International students Student visa - Your partner and children

Who is a dependant?

The UK Immigration rules define a dependant as:

• your husband, wife or civil partner
• your unmarried partner
• your child under 18 years old - including if they were born in the UK during your stay

You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply, for example:

• a marriage or civil partnership certificate for your partner
• a birth certificate for your child

Children aged 16 or 17

If your child is 16 or 17 on the date they apply, they’ll need to prove they are not living an independent life, for example they’re not married or in a civil partnership.

They’ll need to prove:

• where they live - if they do not live with you, they’ll need to explain why
• any rent or upkeep they pay you each month
• that you support them financially if they do not live with you

If your child lives with you, they’ll need to provide 2 of the following documents confirming their address:

• a bank statement
• credit card bills
• driving licence
• NHS registration document
• an official letter from their university or college

Money to support themselves

Your partner and child must each have a specified amount of money available to them to make their application to join you while you study. This is in addition to the money you must have to support yourself.

They must each have 6120GBP.

If you’re applying at the same time as your partner or child, you’ll need to prove you have both money to pay for your course and support yourself, as well as additional money for each of them.

You can find details of what evidence you can use on the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) webpage.

You should also check out our Supporting Documents Guidance for details of other documents required for their visa application.

Application fees and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

Each person will need to pay:

• 475GBP for the visa
• The Immigration Healthcare Surcharge (IHS) - check how much they’ll have to pay

How to apply

Your partner and child must apply online. They must either:

• apply as a partner
• apply as a child

They’ll need your visa application reference number - you get it when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it in emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.

As part of their application, they’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide their biometric information (fingerprints and a photo).

They’ll also need to submit their supporting documents. They can:

• upload them into the online service
• have them scanned at their UKVCAS appointment

Babies born in the UK

A baby born in the UK does not automatically make the child a British citizen. It is lawful for them to remain in the UK without making an immigration application. However, the child will need immigration permission to re-enter the UK after any travel abroad. For children born to those on the Student route, there are limited instances when you can apply for immigration permission, on behalf of a child, as your dependant.