UK Settlement Visas: Applying to join your family in the UK
The UK Family Visa, also known as the UK Settlement Visa, is one of the most daunting UK visas to apply for. Applying for a UK Settlement Visa is a complex and expensive process. The guidance is extensive and the supporting documentation required for an application is substantial and needs to meet specified parameters.
There are many ways in which a settlement visa might be appropriate for you.
Your sponsor must be a British Citizen, an Irish Citizen, have indefinite leave to remain or qualify for a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode. If your sponsor has limited leave to remain (i.e they are on a visa with limited validity, Ancestry, Tier 2), this is not the category of visa you should be looking at.
- Spouse/Civil Partner – i.e you are married or in a formally registered civil partnership (same-sex relationships).
- Unmarried partner (you must have lived with your partner for a minimum of two years).
- Child - you can apply to join or accompany a parent if you are under 18
- Parent with access rights to a child - you can apply to join a child if you are not in a relationship with the child’s other parent.
- An adult coming to be cared for by a relative
You can also apply as a fiancé/e.
You can marry in the UK and apply for a visa to remain there as a spouse. This is a two-tier process (and more expensive), but you need to meet the same requirements as a spouse or unmarried partner visa.
Once you have determined if you can apply for the visa, you next need to look at whether you can meet the financial requirements. Please see this blog post for more information.
If you have questions on how you might qualify, please contact us for a free 15 minute assessment!