Family visas · IAA-regulated advice
UK Adult Dependent Relative Visa Advice in Birmingham & London
Bring a parent, grandparent, brother, sister or adult child who needs long-term care to live with you in the UK. It’s a strict route, so we start with an honest view of whether your case is realistic. Then we plan the evidence and prepare the application, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is the adult dependent relative visa?
The adult dependent relative route lets a close relative who needs long-term personal care come to live with you in the UK. If you’re British or settled, they get settlement (indefinite leave) on arrival, so there’s nothing to extend.
It’s set out in Appendix Adult Dependent Relative of the Immigration Rules, and it’s one of the hardest family routes to qualify for. The rules are strict by design, and the Court of Appeal has upheld them. Some families do qualify, but the evidence has to be strong, so we’ll tell you plainly whether your case looks realistic before you spend money on an application.
✓This is your visa if…
- Your relative is your parent, grandparent, brother, sister, son or daughter, and you’re both 18 or over
- You’re British, Irish, settled in the UK, have refugee status or humanitarian protection, or have EU pre-settled status and lived here before 2021
- Because of age, illness or disability, they need long-term help from another person with everyday tasks
- They can’t get that care where they live, even with your financial help, and you can support and house them here without public funds
→Look at another route if…
Quick check
Could your relative qualify? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Are you British, Irish, settled in the UK, a refugee or person with humanitarian protection, or an EU citizen with pre-settled status?Settled means indefinite leave to remain or EU settled status. Pre-settled status only counts if you started living in the UK before 1 January 2021.
Is the person applying your parent, grandparent, brother, sister, son or daughter, and are you both 18 or over?
Because of age, illness or disability, do they need another person’s help with everyday tasks such as washing, dressing and cooking?This must be shown by a doctor or other health professional. Being frail or needing some help with housework is not usually enough.
Is that care unavailable where they live, with no one there who can reasonably provide it, or unaffordable, even with your financial help?The Home Office looks at other relatives, friends, paid carers and care homes in their country.
Can you support, house and care for them in the UK without public funds, and sign a maintenance undertaking?There’s no fixed income figure. Promises of help from other relatives or friends don’t count.
Will they apply from outside the UK and, if they’re a parent or grandparent with a partner, apply together with that partner?Only one of a couple needs to require care.
Eligibility
Adult dependent relative visa requirements
Your relative must meet every requirement on the day they apply. The care requirements are where most of the work goes.
Your relationship
- Your relative is your parent, grandparent, brother, sister, son or daughter
- You and your relative are both 18 or over
- A parent or grandparent can’t be in a relationship with a partner, unless that partner (your other parent or grandparent) applies at the same time
- If a couple apply together, only one of them needs to require care, and the other must be unable to provide it
Evidence usually includes birth or adoption certificates showing how you’re related.
Your status, and where they apply
- You’re British or Irish, settled in the UK, or have refugee status or humanitarian protection
- Or you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen with pre-settled status, and you started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
- Your relative must apply from outside the UK. In the UK, only people already on this route can extend
- Their immigration history and any criminal record are checked, and a TB test is needed if they live in a listed country
If you’re British or settled, your relative gets settlement on arrival. Otherwise their permission ends when yours does.
The need for long-term personal care
- Because of age, illness or disability, your relative needs long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks, such as washing, dressing and cooking
- This means they can’t do these tasks for themselves, not just that they find them harder
- The need must be shown by medical evidence from a doctor or other health professional
- The Home Office can ask for a medical examination by a doctor on the British embassy’s or high commission’s approved list
A diagnosis on its own isn’t enough: the evidence needs to describe the care they need and why.
Care they can’t get where they live
- Even with your practical and financial help, they can’t get the level of care they need in the country where they live
- Either the care isn’t available and there’s no one there who can reasonably provide it, or it isn’t affordable
- The Home Office considers relatives, friends, neighbours, paid carers and care homes, and whether family there could share the cost
- If care has been provided until now, you need to show why it can’t continue
Evidence that care isn’t available should come from a health authority, a local authority, or a doctor or health professional in their country.
Maintenance, accommodation and care in the UK
- You can maintain, house and care for your relative without public funds
- Broadly, after housing costs, your income must at least match what a British family of the same size would get on Income Support, and also cover the cost of their care
- Your own income and savings count. Promises of support from other people don’t
- You sign a maintenance undertaking: for 5 years from their arrival if they’re granted settlement, or for the length of their permission if it’s temporary
If your relative claims public funds during the undertaking, the Government may seek to recover the money from you.
Documents
Adult dependent relative visa documents: the easy part
Listing the documents is straightforward. Applications succeed or fail on what the medical and care evidence actually says, and whether it answers the questions the Home Office asks.
What everyone needs
- Your relative’s passport, and proof of your British, settled or other status
- Birth or adoption certificates showing how you’re related
- Medical evidence of the long-term personal care they need
- Evidence that the care isn’t available or affordable where they live
- £Proof of your income, savings and outgoings
- Proof of your home, your plan for their care, and a signed maintenance undertaking
Plus a TB test if your relative lives in a listed country, and certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh.
Costs & timeline
Adult dependent relative visa cost and processing time
The Home Office fee is £3,635, or £452 if you have protection status. There’s no health surcharge if your relative is granted settlement on arrival. Most decisions are made within 12 weeks.
Applying from outside the UK
| Home Office application fee£452 instead if you have refugee status or humanitarian protection | £3,635 |
| Immigration Health Surchargenone when settlement is granted on arrival; £1,035 a year if permission is temporary | £0 |
| Home Office total, per applicantif you’re British or settled; before TB test, medical reports and translations | £3,635 |
Home Office fee from the fees table in force from 8 October 2026 and GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. The surcharge isn’t charged on indefinite leave. If your relative gets temporary permission (because you have protection status or EU pre-settled status), it’s £1,035 for each year of permission, with part-years of 6 months or less charged at half. Extensions in the UK, only for people already on this route, cost £1,407. TB test, medical report and translation costs vary by provider. Our consultation fees →
Plan the evidence
Before you applyMedical reports, evidence about care where your relative lives, your finances and your plan for their care in the UK.
Apply and give biometrics
Week 0Online application from outside the UK and fee paid, then fingerprints and photo at a visa application centre, which may be in another country.
Decision
Usually within 12 weeksThe Home Office may ask your relative to have a medical examination with a doctor on the embassy’s approved list.
Arrive in the UK
Settlement on arrivalIf you’re British or settled, your relative has indefinite leave. Your maintenance undertaking runs for 5 years from the date they arrive.
If permission is temporary
In line with youIf you have protection or EU pre-settled status, your relative extends when you do, and applies to settle at the same time as you.
Avoid a refusal
Common adult dependent relative visa refusal reasons
This route is strict by design, and most of the risk sits in the care evidence. These are the issues we check first.
Needing help isn’t enough
The test is long-term personal care for everyday tasks such as washing, dressing and cooking. Frailty, or a condition managed with medication, won’t meet it on its own.
We check: the medical evidence describes the care needed, not just the diagnosis.
Care that can be paid for
If a daily carer or a care home could meet the need, with your financial help, the Home Office will say the care is available and affordable.
We check: what care exists locally, what it costs, and why it can’t meet the need.
Other family nearby
The Home Office asks whether relatives, friends or neighbours there could reasonably provide care, or share its cost.
We check: who else could help, and gather evidence of why they can’t.
Reports that miss the point
Evidence that care isn’t available should come from a health or local authority, or a doctor or health professional in their country, and address their specific needs.
We check: each report comes from the right source and answers the right question.
Relying on other people’s money
Promises of support from other relatives or friends don’t count. Your own income and savings must cover their keep, housing and care.
We check: your figures, including housing and care costs, before you apply.
A parent with a partner
A parent or grandparent who is in a relationship can only qualify if that partner is your other parent or grandparent and applies at the same time.
We check: who needs to apply, and whether they should apply together.
How we help
Our adult dependent relative visa services
Start with an honest eligibility consultation, then choose an evidence review or full application for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We look at your relative’s care needs and situation and tell you plainly whether the route is realistic, and the risks.
Evidence plan and review
We plan the medical, care and financial evidence with you and check each report for gaps.
Full application
We prepare and submit the application, with a cover letter that sets out how each requirement is met.
Extension and settlement
If your relative has temporary permission, we help them extend or settle when you do.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. If you’re refused and need an appeal, we explain your options and refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser straight away.
FAQs
Adult dependent relative visa questions, answered
What counts as long-term personal care?
Help from another person with everyday tasks, such as washing, dressing and cooking, because your relative can’t do them themselves. It must be long-term and caused by age, illness or disability. A doctor or other health professional must confirm it.
My relative has other family nearby. Does that matter?
Yes. The Home Office considers whether anyone there, including other relatives, friends, neighbours or paid carers, can reasonably provide the care. It also considers whether family members there could pool resources to pay for it. You’ll need to explain, with evidence, why they can’t.
Is there a minimum income?
There’s no fixed figure. You must show you can maintain, house and care for your relative without public funds, using your own income and savings, not promises from other people. The caseworker looks at your income, housing costs and the cost of their care.
Can my relative switch to this route while visiting the UK?
No. They must apply from outside the UK. Applications in the UK are only for people already on this route who need to extend.
Can both my parents come if only one needs care?
Yes, if they apply at the same time. Only one of them needs to require long-term personal care, but the other must be unable to provide it. A parent who has a partner can’t come alone.
Will my relative get settlement straight away?
If you’re British or settled, yes: they’re granted indefinite leave and won’t need to extend, and they can use the NHS. If you have protection status or EU pre-settled status, their permission ends when yours does, and they apply to extend or settle when you do. Temporary permission allows work and study but not public funds.
Does my relative need to pass an English test?
No. Adults coming to be cared for by a relative don’t need to prove their knowledge of English. They may still need a TB test, depending on where they live.
How long does an Adult Dependent Relative decision take?
From outside the UK, you’ll usually get a decision within 12 weeks. Gather the medical and care evidence before you apply, because the application depends on it.
Related routes
Other family visas
Ready when you are
Care, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.