UK Work Visa Dependants: ILR for Partners and Children

When a Skilled Worker or another sponsored worker applies for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), their partner and children do not simply inherit the worker’s qualifying period. Each family member needs the correct dependant permission and must meet the settlement rules for their own application. Depending on their route and circumstances, an eligible partner or child may apply with the worker, apply later, or need to extend dependant permission first.

This guide focuses on partners and children whose UK permission is linked to a work visa, including the Skilled Worker route. GOV.UK’s dependant rules cover several work routes, and some requirements differ by the worker’s route and history. It does not cover a partner on the separate Family visa route, EU Settlement Scheme family members, adult dependent relatives, or every exceptional family case.

Start by identifying the family member’s route

The first question is not simply whether the main worker qualifies for ILR. Identify the family member’s current immigration permission, who they are dependant on, and the work route held by the worker when settlement is being considered. A partner on a work-route dependant visa follows a different path from a partner holding a Family visa, even if both are married to someone who is settled in the UK.

GOV.UK’s work-dependant settlement guidance lists routes including Skilled Worker, Scale-up, International Sportsperson, Minister of Religion, Global Talent and certain historic routes. The applicable partner or child rules depend on the worker’s route. Use the exact current government page and the person’s grant or eVisa record; do not choose a route based on a job title or the sponsor’s current visa alone.

The main Skilled Worker ILR guide covers the sponsored worker’s own qualifying period, absences, salary and sponsor evidence. This page covers the separate dependant application. For a partner applying on a Family visa, see our UK partner visa financial-requirement guide; it explains a different route and does not set the work-dependant settlement requirements.

Partner applications: residence, relationship and support

For partners of most work visa holders, GOV.UK says the applicant generally needs at least five years living in the UK with their partner as a dependant. Only time with dependant permission on the partner’s eligible work route counts under the partner-dependant work visa guidance. Time on the person’s own visa is not work-route dependant residence. The exact rules have route-specific exceptions; for example, the public guidance gives different residence treatment for dependants of a UK Ancestry visa holder or a Representative of an Overseas Business.

The partner must be in a genuine relationship and intend to continue it after applying. GOV.UK says the couple must be married or in a civil partnership, or have lived together in a relationship for two years. Whether they must be living together at the application date or only intend to live together depends on the work route. Read the paragraph for the principal applicant’s last relevant work visa rather than applying a general cohabitation rule to every route.

The route also includes financial and public-funds conditions: the couple must have enough income to support themselves and their dependants, and must not be using public funds. The application may ask for documents showing the relationship, residence and support. The exact list depends on the person’s answers and route; the examples in a general guide are not a substitute for the live application checklist.

Reconcile qualifying time and absences carefully

For partners of Skilled Workers and several other listed work routes, the current public guidance says no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period. There is a transitional rule for some permission issued before 11 January 2018. The Immigration Rules’ continuous-residence appendix explains how to calculate absences and what exceptions may apply.

There is wording across GOV.UK’s family-member pages about which previous dependant permission can count. The sponsored-worker family page says a partner may include time as a dependant on another visa, while the detailed partner-on-a-work-visa page says to use time as a dependant on the partner’s visa. Because route history can change the outcome, do not resolve this difference by adding unrelated visa periods yourself. List each grant, who the applicant was dependant on, and the dates; then check the current detailed route guidance and rules for that exact history. If the answer remains unclear, seek regulated immigration advice before relying on the period.

Keep a dated absence record for each qualifying period. Include departure and return dates, the relevant permission, and any evidence for an exception. A total for the whole five years is not enough to prove every rolling 12-month period meets the route’s limit. Do not count a planned application or a pending decision as permission unless the current rules say it qualifies.

Children: check the parent route and the child’s status

A child may be included or may apply separately if eligible, but the child route does not use the partner’s general five-year residence test. GOV.UK’s child-dependant guidance says eligibility depends on the parent being settled or applying to settle on a work visa, and on the child having the appropriate permission. A child born in the UK before the parent settles, or a child making a first application to stay, may have different requirements. Check the official branch rather than assuming every child needs the same visa history.

The required permission also depends on the parent’s last work route. For most work routes, GOV.UK says the child must have held dependant permission on an eligible work visa, though it does not always have to be permission as that parent’s dependant. UK Ancestry has a different list of acceptable and excluded permissions. Check that table before relying on the child’s current visa history.

For a child joining an application, GOV.UK states that the child must live with the parent or parents, be supported and accommodated adequately without public funds, and not be married, in a civil partnership or living an independent life. The relationship and parental circumstances matter too. Where two parents live in the UK, both generally need to be settled or applying; one-parent cases can require sole responsibility or another stated serious or compelling reason.

Children aged 16 and over may need extra evidence about where they live, any rent or upkeep they pay, and financial support if they live away from home. GOV.UK gives examples such as recent bank statements, a driving licence, NHS registration or a letter from a school, college or university. It says the documents should not be more than one month old when the application is made. If a child lives away from home, the page gives additional examples covering recent support and study evidence.

An applicant who is 18 or over must generally have been granted dependant permission before turning 18 and must still not be living an independent life. Older children also need to meet English-language and Life in the UK Test requirements. The relevant page gives examples of independence, but a family’s facts and the exact route still matter. Do not treat being financially supported by a parent as the only condition.

Decide whether to apply with the worker or later

GOV.UK says an eligible partner or child may be included in the worker’s application. A family member who is not ready may be able to apply later and continue extending work-route dependant permission after the worker has settled. For a partner applying after the worker, the route guidance says the worker must have held the relevant work permission when they settled; the dependant must have held permission as their dependant at that time. Children have their own conditions and may also apply separately.

Do not let a dependant visa expire while waiting for a later settlement date. If the person has not completed the relevant residence period, or another requirement is not ready, check the extension route and submit in time. The main applicant’s ILR does not itself extend a family member’s permission. Confirm the exact form and whether each person should apply together or separately before completing the application.

For a partner, GOV.UK says the earliest application date is normally 28 days before they have lived in the UK long enough; applying earlier can lead to refusal. It also says to renew current permission first if that permission will expire before the person can apply. Use the dependant’s own qualifying dates, not the worker’s five-year date, to calculate the application window.

Prepare evidence and apply

The current application tells each applicant which documents to provide. Depending on the branch, evidence may cover identity, immigration permission, relationship, residence, financial support, the child’s living arrangements, English and Life in the UK. Keep originals and clear copies of grant notices, eVisa details, travel records, relationship documents and current household evidence. For older children, gather fresh residence and support documents close to the application date because GOV.UK sets a one-month age limit for examples it lists.

Applications are made online from inside the UK. The application process will identify the documents required and any biometric appointment. Fees, service options and processing times can change; check the official form before budgeting or arranging travel. The sponsored-worker settlement guidance says applicants must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision or the application will be withdrawn. Confirm that this instruction applies to the dependant’s application and plan accordingly.

This is a preparation guide, not a decision tool. It does not assess suitability, exceptional circumstances, child welfare evidence, the validity of a relationship, the outcome of a financial-support test or whether a specific combination of permissions qualifies. Those questions require the current immigration rules and the applicant’s complete record.

The sponsored worker’s own application is covered in our Skilled Worker ILR guide. That guide links back here for family members. Settlement is also separate from British citizenship, which has its own requirements and application.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• GOV.UK: settlement for family members of sponsored workers
• GOV.UK: settlement as a partner dependant on a work visa
• GOV.UK: settlement as a child dependant on a work visa
• GOV.UK: sponsored worker settlement overview
• GOV.UK: how to apply for sponsored worker settlement
• GOV.UK: after a sponsored worker settlement application
• Home Office: Immigration Rules Appendix Continuous Residence

Immigration rules, fees and processing times can change. These sources were checked on 28 October 2026; confirm the current route requirements before applying.