The UK Parent visa is a type of visa designed for parents who wish to move to the UK to be with their British citizen or settled child. The purpose of this visa category is to enable families to reunite and maintain their relationships while living in the United Kingdom.

To be eligible for the Parent visa, applicants must meet specific criteria. They must have a child who is either a British citizen or settled in the UK. Additionally, they need to provide evidence of their relationship with the child, such as birth certificates or legal adoption papers. The applicant must also demonstrate that they have adequate accommodation and financial means to support themselves without relying on public funds.

Once the Parent visa is granted, it usually allows the parent to live in the UK for a limited period, typically two and a half years. During this time, they are allowed to work and study in the country if they wish. After residing in the UK for a continuous period of five years on this visa, the parent becomes eligible to apply for settlement or indefinite leave to remain. This would grant them the right to live in the UK permanently without any immigration restrictions.

The Home Office has stringent requirements for applicants seeking to gain a UK Parent visa. While each applicant’s situation may differ slightly, the requirements can be summarised as follows:

• You meet the suitability requirements – good immigration history and acceptable criminal record.
• You child is under 18, and is a British citizen or settled in the UK.
• You have sole responsibility for, or direct access to, your child, and take an active part in your child’s life.
• You are not in a relationship with the child’s other parent.
• You can support yourself financially and will be living in suitable accommodation without needing public financial assistance.
• English Language skills to a minimum of level A1.

At a minimum you will need to provide the following evidence as part of your application. Your lawyer will advise of any further documents you need to supply to enhance the quality of your application.

• Yours & your child’s passports
• Child’s birth certificate
• Relevant court documents detailing child custody/access
• Statements from you, the child’s other parent and relevant others explaining the role you play in child’s life
• Confirmation of income/savings
• Mortgage deeds/tenancy agreement
• English language test certificate

Yes, your other children under 18 years old (‘dependants’) might be able to apply to join or remain with you in the UK. Each dependant must apply separately and they must meet certain eligibility requirements. We can add dependents to your application for a fee of £250 per person.

We offer a comprehensive range of services to assist with your UK Parent visa application. This includes a free initial consultation, detailed advice for your personal immigration lawyer, evidence checklist and document collection, application preparation and submission, handling interactions with immigration authorities, and guidance on visa decision and next steps. We aim to make the visa application process as smooth and stress-free as possible for you.

If your UK Parent visa is refused, it could be due to various reasons, such as errors in the application form, misunderstanding Home Office guidelines, not providing evidence that you play an ‘active’ parenting role, not meeting maintenance and accommodation requirements, or not passing the correct English language test.

If your application is refused, review the Refusal Notice from the Home Office which describes the reasons your application has been denied. Most importantly, seek professional advice from an immigration lawyer to understand your options and increase your chances of success.