Family members (INF 6) (UK)

Can I go to live with my parents in the UK as a child?
You can apply to join your parents in the UK if:

• your parents live in the UK legally, with no time limit on their stay, or they are applying at the same time as you
• one parent is living and settled in the UK or is applying for settlement at the same time as you, and has had sole responsibility for looking after you
• your parents can support you without help from public funds
• your parents have enough accommodation, which they own or live in, where you can live without help from public funds, and
• you are their child.

For all of the above, ‘parent’ includes a step-parent where the father or mother is dead, either the father or mother of an illegitimate child and, in certain circumstances, an adoptive parent.

How can I qualify to join my parents in the UK?
You, or your parent, must show that you:

• are under 18 years of age, and
• cannot support yourself financially, are not married or in a civil partnership and are not living independently away from your parents.

A child cannot normally go to live in the UK if one parent is living abroad, unless the parent in the UK has sole responsibility for the child, or if there are special reasons why the child should be allowed to join the parent in the UK.

You must get a visa before you travel to the UK.

Can an adopted child go to the UK?

You can get information on how an adopted child can go to the UK in our Adopted children (INF 7) guidance note.

Can parents, grandparents and other dependent relatives go to live in the UK?

If you are a widowed parent or grandparent aged 65 or over, or parents or grandparents travelling together and one of you is 65 or over, you may qualify if:

• you are completely or mainly financially dependent on children or grandchildren living and settled in the UK
• you have no other close relatives in your own country to help you
• your children or grandchildren can support you without needing help from public funds, and
• your children or grandchildren have enough accommodation, which they alone own or live in, where you can live without needing any help from public funds.

If you are a parent or grandparent under the age of 65, you may qualify if:

• you are living in the most exceptional compassionate circumstances
• you are completely or mainly financially dependent on children or grandchildren living and settled in the UK
• you have no other close relatives in your own country to help you
• your children or grandchildren can support you without needing help from public funds, and
• your children or grandchildren have enough accommodation, which they alone own or live in, where you can live without needing any help from public funds.

If you are over 18 and have a parent settled in the UK, or if you are a sister, brother, aunt, uncle or any other relative of a person settled in the UK, you may qualify if you meet the conditions listed in the previous paragraph and you are living alone in the most exceptional compassionate circumstances.

What if my relative has been recognised as a refugee or has been granted exceptional leave to live in the UK?

If you are the wife, husband, civil partner, unmarried or same-sex partner of a person granted refugee status in the UK, you and your dependent children under 18 may qualify for entry clearance under ‘Family reunion’. (Family reunion is the term used where a person applies to join someone already in the United Kingdom who has been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection as their husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried or same-sex partner, or child under 18.)

You and your dependent child under 18 may qualify for entry clearance under 'Family reunion' if:

• your husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried or same-sex partner has been given full refugee status in the UK
• your husband, wife or civil partner has been granted 'humanitarian protection' after 30 August 2005 and you can show that:
  • you were married or you entered into a civil partnership recognised in the UK before your wife, husband or civil partner left to seek asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK, and
  • you and any dependants intend to live together.

If your wife, husband or civil partner has been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK after 30 August 2005, they will not need to show that they can support you and pay for your living arrangements.

Other dependent relatives (such as parents) do not qualify for entry clearance under ‘Family reunion’ but we may allow them to join their relative if there are exceptional compassionate circumstances.

If your sponsor has exceptional leave to remain in the UK, or has been granted ‘Humanitarian protection’ before 30 August 2005 or has been granted ‘Discretionary leave to remain’, you cannot normally apply to join them until they have been granted permission to stay in the UK permanently (indefinite leave to remain or ILR). You can get more information about refugee status, exceptional leave, discretionary leave and humanitarian protection from the Border and Immigration Agency. Their contact details are under 'More advice and information' at the end of this guidance.