UK Family Visas

The UK offers a range of family based visas and immigration services which allow the immediate family members of UK citizens or permanent residents to immigrate to the UK. Unlike UK business visas and work based routes to permanent residency in the UK, immigrating through a family visa immigration service offers Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK (ILR) without the need to invest or create a business in the UK and without the need to undergo a points based assessment such as that employed in the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or HSMP.

As UK immigration specialists Global Visas provide the complete range of UK visas and immigration services, including marriage visas, fiance visas and unmarried partner visas. To take the first step towards a new life in the UK today, visit the online assessment area now.

Immigration Services for Spouses and Partners

UK Marriage Visas

The UK marriage visa is a permanent immigration service and allows the spouse or civil partner of a person with settled status to live and work in the UK. Marriage visa holders may begin working in the UK upon arrival and do not require a separate work permit or a pre-arranged job offer. Marriage visas are issued for two years during which time the candidate may reside in the UK without restriction; at the end of this period subject to proving that the marriage is still in existence, the candidate may apply for ILR and 12 months later, they may submit an application for UK citizenship.

The key requirements for this UK visa category focus upon the genuine legal status of the marriage and the intention of the sponsoring individual and the applicant to cohabit in the UK. Sponsors must be at least 18 years of age whilst the applicant must be over the age of 16 and they must already be living together in a legally recognised marriage. Applicants must be able to support themselves in the UK and must have sufficient financial resources to ensure that they do not need to receive state benefits.

UK Unmarried Partner – Immigrating to the UK Through a De Facto Visa

The UK De Facto visa, or unmarried partner visa grants the same duration to live and work in the UK as the marriage visa. It follows many of the same principles and also provides a route to permanent residency in the UK. However, since this UK visa is designed for unmarried couples, applicants must be able to show that their relationship is a mutually exclusive and long term arrangement. Neither the sponsor nor the applicant should still be married and any previous marriages should be legally over.

As with a marriage visa, subject to meeting the eligibility requirements, a successful applicant may begin living and working in the UK immediately and will be granted a period of 2 years leave to remain in the UK. Beyond this period, if the relationship is still in existence, the applicant may apply for UK permanent residency.

It is important to note that one of the crucial requirements of this visa service is that applicants must be cohabiting at the time of application and must have been living together for at least two years. Furthermore, they must continue to do so once in the UK and this is an essential factor in the applicant’s right to apply for ILR beyond their initial two year visa.

UK Fiance Visa

Unlike the marriage visa and unmarried partner visa outlined above, the fiance visa is issued for the specific purpose of marrying in the UK and as such its duration is shorter than other partner visas. UK fiancé visas are intended as a temporary bridging measure allowing the applicant and their sponsor to marry once in the UK, at which point a marriage visa will be issued which will then follow the usual marriage visa development.

Fiance visas do not require the parties to show any evidence of their relationship in terms of cohabitation or duration, however, candidates must plan to live together in the UK and crucially, they must marry within 6 months. The applicant and sponsor must marry within this period in order to secure the right to remain in the UK. Applicants will not be permitted to take up employment in the UK on a fiance visa status, however they will be able to work once the marriage has taken place and a marriage visa application has been successfully submitted.

Other UK Family Immigration Services

UK Dependency Visa

The UK dependency visa covers a range of relatives who may immigrate to Great Britain based upon their familial ties to a UK citizen or permanent residency. The dependency visa offers a route to permanent UK residency and after five years of living and working in Britain a dependency visa holder may apply for British naturalization to become a UK citizen. It is important to note that although a dependency visa is issued as a means to permanent remigration it can be revoked if lengthy periods of time are spent outside the UK.

Dependency visa applicants must have a sponsoring relative in place. The applicant must be financially dependent upon their sponsoring relative and the sponsor must be able to support their nominated relative. Applicants must not have relatives in their current country of residency who could otherwise support them. Sponsors and applicants must be related to one another in one of the following categories:

• An aunt, uncle, child or sibling aged 18 or over who is dependent upon UK based relatives and lives alone, or;
• A parent or grandparent who is over the age of 65, although in some circumstances younger parents or grandparents may be admitted.

The dependency visa is also granted to the spouse or partner and dependent children of the main applicant in a range of UK visa services such as business visas, the HSMP or a UK work permit. However, in such cases the dependency visa will be granted for the same duration as that issued to the main applicant and the privileges enjoyed such as the right to work in the UK will vary depending on the main applicant’s visa status.

UK Ancestry Visa

The UK ancestry visa applies to Commonwealth citizens and is granted for five years after which the candidate may apply for UK citizenship. Applicants must be at least 17 years of age and must have historical ties to the UK through a Grandparent who was born in the UK, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, or where the birth occurred before 1922, the Republic of Ireland.

Ancestry visas require a range of documentation to be forwarded including birth and marriage certificates where applicable for both the applicant and the relative in question. Applicants must intend to make the UK their main home and must intend to find work in the UK. They must also be able to financially support themselves and any accompanying relatives who will be issued with an ancestry dependency visa which also permits employment.

You can find out whether you qualify for a family based UK visa today by visiting the Global Visas online assessment area. Our specialist UK immigration consultants are committed to ensuring that you obtain the right UK visa for your needs; just take a moment to complete one of our forms and a consultant will contact you directly.