Refugee family reunion routes 2026

The main Refugee Family Reunion route was suspended on 4 September 2025 with minimal notice. No announcement has been made about when, or whether, a new route will be introduced. This does not mean that refugees and people with humanitarian protection cannot bring family members to the UK. Alternative routes remain available.

What was Refugee Family Reunion?

Many people granted protection status in the UK have fled their home countries suddenly, often leaving family members behind. The Refugee Family Reunion route allowed partners, spouses, and minor children to join them once they had been granted refugee or humanitarian protection status and found safety. Other family members could also apply, although this was outside of the Refugee Family Reunion rules. That route is now suspended.

How to bring a Partner/Spouse to the UK

A partner or spouse of a refugee or person with humanitarian protection in the UK can apply under Appendix FM (family visa), the main immigration route for family members of people with settled or protection status in the UK.

The key requirements are:

• Validity: The application must be made on the correct form, with a valid ID document and the appropriate fees, unless a fee waiver is granted.
• Age and relationship: Both partners must be over 18 and not closely related. The couple must have met, and the relationship must be genuine and ongoing. If either partner has previously been married, that relationship must have permanently broken down.
• English language: The applying partner must pass an English test at CEFR A1 level (beginner). Exceptions apply if they are from an English-speaking country, aged over 65, have a disability, or exceptional circumstances exist.
• Suitability: The applicant must not have serious criminal convictions or significant immigration breaches.
• Financial: Unlike the suspended family reunion route, there is a minimum income requirement. The sponsoring partner in the UK must earn at least £29,000 per year. Social housing and most benefits cannot be used to meet this requirement. An exception applies if the sponsor receives certain disability-related benefits, such as Personal Independent Payment.
• Accommodation: Adequate accommodation must be available without relying on additional public funds.

If the financial or other requirements cannot be met, the Home Office may still grant the application in exceptional circumstances. These are circumstances where a refusal would lead to unjustifiably harsh consequences for the applicant, their partner, or any affected child. In our experience, where a refugee's family remains in the country they fled, there are often strong grounds for exceptional circumstances. Evidence is essential.

How to bring a child to the UK

A child of a refugee or person with humanitarian protection in the UK can apply as a dependent of their parent under an Appendix FM application (see above) or they can apply independently. 
The requirements include:

• Validity: The child must be outside the UK at the time of application.
• Age and status: The child must be under 18, unmarried, and not have their own family unit. One of their parents must be in the UK
• Sole parental responsibility: Unless the child is applying at the same time as their other parent, the sponsoring parent in the UK must hold sole parental responsibility. This can be difficult to demonstrate if the child is living with their other parent abroad. Where sole responsibility cannot be shown, the Home Office may still accept the case if there are serious and compelling family or other considerations. In our experience, the threshold is high and needs to be carefully documented.
• Care arrangements: Suitable care arrangements must be in place in the UK.
• Financial: A financial requirement applies, and adequate accommodation must be available without relying on additional public funds.

As with the partner route, exceptional circumstances can be argued if requirements cannot be met. You need strong evidence to show the difficulties the family will face if the application is refused. 

How to bring adult family members to the UK

Adult applicants, such as children over 18 or parents, were not included within the Family Reunion route and had to apply for leave outside the Immigration Rules.

The main option is the Adult Dependent Relative route. This is one of the most difficult applications to succeed on. You must show that the relative requires long-term personal care with everyday tasks due to age, illness, or disability; that this care is unavailable or unaffordable in their current country; and that no one else can reasonably provide it. Financial and suitability requirements also apply. If the requirements are not met, the Home Office must look at whether the consequences for the applicant and their family are unjustifiably harsh if the application is refused. 

We find the Home Office regularly refuse these applications and they often end up in appeal. They require strong and compelling evidence to support them. As these are complex cases with a very high refusal rate we strongly recommend seeking legal advice if you are considering this application.

Fee Waiver applications

The family reunion application process which closed in September 2025 was a free application process. This recognised the limited financial means that a person with protection status may have. 

The Appendix FM family routes which must now be used to bring family members to the UK, all require application fees and immigration health surcharge fees. These can be very costly. 

If you cannot afford the fees, you can apply for a fee waiver for applications involving private and family life. If the fee waiver application is successful, you will not need to pay the application fees and  the immigration Health Surcharges. 

The fee waiver application will only be successful if the Home Office agree that  the applicant and the sponsor’s financial situation means: 

1. you have limited income and savings, and 
2. you would not be able to afford the fee or your income is not sufficient to meet your child’s needs.

How to apply:

1. Gather detailed financial evidence from the applicant and the sponsor. This may take some time to gather.

• Evidence may include:
  • Bank statements (for all held bank accounts) for the previous 6 months, highlighting and explaining all major purchases that you may have made
  • Payslips, if you are working
  • Tenancy agreement 
  • Supporting letters from anyone providing financial support, including local authorities or charities, and confirmation that they cannot continue the support
  • Receipts for expenses and outgoings
  • Benefit statements if applicable (e.g. universal credit)

2. Make an online application and select the correct route you will be applying under. Selecting the wrong route may invalidate the fee waiver.

3. Submit the application with all supporting documents. The Home Office may request additional documents, but you will normally only have a few days to submit this.

4. If the fee waiver is granted, you will receive a code to enter into your main application. You must submit that application within 28 calendar days of the grant. If you miss this deadline, the fee waiver expires and you may need to restart the process.
5. If the fee waiver is refused, you can challenge the decision through judicial review. This is a complex process and we recommend seeking advice.

Getting advice

The closure of the Refugee Family Reunion route has made the process of reuniting families much more difficult. The alternative routes above all carry stricter requirements, higher costs, and greater complexity.

Each application can be complex, and the consequences of errors are serious. We recommend seeking legal advice before making any of these applications.