Skilled Worker visa dependants: partner and children

Your partner and children may be able to apply to join you in the UK, or stay in the UK, as your dependants. Each person makes a separate application (GOV.UK). A dependant is a partner, a child under 18, or a child over 18 who already has permission as your dependant. Extra rules apply if your job is care work or medium skilled.

Who counts as a dependant?

A dependant partner or child is any of these (GOV.UK):

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18, including if they were born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18, if they currently have permission (“leave to enter” or “leave to remain”) to be in the UK as your dependant

They need to give evidence of their relationship to you when they apply. If you are the first person in your family to apply, you can get a “family linking code” to connect the applications. Family members can enter the same code when they apply.

If their application succeeds, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. If a child’s parents have visas with different end dates, the child’s visa ends on the earlier date.

Can my partner and children join me if I am a care worker?

If your partner or children are inside the UK, they can apply to stay as your dependant if any of these is true:

• you have been continually employed as a care worker or senior care worker in the UK, and on a Skilled Worker visa, since before 11 March 2024
• they are your child and were born in the UK
• they are your child and you are the only living parent responsible for them
• they are your child and their other parent is also sponsored as a care worker or senior care worker

If they are outside the UK, they can apply to join you as your dependant if either of these is true:

• you have been continually employed as a care worker or senior care worker in the UK, and on a Skilled Worker visa, since before 11 March 2024
• they are your child and were born in the UK

See care workers for the occupation-code rules.

Can they join me if my job is medium skilled?

This applies if your occupation code is “medium skilled” and is not care worker or senior care worker. If your partner or children are inside the UK, they can apply to stay as your dependant if any of these is true:

• you have been continually employed in the UK, on a Skilled Worker visa and in a “medium skilled” job, since before 22 July 2025
• they are your child and were born in the UK
• they are your child and you are the only living parent responsible for them
• they are your child and their other parent is also sponsored for a “medium skilled” job
• they are your child or partner, and you are extending your visa or switching to this visa as a prison officer (code 3314)

If they are outside the UK, they can apply to join you if either of these is true:

• you have been continually employed in the UK, on a Skilled Worker visa and in a “medium skilled” job, since before 22 July 2025
• they are your child and were born in the UK

See medium skilled occupations.

What do the Immigration Rules say?

The person with the Skilled Worker visa must be sponsored for a job in Table 1, Table 2 or Table 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations (SW 29.1A for partners and SW 32A.2 for children). There are three exceptions:

• they were granted permission in SOC 2010 code 6145 or 6146 under the rules in force before 11 March 2024
• they were granted permission in a SOC 2020 code in Table 1a, 2aa, 2a or 3a (other than 6135 and 6136) under the rules in force before 22 July 2025
• they are sponsored as a prison officer (3314) and the application is for permission to stay

In each case the Skilled Worker must have had permission without a break since that grant.

For children, SW 32A.2 also covers:

• a child born in the UK
• a sole surviving parent, or a parent with sole responsibility (permission to stay only)
• joint responsibility with another Skilled Worker sponsored in a listed code (permission to stay only)

What must the relationship be?

For a partner, you must be able to prove one of these (GOV.UK):

• you are in a civil partnership or marriage that is recognised in the UK
• you have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
• you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply, but cannot live together. For example, you work or study in different places, or it is not accepted in your culture

If you do not live together, you need to prove an ongoing commitment. For example, you can show that you:

• communicate regularly
• support each other financially
• care for any children you have together
• spend time together as a couple

The rules say Appendix Relationship with Partner must be met (SW 29.2). A dependent partner must be 18 or over on the day they apply (SW 26.3).

A child must live with you. The exception is a child living away from home in full-time education, such as at boarding school or university. A child must not be married or in a civil partnership. GOV.UK lists evidence of address, such as a bank statement, credit card bills, a driving licence, an NHS registration document or an official letter from their university or college.

How much money do they need?

You, or your partner or child, need this much:

Dependant	Amount
Partner	£285
One child	£315
Each extra child	£200

These amounts are in SW 33.3. They are on top of the £1,270 for your own application (SW 33.4). The money must have been available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of the day you apply.

You usually need to show proof. You do not need to if either of these is true:

• you have all been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
• your employer can cover your family’s costs during your first month in the UK, and the certificate of sponsorship confirms it

The rules say that if you apply to stay and have lived in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer, you do not need to show funds (SW 33.1). If your partner or child applies at a different time, they only need to prove the funds if they have been in the UK for less than 1 year.

How do partners and children apply?

Each family member makes a separate application and pays the visa fee. See fees.

From outside the UK. They apply online as your partner or child, before they travel to the UK. They need your application number (a Global Web Form or Unique Application Number). They can also enter your family linking code. They will usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

Two more rules apply from outside the UK:

• A tuberculosis medical certificate is needed if Appendix Tuberculosis applies (SW 28.2).
• If you are sponsored in a code listed in SW 16.1, a partner applying for entry clearance must give a criminal record certificate. It must cover any country they were in for 12 months or more in the 10 years before they apply (SW 34.1).

From inside the UK. Your partner’s or child’s current visa stays valid until its original end date. They apply to extend or switch at the same time as you, or at any time before their current visa runs out. This includes children who turned 18 during your stay. They will usually get a decision within 8 weeks. They must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision.

They cannot switch to your Skilled Worker visa as dependants if they are in the UK on any of these (SW 26.4ZA lists the same categories):

• a visit visa
• a short-term student visa
• a Parent of a Child Student visa
• a seasonal worker visa
• a domestic worker in a private household visa
• immigration bail
• permission to stay outside the immigration rules

If they are on a Student visa, they can only switch if they finished the course they were sponsored to study, or studied for a PhD for at least 24 months.

What about children born in the UK?

A child born in the UK does not automatically become a British citizen. You must apply for the child’s dependant visa if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them. You need a full UK birth certificate for each child showing the names of both parents. If the child wants to stay in the UK, you must apply for their dependant visa before they turn 18.

What can a partner or child do?

Your partner or child can:

• work (except as a sportsperson or coach)
• study
• travel abroad and return to the UK
• apply to settle permanently, if they have lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other requirements

They cannot apply for most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension. See settlement.

How long does a dependant’s visa last?

The rules set the length of a grant (SW 36.1 and SW 36.2):

• A partner’s permission ends on the same date as the Skilled Worker’s permission. It lasts 3 years if the Skilled Worker was or is being granted settlement.
• A child’s permission ends on the same date as whichever parent’s permission ends first. The exception is where both parents have, or are being granted, settlement or British citizenship. Then it is 3 years.