UK Child Family Visa: Joining or Staying with a Parent Guide

A child may be able to apply for a UK Family visa to join a parent, or to stay in the UK with a parent who has Family route permission. The application is not simply an attachment to the parent's form: the child's age, where they were born, where they are applying from, the parent's immigration route and the care arrangements all matter. The GOV.UK child route also has separate options for a child whose parent has protection status or where serious circumstances and care plans are involved.

If the child’s plan is only to visit a parent temporarily and then leave, see the separate UK Standard Visitor family/friend guide. A visitor application does not replace the Family route when a child intends to join a parent and live in the UK.

First identify which child-application situation applies

Before gathering documents, write down the child's date of birth, place of birth, current country and immigration permission, if any. Check whether the child may already be British or have a nationality-registration route; our British citizenship for children guide explains that separate question. Then record the parent's UK status and Family route, whether the parent is applying at the same time or already has permission, and whether the child will apply from inside or outside the UK. These facts direct you to the relevant section of GOV.UK and the correct online form.

The GOV.UK child page distinguishes a child born in the UK from one born outside it. It also explains different rules for a child under 18 and someone aged 18 or over. Turning 18 does not make every route impossible, but an adult applicant generally needs to fit the specific continuation rule for permission that began while they were a child. Check the current child-route guidance against the applicant's actual grant history rather than relying on age alone.

If at least one parent has indefinite leave to remain or proof of permanent residence, the child may have a different route to settlement. A parent with settled or pre-settled status may point to the EU Settlement Scheme instead of the Family route. A child already in the UK who cannot be included in the parent's form may need to check the separate Private Life route. Do not submit a Family visa application until you have checked whether one of these routes is the relevant one.

If the child was born in the UK

GOV.UK says a child born in the UK can get the same permission to stay as their parent. The child may be added to the parent's next application as a dependant or may apply separately, depending on the case. The child must normally live with the parent in the UK, unless they are living away from home in full-time education, and must not be married or in a civil partnership.

For a child under 18, identify the type of permission the parent holds and use the application process for that route. For someone aged 18 or over, the child guidance says the permission must have started while the person was under 18 and the parent must also apply from inside the UK. Check the current official instructions before submitting because the age, previous grant and application location interact.

Keep the child's birth certificate and any documents showing the parent's identity and permission available. If names differ across documents, gather the records that explain the difference and follow the application service's evidence instructions. A UK birth certificate establishes details of birth; it does not itself answer which immigration application or status the person should use.

If the child was born outside the UK and is under 18

The GOV.UK child route says an overseas-born applicant under 18 may qualify through one of several parent situations. One parent may be applying or may already have applied as a partner, where the partner they are joining is the child's other parent. A parent may instead be applying as a parent who has sole parental responsibility for the child. A child may also apply where a parent has permission to stay as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection.

The same guidance describes a further possibility where there are serious reasons to allow the child to come to or stay in the UK and plans for the child's care. This is not a broad catch-all or a self-assessment checklist. The facts and relevant Immigration Rules need individual examination, and the application may require specific evidence about the child's circumstances and proposed care. Seek qualified immigration advice if the ordinary parent-route description does not fit or if there are safeguarding, custody or contact issues.

For an overseas-born child, GOV.UK also says the child must live with their parent, unless away from home in full-time education, and must not be married or in a civil partnership. These are general guide points, not a substitute for checking the current Immigration Rules and the exact application route.

If the child is 18 or older

GOV.UK's child guidance allows some people aged 18 or over to be included in a parent's application or apply separately, but it limits this to a person whose permission to stay on a Family visa started while they were under 18. The page also says an overseas-born child must not be married or in a civil partnership and must meet the route's residence requirements. For a child born in the UK, it gives the separate condition that a parent also applies from inside the UK.

This is a continuation route, not a general route for any adult child to move to the UK. An adult son or daughter who has never held qualifying Family permission from childhood should not assume that the child route applies. Depending on the facts, a different route may be relevant. For example, the Adult Dependent Relative route has a separate high care-needs test; the adult parent route is also a different application from a child joining a parent. See our UK Adult Dependent Relative guide for that distinct route.

Check the parent's status and application route

The parent's UK immigration status affects which form and rules the child must use. GOV.UK lists partner-route situations involving a British or Irish citizen, a settled sponsor, certain pre-settled status circumstances, some Turkish permissions, or a person with protection status. If a parent is applying to enter the UK at the same time, the child application process can depend on which of those categories applies. Where the parent has a different type of permission, check the exact official process; do not borrow a form from a different category.

The parent may be applying at the same time as the child, or the parent may already have permission and the child may apply separately. GOV.UK describes different form instructions for these situations. The live application service is the final source for the form, payment, uploads and identity steps; it can ask for additional information that is not captured by a short guide.

If a parent has settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, GOV.UK says the child may be able to use the free EUSS route. That is a different scheme from Appendix FM. If a parent has another work, student or temporary permission, the child may fall under a dependant route attached to that permission rather than this Family visa. Confirm the parent status before selecting a form.

Financial evidence follows the parent's route

There is no single child-only income figure that can safely be applied to every Family route. GOV.UK says that if the parent has a Family visa, the parent's income must meet the financial requirement for the parent's type of Family visa. If the parent's permission is based on protection, the child page also points to financial requirements that may apply. Which test and documents are needed depend on the parent category, timing and application history.

For a parent applying as a partner, see our UK partner Family visa financial-requirement guide. It explains the threshold branches and the evidence rules without deciding an individual case. The child application may need the parent's income documents even when the child is the applicant. Follow Appendix FM and Appendix FM-SE for the exact category and evidence period; a headline annual salary or bank balance is not enough by itself to show that the specified documentation is met. If the parent has refugee or humanitarian-protection status, our guide to family routes after the UK refugee family reunion pause explains the 2025 cutoff and the separate Appendix FM and Appendix CRP branches.

If the child applies separately, GOV.UK says evidence of the parent's income must be included. Check whether the parent has a five-year or ten-year Family route, whether the parent has children or dependants included, and what evidence the specific form requires. Do not assume that the child's application can rely on an earlier parent decision without submitting the documents currently requested.

Prepare the child's identity, relationship and care evidence

GOV.UK's Family visa information page lists identity and family information needed for the application. Depending on the case, prepare the child's passport or other travel identity, birth certificate, previous immigration application details, parent details, and documents showing the parent's UK status. The application may also ask about the child's other parent, previous countries of residence, siblings and anyone with parental responsibility. Answer accurately even when the child is not applying with those relatives.

For a child applying with a parent who has sole parental responsibility, or where the child's care arrangements are part of an exception, the evidence must address the actual facts. Relevant documents may include formal orders or decisions, records of care, contact arrangements, and a clear explanation of the child's proposed living arrangements. The correct evidence depends on the legal route and circumstances; do not treat this list as a universal rule or try to create documents that do not reflect the real situation.

If another parent has parental responsibility, is involved in the child's life, or has a contact arrangement, make sure the application answers the form's questions and provides the evidence it requests. A disagreement, safety concern, missing document or unexplained difference in names can require legal support. Do not omit a parent's details because the applicant intends to live with the other parent.

For documents not in English or Welsh, follow GOV.UK's certified-translation instructions. Check that names, dates and addresses are consistent across the form and supporting records. Keep readable copies of the submitted application, each uploaded document, the payment or fee-waiver reference and the case correspondence.

Apply from the correct place and follow each step

The child's application may be made from outside or inside the UK, depending on where the child is, the parent's route and the child's current permission. GOV.UK publishes separate instructions for applying with a parent, applying separately, applying from outside the UK and applying from within the UK. The online form can also depend on the parent's category. Follow the live service rather than assuming that the same form is used for every child applicant.

If applying from outside the UK, the applicant will generally need to complete the online application, provide the requested evidence and follow instructions to prove identity. The service will say whether a visa application centre appointment is needed, what biometric information to provide and which original documents to bring. If applying from inside the UK, use the in-country Family route service and check the current filing rules and any fee-waiver process.

Once an application is submitted, monitor the account and respond to any request by the date and method stated. GOV.UK gives published decision estimates that differ by application location and route. Those estimates can change and are not a guarantee. Do not book travel or change a child's school or care arrangements based only on a general processing estimate.

When a decision arrives, check the child's name, route, permission dates and conditions, and follow the instructions for accessing digital status or travel documents. If refused, read the notice promptly because it explains any available next step and deadline. The parent's case, the child's decision and any appeal or review route may be linked but are not necessarily identical.

Keep related Family routes separate

The child route is for a child joining or remaining with a parent; it is not the route for an adult parent coming to care for a child who lives in the UK. That adult applicant may need the separate Family visa parent route. It is also not the Adult Dependent Relative route, the EUSS, a work or student dependant route, or the child's own Private Life route.

If the parent holds partner permission and is applying to extend, our partner extension guide covers the adult applicant's renewal process. The child may need a separate dependant application or evidence in the parent's form; check the current online instructions and each person's permission expiry. These guides explain different tasks and do not determine a family's eligibility.

A practical child-application checklist

For an adult applying to join a child in the UK, read the separate parent-route guide. If the parent is already on a partner Family visa, use the partner extension guide for the parent's application. Always verify the child's route with the current GOV.UK service and seek qualified advice for disputes or exceptional care circumstances.

Frequently asked questions

Family immigration rules, forms, fees and processing information can change. Check the current GOV.UK application service and Immigration Rules. This guide is general process information, not legal advice or a decision about a child's eligibility or best interests.