UK Parent visa

What this visa is and who it is for

The Parent of a child in the UK visa is one branch of the broader UK Family visa. It is for a parent who wants to live in the UK to care for their child, where the child already lives here and is settled or has strong ties to the UK.

It is important to understand where this route sits. The family route has separate branches for partners/spouses, children, parents, and adult dependent relatives. This page covers the parent branch specifically. It is generally intended for a parent who is not the partner of the person the child normally lives with — for example, a parent who is separated from the child's other parent. A parent who is coming to the UK to live with a British or settled partner would normally apply on the partner route instead.

• For a parent of a child who is under 18 and lives in the UK
• For a parent who is not applying as the partner of the person the child lives with
• Requires an active, genuine parental role in the child's life
• Allows work and study in the UK once granted

Eligibility

Applicants must be the parent of a child in the UK who meets the status and residence conditions below, and must show they take, and intend to continue taking, an active role in the child's upbringing.

• The child must be under 18 at the date of application (or have been under 18 when the parent was first granted leave on this route)
• The child must live in the UK
• The child must be a British or Irish citizen, have settled status (indefinite leave / settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme), hold pre-settled status, OR have lived in the UK continuously for at least 7 years and it would not be reasonable to expect them to leave
• The applicant must have sole or shared parental responsibility for the child
• If parental responsibility is shared, the other parent must not be the applicant's partner, and must themselves be a British or Irish citizen or have settled or pre-settled status
• If the child does not live with the applicant, the applicant must have agreed access to the child (in person, or as set out in a court order)

Costs

The main costs are the application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), and showing you have enough money to support yourself and your child. Fees are charged per person, so dependants add to the total.

• Application fee: £2,064 if applying from outside the UK; £1,407 if applying from inside the UK (per person)
• Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year of the visa (a 2 year 9 month grant works out at roughly £2,587.50 for an adult; gov.uk quotes an adult range of £2,587.50–£5,175 across this route)
• Optional priority/super-priority services for a faster decision cost extra (for example, priority processing is around £1,000 on top of the fee)
• A fee waiver may be available for those who cannot afford the fee and/or IHS

The financial requirement

The parent route does not use the fixed minimum income threshold that applies to partners. Instead, applicants must meet the "adequate maintenance" test: they must show they can support and house themselves and their child without needing public funds.

In practice this means providing evidence of income, savings, employment or other support, and evidence of suitable accommodation that the family owns or occupies exclusively. Applicants should be prepared to show that, after housing costs, the household has enough left to live on.

Documents you will need

Exact documents depend on your circumstances, but applicants typically need to provide the following.

• A valid passport or other travel document
• Evidence of the child's identity and status (for example the child's British passport, or proof of settled/pre-settled status, or evidence of 7 years' continuous UK residence)
• Evidence of the parental relationship (such as the child's birth certificate naming you as parent)
• Evidence of parental responsibility or agreed access — for example a court order or a signed access agreement
• Evidence you take an active role in the child's upbringing (letters from the school, GP, or the other parent; photos; records of contact)
• Evidence of finances and accommodation to meet the adequate maintenance test
• Evidence you meet the English language requirement
• A tuberculosis test certificate if you are applying from a country where this is required

English language requirement

Applicants must show a knowledge of English. On the family route this is normally proved by passing an approved secure English language test at the required level, holding a degree taught in English, or being a national of a majority English-speaking country. The required level rises at each stage of the route (a basic level for the first application, a higher level to extend, and a higher level again for settlement).

Applicants over a certain age, or who cannot meet the requirement because of a long-term physical or mental condition, may be exempt.

How to apply

You apply online through the gov.uk family visa service. The route differs slightly depending on whether you are outside or inside the UK.

Applying from outside the UK, you complete the online application, pay the fee and IHS, and then prove your identity — either by giving your biometrics (fingerprints and photo) at a visa application centre, or by using the UK Immigration: ID Check app if you are eligible. Applying from inside the UK to switch or extend, you use the leave to remain application and prove your identity in the same way. You must not travel until your application is decided if you applied from inside the UK.

How long a decision takes

Standard processing times are published on gov.uk and vary by application type and location. Applications from outside the UK are typically decided within a few weeks of the biometrics appointment; in-UK applications usually take up to around 8 weeks. Paid priority and super-priority services can speed this up where available. Always check the current published timescales when you apply.

Dependants and length of stay

A visa granted on this route lasts 2 years and 9 months. The child you are applying to care for is not your dependant on this application — they already have their own status in the UK. Other children may be able to join or stay with you on the child branch of the family route, subject to meeting those requirements separately.

Extending

The visa can be extended for a further 2 years and 6 months at a time, provided you still meet the requirements of the route. You will need to show that you continue to have an active parental role, that the child still meets the status conditions, that you continue to meet the maintenance requirement, and that you meet the English language requirement at the level required for extension.

Switching from another visa

It is possible to switch into the parent route from inside the UK in some circumstances, rather than applying from abroad. Whether you can switch depends on your current visa. You generally cannot switch if you are in the UK as a visitor, on a short-term visa, on immigration bail, or on leave granted outside the Immigration Rules. Check your current visa conditions before applying.

Settlement (indefinite leave to remain)

The earliest you can apply to settle on this route is after you have lived in the UK continuously for 5 years as a parent on the family route. Settlement is a separate application with its own fee, and applicants must meet the English language requirement at the level required for settlement and pass the Life in the UK test. After settlement, applicants may later be eligible to apply for British citizenship, subject to the separate citizenship rules.