Important Travel Document Information – Please Read
The UK Family Visa is provided for the purpose of visiting family members in the United Kingdom. This visa category is for individuals who have family members who work and live in the United Kingdom and wish to join them for a period of more than six months as dependents. Dependents may include a husband or wife (spouse), a partner, a fiancé, a fiancée, or a prospective civil partner, children, parents, or other family members.
UK Visas for family members
- Spouse visa for the United Kingdom
- Parental visa for the United Kingdom
- Child visa for the United Kingdom
UK Family Visa Criteria
As part of the criteria for these types of visas, you must often demonstrate that your familial ties are real. You must provide marriage/birth certificates, photographic proof, and further paperwork to do this. This may include evidence of your communication, cohabitation, or time spent together.
You may need a sponsorship letter if your entrance clearance needs a UK-based family member to serve as the visa sponsor. This section should describe how you are connected to or know the applicant, how long you have known them, and how often you see each other. It must also include proof that you are either a British citizen, a settled person, or a person with valid entrance clearance.
A family visa is required for more than six months with a family member in the United Kingdom.
Types of UK Family Visas
It is crucial to remember that there is no standard “Family Visa”; if you want to join or accompany your spouse or relative in the United Kingdom, you must pick the category that best fits your situation. These classes consist of:
Some forms of visas based on familial relationships are temporary, while others are permanent.
In addition, each kind comes under a separate visa category, which implies that each has distinct qualifying conditions.
Spouse, unmarried partner, and civil partner
Ancestry Visa
Dependant adults
Family Visit Visas
EEA Family Permit
Additional Family Visa Information
If you are applying from the United Kingdom, you may be able to pay an additional £800 for the super-priority service in exchange for a quicker judgment.
You cannot utilize the super priority service if you apply as an adult relative-care recipient.
After receiving your decision letter, your biometric residency permit will come within ten business days.
How long does it take
If you apply outside the United Kingdom, you will typically get a response within 24 weeks.
If you apply in the United Kingdom using the normal process, The Home Office will often decide within eight weeks after your application date.
Typically, if you utilize the super priority service, the following will apply:
- If your appointment is on a weekday, by the end of the next business day after submitting your biometric data.
- Two business days after submitting your biometric data, unless your appointment is on the weekend.
- Monday through Friday is business days, except for national holidays.
It may take longer if your application is intricate, such as if you:
- do not satisfy the minimum income criteria
- cannot demonstrate your English proficiency
- fail to attend the interview
- have not given the Home Office the necessary evidence
- possess a criminal conviction or another personal condition requiring evaluation
Other methods to remain in the UK
- You were the victim of domestic violence, or your spouse passed away.
- You may be eligible to apply to settle in the United Kingdom if you have permission to remain in the country as a partner under one of the following conditions:
- Your family member has refugee status or is protected under humanitarian law.
- You may be eligible to apply for a “family reunion” to join a spouse or parent who has either:
- Status as a refugee in the UK
- Humanitarian protection in the United Kingdom
If you or your family are from the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, you are eligible for certain benefits.
If you or a close relative moved to the United Kingdom before January 1, 2021, you might be eligible to apply for the free EU Settlement Scheme. You cannot enter the United Kingdom without a visa or family permission.
Irish people are exempt from visa and EU settlement scheme applications.
Under some conditions, it is impossible to apply for or switch to a family visa, such as:
- Your family member has a work visa or student visa
- You cannot apply for a family visa if your family member is in the UK temporarily on a work visaor student visa.
You can apply to stay with them as a dependant instead.
You have a visitor visa or a visa for six months or less.
You’ll usually need to leave the UK to apply for a family visa if either:
- you have permission to be in the UK as a visitor
- your visa is for six months or less
However, you might be able to switch to a family visa in the UK if you have either:
- a 6-month family visa as a fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner
- permission to stay in the UK for the outcome of a family court case or divorce
The UK Visa Process
Select a visa.
To study, work, visit, or reunite with relatives in the UK, you could require a visa.
Various visas are available depending on:
- What country you are from and why you wish to visit the UK
- How long you intend to stay given your situation and abilities
- You must determine whether you require a visa and what kind before submitting an application. You might not need a visa to enter or transit through the UK depending on your nationality.
- Before you depart, your application must be accepted.
- If you are an Irish citizen, there is no need for you to apply for a Visa.
It can be disheartening to have a visa application rejected. It always seems unjust and judgmental, and it always feels personal. A UK visa refusal actually happens frequently, and the Home Office has no issue issuing them.
After all, whether an application is approved or denied, the Home Office keeps the visa money. Additionally, they profit more from additional applications and appeals.
We are frequently questioned about how to “ensure” that a visa will be approved. The short answer is that since the Home Office makes all final decisions, there is no way to acquire a 100% guarantee. Making ensuring your application is as strong as it can be is all you can do, though.
If you have had your visa application rejected please contact us.
People Also Asked
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UK family visas are a type of entry and residence authorizations that are given to those who desire to start a permanent family with their family members who already reside in the UK. There are just a few options to obtain a family visa for the UK: as the partner or spouse of a citizen of the UK. as a parent of a citizen of the UK.