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    Who is eligible for a Family Visa ?

    There are different types of visas available for a non-EEA national who intends to live and work in the UK for an extended period of time. The visa most suitable for your situation should be applied. If you have your family members in the UK and you wish to visit them then for such a condition the family visa should be applied for which permits you with more than 6 months stay. With a Family Visa you can join your spouse, fiance, partner, parent, child or relative who will be taking care of you while you stay there.

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    What are the UK Family Visa types ?

    A Family Visa is required to be applied for if you are a non-EEA national and have the intend to reside in the UK for a long period of time and meet the following requirements as well such as: 

    • Your family member or spouse is a British citizen
    • Your family member or spouse has ILR or a settled status
    • Your family member or spouse is in the UK with refugee status or humanitarian protection.

    To stay with your family who resides in the UK, you can switch from the current visa with which you are living. Depending upon the relation that you have with your family member in the UK who will be your sponsor, there are various UK Family Visas available. 

    The details regarding the different types of Family Visas for the non-EEA nationals are listed in this page.

    Spouse Visa

    The partners and spouses of the UK-based individuals are allowed to remain in the UK for 2.5 years under the UK Family Visa. An extension can be made after the time period expires to make a total of 5 years in the UK. This makes the applicant eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain. 

    The following requirements should be fulfilled to apply for a Family Visa as a partner or spouse:

    • Both the applicant and the UK-based partner should be of at least 18 years of age.
    • Your relationship must be genuine and this should be proven as well.
    • You must plan to remain in the UK for the permitted 2.5 years.

    Your time period in the UK will be reduced to six months, if you are applying for a UK Family Visa as a fiance. Within this time you are expected to get married to your partner as fulfillment of one of the requirements, in failure to do so you may be in risk of being deported. In your spouse or fiance visa application, you are permitted to apply for your dependent children as well.

    There are financial requirements such as your UK-based partner should meet the minimum income threshold of  £18,600 which increases by  £3800 if you have a child coming with you. This further increases by  £2,4000 for each subsequent child. For your eligibility in a spouse or fiance visa these financial requirements should be met. 

    For a Family Visa UK one of the following language requirements should be met: 

    • You are from a country where English language is one of the major languages.
    • You should have passed an English language test recognised by the UK.
    • You have a degree or document that proves your qualification in English language. 

    There are cases of exemption available for those who are more than 65 years old, or have some mental or physical disability that does not allow them to meet the requirements.

    Child Dependent Visa

    As a separate application a non-EEA national can apply for a UK Family Visa on their parent’s application. To be eligible for the child dependent visa, the child should be under 18 years of age and living as a dependent and has not formed an independent family unit. 

    The parent or carer who is to look after the child while they reside in the UK should be financially eligible. After having lived in the UK for 5 years, after the Family Visa runs out the child is eligible to apply for British Naturalisation, similar to the spouse visa application.

    Adult Dependent Visa

    An Adult Dependent Visa is available for those over 18 years of age who intend on living and working in the UK on a Family Visa. A parent, grandparent or adult child of the UK-based individual are the eligible candidates for this visa. 

    There are exceptional circumstances for an Adult Dependent Visa, which is for those family members who need long-term care that can be provided by their relative in the UK. This Family Visa type permits you an indefinite stay in the UK with the condition that the UK relative is a British Citizen or has a settled status in the UK or has refugee status or humanitarian protection. 

    This visa is not easy to obtain and is booked for exceptional situations only. For this the requirements that needs to be fulfilled are as given below:

    • You must be more than 18 years of age
    • You must have a definite relationship being related to the UK-based individual who is your sponsor
    • A heavy amount of evidence that demonstrates you don’t have sufficient care in your country of origin should be provided

    UK Ancestry Visa

    You will be granted 5 years stay in the UK under this unique UK Ancestry Visa, eligible for those whose parents were born in the UK. For the permitted time period you can live, work and study in the UK and after the visa expires, you can even apply for the settled status.

    Get in touch with our expert immigration lawyers to learn how to apply for a Family Visa.

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      How can Rubens Immigration help you apply for a Family Visa ?

      Family is important and no individual should have restrictions in having to live with them. This is well understood by Rubens Immigration and so our dedicated immigration lawyers work their very best to make sure that you can stay with your family, under the Family Visa. There are different types of Family Visas and it is important to have a clear understanding about each of these visas so that you can choose the one that is most suited given your condition. 

      Our experienced lawyers will provide this knowledge and guide you through your process. We will have a Letter of Representation prepared for your application along with the required evidence and documents to be submitted for your Family Visa UK application.

      From the first till the end we will be assisting you by liaising with the Home Office till a decision is heard of and your application process has completed, to ensure that you have a high chance in being granted the Family Visa.

      Our Packages

      Advice Package
      Advice Package

      Tailored comprehensive immigration package to your circumstances and goals.

      Application Package
      Application Package

      Feel stress-free with the package designed just for your convenience.

      Fast Track Package
      Fast Track Package

      With this package; you are sure to submit the visa application within deadline.

      Appeal Package
      Appeal Package

      We ensure you have the higher chance of a successful appeal.

      Frequently Asked Questions

      For temporary or permanent entry and stay in the UK the dependent child of a British citizen or an individual with settled status may apply. To be qualified, the Home Office must be confident that the child meets the following criteria:

      • under 18 years of age;
      • does not live independently;
      • is not married or in a civil partnership;
      • has not formed an independent family unit.

      For adopted children, there are more added necessities that need to be satisfied. If a dependent child's parent wishes to join or stay in the UK as a spouse or parent, they are required to meet certain financial requirements. In all such situations, the parent must demonstrate that they are able to provide for the child without the use of public funds. In certain situations, the child may be required to apply as a points-based system (PBS) dependent, depending on the status of the parent(s) settlement.

      You can apply for a visa as a PBS dependent if you are the partner or dependent child (under 18) of a migrant who is in or coming to the UK under most categories of the points-based scheme.

      You must demonstrate that:

      • you wish to reside with the migrant worker 
      • you have a genuine relationship

      Alternatively, for children:

      • You do not have an independent family unit or
      • are living on your own.

      The migrant worker must also demonstrate that they can help you without relying on government assistance.

      You may apply for permission to enter or remain in the UK as the parent of a British citizen or settled in the UK. You must demonstrate that:

      • You have full custody of the child, or at the very least access rights;
      • You can support yourself without relying on government assistance;
      • You are suitable and have a good command of the English language.

      You will be granted temporary permission to stay in the UK for 30 months if you fulfill all of the criteria. If you succeed on following the criteria, you will be able to work for another 30 months, and after five years, you will be eligible to apply for ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain).

      If you are traveling from outside the UK, you must first obtain a visa. If you are already in the UK, you would be qualified if you are not on a Visitor Visa or on temporary entry, have not been granted permission to remain for longer than six months (unless as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner), and are not in violation of the Immigration Rules (overstaying for less than 28 days will not be taken into account).

      Yes, if you are in the UK on a Points Based System visa, your family members should be able to join you. You may want to look into Spouse/Partner Visas and Dependent Visas for more details, or talk with one of our immigration experts.

      If your UK Family Visa is denied, you will be entitled to appeal the decision under current law.

      And if your application is turned down, there might be other choices available to you. To get the latest and most up-to-date advice, speak with an immigration lawyer.

      In the case of Visit Visas, the legislation currently does not provide for a complete right of appeal. Such visas can only be appealed on very limited grounds. If your application for a Family Visit Visa has been denied, you can talk with one of our experts about your options.

      We will be able to assist you with every kind of Family Visa application thanks to our team of specialist immigration lawyers.

      We will do the following:

      • determining your eligibility for a Family Visa;
      • determining if your UK relative is willing to sponsor you;
      • assist you in ensuring that you have acceptable evidence of your relative's relationship for your application;
      • perform a thorough review of all documents to ensure that they are adequate;
      • meet with you in person, over the phone, or via Skype at a convenient time for you;
      • To go with your submission, write a Letter of Representation. This is a text that contains information about your case and its strengths and weaknesses. It will also provide a list of all applicable UK immigration laws that may be relevant to your application.
      • Throughout the method, communicate with the Home Office; complete each section of your application in its entirety and to a professional standard.