Your partner and children (‘dependants’) may be able to apply to come to the UK or stay longer in the UK.
You must be one of the following:
A dependant partner or child is defined by the Home Office as one of the following:
- Your husband, wife or civil partner
- Your unmarried partner
- Your child under 18 years old - including if they were born in the UK during your stay.
You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply. For example:
- A marriage or civil partnership certificate for your partner
- A birth certificate for your child
Find out what other documents you can use to prove your relationship.
Your partner and child must each have a certain amount of money available to them. This is in addition to the money you must have to support yourself.
How much money they need depends on where you will be studying. They must have either:
- £845 a month (for up to nine months) for courses in London
- £680 a month (for up to nine months) for courses outside London
If you’re applying at the same time as your partner or child (you’re applying together as a family), you’ll need to prove you have both money to pay for your course and to support yourself and additional money for each of them.
If your partner or child is applying at a different time to you (they’re applying separately) they only need to prove they have money to support themselves.
You (or your partner or child) must have this money for at least 28 consecutive days. The end date of the 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date they apply for their visa.
If you have a student loan or financial sponsorship, you’ll need to provide evidence of this from your loan or sponsorship company. If your loan does not cover your partner or child, you’ll need to prove you have money to support them instead.
When they do not need to prove they have money to support themselves
Your partner or child does not need to prove they have this money if they’ve been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.
If you and your partner or child are from a country listed under the ‘differential evidence requirement’ and you’re applying at the same time, they do not need to prove they have money to support themselves.
However, they might be asked to provide this evidence before they get a decision on their application.
If they do need to provide it, they’ll be contacted by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) after they’ve submitted their application.
Your partner and children must either:
They’ll need your application number - you get it when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.
As part of their application, they’ll need to have their fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit).
They’ll have to collect their biometric residence permit within 10 days of when they said they’d arrive in the UK.
They may be able to pay to get their visa faster or use other services depending on which country they’re in - check with the visa application centre.
How long they can stay?
If their application is successful, their visa will end on the same date as yours.
Your partner or child can apply to extend or switch their visa either:
This includes children who have turned 18 during your stay.
Your partner or child cannot apply to switch in the UK if they have one of the following visas:
- A visit visa
- A short-term student visa
- A Parent of a Child Student Visa
- A seasonal worker visa
- A domestic worker in a private household visa
Fees
Each person will need to pay:
They may need to pay £19.20 to have their biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.
How to apply
Your partner and child must apply online. They must either:
They’ll need your application number - you get it when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.
As part of their application, they’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide their biometric information (fingerprints and a photo).
They’ll also need to submit their supporting documents. They can:
- Upload them into the online service
- Have them scanned at their UKVCAS appointment
They must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision. Their application will be withdrawn if they do.
Getting a faster decision
They may be able to pay to get a faster decision - they’ll be told if they can when they apply.
