Skilled Worker Dependant Partner Visa
A qualifying partner of a Skilled Worker may be able to apply to join them in the UK, or to stay with them here, as their dependant. The partner makes a separate application and must meet the dependant-partner requirements. First, though, check that the main worker's circumstances even allow dependants.
You apply in your own right
On the date of application
Appendix Relationship with Partner
Not from every visa
On this page
- Eligibility at a glance
- Who is the main applicant?
- Minimum age
- Relationship requirement
- Applying from outside the UK
- Applying from inside the UK
- If you hold a Student visa
- Financial requirement
- Criminal record certificate
- Documents
- If the worker already has ILR
- Your application journey
- Common mistakes
- FAQs
Start with the worker, not the partner. Whether a partner can apply at all depends first on the main Skilled Worker's occupation and immigration history — including the care-worker and medium-skilled restrictions. Check that on the Skilled Worker Dependants page before assessing your own eligibility below.
In brief
- A qualifying partner of a Skilled Worker may apply to join or stay with them as a dependant.
- The partner makes a separate application and must meet the dependant-partner requirements.
- First, check the main worker’s circumstances allow dependants.
- It considers the minimum age and relationship requirement — the guide explains them.
Eligibility at a glance
As a dependant partner, your application may need to establish that:
- The main applicant has the relevant Skilled Worker status
- You qualify as their partner
- Both partners meet the minimum age requirement
- The relationship meets the applicable rules
- An in-country application is permitted, where relevant
- The financial requirement is met, where it applies
- Any additional requirements that apply to you are satisfied
Who can be the main applicant?
You must be the partner of a qualifying main applicant. The rules can cover circumstances where the worker:
- currently has Skilled Worker permission (leave to remain);
- is applying for Skilled Worker permission at the same time as you; or
- has since settled or become British after holding Skilled Worker permission, where the dependant provisions still apply.
Where the worker has already settled, your previous immigration position can be important — see if the worker already has ILR below. This page doesn't repeat the worker's own eligibility; see the Skilled Worker visa guide for that.
Minimum age
Both partners must meet the applicable minimum age. For this route, the dependant partner must be at least 18 years old on the date of application.
Relationship requirement
Calling someone your husband, wife or partner is not enough by itself — the relationship must satisfy the Immigration Rules. The Skilled Worker rules point to Appendix Relationship with Partner for the detailed test, which covers marriage and civil partnership, unmarried partners, genuine and subsisting relationships, previous relationships, prohibited relationships and the evidence expected.
Rather than reproduce those rules here, we keep them in one place:
→ Relationship requirements for UK dependant partners (dedicated guidance)
Applying from outside the UK
A qualifying partner applying from overseas must obtain the appropriate entry clearance before travelling to the UK as a dependant. Depending on your circumstances, additional requirements can apply — for example a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate if you are resident in a listed country.
→ UK visa tuberculosis test requirements
Applying from inside the UK
Not everyone can switch in the UK. Holding valid UK permission does not automatically mean you can switch into the dependant partner route. The Skilled Worker rules restrict switching from certain categories, including Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a Private Household, and permission granted outside the Immigration Rules. Applicants in those categories generally have to apply from outside the UK.
Whether you can switch depends on your current permission. If you're unsure, check your switching position before you apply.
If you hold (or recently held) a Student visa
If your current or most recent permission is as a Student, extra study-related conditions can apply before you can switch to dependant status — for example having completed the relevant course, or being at least 24 months into a qualifying PhD. Check your specific position before applying in-country.
Financial requirement
Where the dependant maintenance requirement applies to a partner, the amount specified is £285 (as at April 2026 — confirm the current figure on GOV.UK). But this does not mean every applicant simply shows £285 in a bank account — different provisions can mean you don't need to show separate funds at all:
I've been in the UK with permission for 12+ months +
My sponsor certifies maintenance +
Neither applies to me +
→ Skilled Worker dependant financial requirement (amounts, held-funds periods and evidence)
Criminal record certificate
You may need a criminal record certificate. For an overseas dependant partner application, a criminal record certificate can be required where the main worker's occupation falls within the relevant provisions — covering countries you have lived in for 12 months or more (continuously or cumulatively) in the last 10 years while aged 18 or over. This is not universal — check whether it applies before you apply.
→ Criminal record certificate guidance
Documents
There's no single fixed checklist — what you provide depends on how you meet each requirement. Broadly, evidence falls into these groups:
- Identity — your passport or relevant travel document.
- Main applicant — evidence establishing the worker's relevant Skilled Worker status.
- Relationship — evidence required under the applicable relationship rules.
- Financial — only where the financial requirement has to be evidenced.
- Additional — TB certificate, criminal record certificate or other evidence where it applies.
Generate my dependant partner document checklist (personalised tool — in development)
If the Skilled Worker has already obtained ILR
The worker settling doesn't necessarily stop an existing dependant partner continuing on the dependant route. Your previous dependant status, and the circumstances in which the worker settled, can be relevant. The full settlement rules aren't covered here.
→ Skilled Worker dependants & settlement
Your application journey
- Can the main worker have dependants? → check the worker first
- Do you qualify as their partner? → relationship requirement
- Are you applying inside or outside the UK?
- If inside the UK — can you switch?
- Do you need to meet the financial requirement?
- Do TB or criminal record requirements apply?
- Prepare your documents and application.
Common mistakes
- Assuming marriage guarantees eligibility — the relationship requirements still have to be satisfied.
- Checking the partner but not the worker — first establish whether the worker's circumstances permit dependants.
- Trying to switch from a prohibited category — some applicants must apply from outside the UK.
- Missing the Student switching restriction — extra requirements can apply if you hold, or recently held, Student permission.
- Assuming everyone needs £285 in savings — whether financial evidence is needed depends on your circumstances.
- Missing an occupation-specific criminal record requirement — check this before an overseas application.
Frequently asked questions
Can my husband or wife apply as my Skilled Worker dependant? +
Potentially — provided the main worker can have dependants and you satisfy the dependant partner requirements, including the relationship rules.
Do we both need to be 18? +
The dependant partner must meet the applicable minimum age requirement of 18 on the date of application.
Can my partner switch from a Visitor visa? +
No — the in-country dependant route does not permit switching from Visitor permission. An application from outside the UK would normally be needed.
Can a Student switch to become a dependant partner? +
Potentially, but additional study-related requirements can apply — such as having completed the course or being far enough into a qualifying PhD.
Does my partner always need £285? +
No. The amount is relevant only where the dependant maintenance requirement has to be shown. Other provisions can mean separate personal funds don't need to be demonstrated.
What if I get ILR before my partner? +
An existing dependant may be able to continue under the dependant provisions. Their previous status and the basis on which you settled should be checked.
Related guidance
Disclaimer. The information on this page provides general information about UK immigration law and does not constitute legal advice on any individual immigration application. Immigration requirements depend on your individual circumstances and may change. You should seek professional advice before making an application or relying on the information provided.
Source basis: the UK Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker and the related work-route Appendices, together with the Home Office caseworker guidance published on GOV.UK. Immigration Rules and guidance change; confirm the current version on GOV.UK before applying.
Eyyup Yaprak
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Founded to make regulated advice honest and accessible.
Before founding the practice, Eyyup spent 10 years teaching English in Turkey and Liverpool, so every stage of an application is explained clearly, in English or Turkish. A BA and MA in English Language Teaching and an Associate Degree in Computer Programming & Technology sit alongside AAT Level 4 in Accounting, giving a strong grasp of the financial evidence many visa categories require.
Casework spans family, work, settlement and Ankara Agreement (ECAA) applications, plus sponsor licence guidance for employers.
Check your dependant partner eligibility
Whether your partner can join you turns on the worker's position, your relationship, where you apply from and whether you can switch. We can assess your case and set out the right route.