The UK's old Appendix Family Reunion (Sponsors with Protection) route is closed to new applications. The route was paused at 3pm on 4 September 2025. What to check next depends on who is applying and when the application was submitted: an existing application may continue under the old rules, a partner or child may need the Family visa route under Appendix FM, and a child joining another close relative with protection status may have a separate Appendix CRP route.
Check the submission time first
Partner and child routes are not identical
A child joining another relative has a separate route
First establish whether an application already exists
If a partner or child submitted an Appendix FRP application before 3pm on 4 September 2025, the Immigration Rules preserve the version in force at that point for qualifying applications. The transitional provision refers to the old route's pre-flight partner or dependent-child rules; the cutoff alone does not establish that a particular application met them. GOV.UK says pre-cutoff applications continue to be processed and currently gives a general expectation of a decision within 12 months. This is not a promise for an individual case. Keep the submission confirmation, application reference, biometrics record and Home Office correspondence together, and use the official contact route if the case is outside the published information.
An application made after the cutoff cannot be submitted as a new Appendix FRP case. The Home Office's caseworker guidance says the pause applies to applications made both inside and outside the UK. Do not reuse an old FRP form or assume that a draft application started before the cutoff counts as submitted; check the application receipt and timestamp.
Route map for a new application
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| Who wants to join the person in the UK? | Route to check first | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Partner of a person with refugee or humanitarian-protection status | Appendix FM partner Family visa | The old FRP partner route is closed to new applications. Appendix FM has its own relationship, financial, English-language, fee and evidence rules. |
| Child joining a parent with protection status | Appendix FM child Family visa | The child rules and supporting financial evidence apply. A child applying separately may still need evidence that the parent meets the relevant financial requirement. |
| Child joining another close relative with protection status who is not settled | Appendix Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection), or Appendix CRP | This is a specific child route with its own age, care, relationship, other-family-support, maintenance and accommodation requirements. |
| Child joining a relative who is settled | Check the distinct route under paragraph 297 of Part 8 | Appendix CRP describes a separate entry-clearance route for a child joining a settled relative. Do not treat this as the same route as joining a relative who still has protection status. |
| Adult parent, sibling or other adult relative seeking to join | No general Appendix CRP route for an adult | Check the applicable Family/private-life rules and obtain qualified advice about any exceptional circumstances. The child-relative route is not an adult dependant route. |
The route can change if the sponsor has since become settled or British, if the applicant is already in the UK, or if the family relationship and care arrangements do not match the ordinary route. Start with the sponsor's current immigration status, the applicant's age and location, the relationship, and whether an application is already pending.
Partner or child joining a protection-status sponsor: Appendix FM
The current Immigration Rules say that a partner or child of a person with protection status must use Appendix FM until further notice, unless the application is one of the older cases preserved by the transition. This is a Family visa route based on family life, not the suspended FRP application service. The correct form and evidence depend on the applicant, sponsor and whether the application is made inside or outside the UK. If the applicant's relationship has permanently broken down because of domestic abuse, the separate UK domestic-abuse immigration guide explains MVDAC and Appendix VDA; those routes serve a different task from joining a sponsor.
For a partner application, GOV.UK currently says most applicants must show combined partner income of at least £29,000 a year. Different rules apply in specified cases, including some disability or carer benefits and certain extensions where the first partner application was made before 11 April 2024. Check the live financial page and Appendix FM/FM-SE for the applicable category, evidence periods, savings rules and any exception. A simple annual-income total does not establish that the required documents meet the rules.
For a child of a protection-status parent, the GOV.UK child route says the applicant may need to provide evidence of the parent's income even when the child applies separately, and points to the partner financial requirements. The child route also has requirements about age, living arrangements, marital status and the parent's route. Use the current child application service and the parent’s exact permission category; do not assume that the child is automatically included in the parent's application.
The fee-waiver process is separate from the underlying visa decision. GOV.UK has different services for applications made inside and outside the UK. Check the live service to see whether the applicant and route can use it, and follow the required sequence before submitting the visa application. A fee waiver does not remove the route's other requirements.
Child joining another close relative: Appendix CRP
Appendix CRP is a separate route for a child who wants to stay with or join a close relative in the UK who currently has protection status and is not settled. The rules require the child to meet the dependent-child age, care and independent-life requirements. The decision-maker must also be satisfied that there is no other family, apart from the close relative in the UK, who could reasonably be expected to support or care for the child, and that a genuine family relationship exists.
The relative in the UK must be able to provide adequate maintenance and accommodation without relying on public funds, and the application must include the specified financial evidence. Appendix CRP also contains an Article 8 assessment for cases that do not meet certain requirements; this is an individual legal assessment, not an automatic exception or a result a checklist can predict. The rules specify different application forms for entry clearance and permission to stay, and require identity evidence, biometrics where required, and payment of the application fee and Immigration Health Charge unless a fee waiver has been granted.
If the relative is already settled, the Appendix CRP introductory text points to a distinct route under paragraph 297 of Part 8 for entry clearance. If the applicant is a partner, an adult relative, or a child joining their parent, do not select Appendix CRP just because the sponsor previously had protection status. Confirm the sponsor's current status and relationship against the relevant rules.
Evidence and next steps
Family applications can depend on identity documents, relationship history, the sponsor's status, care and parental-responsibility evidence, accommodation, finances, translations and the applicant's location. The exact list is route-specific. Keep copies of all submitted forms and supporting documents, and make sure any explanation addresses gaps or differences in civil records rather than assuming the caseworker will infer the connection.
- 1Record the sponsor and applicant details — Write down the sponsor’s current UK status, the applicant’s age and location, their relationship, and whether the applicant is already in the UK.
- 2Confirm the 4 September 2025 cutoff — If there is an older application, find its official submission receipt and timestamp. If it was submitted before 3pm, check its status through the existing case reference before taking another step.
- 3Choose the route from the relationship and status — Compare Appendix FM for a partner or child of the protection-status sponsor, Appendix CRP for a qualifying child joining another protection-status close relative, and paragraph 297 for a child joining a settled relative.
- 4Read the exact rules, form and evidence list — Use the current GOV.UK application service and relevant Appendix, then confirm fees, financial evidence, fee-waiver steps, biometrics and location-specific requirements.
- 5Get case-specific advice where the facts are disputed — Seek a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor for urgent deadlines, child safeguarding/care issues, complex family evidence, an existing refusal or an Article 8 argument.
If the sponsor is making an asylum claim rather than already holding protection status, see our UK asylum-claim process guide. For a child applying to join a parent, our UK child Family visa guide explains the broader child-applicant branches. For the partner income test, see the UK partner Family visa financial-requirement guide. These guides cover different tasks and do not replace the current application form or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone make a new UK refugee family reunion application now?
What happens if the application was submitted before 3pm on 4 September 2025?
Does the old route pause apply to applications made inside the UK too?
Which route should a partner of a refugee or humanitarian-protection holder check?
Can a child still join a parent who has protection status?
What is Appendix CRP and who can use it?
Is Appendix CRP the same as a child joining a settled relative?
Does a partner application always need £29,000 income?
Does a child applying separately need to provide the parent’s income evidence?
Can I get a visa fee waiver?
Does Article 8 mean an application will be approved if a standard requirement is not met?
Is joining a relative after an asylum claim the same as being a dependant on the claim?
The route, fee, application form and evidential requirements can change. Check the current GOV.UK services and Immigration Rules before applying. This guide is general process information, not legal advice or an assessment of anyone’s eligibility, family evidence or Article 8 rights.