Adult Dependant Visa

For Parents or Other Relatives in Need of Care and Support

UK Immigration Law allows non-British dependent adult relatives from outside the EEA to come to live with British citizens or those with Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. In reality, very few do.

Many British citizens or those with Indefinite Leave to Remain would like to bring adult relatives to live with them in the UK from outside the EEA. Perhaps elderly and increasingly infirm parents, or a relative with learning difficulties or who is living alone after bereavement.

There are different rules for the relatives of refugees or those who have been granted humanitarian protection. See our section on Asylum for details. There are also different rules for EU citizens (See commonly asked questions below).

The only relatives who qualify for this Adult Dependant Visa are those who are over 18 years old and are related to the person in the UK as:

  • parents
  • grandparents
  • brother or sister
  • son or daughter  

The law states that the adult relative (over 18 years old) must be 'dependent' on the person in the UK (the sponsor). That means the person applying:

  • must as a result of age, illness or disability require long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks and 
  • must be unable, even with the practical and financial help of the sponsor, to obtain the required level of care in the country where they are living, because
  • it is not available and there is no person in that country who can reasonably provide it; or
  • it is not affordable

The person applying must also show they will be accommodated and cared for in the UK without needing public funds such as welfare benefits.

In practice, applicants for the Adult Dependant Visa rarely meet the criteria listed above.

Working with us

Very few applications for Adult Dependant Visas are successful because there is usually care available in the country where the adult relative lives which is affordable and available. In practice, the Home Office expect the adult relative to require care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We always advise honestly when asked to assess the chances of such applications succeeding. If the parents overseas are healthy, an application will have no chance at all of succeeding, for example. We would never advise someone to make an application that has no chance of success.

If we think there is a chance of success, we will work very hard to make the application the best it can possibly be.

We offer a first initial 20 minute consultation for free and you can then decide whether or not to go ahead with an application and whether or not to use our services. Adult Dependant Visas involve gathering a great deal of supporting evidence. We will work together with you to do this. We will submit the application and write the vital legal representations to the Home Office.

How does the process work?

We work on a fixed fee basis. There is a price for the job we will do for you. We do not charge according to how many hours we spend on the application. That means you have certainty - we will only go above our fixed fee if the application unexpectedly becomes more complex than it seemed at the beginning. And we will tell you if we think that is the case.

"These three women are amazing and extremely friendly - they will not give you false hope. Many a time I was told they won't take on a case unless they are confident about the outcome."

Maria Ag

We do all the work - we just ask you to obtain the evidence we need from you and your relatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

My sister is Armenian and has just lost her husband. She is now alone, living in the Armenia and has become very depressed. Can she apply to come and live with us in the UK? I am British.

Unless she is so ill that she needs round the clock care that cannot be accessed in Ukraine, the application will not work. Perhaps a visit visa might be a more realistic solution.

I am Latvian and I want to bring my Russian parents to the UK to live. Can I do this?

The situation for EU citizens is currently different. An EU citizen who has Settled or Pre-Settled status can bring EEA or non-EEA dependent parents to the UK on an EU Settlement Scheme Family Permit. However, the parents must prove that they are dependent on the EEA citizen (or their partner). They must show that without financial help from the EEA citizen or their partner, they cannot meet their essential needs . This seems easier to meet that the requirements for British Citizens with non-British adult dependent relatives.

I need my mother to help me because I have three children and one of them is severely disabled and needs round the clock care. Can I bring her to the UK to live with me?

There are no rules that allow for carers to enter the UK to care for a family member. It is possible to apply for permission to enter the UK on human rights grounds, however these applications are rare, extremely complex and there must be exceptional circumstances if they are to be successful. Contact us if you want to know more. 

Get in touch
For Parents or Other Relatives in Need of Care and Support
Call or email us if you want to find out more about applying as an Adult Dependant Relative.
Contact us
  • We couldn't praise Sallie and her team high enough. Extremely professional and acted very fast to meet our deadline. 100% recommended!
    Mr E
  • Always thorough and highly professional throughout the application process for both my children, and I would definitely recommend! They also had a welcome sense of humour when it came to dealing with the bureaucracy involved in the process.
    Mr B
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    Ms L
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    Shiva K
  • I highly recommend both Angela and Karen. They both have been amazingly helpful throughout the visa application process of my wife. They do truly care for their clients. They look at the case in reasonable time periods and return with any missing information rapidly. Consulting them during this exciting yet stressful process was the best decision that I made. Today my wife got granted the visa just after 5 weeks of her biometric scans.
    Mr Yazici
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  • "The team went an extra mile and fought my case much more and much better than I would have expected. In the end, my case was successful and I cannot thank them enough for all they have done. If I ever need legal help in the future I will definitely use their services again and recommend them for their reasonable prices, supportive advice and first rate legal services."
    ANONYMOUS - Google Review
  • "Excellent people, excellent service. They made the process of bringing my husband to the UK painless. Couldn’t have done it without them, highly recommend!"
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  • "I am ecstatic, thanks to you all. My life is complete now and anything else is a bonus. Even if it seemed impossible I knew we were going to win this and that is why I never gave up. Thank you for your work, support and encouragement."
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  • A BIG THANK YOU , for your help in helping me acquire my British settlement and British citizenship application successfully done. Your professionalism and kind warm attitude and nature made this process very easy and stress free. You took all my concerns away. 

    My Lawyer, Sallie Davies, is very knowledgeable and competent and I have implicit trust in her. The fees are also reasonable compared to other law firms. I highly recommend Sallie and her team.
    MRS. H
  • Thanks to Sallie, my wife is finally in the UK after a horrible year and long delays with Home Office. Highly recommended Immigration Legal Services! 
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  • Angela Cole and everyone at Immigration Legal Services will work to produce the best outcome for you and, from our experience, they only concern themselves with your goal and not your wallet. Immigration Legal Services' charge was a very good price for all the help and security they provided
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  • Despite the high professionalism practiced within the firm, there is always a strong sense of compassion , and care, from both Angela, and lovely Karen, which has really helped to set our minds at ease. Absolutely recommended & Eternally grateful
    Ms. f
  • I would like to thank both of you, Sallie and Karen for your assistance in the way you handled my wife's Spouse Visa Extension to remain here with me in the United Kingdom. We will recommend The Immigration Legal Services here in Ipswich to anybody who wants to apply for a visa to come or remain here in the United Kingdom because the service they provided proved to be most reliable, simple and quick process. Much appreciated Sallie and Karen. Thanking you once again. We will be back again.
    Robert
  • Excellent service, Sallie is very professional and lovely. Thanks to you what we thought it will be a long and exhausting experience, was so smooth and fast we couldn't believe it. Thank you very much.
    Mrs T
  • We engaged this firm based on a recommendation made by a friend who had used their services before. We required their assistance for my wife's first renewal of her spousal visa. The process was quite painless, they got in touch to collect documents and go over details but most communication was done by email. We received the renewal without any issues.
    BL
  • Sallie was the best solicitor I've met for immigration matters. She was straight to the job, focused on the matter and had an excellent transparent work process, a reasonable fee and no hidden charges. She is very helpful, confident and had the best communication. We got our parents' visa in one go! Thank you very much for the excellent job.
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