Visas for Family Members
Family Members
During your studies, you may want to have your family members join you to live in the UK. This page provides information about when this is possible, and the process of applying.
If your family members will just be visiting you, or attending your graduation ceremony, they should consider coming to the UK as a visitorLink opens in a new window instead.
Jump to category
All dependent applications require the following:
- Completed application form:
- Outside the UK: Apply for entry clearance from the local Visa Application Centre. Dependants can complete the application form online, Link opens in a new windowpay the required fees, attend the visa application centre to submit biometrics.
- Inside the UK: complete the online application form.Link opens in a new window
- Current passport
- Current BRP card if applying in the UK
- Evidence that the dependent meets Financial requirements.
- Tuberculosis (TB) certificate if applying outside the UK and coming to the UK for longer than 6 months. This only applies if your country is listed on the government website.Link opens in a new window
- CAS number of the student you are a dependant of.
Additional evidence for Dependant partners:
- Evidence of marriage/civil partnership - marriage certificate or certificate of civil partnership issued in accordance with the law of the country where the ceremony took place.
- Evidence of ‘durable’ relationship and/or evidence of a ‘genuine and subsisting’ relationship. The Home Office case working Link opens in a new windowguidance provides information on what evidence can be used to demonstrate this.
Additional evidence for Dependant children:
- Evidence that both parents will be in the UK unless there are exceptional circumstances.
- Parents can only be biological parent, legal parent and adoptive parent
- If the dependant is applying on the basis of existing permission as your student dependant and they are applying in the UK, they must apply at the same time as you.
Each dependant should show 680 GBP for each month of visa they will be granted (in line with your own visa expiry date), up to a maximum of 9 months. The maximum amount is 6120 GBP. All required funds must be in the bank account for at least 28 consecutive days, and the bank statement cannot be older than 31 days on the date of the visa application.
Exception to the financial requirement
Your dependents do not need to meet financial requirements if they are applying in the UK and they have been living in the UK with a visa (in any category) for 12 months or longer. If they do not meet this, they must submit evidence of their funds.
We hope our PDF application guides will help complete the online visa application form for your dependant family members.
Children born in the UK
It is not necessary for a baby born in the UK to apply for a visa unless they intend to leave the UK and re-enter, in which case the baby must have valid immigration permission to re-enter the UK. Therefore, if you leave the UK, you will need to apply for a Student Dependant Visa for your baby from overseas, obtain it, and then travel to the UK with a valid visa.
However, if you have recently given birth or are due to give birth to a baby in the UK, from the date of the baby’s birth, they are entitled to three months of free access to secondary NHS health care. Once they are three months old, they must pay for any secondary health care they may need.
From the age of three months, your baby can only access secondary healthcare by submitting a visa application.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you submit a visa application for the baby as soon as possible after they are born. This is so that the Immigration Health SurchargeLink opens in a new window payment can be made at the time of application, entitling the baby to access any NHS care that they may need after they are three months old.
Further reading...
Learn more about children born while in the UK by visiting the UKCISA websiteLink opens in a new window.
Contact Us
Need support with your visa?
Don't hesitate to contact us!
A-Z of Visa Terms
Not sure what something means?
Check our list of common visa-related terminology.