more than six months, they will receive a single entry visa in their passport that will only be valid for 90 days. They will need to enter the UK within 90 days and then collect their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card from a Post Office within 10 days of arriving in the UK.
If your dependant is being given immigration permission for six months or less, the visa vignette (sticker) in their passport will last for the whole period. It will not expire after 90 days.
In some cases, such as EEA and Swiss nationals who have used the ID check app will be granted a digital status so will not be issued with a BRP.
Applying inside the UK
If your dependant(s) are eligible to apply from inside the UK, they need to apply online through the UK Government website.
Any dependant eligible to apply for a student-dependant visa application from within the UK must make the application before their current visa expires.
The visa application fee is currently £490 for each dependant application. Dependants are also required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which is charged at £776 per year for the duration the visa will be valid. More information on the visa application fees can be found on the UK Government website.