The Adult Dependent Relative Visa category is intended for adult dependent relatives of British citizens, individuals who are settled in the UK, individuals with limited leave to remain in the UK under Appendix EU, or individuals in the UK with refugee leave or humanitarian protection status, who desire to establish permanent residency in the UK.

Requirements for an Adult Dependent Relative Visa

In order to qualify for an Adult Dependent Relative visa you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• You are the parent aged 18 years or over, grandparent, brother or sister aged 18 years or over or son or daughter aged 18 years or over of a person who is in the UK and that person is over 18 and either a British citizen, settled in the UK, has limited leave to remain in the UK under Appendix EU or is a person with refugee leave or humanitarian protection status;
• As a result of age, illness or disability, you require long-term personal care (that is help performing everyday tasks, e.g. washing, dressing and cooking);
• You are unable, even with the financial help of your family member in the UK, to obtain the required level of care in the country where you are living because it is not available and there is no person (close relative, home-help, housekeeper, nurse, carer, care or nursing home) in your country who can reasonably provide it, or because it is not affordable;
• You will be adequately maintained, accommodated and cared for in the UK by your family member, without recourse to public funds (if your family member is a British citizen or settled in the UK, they will be required to sign a 5-year undertaking to this effect);
• You have provided a TB test pass certificate, if required.

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances.  You may want to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.

What Else Do I Need to Know About the Adult Dependent Relative Visa?

The Adult Dependent Relative visa applicant must have a significant need for ongoing assistance with daily activities due to their age, disease, or disability. This care must be either unavailable or unaffordable in the applicant's current country of residence.

Although the individual seeking an Adult Dependent Relative visa may meet the stringent health requirements of the second criterion, the third criterion poses an even greater challenge.

Many sponsors who have the financial means to support and house their dependent relative for a period of five years will face difficulty in demonstrating that they are unable to pay to care for that relative in their own country.

An Adult Dependent Relative is eligible for settlement if their sponsor is a settled individual in the UK or a British Citizen. Alternatively, the Adult Dependent Relative may be given temporary authorization that ends concurrently with their sponsor's temporary authorization. Upon arrival in the UK, they have the option to seek settlement or additional authorization to remain in accordance with their sponsor's authorization.

Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) includes a distinct pathway for an Adult Dependent Relative of a BN(O) Status Holder.

The Adult Dependent Relative visa route is exclusively accessible to those who are not currently residing in the United Kingdom. Transitioning to the Adult Dependent Relative pathway from within the UK is not feasible.

Nevertheless, there exist certain specific situations in which a dependent relative can potentially seek permission to stay in the UK based on human rights considerations while already being in the country.

If an applicant applies for an Adult Dependent Relative visa from another country and the Home Office determines that they do not meet all the requirements, they may still be allowed to enter the UK if the Home Office believes that denying the application would violate Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention. This is because it would cause excessively severe consequences for the applicant or their family.