At First Law Solicitors, we provide precise, strategic, and compassionate legal support to families joining Skilled Workers, Health and Care Workers, and other sponsored professionals in the United Kingdom.
Based in Manchester and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID No: 665823), our solicitors advise families in the UK and abroad on securing dependent visas that align with Home Office standards. Every case is built on legal accuracy, digital compliance, and a long-term vision for family stability in the UK.
The dependant visa allows close family members of sponsored workers to live, work, and study in the UK. Eligible relationships include spouses, civil or unmarried partners, and children under eighteen (or over eighteen if already in the UK as dependants).
This route applies to dependants of visa holders under categories such as:
Following policy updates in July 2025, certain medium-skilled roles (particularly within the Care sector at RQF Levels 3–5) now face new restrictions on bringing dependants. Our solicitors assess eligibility under the correct Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code before any submission, ensuring compliance with the latest rules.
Applicants must prove a genuine relationship with the main visa holder. For partners, this means providing evidence of marriage or at least two years of cohabitation. For children, the Home Office requires proof of financial and emotional dependency and confirmation that they are not leading independent lives.
We prepare each application with precise evidence of shared residence, communication, schooling, and ongoing parental care, ensuring full compliance with Appendix FM-SE evidential requirements.
To qualify as a dependant, applicants must demonstrate adequate financial maintenance if the sponsor’s employer has not certified it on the Certificate of Sponsorship. As of January 2026, the Home Office requires:
Partner: £285
First Child: £315
Each Additional Child: £200
These funds must be held for at least 28 consecutive days before the date of application. This remains one of the most common technical refusal points. Our solicitors carefully review bank statements and transaction histories to ensure the Home Office’s financial rules are strictly met.
Dependants of sponsored workers are permitted to work freely in the UK, including self-employment and business ownership, with the exception of work as a professional sportsperson or coach. Children are entitled to attend school, and family members may access healthcare under the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) once the visa is granted.
We advise families on how these rights integrate with long-term settlement and citizenship planning, ensuring no gap arises in eligibility for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Dependent leave is granted in line with the main visa holder. When the primary worker extends their visa, dependants must also apply for extensions to maintain lawful residence.
We manage both the main and dependent applications simultaneously, coordinating expiry dates to avoid “overlaps” or gaps that could lead to loss of status, an issue the Home Office has been monitoring more closely since 2025.
After five continuous years in the UK, dependants may qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). This requires evidence of ongoing family relationships, lawful residence, and compliance with visa conditions.
Our solicitors prepare full ILR portfolios, ensuring travel histories, residence records, and relationship documentation meet the high evidential threshold required under the Immigration Rules.
Children born in the UK to a Worker Visa holder do not automatically become British citizens. However, they may obtain leave in line with their parent’s visa, or be registered as British once a parent becomes settled or naturalised.
We guide families through these processes, ensuring no lapse in a child’s immigration or citizenship status, and preserving their long-term settlement rights.
All dependent applications are processed through the Home Office’s digital system (MyHMCTS). Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, we use Digital ID Verification (IDV) and Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) to authenticate documents and signatures.
This secure digital process allows for full remote handling of cases while maintaining compliance with UK data protection and confidentiality standards. Our firm also maintains encrypted data storage for all client records, fully compliant with 2025 Home Office and SRA cybersecurity protocols.
At First Law Solicitors, we view dependent visa applications not as paperwork but as strategic family migration planning.
Expert Oversight: Each case is personally reviewed by a senior solicitor with specialist knowledge of Appendix FM and Skilled Worker dependants.
Strategic Coordination: We align family and employment visas to maintain continuous lawful residence.
Future Planning: We anticipate upcoming policy changes, such as the 2026 dependency reviews, to secure your family’s position in advance.
We combine technical mastery with empathy, ensuring every family’s move to the UK is efficient, compliant, and sustainable.
If you are the partner or child of a Skilled Worker or other sponsored professional and wish to join them in the UK, contact First Law Solicitors today for tailored, confidential advice.
Call 0044 161 224 4066
Complete our secure online enquiry form to arrange a private consultation.
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