Parent Visa

What is a Parent Visa?

A Parent visa enables a parent of a child who is already living in the UK to live in the UK with them in order to take care of their child. The child must be a British or Irish citizen, settled in the UK, have pre-settled status and was living in the UK before 1 January 2021.

What Are the Key Eligibility Requirements for a Parent Visa?

In order to successfully apply for a Parent visa to enter the UK, an applicant must meet the following key requirements:

• Must be at least 18 years of age;
• The applicant’s child must be under the age of 18 and living in the UK;
• The applicant’s child is a British or Irish citizen, settled in the UK, has pre-settled status and was living in the UK before 1 January 2021;
• Must either have sole parental responsibility for their child, or the other parent (or carer) with whom their child currently lives with in the UK is not their partner and the applicant has direct access to their child;
• Must not be in a relationship with the child’s other parent (or carer);
• Will take an active role in their child’s upbringing;
• Must have sufficient funds to adequately maintain themselves and any dependants in the UK;
• Must have adequate accommodation available for themselves and any dependants in the UK;
• Must meet the required level of English language; and
• May need to provide a tuberculosis (TB) certificate depending on which country the applicant resides in.

How Long is a Parent Visa Valid for?

A Parent visa is initially granted for either 33 months (2 years and 9 months) or 30 months (2 years and 6 months). The length of the visa depends on where an applicant is applying from. An applicant applying from overseas will be granted leave to enter the UK for 33 months. An applicant who is applying from within the UK will be granted leave to remain for 30 months.

Can a Parent Visa be Extended?

Before the expiry of a Parent visa, an applicant must apply to the Home Office to extend their stay in the UK. If the extension application is approved, an applicant will be granted permission to stay in the UK for a further 30 months.

Does a Parent Visa Lead to Settlement?

Once an applicant has held a Parent visa for 5 years, an applicant will be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. This gives settled status in the UK, also known as ‘settlement’. It gives the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as an applicant wishes to do so and apply for benefits if eligible.

In order to successfully apply for indefinite to remain you will need to demonstrate, in addition to the above requirements, that:

• The applicant has passed the Life in the UK Test (unless exempt);
• The applicant meets the English language requirement for indefinite leave to remain.

Will an Applicant be Eligible for British Citizenship?

Once an applicant has held indefinite leave to remain in the UK for 12 months, an applicant may be eligible to apply for British Citizenship. If however an applicant is married to a British Citizen, an applicant will not need to wait 12 months and may be eligible to apply immediately for British Citizenship by naturalisation after obtaining indefinite leave to remain.

How Long Does it Take for a Decision to be Made?

The Home Office service standard for deciding a Parent visa submitted outside the UK is 3 months (12 weeks), however, they are currently advising that applications should be decided within 6 months (24 weeks).

If an applicant switches to this visa or wants to extend their Parent visa from within the UK, a decision should be made within 8 weeks.

If eligible, applicants will be advised whether they can apply to get a decision faster. The Home Office charge additional fees for these priority services.

How Much Does it Cost?

The Home Office fee for a Parent visa made outside of the UK is £1,538. If the application is made within the UK, the Home Office fee is £1,048.

Applicants will also need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge which costs £1,872 for applications made outside the UK or £1,560 if the application is made within the UK.

How We Can Help You

Our highly experienced team will provide expert advice and guidance to you throughout your immigration journey.

If you have any questions, please complete our online enquiry form or email us at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can call us on 01724 701111 and one of our experts will be happy to assist you.