...

Family Visa: Application, Extension, and Switch Guide

Family Visa - UK Immigration Solicitors

Table of Contents

If you intend to apply for a family visa UK you have come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll discuss how to apply for a family visa UK. Also, what are the basic family visa UK requirements you’ve to fulfil to obtain one? Let’s get started!

What is a family visa?

Your situation will determine the type of visa that is best suited for you. If you want to stay in the UK for more than six months with your family, you’ll require a family visa. It lets family members join their loved ones who already live there. It’s for spouses, partners, children, and other eligible relatives to be together in the UK.

Apply for a family visa UK from outside the UK

Families can apply for visas so you can reside with:

  • partner or spouse
  • fiance, prospective civil partner, or fiancee
  • child
  • parent
  • friend or family member who can take care of you in the future

  • Ways to Extend family visitor visa uk

    Those currently in the UK on family visas have the option to request an extension of stay to be with a family member. Before your present stay in the UK expires, you have the option to extend it at any moment.

    If you want to stay longer with the same family member, your new permit will only add up to 28 days to the end of your existing stay. 

    Before you can get a settlement (also called “indefinite leave to remain”), you have to live in the UK for a certain amount of time. Moreover, with proof of your private life, you might be able to stay if you’ve lived in the UK for a long time.

    UK Family Visa Types

    In the UK, there are various types of family visas available for people who want to join their settled family members in the UK. Some common types are:

  • Sponsor visa UK for Family
  • Parents visa UK
  • Child dependent visa UK
  • Adult Dependent Visa
  • UK Ancestry visa

  • Can I switch to a Family Visa?

    While you are in the UK on another type of visa, you may be eligible to switch to a family visa so you can continue to live with your partner, spouse, kid, or parent. Before the end of your current permission to remain in the United Kingdom, you can switch at any moment.

    What is the Cost of applying for this Visa?

    The cost of getting a UK family visitor visa depends on who you want to join and where you apply from.

    If you’re joining your partner, parent, or child and you apply from outside the UK, it costs £1,846. Further, if you apply from within the UK, it costs £1,048.

    Additionally, if you’re adding any other dependents to your application, it costs £1,846 for each person if you apply from outside the UK. But, if you apply from within the UK, it’s £1,048 for each person.

    If you’re an adult who needs to be taken care of by a relative, how much it costs depends on your relative’s permission to stay in the UK.

    In addition, if your relative has temporary ‘protection status’ (like being a refugee or having humanitarian protection), it costs:

  • £404 if you apply from outside the UK
  • £1,048 if you apply from within the UK
  • If not, the cost is:

  • £3,250 for non-UK applicants
  • £1,048 if the applicant is a British. 
  • If you can’t afford to pay the fee, you might be able to get it waived in certain situations. For example, if you can’t afford a place to live or other important things you need to live.

    Healthcare Surcharge

    Some applications require you to pay for health care as well. If you’re 18 or older and staying for:

  • 2 years and 6 months, it costs £2,587.50
  • 2 years and 9 months, it costs £3,105
  • 5 years, it costs £5,175
  • Additionally, for each child under 18 and staying for:

  • 2 years and 6 months, it costs £1,940
  • 2 years and 9 months, it costs £2,328
  • 5 years, it costs £3,880

  • Quickly get a response to your application

    To speed up the decision-making process, applicants from the UK may have the option to pay an additional £1,000 for the super-priority service. Moreover, if you are an adult requesting care from a relative, you do not qualify for the super-priority service.

    When you cannot get a Family Visa UK?

    There are particular circumstances in which you are not eligible to apply for a family visitor visa UK.

    Someone in your family holds a valid visa, either to work or study.

    Anyone in your immediate family who is currently in the United Kingdom on a student visa or work visa cannot apply for a family visa during your application process.

    Instead, you can ask to be considered as a dependent and stay with them.

  • If your visa is valid for a period of six months or less, you normally have to go back to your home country to apply for a family visa. But there are exceptions:
  • Moreover, if you are a fiancé, proposing civil partner, or in possession of a 6-month family visa.
  • One possible option is to apply for this while still in the UK if you have been granted permission to live there as a result of a divorce or family court case.
  • Disclaimer

    This website and its articles are not meant to give legal advice, but rather to provide general information. We make every effort to ensure that the content is accurate, but we cannot guarantee that it is comprehensive or applicable to specific situations. If users have any particular legal issues or concerns, they should not rely solely on the information given and should instead consult a solicitor. We at UK Immigration Solicitors are not responsible for anything that people do or don’t do after reading our articles. For tailored advice or to discuss your specific situation, please contact our experienced UK immigration solicitors at 02033844389.

    Table of Contents

    Contact Form

    Inline form for homepage

    "*" indicates required fields

    How can we help you today?

    Name*
    Name*
    *
    This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    Recent Posts