Indefinite leave to remain if you have a Scale-up Worker visa

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Your family members

You can include your partner and children on your application if they’re eligible.

Your partner and children can apply separately at a later date, for example if they’re not eligible yet. They can continue to extend their visa as your Scale-up Worker dependant, even after you get indefinite leave to remain.

Eligibility for partners

Your partner may qualify if all the following apply:

  • they have permission to be in the UK as your partner (as a ‘dependant’ on your visa)
  • they’ve lived in the UK with you as your dependant for at least 5 continuous years
  • your relationship is genuine
  • you intend to keep living together
  • you have enough income to support yourselves and your dependants
  • you’re not using public funds

Your partner can include time they’ve spent as your dependant on another visa to count towards the continuous years they need to qualify. They cannot count any time spent on their own visa (not as your dependant).

If your partner is 18 to 64, they must:

Eligibility for children

You can include your child on your application if:

  • they have permission to be in the UK as your child (as a ‘dependant’ on your visa)
  • they are not married or in a civil partnership
  • they will live with you and be supported by you without using public funds
  • you and your child’s other parent are both currently applying to settle, or are already settled

Your child can also apply to settle in one of the following situations:

  • you’re the child’s sole surviving parent
  • you have sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing
  • there are serious or compelling family or other considerations, for example you (if you’re settled in the UK) or your child has a serious illness

Extra documents for children over 16

You’ll need to prove:

  • where they live - if they do not live with you, you’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

You’ll need to provide documents such as the ones on this list, to prove where they live:

  • bank statement
  • credit card bill
  • driving licence
  • NHS registration document
  • a letter from their current school, college or university, on headed paper and issued by an authorised official of that organisation

The documents you provide should not be more than a month old on the date you make your application.

If your child lives away from home, you’ll need to provide evidence they are not living an independent live, for example:

  • bank statements for you and your child covering the 3 months before the date you apply (to prove you’ve supported them)
  • confirmation from their university or college on headed paper and issued by an authorised official (if they’re studying)

Children 18 and over

You can only include older children in your application if they both:

  • were under 18 when they first got permission to be in the UK as your dependant
  • still do not live an independent life - for example, they have not got married or had children

They also need to:

If your child is over 18 by the time you apply and does not meet these requirements, they must apply separately.

View a printable version of the whole guide