Adult / Child Dependent Visa
Child Dependent
You may be eligible to settle in the UK if at least one of your parents is settled in the UK. You must be under 18 and dependent on your parent(s).
In order to make the application in this category 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 are joining is your other parent who is settled in the UK. You can also join your parent who is settled in the UK and who has sole parental responsibility for you.
You may still be eligible to apply for entry to the UK, if there are serious and compelling reasons to let you come to, or stay in, the UK and there are plans for your care.
You must not be married or in a civil partnership or have formed an independent family unit to be eligible for a child dependent category.
If you are 18 or over your parent can include you in their application as a dependant, or you can apply separately yourself. However, you can only apply if you had permission to stay in the UK (‘leave to remain’) on a family visa before you turned 18 and you have not yet formed an independent life.
Adult Dependent Relative
The category of an Adult Dependent Relative is applicable to certain family members of British and settled sponsors who wish to join their sponsors as their dependents.
The applicants would need to demonstrate that they require personal care and assistance to do day-to-day tasks as a result of age, illness, disability. The guidance defines “personal care” as requiring assistance with everyday tasks such as washing, cooking or dressing and they would also need to demonstrate that the level of care they require is not obtainable in their home country for reasons of availability or affordability.
Since the changes made by the Home Office in 2012 to the Immigration Rules the criteria to be met in the Adult Dependent Relative category are very onerous with a requirement to provide substantial evidence in support of the application. Evidence of the family relationship between the applicants and the sponsors should take the form of birth or adoption certificates. Applicants would also be required to provide independent medical evidence such as reports to confirm that as a result of age, illness or disability the applicants cannot perform everyday tasks and require long term personal care. The application must be made online and a fee is applicable.
The applicants would be required to attend the visa application centre in their country of residence to enrol their biometric information.
