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Skip to content If you are a parent, the Parent Visa UK may grant you the opportunity to join your child who is already living in the United Kingdom.
Get in touch with one of our immigration lawyers now for individualised guidance tailored to your unique circumstances, and to find out more about the Parent visa, including its requirements, application process, and qualifying requirements. Call now at 02033844389.
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An eligible family member of a foreign citizen may apply for a Parent visa, which is part of the UK’s Family visa program and allows the foreign person to permanently reside in the UK.
Parents who have children already residing in the UK can apply to become permanent residents of the UK if they meet certain criteria. This means having full or shared parental duty for the child.
To apply, you need to meet specific financial and English language standards.
You can stay in the UK for an initial 2 years and 9 months with the Parent visa, and then another 2 years and 6 months after that.
Keep in mind that a Parent visa is not the right choice if you have a spouse or partner who may sponsor you as a spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner. In such cases, you will need to apply for a Spouse, Civil Partner, or Unmarried Partner visa instead.
Your child must first fulfil specific criteria before they can apply for a parent visa. The first requirement for parent visit visa UK is that they actually be a UK resident when they apply.
Additionally, they need to be:
Your child has achieved financial independence, moved out, gotten married, and started a family of their own; these are all signs that they are living on their own.
On top of that, you can only have one of these:
For more information about parent visa UK requirements contact us at 02033844389.
If you are applying for a parent visa, you need to be living outside of the UK and have full custody of your kid.
Alternately, if another parent or carer resides with the kid (and provides direct, in-person access), you may have joint parental responsibility. Furthermore, the child’s other parent or caretaker cannot be your partner.
The other must also:
Additionally, you need to demonstrate:
Keep in mind that if you don’t fulfil the English or financial conditions, you might still be able to apply to extend your parent visa. All you need is a child who is either a British or Irish citizen, has lived in the UK for 7 years, or for whom it would be unreasonable to leave the country.
To qualify for a Parent visa UK, you need to show that you’re already helping out with your child’s care and that you intend to keep doing so once you apply.
A variety of documents and pieces of proof will be required to prove this.
The following is a list of possible permissible forms of evidence as per the Home Office’s guidelines:
The Home Office has stated that evidence like greeting cards, photos, texts, or social media messages would not be considered strong evidence and will not help your visa application.
To get a parent visa UK, you need to show that you can support a child and yourself financially. Additional evidence of suitable housing in the UK is required.
In order to be considered adequate, housing must not be overcrowded and must adhere to all applicable public health requirements.
Parent visas are different from other family visas in that they do not specify a minimum income level that applicants must fulfil.
Nevertheless, official guidelines from the Home Office specify what constitutes “adequate” upkeep, and this definition could differ based on your individual situation.
For quick, expert help on how to make sure you meet the financial requirements for the Parent visa, don’t hesitate to get in touch with an immigration lawyer. For immediate assistance, please call 02033844389 or fill out the Contact Us form.
When applying for a UK parent visa, you will typically be asked to demonstrate your proficiency in English to a specific level.
If you can verify the following, you won’t have to show proof of your English proficiency:
If none of those things match you, you’ll have to show that you can communicate well in English by completing an authorised test or presenting evidence of your academic credentials.
For the Parent visa application, you can demonstrate your proficiency in English if your degree or academic qualification was mostly taught in English.
If you earned your degree in the UK, you will need to show your degree certificate to meet this condition.
In the meantime, if you got your degree somewhere other than the UK, you will need to get a document from ECCTIS to show that it is the same as a Bachelor’s degree and was taught in English.
You will need a statement of comparability if you got your degree in one of the majority English-speaking countries named by the Home Office.
If you got your degree in any other country, you will need a visa and proof of your citizenship.
To apply for a Parent visa, you must demonstrate your proficiency in English by passing an authorised language test.
Your language proficiency must be at least level A1 according to the CEFR.
You should also make sure that the test provider has been authorised and confirmed by the Home Office.
When applying to extend your visa or for permanent settlement via indefinite leave to remain, you may be required to get a pass at a higher CEFR level.
Parent visa applications can be submitted from outside the UK or even while you are currently in the country on another visa.
Applications must be submitted online via the Gov.uk website in both cases.
If you are applying from outside the UK, you need to fill out Appendix 5 along with the normal VAF4A form.
The online application requires you to provide detailed information about yourself, your family, your travels, and your money, among other things.
As an additional step, you might have to make an appointment at a nearby visa application centre to provide your biometric data. The Home Office will provide you with the necessary instructions.
When applying for a parent visa, you need to give some basic personal and family information.
You may be required to submit the following details about yourself, though this is not an exhaustive list:
If applying for a child, you may need to provide the following details:
Applicants from outside the UK must pay £1,538 in order to secure a parent visit visa.
The application fee is £1,048 if submitted from within the UK.
To include more children as dependents on your application, you will also need to pay an extra cost. To apply from outside the UK, the cost per child is £1,538; to apply from inside the UK, it is £1,048.
As part of the application process, you and your dependents are also required to pay the immigration healthcare premium.
Adult candidates would be need to pay £624 each year, while those under the age of 18 will be required to pay £470.
From outside the UK, the processing time for a parent visa UK is typically about 24 weeks. It typically takes about 8 weeks to process an application made from within the UK.
If you require your application to be handled promptly, you can also be eligible for visa processing services that are considered priority or super priority. Nevertheless, there will be extra fees associated with this.
It should be noted that if your application is deemed complex. For example, if the Home Office requests further information, if you are requested to attend an interview, or if your criminal convictions must be considered—it may take more time to process.
One of the most popular immigration options granted by the UK government is the UK Parent visa, which is a subset of the UK Family visa.
We can assist you with your immigration visa application if you are a parent seeking to join your child who is already living in the UK, or if you are thinking about another route to enter the UK.
We are a team of compassionate and expert immigration lawyers specialising in UK and worldwide immigration. No matter how complicated your case is or how unique your personal circumstances are, we have the resources and expertise to help.
Whether you need help understanding the requirements for a UK parent visa, are confused about the application procedure, or simply want to talk to an immigration expert about your case, we’re here to help.
In addition to the UK Spouse visa, the Adult Dependent Relative Visa, and other comparable visas, we can also assist you in applying for a visa based on your family or personal life.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our offerings and how we can assist you. Contact us online or give us a call at 02033844389.
