Dependants

• Who can be a dependant

  The only family members you can claim as dependants are your partner and your children.

  A dependant partner or child is one of the following:

  • your husband, wife or civil partner
  • your unmarried partner
  • your child under 18 years old - including if they were born in the UK during your stay

  You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply, for example:

  • a marriage or civil partnership certificate for your partner
  • a birth certificate for your child

  If your child is 16 or 17

  If your child is 16 or 17 on the date you apply you’ll need to prove they are not living an independent life, for example they’re not married or in a civil partnership.

  You’ll need to prove:

  • where they live - if they do not live with you, you’ll need to explain why
  • any rent or upkeep they pay you each month
  • that you support them financially if they do not live with you

  • If your child lives with you, you’ll need to provide 2 of the following documents confirming their address:

    • a bank statement
    • credit card bills
    • driving licence
    • NHS registration document
    • an official letter from their university or college

  See the UKVI 'Family members' webpage for further information.

  Further requirements

  In order to claim dependants, you must also meet the following requirements:

  • You must have a Student visa or be applying for one.
  • You must intend to live together with your dependants.
  • Your dependants do not intend to remain in the UK beyond the end of your immigration permission.
  • For children, both parents must be lawfully living in the UK unless the other parent is deceased or if you have sole responsibility for your children’s upbringing. Evidence such as death certificates, divorce and custody papers will be required when making the application.
  • Your dependants meet the financial requirement (see information provided below).

• Babies born in the UK

  Babies that are born to foreign nationals in the UK are not British citizens unless one or both of the parents have British citizenship or settled status.

  You do not need to make an immigration application for a newborn baby to remain in the UK; however, the baby will need immigration permission to re-enter the UK after travelling abroad.

  If you are on a Student visa, you can claim your baby as a dependant. You can find out more about how to claim a baby as a dependant on your visa from the UKVI website. For further information, please contact advint@st-andrews.ac.uk.

• Financial requirements

  You will need to show that you have the following maintenance for each of your dependants.

  • £680 for each month of your course, up to a maximum of nine months (a maximum of £6,120 for each dependant).

  If you’re applying at the same time as your partner or child, you’ll need to prove you have both money to pay for your course and to support yourself and additional money for each of them.

  If your partner or child is applying at a different time to you, they only need to prove they have money to support themselves.

  You (or your partner or child) must have this money for at least 28 consecutive days. The end date of the 28 day period must be within 31 days of the date they apply for their visa.

  If you have financial sponsorship, and this sponsorship covers your dependants living costs, ask your sponsor to include this information on your sponsorship letter. This will mean that your dependants will not need to meet the financial requirements. If your sponsors are only covering part of the living costs for your dependants, the amount agreed can be deducted from the maintenance that they are required to show in a bank account.

  Who does not need to show proof of finances

  You, your partner or child do not have to submit any proof of finances if you are from a low risk country (meets the differential evidence requirements) and are applying at the same time or if they have been in the UK with a valid visa for 12 months or more at the time of application.

• How to apply

  In order to apply for a visa for your dependant, you must do the following:

  1. Apply online and pay the relevant application fees.
  2. Pay the healthcare surcharge.
  3. Provide proof that you have enough savings to support your dependants while they’re in the UK (see financial requirements above).
  4. Provide a photograph and fingerprints taken at a visa application centre to get a biometric residence permit within 10 days of when they said they’d arrive in the UK.

  If you want to extend the visa for dependants already in the UK with immigration permission, you will need to apply for your dependants’ visa at the same time as you extend or switch your visa. If you can’t do it at the same time, your dependants can apply to extend or switch their visas at a later date; applications must be made before their current leave to remain expires.

  Dependants will need to provide biometric information and pay the healthcare surcharge again for an extension of their visa.

  Complete information on how dependants can apply for a visa are found on the UKVI website.