If you are the parent of a British child, or the parent of a child who is settled in the UK, then you may be able to apply for a UK Parent visa, which will allow you to either join them in the UK, or stay in the UK with them. This visa can be applied for if you have access rights to a child, or if you have sole responsibility for them. You will normally need to provide evidence that you are not in a relationship with their other parent, however in some cases, it can also be possible to apply for a parent visa if you are in a relationship, although this is a much more complex application and usually leads to you being granted with leave outside of the immigration rules.  

For the financial requirement, instead of having to meet a set threshold, you must meet what is known as “Adequate maintenance”. This is where the Home Office assess your income and housing costs to consider whether you can support yourself. 

A UK Parent Visa is granted for 2 years 9 months if you apply overseas, or 2 years and 6 months if you apply in the UK. 

To extend your parent visa you will need to submit an FLR(FP) application from within the UK, before your current visa expires. Once you have lived in the UK for 5 years on a standard UK Parent visa you will be able to submit an application for Settlement. If you have been placed on a 10 year route, or leave outside the rules, you will not be able to apply for settlement under you have lived in the UK for a continuous period of 10 years. 

FAQs 

Can I get British Citizenship if I have a British child? 

You can only obtain citizenship in the UK once you have lived here for at least 5 years, and you have held Indefinite Leave to Remain for at least 12 months. You are then able to apply to naturalise as a British citizen.  

What if I can’t afford the visa application fee? 

A UK Parent visa is one application which is eligible for a fee waiver. If you are on a low income, or at risk of destitution, you can apply to the Home Office for them to waive either, or both, of the visa fee and / or the Immigration Health Surcharge. These applications can be quite in-depth, and require a lot of financial information and documentation.  

What happens if my Parent of a child visa is refused? 

Applications can be refused for a number of reasons, including not providing sufficient evidence or not meeting the requirements in full. If you find that your application has been refused, you may be able to appeal this. There are relatively short timeframes for you to be able to appeal the decision, and if you are in the UK you must make sure you either appeal or submit a new application within 14 days of the refusal, otherwise you will be an overstayer, which can have severe implications on your ability to remain in the UK. 

What documents do I need to provide for a UK Parent visa? 

For your application to be successful you will need to provide evidence of the following: 

• Financial evidence, to show that you are able to support yourself without access to public funds. You will still need to provide evidence of finances if you are granted a fee waiver.  
• Relationship evidence to provide that you have a genuine relationship with your child, and that you have in person contact with them