If you want to move to or visit the UK (United Kingdom), you will need to acquire a visa. Entry into the UK is possible with a visa type, depending on your intent and your country of origin. Every UK visa is different in terms of application fees and requirements. You can apply for a family visa UK if one of your family members is already a British citizen.
Quick Understanding of Family Visa UK
A UK family visa has a complex understanding because multiple family visas are applied, depending on the intent to meet the family and your relationship with that family member. The minimum family visa UK duration is six months. You can extend the visa within the UK with an additional fee. There are various categories to apply for a UK family visa:
- Spouse Visa
- Family Visit Visa
- Family Reunion Visa
- Child Dependent Visa
- Adult Dependent Relative Visa
Let’s discuss different types of family visa UK briefly:
Spouse Visa – Your spouse can live for 2.5 years in the UK. Extending 2.5 years, making it 5 years will ensure UK immigration.
Family Visit Visa—Overseas families can visit their family members on a family visit visa UK for six months. The intent of the visit should be evident in the visa application. For example, you may visit children for graduation or attend a wedding in the extended family.
Family Reunion Visa—A foreign citizen with refugee status in the UK can be sponsored by immediate family members. Your sponsorship matters if you are not a British citizen but can reside in the UK lawfully.
Child Dependent Visa—Children with other nationalities than British nationality can apply for a UK Family Visa on the application of their British national parents or create a separate application.
Adult Dependent Visa—If you are over 18 and must be accompanied by a carer, you can apply for an adult-dependent visa. A parent, grandparent or a child above 18 applies for this kind of visa. If you have a carer to take with you, then you have to apply for a family carer visa UK.
You apply for any of the above mentioned family visa UK if your immediate family member is already a British resident.
However, you will have to ensure your direct relationship with that person through legal documents. Proofs such as photographs, text messages, celebrations, or traveling together will not validate your relationship with your British-resident family member in the UK. A spouse UK visa will need a proof of marriage certificate.
UK Family Visa Requirements
The UK Family Visa Requirements differ from the type of family visa application you are applying for. There are some standard UK family visitor visa documents required by each family visa category for a successful visa:
- Valid Passport of the UK resident and the applicant
- Evidence of the relationship between the UK resident and the applicant (not older than four years old)
- Biometric photographs and fingerprints
- Proof of lodging in the UK
- English language requirement
- Financial status of the applicant
- Pass the Life in the UK Test
- Clean tuberculosis test
- Zero criminal history
- Previous immigration applications (if applied)
- Supporting documents shall be translated into English or Welsh
- Record of the photo page and any visa or entry stamps from the previous passports
- Other supporting documents requested by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
If you want to apply for a family member visa UK, your child or your parents must have been settled in the UK for at least seven years as British citizens. For many people, applying for a family visa UK is daunting. Hiring an immigration solicitor with Legal Assist could be an effective strategy for obtaining a quick visa grant.
UK Family Visa Application Fees
Every family visa application is different from the other visa type. Let’s refer to the table below to look at family visa UK costs under different categories:
| Partners, parents and children | £1,538 |
| Adult dependant relatives | £3,250 (unless their relative has protection status) otherwise, it is £388 to apply |
| Proposed spouses and civil partners | £1,538 |
In addition to the application fee, there are other financial requirements to access the British public health system (NHS), including an immigration health surcharge. This surcharge must be paid whether you use the NHS or have private insurance. The charges are non-refundable.
Health charges for adults over 18 in the UK:
| 2 years and 6 months | £1,560 |
| 2 years and 9 months | £1,872 |
| 5 years | £3,120 |
Health Charges for children under 18 in the UK:
| 2 years and 6 months | £1,175 |
| 2 years and 9 months | £1,410 |
| 5 years | £2,350 |
Moreover, you will also be required to show additional evidence of the maximum funds in your bank account to support your initial month-long stay in the UK.
The family visa in the UK is flexible. You are allowed to apply for a family visa UK from outside of the UK, or you can extend the visa to a family UK within the UK. However, the application costs are different in the process. For example, according to the new family visa UK rules, the spouse visa requires a minimum £29,000 yearly salary.
Invitation Letter for UK Visa for Family
Plan to invite your family on a family visitor visa UK. You may have to send them an invitation letter, especially if you are a British citizen residing in the UK. The letter is an additional resource to expedite the sponsor visa UK family for your family members. It also ensures that you invite your family based on enough and well-suited accommodation for the family visitors.
Eligibility for Family Dependent Visa UK
A person who is dependent on a family member can apply for a family dependent visa UK. The person could be a spouse or a child (under 18 years) as a ‘dependent.’ You can choose to apply for the family dependent visa outside of the UK or within the UK. The solicitors connected with Legal Assist are updated with the UK family visas. The UK family-dependent visa has the following requirements:
- Passport and itinerary history
- Personal Details and Background
- Marriage certificate (if the spouse is applying)
- Relationship evidence
- Proof of adequate funds to sponsor the spouse or child
- Passed English language skills test
- The child’s age should be below 18 years (if the child is applying)
Visa Processing Time
Every visa application has its own processing time. For example, a work and study visa might be granted in 2 months, whereas a UK family visa processing time is at least three months (twelve weeks). The delay in processing a family visa UK or any other visa is due to the Home Office receiving a high volume of applications for different purposes.
If your family member has a hearing loss, the solicitors at Sonic Settlements can help you with hearing loss claims in the UK.
FAQs
What is Family Visa UK?
If you are searching for an answer to what is a family visa is in the UK, then you must know that it is different from a visit visa, where you intend to live with your family as a spouse, parent, or child.
How to apply for a family visa in the UK?
There are various ways to apply for a family visa UK. You can apply online or hire an immigration solicitor to speed up your case. However, the immigration experts will ensure you get the visa in the minimum time.
Talk to us today! Legal Assist can connect you with experienced immigration solicitors in the UK. We ensure quick family visa UK for you.
