Is the UK Adult Relative Dependent Visa the Best Solution for You to Invite Your Parents to the Country?

The Pros of the UK Adult Relative Dependent Visa for Parents

If you have a parent who needs long-term support or medical care, you can invite them to live with you through the UK Adult Relative Dependent Visa route. Your other parent may also be able to join you if they are the main applicant’s partner, cannot provide the required care, and do not need long-term care themselves.

We’ll discuss this UK visa for dependent relatives, including how to scale through the strict eligibility requirements and the benefits of this immigration pathway for you and your parents. 

An Overview of the Adult Relative Dependent Visa

The Adult Dependent Relative Visa is a subcategory of the UK Family Visa. It is designed to allow foreign nationals to enter the UK to be cared for by their loved ones who are permanently residing in the country.

Besides your parents, you can sponsor other adult family members who depend on you for long-term care, such as a grandparent, child, or sibling, through the dependent relative route.  

You can typically apply for the Dependent Adult Visa online through the UK government website. You must complete the online form, pay the visa fees, upload the supporting documents, and book a biometric appointment for your parents.

The processing time for this family visa takes around 12 weeks. If your family member’s application is successful, they can live with you in the UK indefinitely, assuming you are a British citizen or someone with settled status. If you have pre-settled, humanitarian protection, or refugee status, their length of stay will be the same as yours. 

Eligibility Criteria for the UK Adult Dependent Relative Visa 

The UK Home Office sets out strict requirements for the Dependent Adult Visa for both applicants and their UK-based sponsor. 

Requirements for Sponsors

Before you can sponsor your parents for the visa, you must be 18 years or older and be living in the UK as any of the following:

• A British or Irish citizen 
• A person with indefinite leave to remain or settled status
• An EEA national with pre-settled status. 
• An individual with refugee or humanitarian protection status.

You must also meet the following requirements:

• Have sufficient funds to care for your parents throughout their stay in the UK without recourse to public funds
• Have adequate accommodation for any dependents you may have.
• Be willing to sign an undertaking that you will be responsible for the applicant’s care for either five years or the entire time of their permission to stay in the UK.

Requirements for Applicants

To be eligible for an Adult Dependent Visa, your parent must be able to prove to the Home Office that:

• They need long-term personal care to carry out daily tasks due to age, illness, or disability. 
• Even with your financial help, they cannot get the required care in their country of residence because it is unavailable, unaffordable, or there’s no one in the country to provide it. 

Documentation Requirements  

Applicants are expected to submit certain documents to prove that they meet the eligibility requirements for the visa, and these include the following:

• A medical report detailing their health condition
• Proof of unavailable or unaffordable healthcare in their residence country, for instance, a doctor’s note
• Their passport or valid travel document
• Documents from the sponsor to support their application, including:
  • A birth certificate showing a parental relationship
  • Bank statements that show they can financially care for the applicant.
  • Their address and details of accommodation in the UK
  • A signed undertaking confirming they will be responsible for the applicant’s maintenance.
  • Proof of their legal status in the UK with documents such as a copy of their British passport.

The Cost of the Adult Dependent Visa

As part of the requirements, parents are expected to pay a visa application fee. If you have humanitarian protection or refugee status in the UK, your parent will pay £404, but if you are a British citizen or a settled person, they must pay £3,250. Also, each applicant must pay the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge of £1,035 yearly. 

Is the Adult Relative Visa the Best for Your Parents?: The Main Pros of the Visa

The United Kingdom is ranked on several reports as having one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Thus, with the Adult Dependent Visa, your parents can access top-notch care, even for complex medical situations. 

Additionally, being in the UK with a loved one means they’ll be surrounded by familial bonds, which can improve their well-being, health, and quality of life. 

Furthermore, this dependent visa is a long-term immigration route, allowing your parents to settle in the UK permanently or become British citizens after some time.

Final Thoughts

The Dependent Adult Visa is among the most complex UK visas to obtain, with a high refusal rate of 96%. Applicants are expected to prove they cannot get the support they require from other family members and the medical institutions in their home country, and in most cases, they fail to meet this requirement.

For instance, if you have a sibling living in the same country as your parent or if your parent has a partner living with them who can provide the required care or one that is not your other parent, the Home Office may reject the visa application. 

While you can certainly navigate the process yourself, it’s advisable to seek help from an immigration lawyer to guide you. These professionals are experts in UK immigration laws and can prepare compelling evidence to support your parent’s case, ultimately increasing their chances of having a successful application.

Guest Article.