A UK dependent visa lets your partner and children join you — or stay with you — while you live and work in the UK. For many international professionals, it is the deciding factor in whether a UK job offer is worth accepting. But the rules have tightened significantly since 2024, and whether your family can come depends almost entirely on which visa you hold and what job you do.
This guide explains who can bring dependants, which routes no longer allow it, how much money your family needs, and seven essential rules to follow so your family’s applications go smoothly.
TL;DR: Most Skilled Worker visa holders in graduate-level roles can bring a partner and children under 18 on a UK dependent visa. Care workers, senior care workers and people in “medium skilled” roles generally cannot bring new dependants unless they were sponsored before key cut-off dates. Most students on taught courses cannot bring dependants; research postgraduates and government-sponsored students can. Graduate visa holders can usually only keep dependants who were already with them. Always confirm current rules on GOV.UK before applying.
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⚠️ Important: Dependant rules change frequently. The details below were checked against GOV.UK on 27 September 2026. They are general information, not legal advice.
What Is a UK Dependent Visa?
There is no single visa product called a “UK dependent visa”. Instead, each main immigration route has its own dependant category linked to the main applicant. Your partner or child applies as a dependant of your visa, and their permission usually ends on the same date as yours.
Under most work routes, a dependant is:
- Your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
- Your child under 18, including a child born in the UK during your stay
- Your child over 18 if they already have permission to be in the UK as your dependant
Parents, siblings and other relatives are not dependants on these routes. They would need to qualify under a separate category, which is much harder.
Which Visas Allow a UK Dependent Visa in 2026?
This is the most important UK dependent visa question — and the answer has changed a lot in recent years.
| Main visa | Can bring new dependants? |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker (graduate-level roles) | Yes |
| Skilled Worker — care worker / senior care worker | Only if continuously employed in the role on this visa since before 11 March 2024 (with limited child exceptions) |
| Skilled Worker — “medium skilled” roles | Only if continuously employed in that role since before 22 July 2025 (with limited child exceptions) |
| Health and Care Worker (clinical roles) | Generally yes |
| Global Talent | Yes |
| Student — taught undergraduate or master’s | No (for courses starting from 1 January 2024) |
| Student — PhD / research degree, or government-sponsored course over 6 months | Yes |
| Graduate visa | Only dependants who were already with you as dependants |
Sources: GOV.UK Skilled Worker, Student and Graduate visa guidance (checked 27 September 2026).
Rule 1: Check Your Occupation Before Accepting a Job
For Skilled Workers, eligibility for a UK dependent visa depends on your occupation code, not just your visa type. According to GOV.UK’s guidance on Skilled Worker partners and children, care workers and senior care workers can only bring dependants from outside the UK if they have been continually employed in the role on a Skilled Worker visa since before 11 March 2024, or if the child was born in the UK. Similar restrictions apply to roles listed as “medium skilled”, with a cut-off of 22 July 2025.
What to do: Before accepting an offer, ask the employer for the occupation code they plan to use on your Certificate of Sponsorship, then check it against the eligible occupations list. Our guide to what a Certificate of Sponsorship is explains how occupation codes work.
Rule 2: Understand the Student Visa Dependant Ban
Since January 2024, most international students cannot bring family on a UK dependent visa. GOV.UK’s guidance on Student visa partners and children states you must be either:
- A government-sponsored student on a course longer than six months, or
- A full-time student on a postgraduate course (RQF level 7 or above) of nine months or longer — and if the course started on or after 1 January 2024, it must be a PhD, other doctorate or research-based higher degree
In practice, this means students on taught master’s degrees and undergraduate courses generally cannot bring new dependants. If family reunion is a priority, a research degree or a work route may be the more realistic path.
Rule 3: Know What Happens on the Graduate Visa
The Graduate visa does not create a new right to bring family. Your partner and children can usually continue living with you on the Graduate visa only if they were already in the UK as your dependants on your Student visa and meet the other requirements.
This matters for planning. If you are a taught master’s student without dependants, the Graduate visa will not let you add them. Your first realistic opportunity to bring family is usually after switching to a Skilled Worker visa in an eligible role.
Rule 4: Prepare the Money Your Family Needs
Each UK dependent visa application usually needs evidence that your family can support themselves, unless an exemption applies.
Skilled Worker dependants (checked 27 September 2026):
- £285 for your partner
- £315 for one child
- £200 for each additional child
The money must usually be held for 28 consecutive days, with day 28 falling within 31 days of the application. You may not need to show it if your family has been in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months, or if your employer certifies on your Certificate of Sponsorship that it will cover your family’s costs during the first month.
Student dependants need considerably more — GOV.UK currently lists a monthly amount for up to nine months, with a higher figure for London than for the rest of the UK.
On top of maintenance funds, each dependant pays their own visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. These costs add up quickly for larger families, so check the current GOV.UK fees and budget for them before you accept a job offer.
Rule 5: Prove Your Relationship Properly
Every UK dependent visa application needs evidence of the relationship.
For partners, you must usually show one of:
- A marriage or civil partnership recognised in the UK
- That you have lived together in a relationship for at least two years
- That you have been in a relationship for at least two years but cannot live together for a good reason, with evidence of ongoing commitment
For children, you usually need:
- Birth certificates showing the parent’s name
- Evidence the child lives with you (unless in full-time education elsewhere)
- Evidence the child is not married or in a civil partnership and not living an independent life
Missing or inconsistent documents are one of the most common reasons a UK dependent visa application is delayed or refused. Get translations of any documents not in English or Welsh, and make sure names are spelled consistently across passports and certificates.
Rule 6: Apply at the Right Time and in the Right Way
Your family can apply at the same time as you or later. Each person completes a separate application, but they can link to yours using your application number (GWF or UAN) or a family linking code.
According to GOV.UK, decisions usually take around:
- 3 weeks for applications from outside the UK
- 8 weeks for applications from inside the UK
Dependants applying from inside the UK must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision, or their application will be withdrawn. If you are extending or switching your own visa, your family also needs to extend or switch theirs — their permission does not update automatically.
Rule 7: Plan for What Dependants Can and Cannot Do
A UK dependent visa gives your family meaningful rights, but also some limits.
Skilled Worker dependants can usually:
- Work in most jobs (except as a professional sportsperson or coach)
- Study
- Travel abroad and return
- Apply for settlement alongside you once eligible
They usually cannot:
- Claim most benefits (public funds)
- Receive the State Pension
Your partner’s right to work can make a significant difference to household finances. Many partners find jobs in the UK and some later switch to a Skilled Worker visa in their own right. Children can attend state schools, and your family can use the NHS once the health surcharge is paid.
Step-by-Step: How to Apply for a UK Dependent Visa
The exact forms differ by route, but most UK dependent visa applications follow the same sequence:
- Confirm eligibility. Check your visa route and occupation code against current GOV.UK guidance.
- Gather relationship evidence. Marriage or civil partnership certificates, proof of cohabitation for unmarried partners, and birth certificates for children.
- Prepare financial evidence. Bank statements covering the full 28-day period, unless you are exempt.
- Get your application number. Your partner and children will need your GWF or UAN reference, or a family linking code.
- Complete separate online applications. One for each family member, choosing the “partner” or “child” form and the correct inside/outside-UK option.
- Pay fees and the health surcharge. Each person pays separately.
- Prove identity. Either through the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a visa application centre or UKVCAS appointment.
- Wait for a decision — and, if applying from inside the UK, do not travel abroad until it arrives.
- Access eVisas. Successful applicants set up UKVI accounts to view and prove their status.
Many families find it easiest to apply together with the main applicant, so everyone’s permission starts and ends on similar dates.
Questions to Ask Your Employer Before You Relocate Your Family
Once you have a job offer, a few direct questions can prevent unpleasant surprises with your UK dependent visa plans:
- Which occupation code will appear on my Certificate of Sponsorship?
- Can you certify maintenance for my family on the CoS?
- Do you offer any relocation package or contribution to dependants’ visa costs?
- Is there flexibility on start date while my family’s applications are processed?
- Do you have an HR or mobility contact who has supported families before?
Employers who regularly sponsor international staff will be used to these questions. Asking them professionally shows you are organised — and the answers directly shape whether a UK dependent visa is realistic for your household.
Children Born in the UK
A child born in the UK while you are on a work or study visa does not automatically become a British citizen. You must apply for their dependant visa if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them, and before they turn 18 if they are to remain.
Keep the full UK birth certificate, which shows both parents’ names — it is required for the application.
Budgeting for a UK Dependent Visa
Moving a family is expensive, and the visa costs are only one part. When you evaluate a job offer, add up:
- Visa application fees for each family member
- The Immigration Health Surcharge for each person, for the full length of the visa
- Maintenance funds (unless exempt)
- Flights and initial accommodation
- Deposits, school uniforms and childcare
Then compare that total against your expected take-home pay. Our UK graduate salary guide and guide to Skilled Worker salary thresholds can help you judge whether an offer supports a family move.
Some employers contribute towards dependants’ visa costs or relocation. It is reasonable to ask — politely and after you have an offer — whether any relocation support is available.
Common UK Dependent Visa Mistakes
- Assuming every Skilled Worker role allows dependants. Check your occupation code first.
- Applying for a taught master’s expecting to bring family. The student dependant ban applies to most taught courses.
- Forgetting to extend dependants’ visas. Each family member needs their own extension or switch.
- Moving money around just before applying. Funds must be held for the full 28-day period.
- Travelling while an in-UK application is pending. This withdraws the application.
- Relying on outdated advice. Friends who moved in 2022 faced very different rules.
How the UK Dependent Visa Fits Into Your Long-Term Plan
For most families, the UK dependent visa is linked to your own progress. If you extend your Skilled Worker visa, your family extends with you. If you become eligible for settlement, dependants can usually apply at the same time, provided they meet the requirements.
The government has also proposed changes to settlement under an “earned settlement” model, which could increase qualifying periods for some people — particularly dependants. As of 27 September 2026 these proposals have not become law, but they are a good reason to keep checking GOV.UK and to plan conservatively.
A practical approach is to keep a shared family folder with every visa decision, travel date and payslip from the start. When extension or settlement time comes, each UK dependent visa renewal is far simpler if the evidence has been collected steadily rather than rebuilt at the last minute. It also makes it easier to seek professional advice quickly if your circumstances change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring my wife or husband on a UK dependent visa?
Yes, if your main visa allows dependants. Most Skilled Worker visa holders in graduate-level roles can bring a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner. Care workers and medium-skilled roles have restrictions.
Can international students bring dependants to the UK in 2026?
Generally only if they are on a PhD or research-based postgraduate course, or are government-sponsored on a course longer than six months. Students on taught undergraduate and master’s courses usually cannot.
How much money is needed for a UK dependent visa?
For Skilled Worker dependants, GOV.UK currently lists £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each additional child, held for 28 days — unless an exemption applies. Visa fees and the health surcharge are extra.
Can my partner work on a UK dependent visa?
Usually yes. Dependants of Skilled Workers can work in most jobs, except as a professional sportsperson or coach, and can also study.
Can I bring my parents on a UK dependent visa?
No. Parents are not dependants on work or study routes. They would need to qualify under a separate and much more restrictive category, or visit on a visitor visa.
Can I add dependants while on a Graduate visa?
Generally no. The Graduate visa only allows dependants who were already in the UK as your dependants on your Student visa to stay with you.
Planning a UK move with your family? Job Bridge Recruitment helps international professionals find sponsored roles that support a family relocation. Book a free consultation →
