Bringing your dependants to the UK

Information for Student visa holders bringing dependants to the UK

You can bring dependants to join you in the UK while you are studying at BU, provided that you meet certain conditions.

If your course started before 1 January 2024

You must be one of the following:

Government-sponsored student who is studying on any full-time course that is six months or longer
A full-time student studying a postgraduate level course (RQF level 7 or above) that is nine months or longer.

If your course started on or after 1 January 2024. You can only bring dependants into the UK if you are:

Government-sponsored and your course (at any level) is full-time and is at least six months in length
Studying a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8)
Studying a research-based higher degree (Masters by Research degree).

What is a dependant?

Dependants are close family members. They could be:

Your husband, wife or civil partner
Unmarried partner
Children under the age of 18 – this includes if they were born in the UK, while you were staying here
Children aged 18 years or over and only if they are in the UK already with immigration permission as your dependant.

Child dependants

If you want to bring your dependent child to the UK, the immigration rules require that both parents stay in the UK with the child. This means that your husband/wife/partner must also come to the UK and cannot remain in your home country while you are here with the child.

The only exception to this is if the other parent is not alive, or you have sole responsibility for your child’s upbringing. You will need to provide evidence of this with the dependant visa application.

Children born in the UK

If your child was born in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen. You must apply for your child’s dependant visa if you want them to travel with you, in and out of the UK.

Making a Dependant visa application

How to apply

If you would like to bring dependants to the UK during your studies, they will need to apply for a dependant visa before they enter the UK. It is very important that your family member(s) do not enter the UK on a visitor visa, if you would like them to stay with you for the duration of your course. They cannot switch from a visitor visa into a dependant visa inside the UK.

There are strict financial requirements that you must meet before you can bring dependants into the UK. Each dependant must show a certain amount of funds, in addition to the funds you need to show in your visa application.

Each person must make a separate online application – therefore if you are using the same evidence (e.g. bank statements) for more than one dependant, you must get duplicate official documents to submit with each application.

You and each dependant have to pay for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of the visa application on the form.

You can find detailed information about all the requirements and all the documents that are needed on the GOV.UK website.

If you are applying for your husband, wife or civil partner

Dependants applying for a visa at the same time as you will need to provide the following evidence:

A marriage certificate
Additional evidence that you have been in a committed (subsisting) relationship e.g.: documents showing that you have lived together, for example council tax or other bills with both of your names
If you have not been living together you will need to provide as much evidence as possible to show you are in a genuine relationship. Some examples of this are:
- Evidence of telephone contact
- Exchange of cards at important events such as birthdays
- Photographs of the two of you together.

If you are applying for your unmarried partner

Dependants applying for a visa at the same time as you will need to provide the following evidence:

Evidence that you have been in a committed (subsisting) relationship for at least two years e.g.: documents showing that you have lived together, for example council tax or other bills with both of your names
If you have not been living together you will need to provide as much evidence as possible to show you have been in a genuine relationship for at least two years. Some examples of this are:
- Evidence of telephone contact
- Exchange of cards at important events such as birthdays
- Photographs of the two of you together.

If you are applying for your child

After the Dependant visa is granted

Your dependant would receive an eVisa (an online only immigration status). The decision email would advise on how to get access to the eVisa.

Check the visa conditions as the dependant should have the same visa expiry date as you (the Student visa holder). In addition, dependants should have no restrictions on the number of hours they can work. However, they are not allowed to work as a doctor/dentist in training, or a sportsperson/sports coach. If you think the visa conditions are not correct, you can contact us here.

Study allowance

Dependants can study part-time or full-time.

Change of circumstances

If you leave the UK permanently, your dependants must also leave. They cannot remain in the UK without you. If the relationship ends, this will affect the dependant’s permission to remain in the UK.

Further information

There is further information about travelling with dependants on the UKVI website, and UKCISA website. If you would like help with applying for your dependant visa, you can contact the BU immigration team here.

Immigration and visas

Get advice about your visa application and find the answers to a range of immigration-related questions.

Student visa

Find out how we can help you apply for/extend your Student visa and what you will need to do to be able to use our services.

Immigration compliance

Important information about your visa responsibilities and what you need to do if you interrupt your studies, do not enrol, fail your assessments, or withdraw from your course.