One of the most significant benefits of the UK Ancestry visa is the ability to bring your close family members with you to live, work, and study in the UK. If you are applying for or hold a UK Ancestry visa, your partner and children can apply as your ‘dependants’. Their visas will be linked to yours, allowing your family to embark on this five-year journey to UK settlement together.
The application process for dependants is separate and requires its own specific evidence of your relationship. Our team of specialist immigration advisors provides comprehensive support for the entire family. We manage the main Ancestry application and all dependant applications in parallel, ensuring they are correctly prepared and linked for a successful outcome.
Who Qualifies as a Dependant on a UK Ancestry Visa?
A dependant is defined as:
- Your partner (your husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried partner).
- Your child under the age of 18.
- Your child who is 18 or over, but only if they were previously granted a visa as your dependant and are applying to extend their stay with you.
Proving Your Relationship: The Essential Evidence for Dependants
For your family’s applications to succeed, you must provide strong, official evidence to prove your relationship to them.
For Your Partner
You must be able to prove that your relationship is genuine and subsisting. You will need to show that you are either:
- Married or in a civil partnership that is legally recognised in the UK. You must provide your official marriage or civil partnership certificate.
- Unmarried partners who have been living together in a relationship akin to marriage for at least two years. You must provide extensive evidence of cohabitation, such as joint tenancy agreements, joint utility bills, and official correspondence addressed to you both at the same address over a two-year period.
- In a genuine relationship for at least two years but have been unable to live together for compelling reasons, such as work, study, or cultural restrictions. In this case, you must provide strong alternative evidence of your ongoing commitment, such as communication logs, evidence of financial support, and proof of time spent together.
For Your Child
You must prove that the child is your dependant and will be living with you in the UK. They must:
- Live with you (unless they are a student living away at a boarding school or university).
- Not be married or in a civil partnership, and not have any children of their own.
- Be financially supported by you without needing to access public funds.
The Application Process for Your Family
Your partner and children must each complete their own separate online application.
- Applying from Outside the UK: This is the standard route for families applying together for the first time. Each family member must submit their own online form and attend an appointment at a visa application centre (VAC) to provide their biometric information (fingerprints and a photograph).
- Applying from Inside the UK (Extensions and Switching): If you are extending your Ancestry visa, or your family members are switching from another visa category, they can apply from within the UK. This also applies to children who have turned 18 during your stay. It’s crucial to note that they cannot switch to a dependant visa if they are currently in the UK on a short-term visa, such as a visitor visa.
Children Born in the UK
A child born in the UK to a parent who holds a UK Ancestry visa is not automatically a British citizen. For the child to be able to live in the UK and travel in and out of the country with you, you must apply for a dependant visa for them from within the UK. You will need to provide their full UK birth certificate showing both parents’ names.
Life in the UK for Your Dependant Family Members
If their applications are successful, your family members will be granted visas with the same end date as your own. They will enjoy significant freedoms and rights in the UK.
Your Dependant Partner and Children CAN:
- Work in the UK with very few restrictions (except as a professional sportsperson).
- Study in the UK.
- Travel abroad and return to the UK.
- Apply to settle permanently (ILR) at the same time as you, after completing 5 years of continuous residence.
They CANNOT:
- Claim most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension.
Ensure Your Family’s Journey is a Success with Expert Support
Coordinating multiple applications and proving your relationships with the correct, high-quality evidence is a complex task. A mistake on one application can impact the entire family. Our dedicated team of immigration experts manages this process seamlessly.
- We provide a comprehensive review of your relationship evidence to ensure it is strong and persuasive.
- We manage and link all online applications for your partner and children, ensuring they are processed as a single family unit.
- We offer end-to-end support, from the initial application to planning your family’s eventual settlement in the UK.
Your family’s journey to the UK is a shared one. Ensure it starts smoothly. Contact our specialist immigration team today for a comprehensive consultation on your UK Ancestry and Dependant visa applications.
About the Author:
Farzad Ghods is an international lawyer specialising in UK immigration law. He is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Immigration Advisors Authority (IAA) in the United Kingdom, and is also a member of the Iran Bar Association. He brings over fourteen years of professional legal experience to his practice.