UK accompanying visa 2024 – Esthebanati Immigration Institute (Homa)

Dependent visa is a document that allows family members of an immigrant to come to this country. Different types of visas allow holders to bring dependent family members to the UK (including work visas, study visas, business visas etc.). But the immigration rules are more focused on PBS dependent visa and dependent visa. Both visas generally serve the same purpose, allowing dependent family members to join the original visa holder in the UK.

PBS dependent visas are offered to those who hold a concession visa (eg Skilled Worker visa). Stay with the consultants of Istehabanati Migration Institute to investigate this issue further.

New UK dependent visa rules 2024

Before going into this discussion, keep in mind that new rules have been implemented for UK dependent visas (year 2024). From January 2024, international students will no longer be allowed to bring dependents to the UK. Unless they are engaged in a PhD or postgraduate research program. In addition, from March 11, 2024, immigrants working in the health sector will no longer be allowed to bring dependents.

Types of accompanying UK visas

When it comes to immigration to England, the question comes to mind, who can come to England as a “dependent person”? To understand this issue, you should know that only first degree family members can apply as dependent visa. This group includes spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners (who are in a stable relationship), children under 18 (at the date of application). Of course, unmarried partners must provide proof of living with their partner for at least 2 years. Also, children should not have an independent life.

Family reunification visa for parents in the UK

This visa can only be obtained if you have a child in the UK and you want to apply for this visa as a parent to join the child. For this purpose, you must be recognized as a guardian, which includes the child’s natural (biological) parent, stepfather or stepparent. To be eligible for a UK accompanying visa, you must prove that your child is British. If the child is not English, you must show that they are settled in the UK and that you are responsible for their care. You must also prove sufficient financial ability to support him and the ability to speak English.

To get a UK student companion visa, if the child is non-British (in addition to the above conditions), you must show that they have lived in the UK continuously for 7 years or more.

UK accompanying visa with work immigration

Work migration to England can also provide conditions for your family to be present. Of course, the validity of family members’ visa depends on your visa. This means that your visa will expire at the same time as the stay of your family members. As a result, if you have a spouse and children under the age of 18 (or children over the age of 18) who are currently dependent on you in the UK, you can apply for a UK family reunification visa for them. To obtain this visa, you must apply online so that after proving the identity of the family members, checking the required documents and documents that show sufficient financial ability, the family joining visa will be issued to them. The time of issuing this visa is approximately three weeks after submitting the required documents.

UK student companion visa

Currently, the UK does not offer accompanying visas to students for their family members (except for some specific courses). Because the latest laws approved in this country have prohibited this possibility for students. Therefore, before any action, it is better to get complete information about the relevant conditions and rules from the relevant authorities.

British visa with investment

If you have invested in England and entered this country with a TIRE 1 visa, you can also apply for an English companion visa. This visa is granted to a spouse or partner, children under the age of 18 and children over the age of 18 who are recognized as dependents in the UK. But children over the age of 18 who are outside the UK cannot apply for this visa. Adults in your household must provide proof of no criminal record. Also, to apply for this visa, you must apply online and each person’s fingerprint and photo must be submitted to the embassy. It usually takes about 8 weeks to respond to your request.

What is the UK Guardian Visa?

This visa is intended for studying in the UK and as we mentioned before, it allows you to stay in the UK as the guardian of an international student under the age of 18. You must:

1. Be the legal guardian or a close relative of the student.

2. Have enough money to support yourself and the student during your stay.

3. Be able to provide housing and other support and be at least 21 years old.

UK companion visa conditions

Before immigrating, it is better to check the specific conditions of obtaining this visa. You can apply for a dependent visa if you are dependent on someone who has a UK qualifying work visa, student visa, business visa or ancestry visa. Remember that not all work or even student visa holders are eligible to bring their dependents to the UK. If you are not sure about your eligibility, we recommend that you contact our advisors to better understand this issue. When we talk about “dependent person”, we are directly referring to the partner/spouse or child of the main applicant.

According to UK companion visa law, partners must:

• or married
• or be in a civil partnership with a person resident in England.
• Or they must have lived together for 2 years or more.

Also, to apply for a dependent child visa, the person must be under 18 years of age or, if 16 years of age or older, must be a dependent of the original visa holder. Being dependent means that they:

1. are not living independently (for example, not married, in a civil partnership or have children);

2. Live with the original visa holder (unless attending boarding school or university)

3. They are sponsored by the original visa holder.

In addition to dependent visas for children and partners, a UK resident can bring immediate family members to the UK if they have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or British citizenship and meet the requirements for an adult dependent relative visa.

Financial ability to obtain UK dependent visa

In general, to apply for a UK family reunification visa, you must first demonstrate that the family’s residence is supported without the need to use public funds. You will then need to prove that your annual income is at least £18,600 (before tax). Remember that this amount is only enough to cover your spouse’s expenses. If you want to apply for a UK family reunification visa for your children as well, you will need to add £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for each child. The total amount should show the ability to provide these amounts for all family members. The following table shows the amount of financial resources for family members:

Remember, however, that the amount of financial requirements that apply to a UK companion visa depends on the visa type of the main visa holder. For example, when applying for a UK Skilled Worker Dependent visa, it must be shown that the main visa holder or applicant has the following financial resources:

• £285 for a partner
• £315 for a child
• £200 for each additional child

If your annual income is less than these values, the family reunification visa may be rejected. As a result, before sending the visa application, you should make sure that you can provide these amounts.

Required documents for UK accompanying visa

Dependent visa applicants are required to provide specific documentation to support their application. The exact list of documents you need to provide depends on the type of visa of the main applicant and your relationship with them. But some of the documents or information that may be required for both UK Student Accompanying Visa and Skilled Professional Accompanying Visa are as follows.

• Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN) for the original visa holder (to link applications together)
• Identity documents (e.g. passport)
• Proof of relationship with the original visa holder (eg, birth certificate, marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate)
• Proof of affiliation (for example, proof of attendance at a boarding school or university and correspondence showing that the applicant has the same address as the original visa holder)
• Bank statement (showing that the funds required to meet the financial need have been held for at least the last 28 days)

It is important to make sure you provide all the documents required by UKVI, as failure to do so may result in your application being delayed or refused. If you are not sure that you have all the necessary documents to support your UK dependent visa application, speak to one of our specialist UK companion visa advisors so they can check this for you before submitting.

Procedures for obtaining a UK student accompanying visa

It doesn’t matter whether you are applying for a companion visa with a UK study visa or a work visa, either way the steps you need to go through are almost the same.

1. Complete and submit the online application form: remember to provide the original applicant’s unique reference number. It is important to use the correct application form. For example, the form used for children dependent on PBS1 is different from the form used for partners dependent on PBS.

2. Pay the application fee and immigration health care surcharge.

3. Upload all documents required by UKVI to support your application.

4. Book a biometrics appointment with your nearest Visa Application Center or UKVCAS (if you’re outside the UK). At this stage, your fingerprint must be scanned.

In most cases, you can expect a decision on your dependent visa within 8 weeks.

UK accompanying visa validity

Dependent visas will usually be issued for the same period as the permit granted to the original visa holder. For example, if the main applicant has a 2-year visa, his companion will also have a Dependent visa for 2 years. Of course, dependent visa holders have a lot of flexibility and can live, work, study and travel freely.

The important thing is that dependents do not need financial support to work in the UK and can change jobs and employers without obtaining permission from the Home Office. However, UK accompanying visa holders cannot apply for public funds such as humanitarian aid.

Accompanying work permit in England

As we mentioned, the accompanying visa for the UK comes with flexible options. This visa also allows to work for any employer without restrictions. This is known as one of the biggest advantages of this visa in England. This possibility allows families to have multiple sources of income.

In this country, various businesses have created suitable positions for people from all over the world and are often looking for people with the skills needed to boost the country’s economy. For UK accompanying visa holders, there are no special restrictions on choosing a job and they can freely choose the job of their choice. Of course, it is impossible to work in professions such as dentistry, medicine and professional sportsmen with this visa.

final word

In general, the UK dependent visa is intended for family members of people who are applying for different work categories including Worker Routes (formerly Tier 2), Temporary Worker Routes (formerly Tier 5) etc. This visa is restricted for educational migrants, but those who have received their visa based on British ancestry, have no problem obtaining a British accompanying visa. If you need help to check your conditions, we at Esthebanati Immigration Institute can solve this problem for you. As a result, we increase your chances of getting this visa so that your dependent family members are allowed to live in the UK. To use the experience and knowledge of our consultants, just use the provided communication bridges.

Frequently asked questions

1- Who can come to England as a dependent?

Only first-degree family members including spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners (who are in a stable relationship), children under 18 years of age can apply for a visa as primary dependents.

2- Is it possible for dependent visa holders to work in England?

Dependent visa holders are allowed to work in the UK. But they cannot work as a professional athlete or a doctor/dentist.

3- Will the companion visa be provided for the student’s spouse in 2024?

no From the beginning of 2024, it is not possible to obtain this visa for the presence of a student’s spouse at the master’s level.