UK Child Visa under Appendix FM

At a Glance

Who Can Apply for a UK Child Visa?

Children applying under Appendix FM are commonly applying to join, accompany or remain with a parent who has, or is being granted, Appendix FM permission — as a Partner or as a Parent — and in appropriate cases where the parent has subsequently become settled. A dependent child's application cannot be assessed in isolation from the immigration position of the parent or parents they are seeking to join or accompany.

Does the Child Have to Be Under 18?

For a normal first application as a dependent child, yes — the child must generally be under 18 on the date of application. If the applicant turns 18 after the application is submitted but before the decision, the application should still be assessed as though they were under 18.

Dependent children aged 18 or over

A person aged 18 or over can continue to be treated as a dependent child where they have previously held qualifying permission as the dependent child of the same parent or parents, subject to the route-specific requirements. This is a continuing dependent-child framework — not an "adult child visa".

The Child Must Not Be Leading an Independent Life

This requirement applies to dependent children regardless of age. It generally requires the applicant not to have a partner and to live with their parent, except where they are living away for full-time education such as boarding school, college or university.

Marriage, civil partnership and partner relationships

Ordinarily a married applicant cannot qualify as a dependent child. "Does not have a partner" means the applicant must not be married, in a civil partnership, or in a relationship similar to marriage that has lasted the relevant period. In short: a dependent child should not have formed their own independent partner/family life — and independent life is broader than just marital status.

How Does the Child Prove the Relationship With Their Parent?

The child must provide evidence establishing their relationship with the parent whose immigration status they rely on. The usual evidence is a full birth certificate showing the child and the parent(s). This is not the only possibility — the guidance also recognises official alternatives such as a government-issued household registration certificate or other court/government documentation clearly demonstrating the parental relationship. Foreign official evidence can be accepted where it is issued by the appropriate government or court, sufficiently clear, and in English or accompanied by a verified translation.

Cases involving adoption or non-biological parental relationships can engage separate Appendix Adoption requirements and are not covered on this page.

Do Both Parents Normally Need to Be in the UK or Applying?

The general rule is that both parents should normally be either applying at the same time as the child, hold relevant entry clearance or permission (other than as a visitor), or be settled. The guidance identifies specific exceptions:

What Is Sole Parental Responsibility?

Sole parental responsibility exists where one parent is unknown, or has abdicated or abandoned parental responsibility, and the other parent exercises sole control over the direction and care of the child's welfare. The Home Office considers who actually directs the child's upbringing — responsibility for education, health and medical treatment, religion, residence, holidays and recreation, protection and guidance.

Where both parents are genuinely involved in the child's upbringing, it will be rare for one to demonstrate sole parental responsibility. "The other parent does not object to the visa" is not the same as proving sole responsibility — consent may be relevant, but the test is responsibility for the child's upbringing. Sole responsibility can be long-standing or recent, but a recent change in arrangements is scrutinised to ensure it is genuine and not designed only to satisfy immigration requirements. Where responsibility recently changed, explain what changed, when, why, and who now makes the important decisions.

What Are "Serious and Compelling Reasons"?

This is the key alternative where the normal two-parent or sole-responsibility requirements are not satisfied. It applies where the child is not accompanying/joining both parents, a sole surviving parent, or a parent with sole responsibility, but granting permission is nevertheless appropriate because of the particular circumstances. The decision must take the child's best interests as a primary consideration.

What the Home Office considers

Where one parent is coming to the UK and the other remains overseas, the guidance looks at whether there is a good reason the other parent is not coming; a good reason the child should not remain overseas with that parent; and whether coming to or remaining in the UK is in the child's best interests. Where the overseas parent remains involved, their written consent is a positive factor in the best-interests assessment.

Evidence should be framed around the child's actual circumstances — current care arrangement, stability, relationship with each parent, safety, education, health, continuity of care, impact of separation, and prospective care in the UK — rather than only the parent's wishes.

What Financial Requirement Applies to a Child Visa?

There is no single universal financial test for every child. A child applying under Appendix FM must meet the same financial requirement as the parent they are applying to accompany or join.

Accommodation Requirement

Appendix FM family categories remain subject to an adequate-accommodation requirement — the accommodation must be available for the household without recourse to public funds and must not be overcrowded or contravene public-health regulations. Adequate Accommodation Requirement →

What If the Child Was Born in the UK?

Where a child born in the UK makes their first application for permission to stay, they must provide a full UK birth certificate showing the name(s) of their parent(s). If that birth certificate has already been accepted in a previous application, it does not need to be provided again.

What If the Child's Parent Is Settled or Being Granted Settlement?

The child guidance recognises settlement applications where the dependent child was previously granted permission as the dependent child of a parent who is now settled or being granted settlement, or (in relevant circumstances) was born in the UK and is applying as that parent's dependent child. The precise settlement requirements should be checked against the current Appendix FM settlement provisions before a settlement application — they are not reproduced in full here.

Child Visa Self-Review

Tick what applies. The review surfaces areas your application may need to address — it does not decide whether the child qualifies or predict a Home Office decision.

Common Child Visa Misunderstandings

Frequently Asked Questions

How ENS Immigration Advice Can Help

ENS Immigration Advice can assist with Appendix FM Child applications — children joining a Partner-route parent, children accompanying a Parent-route applicant, sole-parent cases, sole parental responsibility and serious and compelling family circumstances — and can help match the child's financial requirement to the parent's route.

These cases are fact-sensitive. Where a human-rights claim is refused, an appeal to the immigration tribunal may follow; tribunal representation is a separate specialist service and may be required in addition to application-stage assistance.