Information for my family members-Part 3

1: What supporting documents should I include with my application?
2: What does ‘present and settled’ mean ?
3: What will happen when I make my application?
4: What are public funds?
5: How long can I stay with my parents in the UK?
6: How long can I stay with my children, grandchildren or other relatives in the UK?
 
 
1:What supporting documents should I include with my application?
 
You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK to live with relatives. If you do not, they may refuse your application.

As a guide, you should include the following:

  • Your original birth certificate (if applying to join your parents in the UK).
  • Evidence that your sponsor (the relative you are applying to join) is settled in the UK, such as a certified copy of their passport or registration certificate.
  • Recent bank statements or savings books for your sponsor and evidence of your sponsor’s employment in the UK, which could include payslips to show what financial support you have.
  • Evidence of your accommodation, such as a mortgage agreement or rental agreement, and evidence that you and your dependants can stay in this accommodation if it is rented or provided by your local authority.

If you are applying as the parent, grandparent or other dependant relative of someone already present and settled (see the next section) in the UK, you should ask your sponsor to fill in a sponsorship undertaking form below and include this with your application. By signing the undertaking form, your sponsor confirms that they will be responsible for your living expenses and accommodation during your stay in the UK, and won’t need any support from public funds.

In some cases the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) may ask you and your relatives to take a DNA test to prove that you are related to each other.

Your application will refuse if that any documents are false.

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2:What does ‘present and settled’ mean ?
 
‘Settled’ means being allowed to live in the UK lawfully, with no time limit on your stay. ‘Present and settled’ means that the person concerned is settled in the UK and, at the time they are considering your application under the Immigration Rules, is in the UK or is coming here with you, or to join you, and plans to live with you in the UK if your application is successful.
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3:What will happen when I make my application?
 
The Entry Clearance Officer will try to make a decision using your application form and the supporting documents you have provided. If this is not possible, they will need to interview you.

Please check your visa when you get it. You should make sure that:

  • your personal details are correct
  • it correctly states the purpose for which you want to come to the UK, and
  • it is valid for the date on which you want to travel. (You can ask for it to be post-dated for up to three months if you do not plan to travel immediately).

If you think there is anything wrong with your visa, contact the visa section immediately.
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4:What are public funds?
 
Under the Immigration Rules, if you want to travel to the UK you must be able to support yourself and live without claiming certain benefits. A full list of public funds is available on the UK Border Agency website.
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5:How long can I stay with my parents in the UK?
 
If both of your parents are settled in the UK, or if one parent already settled in the UK has sole responsibility for you, they will normally allow you to stay in the UK permanently from the date that you arrive.

If you travel to the UK with one or both of your parents, they will normally give you permission to stay in the UK for the same length of time as they are given.
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6:How long can I stay with my children, grandchildren or other relatives in the UK?
 
If you have a visa for settlement to travel with or join a relative, they will allow you to stay permanently in the UK from the date that you arrive.
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