UK Visa Extensions

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for a Partner Visa in the UK, both you and your partner must meet certain eligibility criteria:

• Age: Both you and your partner must be 18 years of age or older.
• Partner's Status: Your partner must fall into one of the following categories:
  • Be a British or Irish citizen.
  • Have settled status in the UK, which could include having indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence.
  • Be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status, with a condition that you both started living in the UK before January 1, 2021.
  • Hold a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa.
  • Have protection status, such as leave to remain as a refugee or permission to stay as a person with humanitarian protection.
    
    
• Intention to Live Together: You and your partner must intend to live together permanently in the UK after your application is approved.
  
  

What You Need to Prove

When applying for a Partner Visa, you must provide evidence to support your application. You need to prove the following:

• Relationship Status: You must prove one of the following:
  • You are in a civil partnership or marriage recognized in the UK.
  • You have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply.
  • You are a fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner, and you will marry or enter into a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving.

• English Language Proficiency: You should have a good knowledge of English.
• Financial Support: You must demonstrate that you can financially support yourself and any dependents.

If you do not meet these requirements, there are exceptional circumstances in which you may still be able to apply for a visa or extend your permission to stay. These include situations where you have a child in the UK who is a British or Irish citizen or has lived in the UK for 7 years, or if there are significant difficulties that cannot be overcome if you live together as a couple outside the UK, or if it would breach your human rights to stop you from coming to the UK or make you leave.

Applying as a Fiancé, Fiancée, or Proposed Civil Partner

If you are applying as a fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner, you must also prove the following:

• Any previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended.
• You plan to marry or become civil partners within 6 months of arriving in the UK.

Please note that you will not be allowed to work or study during your engagement, but you can apply for permission to extend your stay in the UK once you marry or enter into a civil partnership. Once your application is approved, you'll have the right to work or study in the UK.

Proving Your Relationship

When applying for a Partner Visa, you need to provide evidence that confirms your genuine relationship. The evidence should meet the following criteria:

• It comes from official sources like the government, banks, landlords, utility providers, or medical professionals.
• It confirms your relationship with your partner, such as living together, sharing expenses, marriage, or civil partnership.
• It is less than 4 years old.

You can use documents such as a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, tenancy agreement, utility bills, council tax bills, bank statements from a joint account, or letters from a doctor or dentist confirming that you live at the same address.

While other evidence like greetings cards, travel tickets, receipts, photographs, or text/social media messages can be provided, they are considered weaker forms of evidence and may not significantly contribute to your application.

Visa Duration

If your Partner Visa application is approved, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months. However, if you are applying as a fiancé, fiancée, or proposed civil partner, you can stay for 6 months.

After this initial period, you'll need to apply to extend your stay in the UK if you wish to continue living with your partner.

Extending or Switching Your Visa

If you choose to extend your family visa or switch to this visa category, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 6 months.

Eligibility Criteria

If you are a parent who wishes to live in the UK to care for your child, there are certain eligibility criteria you must meet:

• Child's Age: Your child must either be under 18 at the time you apply or have been under 18 when you were first granted leave.
• Child's Living Arrangements: Your child must live with you, unless they are living away from home in full-time education, such as at a boarding school or university. Additionally, your child must not be married or in a civil partnership.
• Child's Residence: Your child must be living in the UK, and one of the following conditions must also be met:
  • They are a British or Irish citizen.
  • They have settled status in the UK, which could include having indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence.
  • They are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status, with a condition that they started living in the UK before January 1, 2021.
  • If you are applying within the UK, your child must have lived in the UK continuously for 7 years, and it would not be reasonable for them to leave.

Application Based on Parental Responsibility

To apply as a parent, you need to have sole or shared parental responsibility for your child. If you share parental responsibility, the child's other parent must not be your partner. They must also meet one of the following conditions:

• Be a British or Irish citizen.
• Have settled status in the UK, which could include having indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence.
• Be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status, with a condition that they started living in the UK before January 1, 2021.

If the child lives with their other parent or carer, you must have access to the child in person, as agreed with the other parent or carer or by a court order.

What You Need to Prove

When applying for a Parent Visa, you must be able to prove that you are actively involved in your child's upbringing and that you plan to continue this role after you apply. You need to provide evidence that:

• Comes from official sources like the government, school, court, or a medical professional.
• Demonstrates that you live with or care for your child.
• Is less than 4 years old.

Examples of acceptable evidence include:

• A letter from your child's school confirming your involvement in school activities or parent evenings.
• Correspondence sent to your address from the local authority confirming your child's school.
• Letters from your child's doctor, dentist, or health visitor confirming your attendance at appointments.
• Court order paperwork confirming that your child lives with you or that you play an active role in their upbringing. If you use court order paperwork as evidence, you must obtain permission from the court and provide written proof of this permission.

If you do not have evidence meeting these criteria, alternative evidence can be provided, although it may be less likely to support your application. This alternative evidence may include:

• A parental agreement drafted by a solicitor and signed by you and the child's other parent.
• A letter from HMRC confirming that you are claiming Child Tax Credit.
• Social services paperwork confirming your involvement with your child or your application for access.

Evidence such as greetings cards, photographs, and text or social media messages is considered weaker and is unlikely to significantly contribute to your application.

English Language and Financial Requirements

In addition to the above criteria, you must also prove that you:

• Have a good knowledge of the English language.
• Can financially support yourself without relying on public funds.

If your child or any other dependents live with you, you must also demonstrate that you can financially support them without claiming public funds.

However, if you do not meet the English language and financial requirements, you may still be eligible to extend your permission to stay if:

• Your child in the UK is a British or Irish citizen or has lived in the UK for 7 years.
• It would be unreasonable for them to leave the UK.

Visa Duration

If your Parent Visa application is approved, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months. After this initial period, you will need to apply to extend your stay.

If you extend your family visa or switch to this visa category, you can stay in the UK for 2 years and 6 months.

Overview

If you are a child and wish to join your parent in the UK, you can apply for a family visa. However, you may not need a family visa if at least one of your parents has indefinite leave to remain or proof of permanent residence in the UK. In such cases, it's essential to check if you can apply to settle in the UK. Additionally, if your parent cannot include you in their application form and you are already in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for Private Life in the UK.

Born in the UK

If you were born in the UK, you can get the same permission to stay as your parents. You have two options:

• Be added to your parent's next application as a dependent.
• Apply separately.

You must live with your parent in the UK unless you are living away from home in full-time education, such as at boarding school or university. Also, you must not be married or in a civil partnership.

If you are under 18, you'll need to know what kind of permission to stay in the UK (known as 'limited leave to remain') your parent has. If you are 18 or over, you can only apply if you have permission to stay in the UK ('leave to enter or remain') that started when you were under 18, and your parent must also apply from inside the UK.

Born Outside the UK

Whether you can apply depends on your age and how your parent applied. Here are the key requirements:

If You're Under 18:

• One of your parents must be applying or have applied for a visa or to extend their permission to stay as either a partner (joining your other parent) or a parent (with sole parental responsibility for you).
• If not, you might still be eligible to apply if there are compelling reasons to let you come to or stay in the UK, and there are plans for your care.

If You're 18 or Over:

• Your parent can include you in their application as a dependant, or you can apply separately.
• You can only apply if you have permission to stay in the UK ('leave to remain') on a family visa that started when you were under 18.

Application Process

Apply from Outside the UK

If you are applying from outside the UK, you'll need to prepare information and documents to include with your application.

Apply at the Same Time as Your Parent

If your parent is applying to enter the UK as the partner of one of the following:

• A British or Irish citizen.
• A person with indefinite leave to remain.
• A person settled in the UK (e.g., with indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence).
• A person from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein who has pre-settled status (they must have started living in the UK before January 1, 2021).
• A person with a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa.
• A person with protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee, or a person with humanitarian protection).

Apply Separately

If your parent has leave to enter or remain in the UK on a 5 or 10-year route to settlement as the partner of one of the following:

• A British or Irish citizen.
• A person with indefinite leave to remain.
• A person settled in the UK (e.g., with indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence).
• A person from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein who has pre-settled status (they must have started living in the UK before January 1, 2021).
• A person with a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa.
• A person with protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee, or a person with humanitarian protection).

Overview

If you require long-term care due to illness, disability, or age and your care will be provided by a parent, grandchild, brother, sister, son, or daughter who is permanently living in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a visa to join them. Here are the key details:

• You can only apply from outside the UK, except if you're applying to extend your stay on this visa.
• Your relative in the UK must meet one of the following criteria:
  • They are a British or Irish citizen.
  • They have settled in the UK (e.g., with indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence).
  • They are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status (they must have started living in the UK before January 1, 2021).
  • They have protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee, or a person with humanitarian protection) in the UK.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for this visa, you must prove the following:

• You require long-term care to perform everyday personal and household tasks due to illness, disability, or your age.
• You are 18 years of age or older.
• The necessary care you need is either unavailable or unaffordable in the country you currently reside in.

Additionally, you must demonstrate that the relative you are joining in the UK can provide accommodation and care for you for either:

• The entire duration of your relative's permission to stay in the UK.
• A period of 5 years if your relative is a British citizen or has settled status in the UK.

Duration of Stay

The duration of your stay depends on the immigration status of your family member in the UK:

• If your family member is British, Irish, or settled in the UK, your stay is unlimited, and you will not need to apply to extend or settle.
• If your family member has pre-settled status, you can stay as long as your family member stays. You'll need to apply to extend or settle when they do.
• If your family member has protection status (leave to remain as a refugee, permission to stay as a refugee, or a person with humanitarian protection) in the UK, you can stay as long as your family member stays. You'll also need to apply to extend or settle when they do.

Overview

If you are already living in the UK and wish to apply for a visa based on your private life, certain conditions must be met. This visa category is for individuals who have a significant history of living in the UK and are facing circumstances that make it unreasonable for them to leave the country. Here are the key eligibility criteria:

• Under 18 with 7 Years' Continuous Residence: If you are under 18 and have continuously lived in the UK for at least 7 years, and it would be unreasonable for you to leave the UK.
• Aged 18 to 24 with Over Half Your Life in the UK: If you are between the ages of 18 and 24 and have lived continuously in the UK for more than half your life.
• Aged 18 or Over with Very Significant Problems Abroad: If you are 18 or over, have spent less than 20 years in the UK, and would face very significant problems living in the country you would have to go to.
• Continuous Residence for 20 Years: If you have been in the UK continuously for 20 years.
• Born in the UK to a Parent with Permission to Stay: If you were born in the UK to a person who has permission to stay in the UK based on their private life or is applying for it.

You can include your family members in the same application, and each applicant will be considered separately.

Processing Time

The current processing time for this visa category is approximately 12 months. However, it may be possible to expedite the decision by paying for a faster processing option.

Duration of Stay

If your application is approved, you will be granted a visa allowing you to stay in the UK for 2 years and 6 months. Alternatively, you can apply for a 5-year visa if you meet specific criteria:

• Under 18 with 7 years' continuous residence in the UK.
• Aged between 18 and 24 with over half your life spent in the UK.

Settlement

You can apply for settlement in the UK after:

• 5 years if you are either under 18 with 7 years' continuous residence or aged between 18 and 24 with over half your life spent in the UK.
• 10 years if you are 18 or over, have spent less than 20 years in the UK, and would face very significant problems living in the country you would have to go to.
• Being born in the UK to a parent with permission to stay in the UK based on their private life or is applying for it.

Extending Your Visa

If you are extending your visa, you can apply for an extension for an additional 2 years and 6 months.