If you are the parent of a child that is either a British citizen or is settled in the UK you have the right to enter and remain for 12 months, provided that you have certain qualifications. Once the 12 months have passed you can apply for an indefinite leave to remain even if the child has turned 18 - provided the child has not formed an independent family unit and is not living an independent life.
Eligibility
- You must be the parent of a child who is living in the UK;
- You must show evidence that you have access rights to the child in the form of a UK court granted Order
- There will be adequate accommodation for you and any dependents without recourse to public funds in accommodation which you own or occupy exclusively; and
- You will be able to maintain yourself and any dependents adequately without recourse to public funds.
- You must provide evidence either for having the sole responsibility to care for the child or for taking an active role in the child's upbringing.
Application Guidelines
The parent can apply for this visa whether he or she is inside the UK or is abroad. The requirements are as follows:
If inside the UK:
- The parent must not be holding a visitor visa and is not in the UK for temporary admission.
- The parent was not granted permission to stay in the country for less than 6 months
- A valid application for leave to remain must be made by the parent.
- He or she must not be in the UK breach of the Immigration rules, though a period of less than 28 days that they remained in the UK after the permitted stay is allowed.
- A specified evidence must be provided which proves that the parent can accommodate his or her needs without relying on public funds.
- The English language requirement must be met.
If outside the UK:
- The parent must be over 18 years of age.
- A valid application for entry clearance must be made by the parent.
- The parent must be able to maintain accommodation of his or her needs without relying on public funds.
- The English language requirement must be met.
Aside from the qualifications mentioned above, the parent, who is either inside or outside the country, must meet the suitability requirement which is based on Appendix FM of the immigration rules in the UK.
You may want to speak with one of our UK Visa consultants to know more about this visa category.