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UK Child Visa: Eligibility Criteria, Cost, and Steps to Apply

Children who are between the age of 4 and 17 can join their parents in the United Kingdom with a dependent visa called a UK child visa. Therefore, a UK child visa is a visa issued to a child of any parents who are legally living in the United Kingdom.

Moreover, to be eligible for this visa, the parent (s) need to prove that they are capable or have the sole responsibility for looking after the child. The child whose visa is applied for must be below 18 years. When this visa is granted, it is valid as long as the parents live in the UK. So If the parent holds indefinite leave to remain or British Citizenship, the child will be granted Indefinite Leave to Enter.

Therefore, we are going to discuss how to apply for a UK child visa, the requirements, and the eligibility criteria. So diligently go through our guide to apply for this UK child visa.

Meaning of UK Child Visa

A UK child visa is a visa in the family category which is given to a child of any parents that is legally living in the UK. To be eligible for this visa, the parent will have to prove that they are capable of taking care of the child financially. The child must be classified as a person under the age of 18 years before the date of application. Also, the child will be granted the same length of visa as their parent.

The application process for a UK Child Visa

To apply for a UK child visa, you are going to follow a few process which are:

Complete VAF4A Appendix 1 application form

You will need to apply online if you are applying from outside of the UK. You will also have to complete the VAF4A Appendix 1 application form.

Make online application if from outside UK

Whereas, if you are in the UK you have two choices. You can apply online, or by post. You can also apply at a premium service center. To do so you will have to fill in the form and book an appointment, or make an online application and book an appointment.

Provide biometric information

If you apply in the UK, upon your application you will receive a letter asking you to provide your biometric information, which means your fingerprints and a photo.

UK Child Visa Requirements

Visa application requirements are in two categories. One is for children born in the UK while the other is for children born outside the UK.

UK Child Visa application requirements for children born in the UK

If the child was born in the UK then you will be granted by the Home Office the same permission to stay as your parent.

You will have to use the form FLR(M) if your parent has limited permission to stay in the UK:

  • as a partner, settling in 2 years
  • Or as a partner, settling in 5 years

Besides, you will have to use the form FLR(FP) if your parent has limited permission to stay in the UK:

  • as a partner, settling in 10 years
  • Or as a parent, settling in 5 years
  • as a parent, settling in 10 years
  • based on their private life (10-year route)

For children born outside of the UK

When a child is born outside the UK, your age will determine whether you can apply for UK child visa or not. Therefore, if you are under 18 then you must:

  • not be married or in a civil partnership.
  • Again, not be living an independent life
  • be financially supported without claiming the public funds.
  • One of your parents must also be applying for a visa as a partner joining the other parent or as a parent that has the sole responsibility for you.

Moreover, if you are over 18 years, your parents can include you in their application as a dependent. You can also apply separately, but in both cases, you are eligible to apply only if:

  • you got permission to enter and remain in the UK for an appointed period on a family visa when you were under 18.
  • And you don’t live an independent life

Financial Requirements for UK Child Visa Application

The parents of the child have to meet certain financial in other to grant a UK child visa to their child. So this requirement has to be fulfilled by the parent who is living in the UK. The UK visa policy has foreseen that for a person to bring a non-EU citizen to the UK, they have to prove the following:

  • they have enough financial funds to sponsor both.
  • Your parent must prove that he or she has an income of at least £18,600 per year.
  • You might also use your savings, if you have any, to prove you have enough funds.

For your information, the reason behind this requirement is that the UK government does not want to give visa to people that are not capable of take care of themselves financially.

So, if the sponsor parent living in the UK is planning to bring to the UK his or her other children who are not British nationals or EEA nationals, then he or she has to earn extra money for each of the child.

Though, many people fail to obtain their visas because they cannot fulfill this requirement, to which the Home Affairs gives a lot of importance and attention.

But, the good side of this requirement is that every legal source of income can be counted for the parent to meet the income requirement, as:

  • salary, if the parent earns it in the UK
  • cash savings above £16,000
  • pension money
  • non-work income, i.e. property rentals or dividends

Therefore, to prove your income you can have to submit proof, such as:

  • bank statements of the parent residing in the UK.
  • 6 months of payslips.
  • A letter from an employer which includes the job title, the period the parent has worked there, the current salary, and also payslips.

Child Visa Language Requirement

One of the very important UK Family visa requirements is English language knowledge. Whether the language requirement applies to you or not, it all depends on your age, since children among other categories are exempt from the fulfillment of this requirement.

To be exempted from the English knowledge requirement, you will be a residents of these countries below:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • the Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Canada
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Jamaica
  • New Zealand
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • St Lucia
  • USA
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Furthermore, for you to prove your language, you can do that by taking an approved English language test and passing it with at least a CEFR level A1 in speaking and listening.

UK Child Visa Application Fee

The UK child visa fee depend on the way you apply. If you apply from outside the UK to join your parents, you will have to pay a fee of £1,464. While, if you apply via UK online or by post the fee will cost you £993, and £1,583 if you apply from within the UK in person and  with the premium service.

Though, even if you are applying as a dependent in addition to the application of your parent, you will still have to pay the same fees in all.

UK Child Visa Application Required Documents

You need to submit some documents that are commonly required for every type of visa, aside from the supporting document. The main documents that you will have to submit are:

  • Proof of financial means.
  • Valid passport with at least an empty page to be able to affix the visa.
  • Proof of English language requirement
  • previous passports.
  • 2 passport-sized color photos.
  • Proof of relationship with your UK residing parent, as photos of you two together.

Supporting documents you will submit will contain the following information:

  • Your full name.
  • details of any previous immigration applications, if any.
  • your date of birth.
  • details of any criminal convictions, if any.
  • national insurance number, if any.
  • your parents’ date of birth and nationality.
  • if you are applying from outside the UK.
  • your tuberculosis test results if you are from a country where you have to take the test.
  • You will have to provide a translation of any document that isn’t in English or Welsh.

UK Child Visa Processing Time

Normally, the process takes up to 12 weeks for UK Child visa to be processed, or up to 8 weeks if you apply within the UK either online or by post.

However, application processing might take longer when any of these happens:

  • you do not meet the income requirement
  • cannot prove your English knowledge
  • need to attend an interview
  • have a criminal record
  • have not provided all of the required documents.

FAQs

Do children need a visa to come to the UK?

A UK child visa is a visa issued to a child of any person who is legally present in the UK. To be eligible, the parent (or parents) need to prove that they have the sole responsibility for looking after the child.

Can I go to the UK with my children?

British citizens who have children living outside the United Kingdom can take them to the UK through the Child Visa, which falls under the Family visa category. A UK Family Visa is the type of visa you will need if you want to enter and remain in the UK to live with a family member for more than 6 months.

How much does a UK-dependent visa cost?

The dependent visa fee is charged in line with the main applicant. Each dependent is also subject to the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is currently £624 per year for adults and £470 per year for child applicants. Inside the UK, there is a biometric enrolment fee of £19.20.

What is a dependent child in the UK?

A dependent child is any person aged 0 to 15 in a household (whether or not in a family) or a person aged 16 to 18 in full-time education and living in a family with his or her parent(s) or grandparent(s). It does not include any people aged 16 to 18 who have a spouse, partner, or child living in the household.

Can I bring my adult children to the UK?

Eligibility. You must be over 18 and have permission to enter the UK as an adult dependent relative. The relative looking after you must both: be settled (or settling) in the UK.

Can I stay in the UK if I give birth in the UK?

If your baby is born in the UK but is not a British citizen, it is quite lawful for him or her to remain in the UK without making an immigration application

Does a baby born in the UK get citizenship?

If you were born in the UK. Your child will usually be a British citizen automatically. You can check how the Home Office decides if someone is automatically a British citizen on GOV.UK.

How much bank balance is required for a UK-dependent visa?

Financial requirements. As part of the visa, application dependents must have sufficient funds to cover living costs in the UK. This is £680 for each month the visa will be valid, up to a maximum of 9 months. This is a total of £6,120 per dependent if the visa will be granted for 9 months or more (9 x £680).

Conclusion

With this information, we believe you can now apply for UK child visa successfully. Moreover, you can contact us for any further information.

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