Family Visa
UK Family visa is a must for those applicants, who want to come to the UK and live with a family member in the UK for more than six months. A Family visa allows you to live in the UK with your spouse or partner, your fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner, your child, your parent, or a relative who provides you long-term care.
A Family visa also permits extension if you are already in the UK on this visa. If you have come to the UK on a different visa, you are allowed to switch to a Family visa to stay with your family: your spouse or partner, your child, or your parents. Also, you might be able to apply to stay on the basis of your private life if you have lived in the UK for many years already. It is worth mentioning, that you are allowed to extend or switch at any time before your current permission to stay in the UK expires. To be eligible for settlement, you must live in the UK for a certain amount of time.
The fees for your Family visa depend on how you apply. If you are joining your partner, parent, or child and apply outside the UK, you must pay £1,523 and £1,523 for each of the dependants added to your application. If you apply in the UK, the fee is slightly lower – £1,033 for each person. If the reason for your stay in the UK is your need to be looked after, then the fee is £3,250 (application outside the UK) and £1,033 (application in the UK). Your bank must be warned that a large amount of money will be coming out of your account not to cancel your payment. Healthcare surcharge is an obligatory part of your application.
The applicant outside the UK typically gets a visa decision within 12 weeks. The applicant in the UK typically gets a decision within 8 weeks after the application date (standard service). Super priority service allows you to get a decision in two working days or even by the end of the next working day.
You can apply to settle in the UK if you had permission to stay in the UK as a partner when you were the victim of domestic abuse, or your partner died. Also, you have a right to apply for your family reunion and join a partner or parent who has refugee status in the UK or has humanitarian protection in the UK.
If your family member is from the European Economic Area or Switzerland, and you are outside the UK, you can apply for a family permit. It is worth mentioning, that your family member will probably need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. No change to the rights and status of EU citizens currently living in the UK is guaranteed until 30 June 2021.
There are a number of circumstances when you are not allowed to apply for or switch to a UK Family visa. These are: if your family member is in the UK temporarily on a Work visa or Student visa. The best option for you then is to apply to stay with them as a dependant instead. Also, if you have a UK Visitor visa or a visa for six months or less. You will be obliged to leave the UK to apply for a Family visa, even if you have permission to be in the UK as a visitor or your visa is for 6 months or less.
You are allowed to switch to a Family visa in the UK if you have a 6-month family visa as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner or a permission to stay in the UK for the outcome of a divorce or a family court case.
To be allowed to apply for a Family visa as a partner, you and your partner must be 18+, your partner must be a British citizen, or have settled in the UK, or have refugee status, or have humanitarian protection in the UK. You must be able to prove you are in a civil partnership or marriage, you have been living together in a relationship for at least two years when you apply, you are a proposed civil partner, a fiancé or a fiancée and you plan to marry (or enter into a civil partnership) in the UK within six months of arriving in the country.
You can apply for a Family visa to care for your child. In this case, your child must be under 18 on the date you apply, also the child must have been under 18 when you were first granted leave, and not live an independent life. It is important that your child must be living in the UK. Other requirements that must be met: your child is a British citizen, your child has settled in the UK or you are applying in the UK and your child has lived in the UK for 7 years continuously and it would not be reasonable for the child to leave the country.
If at least one of your parents has indefinite leave to remain or proof of permanent residence, you may be eligible to settle in the UK. You are guaranteed to get the same permission to stay as your parent if you were born in the UK. If you were born outside the UK, much depends on your age and how your parent applied.
To apply as an adult coming to be cared for by a relative you must prove that you need long-term care to do everyday personal and household tasks because of illness, disability or your age; you need to prove that the care you need is not available or affordable in the country you live in, the person you will join in the UK must be able to support you and not claim public funds for at least five years.
You can apply for a UK Family visa on the basis of your private life. The most important requirement is how long you live in the UK. For people under 18 at least 7 continuous years is a must, between 18 and 24 – more than half of their life, for 25+ it is at least 20 years of life in the UK.
According to the Family visa requirement, you may need to prove your knowledge of the English language with an academic qualification, or by taking a test. Together with your partner you must demonstrate an income of at least £18,600 per year if you are applying as a partner or you want to settle in the UK within five years. Also, you have to guarantee you have extra money if you have children who are not British citizens, EEA nationals, or permanently settled.
The documents you need to provide when applying for a UK Family visa: your valid passport or other travel ID; a copy of your biometric residence permit (if available); copies of your previous passports; details of your previous immigration applications; details of any criminal convictions; your national insurance number. Your partner`s details, proof of relationship, information about your previous partners, children, and your life outside the UK might also be needed.
Regards,
SmartImmigrant
