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How to Apply For a UK Dependent Child Visa?
A Dependent Child Visa, also known as a Child Dependent Visa, enables a child from outside the UK to join a parent already living in the UK. A diverse set of requirements must be met for the child to be eligible for this type of Family Visa.
Once a child is found eligible and granted the visa, he or she has Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK. The ILR is valid as long as the child continues to meet the eligibility requirements for the Dependent Child Visa. After staying in the UK for at least 5 years, the child can then seek to be naturalised as a British national.
Here at the London-based Adam Bernard’s, our Family Visa solicitors can help you understand and meet the requirements for the Dependent Child Visa. With the help of the top immigration solicitors at our law firm, you can improve your chances of success.
General Requirements for the Dependent Child Visa
The basic requirements for the visa include the following:
The child applicant must be under the age of 18
The child applicant must be dependent on the sponsoring UK parent and not have an independent life
The child applicant must not be engaged in a formal relationship such as a marriage or civil partnership
At least one parent of the child applicant must already be living in the UK. This UK parent may be settled, have ILR, or be in the process of seeking a settled status
The child applicant and parents must meet many additional requirements to be eligible for the visa. Our Dependent Child Visa solicitors can advise you on how best to meet these requirements.
Financial Requirements
The parents of the Dependent Child visa applicant must meet a certain set of requirements. These requirements are meant to ensure that the child applicant will be taken care of once they arrive in the UK. It is also to ascertain that the applicant will not need to rely on public funds if they are awarded a visa.
The eligible UK parent seeking a Child Dependent Visa for an under-18 dependent must have a minimum annual income of £18,600. In addition, the parent must demonstrate the availability of cash funds of £3,800 for a single child applicant. For multiple child applicants, £3,800 for the first child and £2,400 for all subsequent children must be shown.
Accommodation Requirements
An important part of the Dependent Child visa application process is to prove that you have suitable accommodation for the child. This accommodation must meet the relevant regulations in the UK.
As a UK sponsor parent for the applicant child, you must prove that you have exclusive access to use the property. The property itself must have the requisite number of rooms, depending on the age and number of dependents you are applying for.
What is Defined as ‘Sole Responsibility?’
One of the key requirements of a Dependent Child Visa is that you must show that you have the sole responsibility for the child. You must fulfil this requirement to be eligible as a sponsoring UK parent for the child applicant.
This requirement is met if you can show that:
You have been solely responsible for the child for a considerable time
If the parents have separated and the child was in the custody of relatives, you must show that the child has been cared for by your relatives
The Home Office will consider several factors to determine whether or not you are solely responsible for the child. These include the following:
Finances. A key factor is to consider whether or not you are chiefly responsible for the financial means required for the maintenance of the child.
Status of the Parents. The Home Office will take into view the present status of the child’s parents. Whether the parents are married, in a civil partnership, separated, or divorced, can impact the outcome of the visa application.
Decision Making. The Home Office will consider whether or not you are mainly responsible for making key decisions for the child.
Legal Custody. In case of separation between the parents, the legal custody of the child will play a major role in determining which parent is legally responsible for the child.
Period of Separation. This factor takes into account the period for which you have been separated from the child applicant and the nature of your relationship through this period.
If the ‘sole responsibility’ requirement is not met, the Home Office may turn down the visa application. Here at the London-based Adam Bernard’s, our Dependent Child Visa solicitors can help you ensure that you meet this requirement. It is best to consult our Family Visa solicitors before you apply for the visa.
Documents Required for Visa Application
When submitting an online application for a Dependent Child Visa, you must submit several supporting documents. Here is a list of these:
Passport of the UK sponsor. This is the passport of the parent residing in the UK who is filing for the Child Dependent Visa on behalf of the child applicant.
Child’s Passport. This confirms that the child has a valid travel document.
Child’s Birth Certificate. The birth certificate is an important piece of evidence used to establish the relationship between the child and the sponsoring parent.
Immigration Status Document. This applies to the UK sponsor parent of the child. This may be any form of evidence confirming the immigration status of the parent.
Proof of Financial Support. Such proof can be in the form of pay slips, bank statements, or other documentation to indicate that you have the financial means as the sponsoring parent to take care of the child.
Proof of Accommodation. As noted above, you must be able to prove that you have suitable accommodation for any dependents you want to join you in the UK. Valid proof of accommodation can be a mortgage document or tenancy agreement.
You may also need to provide other documents, depending on your country of origin and other factors. The top immigration solicitors at our law firm can help you create the precise list of documents you will need for the visa application. This list ensures that you submit a complete application with no omissions.
Visa Fees for a Dependent Child Visa
The actual visa fees depend on the precise route you are taking. You can apply for a Dependent Child Visa through three visa routes: family visa route, dependent of a long-term visa holder, and dependent child of a settled person.
Here are the fees for each route:
If you apply for a Dependent Child Visa through the family route, the application fee is £1,538 for applications submitted from outside the UK. The visa fee is £1,048 for applications submitted from inside the UK.
To apply for the visa as the dependent child of a long-term visa holder, the fee is £625 per person if applying from outside the UK, and £719 when applying from within the UK. This is the fee for a visa duration of up to 3 years. To apply for a visa duration of over 3 years, the fee is £1,235 for applications from outside the UK, and £1,423 for applications from inside the UK.
If the applicant is the dependent child of a settled person in the UK, the visa fee is £2,404. This is true regardless of whether the application is submitted from inside or outside the UK.
You may also have to pay additional fees such as the annual healthcare surcharge which is charged by the year.
Duration of a Dependent Child Visa
If a child applicant is awarded a Dependent Child Visa through the Family Visa route, the visa remains valid as long as the child continues to meet the eligibility requirements. After the child has been in the UK for at least 5 years, it is possible to apply for the child to be naturalised as a British citizen.
The visa duration for a dependent visa sought through the long-term work visa holder route is briefer. It is typically dependent on the visa duration of the work visa holder parent.
Why Choose Adam Bernard’s?
Here at the London-based Adam Bernard’s law firm, we offer comprehensive advice and guidance packages for all family visas. Our Family Visa solicitors can help you prepare your visa application so that it is optimised for success when you submit it.
With the help of our Dependent Child Visa solicitors, you can make sure that you are eligible, meet other requirements, and can provide all the required documentation. This significantly improves your odds of success.
The top immigration solicitors at our law firm provide tailored guidance by reviewing the unique facts of your case. We also help you explore other visa and immigration routes to see which option best suits your circumstances.
Get in touch with us today at 0207-100-0505 to schedule a free consultation with the top immigration solicitors at our law firm.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”18″][vc_empty_space height=”18″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1638553305500{margin-bottom: 10px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;}”]
