Applying for a dependant visa for your family

If you need to get visas for your family to visit or stay with you in the UK while you're studying at City St George's on a Student Route visa, this information will help you with how to apply.

You can bring your husband, wife, unmarried partner and children (under 18) to the UK with you if:

you are starting a new PhD or other Doctoral qualification from January 2024 onwards
you are a government sponsored student and are studying a course at any level of six months or more
Your current or most recent immigration permission was as a Student on a full-time course lasting at least six months AND all the following apply:
- your permission is current or expired no more than three months before this immigration application AND
- your new immigration application is for a full-time course that is at least six months AND
- your dependant:
  - already has Student dependant immigration permission (or they previously were issued immigration permission as your dependant), and it expired no more than three months before this application); or
  - is your child who was born since you were last granted permission AND
you are applying for immigration permission at the same time as your dependant.

Further information can be found at UKCISA - international student advice and guidance - Dependants.

Students on part time courses cannot bring dependants.

If you are bringing your children to the UK there is an expectation that both parents will be in the UK - this must be on a long term (e.g. work or study) visa and not simply as a visitor. If only one parent is coming to the UK then the visa will be refused.

The only exceptions to the requirement that both parents must be coming to the UK are:

When the other parent is dead
If you have had sole responsibility for the child's upbringing
If there are other serious or compelling considerations that mean the child should be with you in the UK and you have made suitable arrangements for the child's care.

If you are relying on any of these exceptions, it is important that you include evidence of this with your child's application. This could include, for example, death or divorce certificates.

You cannot bring other family members such as parents or siblings to the UK with you as your dependants, although they can come for short visits on visitor visas.

Documents dependants must provide

Your family will be making either an entry clearance application (applying for a visa at a UK embassy/consulate abroad) or a visa extension (extending a dependant visa from within the UK) application with the following documents:

Application form

Entry clearance: Dependant online application form
Visa extensions: The form dependants must complete depends on whether they are applying at the same time as the student or later. UKCISA links to all the relevant forms.

Application fees

Each applicant will need to pay:

£490 for the visa
the healthcare surcharge - check how much they'll have to pay.

Passport(s)

You should include your current passport and check any previous passports for dates that you have previously entered the UK as you will need to include these on your application.

Tuberculosis Screening

If you have been living in a ‘listed country’ for more than 6 months before applying for your visa, you are required to undergo a Tuberculosis (TB) screening before applying for your UK visa from overseas. A full list of those countries whose residents are required to undergo TB screening can be found on the Home Office website together with a list of approved clinics.

Financial evidence

Bank statements

You must be able to show enough money for each dependant to cover their living costs in the UK. This is currently set at a fixed amount of £7,605 per dependant for a course of 9 months or longer.

Where the course is shorter or the dependant is joining after the course has started, a dependant needs to have £845 for every month of the student's remaining immigration permission - that means they would need funds for the length of time remaining on the course AND the additional wrap up period (e.g. +4 months for a course lasting more than 12 months in total.)

This money must be held in a bank account in their name or your name and must have been maintained in the account for a minimum 28 days. The bank statement must be dated within the last month.

It is extremely important that the closing balance in the account does not drop below the required amount during the minimum 28 day period that you are required to show. If you are not sure, please check with the International Student Advice team before making your visa application.

Sponsor letter

If the student is sponsored by a government, an international company or a scholarship agency and their sponsorship cover extends to include dependants, this must be clearly stated on the student's sponsor letter.

Check to make sure that the sponsorship provides living expenses of at least £845 per month for each dependant. If the sponsorship does not cover this amount, each dependant will have to meet the £7,605 requirement.

Proof of address

If the dependent child is over the age of 16, they need to show two extra documents dated in the last month to confirm the dependant's residential address.

Proof of relationship

This is only a requirement for dependants applying for entry clearance from outside the UK.

These dependants must show proof of relationship to the student such as marriage certificates and/or birth certificates. However, it is expected that you will be living together while you are in the UK.

If dependants are applying from outside the UK at a different time from you, they should also provide:

Proof of student's visa status: copies of the student's Evisa and passport details pages
Proof of student's enrollment: a Student Status letter from City St George's confirming that the student is currently enrolled at the University.

Dependant visas for children born in the UK during your studies

Birth in the UK does not automatically make a baby a British citizen.

If you have a baby born in the UK who does not yet have immigration permission, the baby is in the UK lawfully without any immigration permission. However, the baby will need immigration permission to re-enter the UK after any travel abroad.

Application process for babies born in the UK

You may apply for immigration permission for your baby, as your dependant, from inside the UK or make an application for entry clearance from your country of residence if you are government-sponsored on a course of more than 6 months or you are on a postgraduate course of at least 6 months.

If you want them to make an application from inside the UK, they can also do so using the online form (see above).

If you are applying at the same time, you will be listed on the form as the 'lead applicant' and your family will be listed on the form as a 'dependant'. If you are not applying at the same time as your family, they will be listed on the form as the 'lead applicant'.

Babies can apply for entry clearance as your dependant if either of the following circumstances apply:

The baby is born during your most recent period of student permission or pre-student permission granted for a course of more than 6 months duration
The baby is born within 3 months of the expiry of your most recent student visa or pre-student permission.