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Visas for your family

Find out about if you are eligible to apply for the Dependant of a Student visa for your family, and what documents you need to provide with their application.

If you want your family or friends to stay while you are studying at Bath, you may be able to apply for a Dependant of a Student visa for them. If you are not eligible to bring dependants with you to the UK, your family can still visit for short periods using a Standard visitor visa.

The University also provides information about the support available for family members of international students.

Eligibility

Only some Student visa holders are eligible to bring dependants with them to the UK. You will be eligible to bring dependants if you are a full-time Student visa holder, and:

  • you are government sponsored and your course is longer than six months
  • you are studying a postgraduate course of nine months or longer

You must already have your Student visa, or you and your dependents must apply at the same time and in the same country. Your dependants will not be eligible for the Dependant of a Student visa if you are on a part-time Student visa.

Eligibility for courses starting after 01 January 2024

If your course starts after 01 January 2024, you will only be eligible to apply for the Dependant of a Student visa for your family if:

  • you are government sponsored and your course is longer than six months
  • you are studying a postgraduate course of nine months or longer and your course is a PhD, other doctoral qualification, or research-based higher degree.

Required documents

You will need to prepare the following documents to apply for a Dependant of a Student visa for your family:

Translations

If any of the documents are not in English, you must provide a translation by a professional translator. The translation must include:

  • confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document
  • translator's contact details
  • date of the translation
  • signature and full name of the translator
  • credentials of the translator

Financial evidence

If you are applying for a Dependant of a Student visa, you will need to demonstrate that your dependants have enough funds to live in the UK. If you are applying for a Student visa at the same time as your dependant(s), you need to show this financial requirement on top of the financial requirements for your own Student visa application.

If your dependants are applying from inside the UK, and they have been living in the UK for 12 months or longer on the day they apply, they do not need to provide financial evidence.

Required funds

If financial evidence is required, you will need to show the following funds for a Dependant of a Student visa application:

  • £6,120 (£680 per month for up to 9 months) for each dependant

You must show the money using bank statements unless you are receiving official financial sponsorship that also covers living costs for your dependants.

Bank statements

  • the statement must be in either your name or your dependants name. if the application is for your child, the funds can be held by either parent who has or is applying for immigration permission at the same time as your child.
  • the required money must have been in the bank account for a consecutive 28 day period.
  • bank statements must cover 28 days (and printed no more than 31 days before the date of your application). If you don't have a statement, you can ask the bank to print one for you - make sure that each page is on headed paper and has your name and account details. You can also print an online statement.

Letter from financial sponsor

If you are receiving official financial sponsorship that also covers living costs for your dependants, you will need to provide a letter from your financial sponsor. Your letter must:

  • contain full details of the amount you will receive
  • the letter must be stamped and on headed paper
  • be clear that living costs for your dependants are also covered

If the financial sponsorship only covers part of your dependent's living costs, you must provide a bank statement to show the remaining financial requirement.

Evidence of your relationship

You only need to provide evidence of your relationship to your dependant the first time you apply. If you are applying to extend your dependant's visa, you do not need to provide evidence of your relationship.

Applying for your partner

To apply for your dependant partner, your relationship must be genuine and subsisting. You will need to provide the following evidence:

  • If applying for your partner (including spouses and civil partner), you will need to provide a marriage or civil partner certificate.
  • If you are applying for your partner where you are not married or in a civil partnership, you will need to provide documents to show that you have been in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years. You can provide evidence of shared living arrangements for the two year period such as mortgage agreements, tenancy agreements, or shared utility bills. If you and your partner have not been living together, you can still apply where there is a good reason that you were living apart. For example, where one of you is studying in a different country or work reasons.

Applying for your child

To apply for your dependant child, you will need to provide the following evidence:

  • full birth certificate showing both parents' names

Children over the age of 16 and 18

If you are applying for your child to come to the UK on a Dependant of a Student visa for the first time, they must be younger than 18 years old when they apply.

In all cases, if your child is over the age of 16, they must not be leading an independent life. This means they must be able to demonstrate they:

  • don't live with a spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner
  • live with you or if they are living away from home, this is due to study
  • they are dependant on you for financial support
  • they are dependant on your for emotional support

You can demonstrate this by providing:

  • bank statements to show they are being financially supported by you
  • NHS registration document
  • an official letter from their current school, college or university that confirms their address

Sole responsibility of a child

If you are apply for a Dependant of a Student visa for your child, both parents must usually be in or coming to the UK with the child. The only exception to this is if you have sole responsibility for your child, or if there are other serious or compelling considerations that mean the child should be with you in the UK and you have made suitable arrangements for the child's care.

If you have sole responsibility for your child, you can use one of the following documents:

  • divorce certificate
  • death certificate
  • court order awarding sole custody

Children born in the UK

Children born in the UK are not automatically British citizens. The baby needs to have a parent with British citizenship or settled status in the UK in order to be born British.

If your baby is born in the UK but is not a British citizen, it is lawful for them to remain in the UK without making an immigration application. However, the baby will need immigration permission to re-enter the UK after any travel abroad.

For babies born to Student visa holders, you can only apply for a dependent visa for them if you meet the eligibility requirements (see section above).

Please note, if you are a Student visa holder, and you have a baby born in the UK, your baby will only have healthcare cover for the first three months on the NHS. After this point, you will either need to obtain private medical insurance, or apply for a Dependant of a Student visa for your baby.

Enquiries

If you have any questions, please contact us.

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