Start-up visa
Your partner and children
Your partner and children can also apply to join you or stay in the UK as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.
If your partner or child’s application is successful, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. If a child’s parents have visas with different expiry dates, the child’s visa will end on the earlier date.
Your relationship
A dependant partner or child is any of the following:
- your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
- your child under 18 - including if they were born in the UK during your stay
- your child over 18 if they’re currently in the UK as your dependant
You’ll need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.
Your partner
You must be able to prove one of the following:
- you’re in a civil partnership or marriage that’s recognised in the UK
- you’ve been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
- you’ve been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but you cannot live together, for example because you’re working or studying in different places, or it’s not accepted in your culture
If you’re not living together, you’ll need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by providing evidence that you:
- communicate regularly with each other
- support each other financially
- care for any children you have together
- spend time together as a couple, for example on holiday or at events
If your child is 16 or over
They must:
- live with you (unless they’re in full-time education at boarding school, college or university)
- not be married, in a civil partnership or have any children
- be financially supported by you
If your child lives with you, you’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 they need to support themselves
Your partner and children must each have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they’re in the UK.
In addition to the £1,270 you must have to support yourself, you - or your partner or child - will need:
- £285 for your partner
- £315 for one child
- £200 for each additional child
Example
You must have £1870 if you want to bring your partner and 1 child with you to the UK: £1270 to support yourself + £285 for your partner + £315 for your child.
You’ll need to have had the money in your bank account or your dependant’s bank account for at least 28 days before you or they apply.
You’ll usually need to show proof of this when you apply, unless you or they are applying from inside the UK and you’ve been here for 1 year or more.
Apply from outside the UK
Your partner and children must either:
Each family member will need to complete a separate application and pay the visa fee. They must apply before they travel to the UK.
They’ll also need your application number. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on emails and letters from the Home Office about your application.
They’ll need to have their fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre as part of their application.
Apply from inside the UK (switch)
If you switch your visa, your partner or child’s current visa will still be valid until its original end date. Your partner or child need to apply to switch their visa, either:
- at the same time as you
- at any time before their current visa expires
This includes children who have turned 18 during your stay.
Your partner or children will not be able to apply to switch to a Start-up visa if they are currently in the UK in one of the following circumstances:
- on a visit visa
- on a short-term student visa
- on a Parent of a Child Student visa
- on a seasonal worker visa
- on a domestic worker in a private household visa
- on immigration bail
- they were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example on compassionate grounds
How to apply
The application form will tell you if you can include your partner and children in your application or whether they need to apply separately.
If your partner or child apply separately, they’ll need to either:
They’ll need your application number - you’ll get this when you apply. This number is called a Global Web Form (GWF) or a Unique Application Number (UAN). You’ll find it on 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
They must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision. Their application will be withdrawn if they do.
Getting a faster decision
They may be able to pay to get a faster decision - they’ll be told if they can when they apply.
If their application is successful
They’ll get an eVisa (an online record of their immigration status).
Their decision email or letter will tell them how to get access to their eVisa. They’ll need to create a UKVI account.
Find out how they can get their biometric residence permit (BRP) if they were told they’d get one when they applied.
Children born in the UK
If you have a child while you’re in the UK, they do not automatically become a British citizen.
You can apply online for their dependant visa. You must do this if you want to travel in and out of the UK with your child.
You’ll need to provide a full UK birth certificate for each child, showing the names of both parents.
You must apply for their dependant visa before they turn 18 if they want to stay in the UK.
What your partner or child can and cannot do
Your partner or child can:
- work, except as a sportsperson or coach
- study
- travel abroad and return to the UK
They cannot apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension.
If their application is successful, they’ll get a full list of what they can and cannot do.