PARENT VISA
If you wish to live in the UK to care for your British or settled child, you may apply for a Parent visa.
Your Parent visa will be granted for 2 years and 9 months, after which you may apply to extend your visa. You may be able to settle in the UK on your Parent visa once you have reached your qualifying period.
You can apply for a Parent visa if your child is below the age of 18 and lives in the UK. Your child must not live an independent life.
Your child must also hold one of the following:
- British or Irish citizenship
- Indefinite Leave to Remain or Settled Status
- Pre-settled Status and are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
If you’re applying in the UK, they must have lived in the UK for 7 years continuously and it would not be reasonable for them to leave.
Parental responsibility
To qualify for a Parent visa, you must have parental responsibility for your child. To prove this, you must provide evidence of having an active role in your child’s life. For example, if you regularly take your child to school, extracurricular activities or doctor’s appointments, you could provide evidence in the form of letters to prove this. If you have a court order or formal documents confirming your parental responsibility, you can also provide these documents.
If you and your child’s other parent share parental responsibility for your child, you must not be in a relationship with your child’s other parent.
Independent life
To be eligible for a Parent visa, your child must not be leading an independent life. This means that your child must not have left home, or be married and have a family of his own.
Other requirements
You will need to have sufficient funds for your maintenance in the UK and meet the English Language requirement. You will also need to provide tuberculosis test if you are applying from a listed country.
Once you receive your Partner visa, you should note that the following conditions will apply to your stay in the UK in this category.
You will be permitted the following activities on your Parent visa:
- Work and study in the UK
- Extend your Parent visa
- Settle in the UK
You will not be able to do the following in the UK on your Parent visa:
- Claim public funds (most benefits)
Fairmont Lawyers can help you navigate the requirements and provide you with professional legal assistance every step of the way to obtain a Parent visa.
FAQ
If you are applying from outside the UK, you should make an application for a Parent Visa no more than 3 months before you plan to be in the country.
For applications made within the UK, you should make an application for a Parent Visa no more than 3 months before your current visa expires.
It takes around:
- 12 weeks if you apply from outside the UK
- 8 weeks if you apply from inside the UK
However, some delays may occur depending on your individual circumstances or the Home Office/UKVI.
You may be able to choose Priority Service, subject to availability. You will need to pay an additional fee to use this service, and the cost depends on the visa center.
The current visa application fee for a Parent visa (from October 2021) is £1,523 if you apply from outside the UK and £1,033 if you apply from inside the UK (plus £19.20 for biometric enrolment if you are in the UK). The Immigration Healthcare Surcharge (IHS) is £624 per each year of the visa unless you are exempt. The fees for your dependents will be the same. The Home Office regularly reviews its fees and these may be subject to increase in the future.
Please get in touch with us so that we can assess your individual circumstances and consider your options.