Can I bring my elderly parents to the UK?

There are various visa routes, which allow a person’s parent or parents to come to the UK. Which route is chosen will depend on the applicant’s and the family’s personal circumstances.

Adult Dependent Relative

The Adult Dependent Relative visa route falls under the large canopy of UK family visas. It is designed to enable the adult dependent relative of a British citizen, person settled in the UK, or a person in the UK with refugee or humanitarian protection, to come to and settle in the UK. 

In order to satisfy the requirements for this visa route, the applicant must be able to demonstrate that as a result of their age, illness, or disability, they require a level of long-term personal care that can only be provided in the UK by their UK-based relative/child without recourse to public funds. 

It must further be demonstrated that the required level of care for the applicant is not available, or is not affordable, in their country of nationality.

It is extremely difficult to obtain approval for an Adult Dependent Relative visa. The Home Office has set the evidence bar very high, and is only persuaded in the most severe of circumstances to issue a visa under this category.

The EU Settlement Scheme

Under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), it remains possible to make applications for dependent relatives of relevant EU nationals who are residing in the UK. They can apply for an EUSS Family Permit to enter the UK, and then need to apply for Pre-Settled Status once in the UK. If successful, after 5 years’ continuous years of residence in the UK, they can apply for Settled Status.

This route also has a required level of dependency which must be evidenced (mainly financial), and is restricted further by the need for such dependency to have existed prior to the date of Brexit (31 December 2020). However, for EU/EEA/Swiss nationals in the UK and their family members, this may prove a viable alternative.

Alternative routes

If the parent simply wishes to come to the UK to visit their adult children periodically, then a longer-term visit visa may be the more appropriate option. Visitors are not able to reside or work in the UK, and each visit is limited to no more than 180 days in the UK. 

Finally, parents may be able to make an application under a UK visa route in their own right. Currently there are various work and study visa options available that may suit and Gherson is able to fully review the options available that might best suit an applicant’s overall goal and personal circumstances. 

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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