Dependants

Source: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/international-visas-immigration/doc/visas-dependants Parent: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/international-visas-immigration

If you are applying for a Student visa, or if you already have Student immigration permission, your partner and children may be able to apply for visas to join you in the UK as your dependants.

Students eligible to bring dependants

You can bring dependants if any of the following apply to you:

• You’ve received financial sponsorship or a scholarship from a government to study a full-time course lasting six months or longer.
• You’re studying a full-time postgraduate level course lasting nine months or longer. If the course start date is on or after 1 January 2024, your course must also be a research-based higher degree.
• You have permission to enter or stay in the UK as a Student, or had permission within the last three months to study a full-time course of six months or longer, and you are now applying for new permission to study a full-time course of six months or longer where either:
• your partner or child applying has been your dependant in that period, or
• your child applying was born since your last permission was granted, and they are applying at the same time as you or your dependant partner.
• There are also some other circumstances in which a child born during your studies may be able to apply for a dependant visa.

Bringing dependants through holding a government scholarship or sponsorship

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) have confirmed in the Student route: caseworker guidance that in order to be eligible to bring dependants through holding a government scholarship or sponsorship, the award must be a government funded scholarship or sponsorship from a national government department. The guidance also confirms that the government must either be the UK Government or your own national government.

The scholarship or sponsorship is not required to cover your full fees and living costs of the student in order to permit you to bring dependants. It is also not required to cover the living costs for any dependants. However, if this is the case, you and your dependants will be required to prepare separate financial evidence to show that you and your dependants meet the financial requirement.

University of Leeds courses considered to be a ‘research-based higher degree’

If your course is included on our list of types of taught postgraduate courses, then you will only be eligible to bring dependants if you started your course before 1 January 2024 or if you are receiving a government sponsorship or scholarship.

If your course is included on our list of types of research degree, then you will be eligible to bring dependants. This should be confirmed on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

Please note that University of Leeds considers MRes to be a taught programme and therefore this course is not eligible for dependants.

Eligible family members

The following people are eligible to apply for a visa as the dependant of a Student:

• Your spouse or civil partner.
• Your unmarried partner (if you have been living together in a durable relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years).
• Your dependent children under the age of 18.

Your children above the age of 18 can apply to extend their permission to stay in the UK as your dependant child if they already have permission as your dependant child.

Other family members such as your parents, grandparents and siblings are not eligible to apply as your dependants.

Requirements for a dependant partner of a Student visa

Your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner must meet the following requirements to apply for a dependant partner visa:

• They must be applying as the partner of a person who has either:
• a Student visa, or
• a pending application for a Student visa or for permission to stay in the UK as a Student.
• If your partner has in the 12 months before they submit their application completed a course of studies in the UK for which they were financially sponsored by a Government or international scholarship agency, they will need written permission from that Government or agency to apply.
• You and your partner must both be aged 18 or over.
• You and your partner must not be closely related.
• Any previous relationships that you or your partner have had with another person must have permanently broken down.
• Your relationship must be genuine and subsisting.

The full immigration rules for dependant partner applications are set out in Appendix Student and Appendix Relationship with a Partner. Detailed guidance explaining the requirements, including information about what documents your partner can provide to show your relationship is genuine and subsisting, can be found in the Student route: caseworker guidance and the Relationship with a partner: caseworker guidance.

Requirements for a dependant child of a Student visa

Your child must meet the following requirements to apply for a dependant child visa:

• They must be applying as the child of a parent who has either:
• a Student visa, or
• a pending application for a Student visa or for permission to stay in the UK as a Student.
• If your child has in the 12 months before they submit their application completed a course of studies in the UK for which they were financially sponsored by a Government or international scholarship agency, they will need written permission from that Government or agency to apply.
• They must be under the age of 18 on the date that they submit their application, unless they have already been granted a dependant child visa and they are applying to extend this visa.
• They must not be leading an independent life. This means that your child does not have a partner and they are living with their parent(s) (except where they are living elsewhere as part of their full-time education).
• There must be suitable arrangements for your child’s care and accommodation in the UK.
• Your child’s other parent must also be applying for a visa to come to the UK, or already have a visa to come to the UK (not including as a Visitor), unless:
• you are the sole surviving parent, or
• you have sole responsibility for your child/children, or
• there are ‘serious and compelling reasons’ why your child should be granted a visa to live with you instead of staying with their other parent or other relatives in their home country.

The full immigration rules for dependant partner applications are set out in Appendix Student and Appendix Children. Detailed guidance explaining the requirements, including an explanation of the sole responsibility requirement and serious and compelling reasons, can be found in the Student route: caseworker guidance and the Appendix Children: caseworker guidance.

How to apply for a dependant visa

Apply for a dependant visa outside the UK

Your dependant must complete an online visa application form.

They can either apply at the same time as you or after your visa has been granted. If your dependant is applying at the same time as you, they will need to provide your application reference number in their application form.

To submit their application, they will need to pay a visa application fee (£524) and Immigration Health Surcharge (£776 per year). After submitting the online form, they will be required to book and attend a biometrics appointment at a visa application centre in their home country.

Apply to extend or switch to a dependant visa inside the UK

If your dependant is already living in the UK with a dependant visa, they can apply to extend their permission to stay inside the UK. This includes children who have turned 18 during their previous permission.

Your partner or child can apply to extend or switch to a dependant visa either at the same time that you are applying to extend or switch to a Student visa, or at any time before their current visa expires. They must submit their application before their current visa expires.

Your family member cannot apply to switch to a dependant visa in the UK if they have one of the following visas:

• a visit visa (or if they entered with an Electronic Travel Authorisation)
• a short-term student visa
• a Parent of a Child Student visa
• a seasonal worker visa
• a domestic worker in a private household visa.

Each dependant applying inside the UK must complete the appropriate application form online:

• Apply online as a dependant partner inside the UK.
• Apply online as a dependant child inside the UK.

If your dependants have an expired BRP they may be able to submit their application digitally using the UK Immigration ID Check App. If they cannot use the app, they will be required to book and attend a biometrics appointment at a UKVCAS service point after paying the visa application fee (£524) and Immigration Health Surcharge (£776 per year).

Your dependants must remain in the UK while their application is pending. Their application will be cancelled if they leave the UK before receiving the decision.

Apply for a dependant visa for a baby born in the UK

Being born in the UK doesn’t automatically make a baby a British citizen. The baby needs to have a parent with British citizenship or settled status in the UK to be British.

If your child is born in the UK but is not a British citizen, they can stay in the UK without applying for a visa. However, if the baby leaves the UK they will need to apply for a visa before they can re-enter.

You should also be aware that you will be liable to pay for non-emergency medical treatment received by your child after they reach three months of age unless they apply for a visa and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. To ensure they can access medical treatment you should consider applying for a dependant child visa for your baby before they are three months old.

Find information about visa applications for babies born in the UK.

There is further information about applying for a dependant visa for a baby born in the UK on the UKCISA website.

Required documents

Depending on your circumstances, your dependant will need to submit copies of some, or all, of the following documents listed below. UKVI may ask you to provide additional information or documents if needed.

Documents for a dependant visa application submitted outside the UK

• Current passport
• Financial evidence (see below for more details)
• Check whether your dependant needs a tuberculosis (TB) test medical certificate
• Certified translations for any documents that are not in English or Welsh – each translation must include a written declaration from the translator confirming that it’s a ‘true and accurate translation of the original document’, the date of the translation, and their full name and contact details

Additional documents required for a partner:

• Proof of relationship (e.g. marriage or civil partnership certificate)
• If you are unmarried and not in a civil partnership, then you will need to provide evidence that you have been in a relationship similar to a marriage or civil partnership for at least two years.
• You may be asked to provide documents showing that you have been living together for the last two years, for example: tenancy agreements or letter from landlord, evidence of property ownership, utility bills, bank statements, other official documents showing you both have lived at the same address
• If you haven’t been living together for the last two years, you may be asked to provide evidence explaining why you were living apart. For example: work contracts or evidence that you were studying in different locations. You may also be asked to provide evidence that shows you and your partner continued the relationship while living apart, such as holiday bookings and passports showing you have visited each other or travelled together.
• Find more information about what documents you can use to prove your relationship in the Relationship with a partner: caseworker guidance.

Additional documents required for a child:

• Proof of family relationship (e.g. birth certificate, adoption certificate, family register)
• Letter of consent signed by both parents (except where only one parent has responsibility for the child). The letter must confirm:
• the relationship between the child and the parent(s)
• consent from the parent(s) to the visa application
• consent from the parent(s) to the child’s living arrangements in the UK, where the child will be staying in the UK, and who they will be living with
• whether one or both parent(s) have responsibility for the child.
• If only one of the child’s parents is coming to or living in the UK, you must provide evidence of sole responsibility or serious and compelling circumstances. A cover letter explaining the circumstances will also be helpful.

Additional documents to submit if your dependant is applying to join you after you have already arrived in the UK with a Student visa:

• Your University registration status certificate​​​​
• A letter inviting your family to live with you as your dependant(s)
• A copy of your tenancy agreement or accommodation contract

Documents for an application to extend or switch to a dependant visa inside the UK

• Current passport and visa
• Financial evidence (if applicable – see below for more details)
• Certified translations for any documents that are not in English or Welsh – each translation must include a written declaration from the translator confirming that it’s a ‘true and accurate translation of the original document’, the date of the translation, and their full name and contact details

Additional documents required for a partner:

• Proof of relationship (e.g. marriage or civil partnership certificate).
• If you are unmarried and not in a civil partnership, then you will need to provide evidence that you have been in a relationship similar to a marriage or civil partnership for at least two years.
• If your partner is extending their visa, they may be asked to provide evidence that your relationship is subsisting. For example:
• evidence you have been living together at the same address for the last two years (e.g. bank statements in joint names, tenancy agreement, council tax statements, utility bills, GP/medical letters, payslips)
• if you have not been living together continuously for the past two years, evidence to explain the reasons why (e.g. study or work letter)
• if you have lived apart during the past two years, you will need evidence that shows you and your partner continued your relationship while living apart, such as evidence of shared finances (e.g. joint bank statements, money transfers) or evidence of trips taken together (flight/train/bus tickets, holiday bookings, photographs).
• Find more information about what documents you can use to prove your relationship in pages 24 to 27 of the Relationship with a partner: caseworker guidance.

Additional documents required for a child:

• Proof of family relationship (e.g. birth certificate, adoption certificate, family register).
• Letter of consent signed by both parents (except where only one parent has sole responsibility for the child). The letter must confirm:
• the relationship between the child and the parent(s)
• consent from the parent(s) to the visa application
• consent from the parent(s) to the child’s living arrangements in the UK, where the child will be staying in the UK, and who they will be living with
• whether one or both parent(s) have responsibility for the child.
• If your child is 16 or older when they apply, they will need to provide two of the following documents to prove that they live at the same address as you, unless they are living away from home in full-time education:
• bank statement
• credit card bill
• driving licence
• NHS registration document
• an official letter from your child’s school, university or college confirming their enrolment and attendance.
• Your child may also be asked to provide evidence showing that they are financially supported by their parents (e.g. copies of bank statements showing parental financial support for the past three months).
• If only one of the child’s parents is coming to or living in the UK, you must provide evidence of sole responsibility or serious and compelling circumstances. A cover letter explaining the circumstances will also be helpful.

Financial evidence to prove your dependant will be financially supported in the UK

Your dependants will each need a minimum of £680 per month for the duration of their visa up to a maximum of nine months.

If your dependant is applying for their visa at the same that you are applying for your Student visa, you will need to prove that you have enough money to pay for your course, your own living costs, and your dependant’s living costs.

If your dependant is applying at a different time to you, they only need to prove they have access to enough money to support themselves.

Your dependant partner can use money from your account or their own account to meet the requirements. Your dependant children can use money from their account or a parent’s account.

If you use a bank statement as evidence, the required funds need to be held for 28 consecutive days, with the bank statement being no more than 31 days old on the date of application.

If you have a student loan or financial scholarship or sponsorship, your dependants will need to provide a copy of your loan or scholarship letter that confirms your partner and/or child are covered. If the scholarship does not fully cover their living costs, they will need to provide separate financial evidence that shows they have enough money to meet the financial requirement.

Your dependants will automatically meet the financial requirement and will not need to provide any evidence of funds, if they are applying for permission to stay inside the UK and they have been living in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.

Find more information about which documents you and your dependants can use to meet the financial requirement.

How long your dependants can stay in the UK

Your dependant partner’s visa will expire at the same time as your visa. Your dependant child's visa will expire on the same date as whichever of their parents’ visas ends first.

Should you need to apply to extend your Student visa, your dependant will be able to make an application to extend their leave at the same time as you. If your child is aged 18 or over, they are permitted to make an application to extend their leave in the UK if they have previously been granted a visa as your dependant.

Work and study as a dependant

Your family members holding a dependant of a Student visa will normally be permitted to work in the UK (in line with UK employment law) with no restriction on the number of hours or the type of work. However, your dependants cannot work as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach).

Your dependants will not be permitted to work if:

• they are being granted a dependant visa after previously being your dependant when you had permission to study a full-time course of six months or longer and you are now applying for permission to study a new full-time course that is less than nine months in length (unless you are continuing a course of study on which you had previously been granted at least nine months permission for), or
• they are being granted a dependant visa after previously being your dependant when you had permission to study a full-time course of six months or longer and you are now applying for permission to study a new full-time course below degree level.

Your dependants are permitted to study in the UK. If they are studying a subject covered by the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS), they must obtain an ATAS certificate for their course or research before they can start studying.

Your dependants can use the view and prove service to check their eVisa and view and prove the conditions of their immigration status.

If you’re studying a course for six months or less

Your family members cannot apply to come to the UK as your dependants if your course is shorter than six months. However, they may be able to apply for a Visitor visa instead. Go to our Visits from family and friends page for information about how your family can apply for a visa to visit you in the UK.

Further information

Read the visas for family members guidance on GOV.UK before starting your dependant visa application.

Find further advice about bringing your family to the UK and dependant visas on the UKCISA website. The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) is an independent, UK-based charity and membership organisation committed to supporting international students in the UK.

Find information about support for parents, guardians and families at the University of Leeds.

Please contact our Student Visa Advice team if you or your dependants need any advice or support with your visa applications or immigration status.

If you would like the Student Visa Advice team to check your visa application form and documents before you submit them, please stop completing the form at the ‘Declaration’ stage to ensure that any amendments needed can be made after it is checked .