Visa dependants, or dependant visa-holders, refer to either the spouse, partner or dependent children of the principal applicant or primary visa-holder on one of the many points-based routes under the UK’s Immigration Rules.
There are various immigration routes under the UK’s points-based system on which the qualifying partner or dependent children of the principal applicant or primary visa-holder can accompany or join them in the UK. This could be where a partner or parent has permission on the Student route although, in most cases, this will be where the partner or parent has permission on one of the many sponsored or unsponsored work routes.
The routes on which dependants can apply to accompany or join their partner or parent in the UK include the Skilled Worker, Scale-up, Global Talent, High Potential Individual, Graduate or Innovator Founder routes. There are also several routes under the Global Business Mobility (GBM) umbrella, together with various Temporary Worker routes. In limited cases, dependants can also join their partner or parent on the Student route, although recent changes to the rules have significantly restricted where this is possible.
When it comes to what constitutes a qualifying partner under any one of these routes, the rules under Appendix Relationship with Partner provide that a dependent partner, provided they are over 18, can include a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner in a durable relationship of at least 2 years. While a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner are not included in the definition of partner, they may meet the requirements for a durable relationship.
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