Who is eligible for a UK child visa?

The child visa is for children under the age of 18 (at the point of their first application) who wish to join or stay with a parent living in the UK.

If you are the parent of a child and you have limited leave to remain in the UK in one of the visa categories below, your child can apply to join or stay with you in the UK.

• Skilled Worker visa
• Health and Care Worker visa
• Senior or Specialist Worker visa 
• Minister of Religion visa
• International Sportsperson visa
• Innovator visa
• Start-up visa
• Global Talent visa
• Ancestry visa
• British National (overseas) visa
• Full-time student visas

You will need to show sufficient funds to support the child. This is £315 for the first child and £200 for each additional child and this must have been held for at least 28 days before applying.

Can a child join a parent in the UK as a dependent on a partner visa?

The requirements are different if the parent of the child applying, has been granted a partner visa. In these circumstances, the child can join their parent in the UK as a dependent.

• The child is under 18 years old, is not married or in a civil partnership and is not living an independent life.
  • If the child is over 18 years old, they may be able to apply if they were previously granted permission to stay in the UK when they were under 18, so long as they have not established an independent life.
• If only one of the parents of the child is living in the UK and they cannot show that they have sole parental responsibility for the child, they must provide evidence of a serious and compelling family reason or other considerations which would make the exclusion of the child from the UK undesirable.
• You must have suitable accommodation with sufficient rooms for your family to live in.
• If you have been granted a partner visa, your child can join you in the UK as a dependent. However, you will need to meet the minimum income requirements of a certain level of combined income (this is subject to change depending on Government policy).

What is the duration of a UK child visa?

The application type and duration will depend on the status of the parent.

The child will normally be granted leave to enter or remain in line with their parent. This means the child visa will expire on the same date as the parent’s leave to remain and the child will be required to apply to extend their visa at the same time as their parent’s extension application. Once the parent becomes eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK, the child of the parent will also be able to make an application for indefinite leave to remain.

If the parent is entitled to indefinite leave to remain, the child will be granted the same.

You will need to show sufficient funds to support the child. This is £315 for the first child and £200 for each additional child and this must have been held for at least 28 days before applying.