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 At a glance

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• Eligible relative: A parent, grandparent, adult son or daughter, brother or sister of the UK sponsor.

• Age: Both the applicant and sponsor must be aged 18 or over.

• Where to apply: A first application must normally be made from outside the UK. In-country applications are generally limited to people already granted permission under this route.

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Sponsor status: A British or Irish citizen, settled person, person with protection status or qualifying EEA national with limited Appendix EU permission.

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English language: There is no English-language requirement for the initial Adult Dependent Relative application.

 

Outcome: Settlement may be granted where the sponsor is British, Irish or settled. Otherwise, temporary permission will normally be aligned with the sponsor’s permission.

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   MAIN ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

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• The applicant must require long-term personal care to perform everyday personal or household tasks because of age, illness or disability.

• In a joint application by parents or grandparents, at least one member of the couple must meet the long-term personal-care requirement.

• The required level of care must be unavailable in the country where the applicant lives because no person there can reasonably provide it.

• Alternatively, the required care must be unaffordable even with financial assistance from the UK sponsor.

• The sponsor must be able to provide adequate maintenance, accommodation and care in the UK without relying on public funds.

• The sponsor must sign an undertaking accepting responsibility for the applicant’s maintenance, accommodation and care for five years where settlement is granted, or for the period of temporary permission.

• Where a parent or grandparent has a partner, that partner must normally apply at the same time.

• The applicant must meet the validity, entry and suitability requirements.

• A tuberculosis certificate must be provided where required.

• The legal threshold is demanding. It is not enough to demonstrate that the applicant is elderly, that the family would prefer care to be provided in the UK or that the standard of UK care would be better.

• The evidence must address both the applicant’s need for long-term personal care and why the required care cannot reasonably be obtained or afforded in their country of residence.

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EVIDENCE COMMONLY REQUIRED

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• Detailed medical evidence identifying the applicant’s condition, prognosis, functional limitations and personal-care needs.

• An assessment of the everyday tasks for which assistance is required, such as washing, dressing, cooking, mobility or managing medication.

• Evidence concerning existing carers, relatives and support networks.

• An explanation of why each realistic care option cannot provide the required level of care.

• Evidence from care providers, local authorities or suitably qualified experts addressing the availability and cost of care in the applicant’s country.

• A clear care plan for the UK, explaining who will provide care, where the applicant will live and how the continuing costs will be met.

• The sponsor’s specified income or savings evidence.

• Evidence of the sponsor’s accommodation.

• The signed maintenance undertaking.

• Birth certificates and other documents proving the family relationship.

• Documents explaining any name changes or discrepancies.

• Certified translations and tuberculosis evidence where required.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

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• Assess the care requirement, family relationship, sponsor’s status and realistic care options in the applicant’s country.

• Obtain medical and country-specific evidence that directly addresses the Immigration Rules.

• Prepare the sponsor’s financial evidence, accommodation arrangements, care plan and maintenance undertaking.

• Submit the online application from outside the UK.

• Provide biometrics and respond to any Home Office enquiries or requests for additional evidence.

 

COMMON ISSUES

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• Medical evidence identifies a diagnosis but does not explain why personal care is required for everyday tasks.

• The application does not address care that could be purchased using financial support from the UK sponsor.

• Relatives, neighbours or existing carers are mentioned without explaining why they cannot continue providing care.

• The proposed UK care plan is unclear.

• The sponsor’s ability to fund the applicant’s accommodation and care has not been demonstrated.

• The applicant enters as a visitor and then attempts to switch, although a first Adult Dependent Relative application must normally be made from outside the UK.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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• Is old age by itself sufficient?

• No. The applicant must require long-term personal care for everyday tasks and must demonstrate that the required care is unavailable or unaffordable in their country, even with financial assistance from the UK sponsor.

• Can an applicant switch from a Visitor Visa?

• A first Adult Dependent Relative application must normally be made from outside the UK. Exceptional human-rights circumstances require individual assessment and should not be treated as a routine switching route.

• Can both parents apply together?

• Yes, where both are the sponsor’s parents or grandparents and they apply together. Only one member of the couple needs to meet the long-term personal-care requirement, but all the other requirements must be satisfied.

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