As a Student visa holder, you may be able to bring your partner and children to the UK with you as your dependant. This will depend on the course SCQF level noted in your offer letter. The rules also apply to babies born in the UK after you arrive. There are some exceptions to the rules and these are noted below.
International students SCQF level and dependants
Check your offer letter
If the offer letter states that the course is at SCQF11_RE or SCQF12_RE; the course is eligible to apply to bring dependants.
Check your offer letter
If the offer letter has an SCQF level noted that is not SCQF11_RE or SCQF12_RE; the course is not eligible to apply to bring dependants.
Some exceptions to this rule can be seen in the next section.
Only students studying a full-time course 6 months or longer and who are fully sponsored by a government for their study are exceptions to the above.
To be eligible to bring dependants on a scholarship the scholarship must be:
- A Government funded scholarship
- From a central Government department
- Covering all fees and living costs for the student
If a scholarship does not cover the living costs for any dependants of the student then the applicant must provide separate financial evidence to cover them.
Dependant partner
A dependant partner is defined as:
- your husband, wife, or civil partner
- your unmarried partner (you will have to provide additional evidence if this is your relationship status)
Dependant children
A dependant child is defined as:
- your child under 18 years old - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
If you, the main Student visa applicant, plan to bring your children to the UK both parents must also be coming to the UK. This is confirmed in paragraph 34.2 in the Immigration Rules Appendix Student.
Other family members
Other family members are not considered to be dependants.