A dependant visa lets the partner or child of a main visa holder live in the UK alongside them. The requirements are not the same for every route, because a dependant of a work visa holder is assessed differently from a child joining the family route. What stays constant is the need to prove a genuine relationship and to show that the family can be supported without public funds. A dependant application that does not match the main applicant’s route, or that lacks the right financial evidence, may be refused. This post provides an overview of the requirements for a UK dependant visa across the work and family routes.
What is a UK dependant visa?
A UK dependant visa is permission for a close family member to join or stay with a person who holds, or is applying for, a main UK visa. The dependant’s permission is tied to the main applicant’s route, and usually ends on the same date as the main visa. There is no single dependant visa, because the rules follow the route the main applicant is on.
A dependant most often joins a work visa holder, such as a Skilled Worker, or joins a parent or partner on the family route. The work routes treat the partner and child as dependants on the main worker’s permission, as set out on the Work Dependants Visa guide. The family route treats a child of a parent on the partner route as a dependant, covered on the Child Dependant Visa guide. The partner of a British or settled person applies on the partner route itself rather than as a dependant.
Who counts as a dependant for a UK visa?
A dependant is a partner or a child of the main applicant, within the definitions set by the route. A partner is a spouse, civil partner or, in most routes, an unmarried partner. A child is normally a person under 18 at the date of application, although a child already in the UK as a dependant can apply over 18 if they were granted leave under the same route before they turned 18 and are not yet leading an independent life.
On the Skilled Worker route, a dependant partner is a husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner. A dependant child is a child under 18, or over 18 where they already have permission as a dependant. A child must not be married or in a civil partnership, and must live with the parents unless away in full-time education. The relationship has to be evidenced in each case. Older relatives and wider family fall outside these dependant definitions and are not covered by this guide.
What are the requirements for a dependant of a work visa holder?
A dependant of a work visa holder must prove the relationship to the worker and show that the family has enough money to be supported. There is no minimum income threshold of the kind the family route uses. Instead, a set maintenance amount must be held for each dependant.
A dependant partner must be marriage or civil partnership recognised in the UK or in relationship akin to marriage for at least two years.
A set amount of money must be available for each dependant, held for a continuous 28-day period, with the current figures published on GOV.UK. This maintenance is separate from the main applicant’s own funds. It is waived where the family has been in the UK for at least 12 months, or where the sponsor certifies the costs. Recent rule changes restrict some dependants. A care worker or senior care worker can generally bring dependants only where employed in the UK in that role before 11 March 2024. A worker in another medium-skilled occupation can do so only where employed before 22 July 2025. The detail of who can be included is on the Work Dependants Visa guide.
What are the requirements for a child dependant on the family route?
A child dependant on the family route must be the child of a parent who holds, or is applying for, permission on the partner route. The child must also meet the child requirements of Appendix FM. The child applies in line with the parent rather than independently. The relationship and the parent’s status are both assessed.
Under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules, the child must normally be under 18 at the date of application. The child must not be leading an independent life, and must not be married or in a civil partnership. The parent must be applying as, or already be, a partner of a British or settled person, and the family’s financial requirement under Appendix FM must be met. The parent must demonstrate an income of £29,000 per annum, more information can be found on our Spouse and Partner Visa financial requirement guide. The child must also be adequately accommodated and maintained without public funds. The route for a child joining a parent is set out on the Child Dependant Visa guide.
How do work and family route dependants differ?
The main difference is the financial test and the English requirement, not the relationship rules. A work-route dependant has to meet a maintenance funds requirement, while a family-route applicant has to meet the Appendix FM financial requirement. The table below sets out the comparison.
| Requirement | Dependant of a work visa holder | Family route applicant |
|---|---|---|
| Underlying rules | The relevant work route (for example Appendix Skilled Worker) | Family route (Appendix FM) |
| Partner relationship | Spouse, civil or unmarried partner | Spouse, civil, unmarried or fiancé partner |
| Child | Under 18, not leading an independent life | Under 18, not leading an independent life |
| Financial test | Set maintenance funds per dependant | Appendix FM financial requirement |
| English language | Not required for the dependant at entry | Required for the partner, unless exempt |
| Permission length | Usually matches the main worker’s visa | Granted in stages towards settlement |
| Settlement | After 5 years, with the main route | After 5 years on the partner route |
The partner of a British or settled person is not a dependant at all, but the main applicant on the partner route, with the full family-route requirements. The unmarried partner position is compared on the Spouse Visa vs Unmarried Partner Visa guide. The English requirement is explained on the English language requirement for a partner visa guide.
What can a dependant do in the UK?
A dependant can generally work and study in the UK, but cannot claim public funds. The conditions follow the main route, and a dependant of a work visa holder has broad permission to take employment. The exact conditions appear on the dependant’s own grant.
A partner or child dependant of a Skilled Worker can work, except as a professional sportsperson or coach. They can also study and travel in and out of the UK. A dependant cannot claim most benefits or the State Pension. A dependant on the family route is similarly barred from public funds and must be maintained by the family. The bar on public funds applies throughout the dependant’s stay, and the family must show it can support itself.
Can a dependant settle in the UK?
A dependant can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years of continuous qualifying residence, in line with the main route. The dependant’s qualifying period normally tracks the main applicant’s settlement timeline. Settlement is a separate application with its own requirements.
A dependant applying for settlement must meet the residence requirement, the Life in the UK Test and, where it applies, the English requirement. The route to settlement for a dependant of a worker is covered on the Indefinite Leave to Remain for dependants guide. The Skilled Worker position is covered specifically on the ILR for dependant of a Skilled Worker guide. A child who turns 18 during the qualifying period can usually continue as a dependant where they applied in time. The whole family visa framework sets out how the partner and child routes lead to settlement.
In practice
A Skilled Worker employed by a UK company brings a spouse and one child as dependants. The couple evidence their marriage, and the required maintenance funds for the partner and child are held in an account for the necessary 28-day period. The dependants are granted permission ending on the same date as the worker’s visa.
A parent applying on the partner route includes a school-age child on the application. Here the family meets the Appendix FM financial requirement rather than a maintenance amount. The child’s birth certificate and evidence of the parent’s care establish the relationship, and the child’s permission is granted in line with the parent’s.
Frequently asked questions
A partner or child of the main visa holder can apply as a dependant. A partner is a spouse, civil partner or, in most routes, an unmarried partner. A child is normally under 18 at the date of application, not married or in a civil partnership, and not leading an independent life. Older relatives and wider family fall outside the dependant definitions.
It depends on the route. A dependant of a work visa holder must show a set maintenance amount for each dependant, held for a continuous 28-day period, rather than a minimum income. A family-route applicant must meet the Appendix FM financial requirement. The current figures for both are published on GOV.UK and on the firm’s kept-updated guides.
In most cases, yes. A partner or child dependant of a Skilled Worker can work in the UK, except as a professional sportsperson or coach, and can study. A dependant cannot claim public funds or the State Pension. The exact conditions are confirmed on the dependant’s grant of permission.
A dependant’s permission is tied to the main applicant’s route. Where the main applicant settles, the dependant can usually apply for settlement once they meet the residence requirement. Where the main applicant’s permission ends, the dependant’s position depends on the circumstances and should be reviewed before any change.
A child born in the UK to a parent on a work or family route does not automatically become a British citizen. The parent must apply for the child’s dependant permission to travel in and out of the UK with them. A full UK birth certificate showing both parents is required, and the application is made before the child turns 18.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team advises main applicants and their families across the work and business visa routes and the family visa routes. The firm helps the worker or partner bringing a spouse and children to the UK. It confirms who can be included, the financial position and the documents before the applications are submitted. To discuss a dependant application with our immigration team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Sources
- Skilled Worker visa: your partner and children – GOV.UK
- Immigration Rules Appendix FM: family members – GOV.UK
- Family visas: apply, extend or switch – GOV.UK
Written and reviewed by the Whytecroft Ford immigration team. IAA Accredited. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including the Immigration Rules, Home Office caseworker guidance and GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a rule change. Last reviewed: 12 June 2026.
