Can I Bring My Grandparents to the UK Permanently?

If you’re wondering whether it’s possible to bring your grandparents to the UK permanently, the short answer is yes – but it can be very difficult. In this blog post, we will discuss the Adult Dependent Relative visa and its strict criteria that must be met.

What is an Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) Visa? 

The Adult Dependent Relative visa is designed to bring a family member to the UK to provide long-term care. This visa is specifically designed for those who are unable to perform daily tasks independently and require support from their family member living in the UK. The ‘Adult Dependent Relative’ visa is not limited to elderly parents or grandparents; it is equally available to other dependants such as adult children.

Who can sponsor an Adult Dependent Relative in the UK?  

To sponsor an adult dependent relative, you must either be a British citizen, a person settled in the UK, or a person in the UK with refugee or humanitarian protection.

What are the Requirements?

The applicant must require long-term personal care due to age, illness, or disability. Furthermore, they must be unable to obtain the necessary level of care in their home country even with the help of their sponsor, either due to it being unavailable or unaffordable. This is a very high threshold, and failure to satisfy it is the most common reason for an application to be refused.

The Home Office must also be satisfied that the applicant will be adequately maintained, accommodated, and cared for in the UK by the sponsor without recourse to public funds.

How difficult is it to obtain an ADR Visa?

Obtaining an Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) visa can be challenging due to the rigid eligibility criteria, and the need for solid evidence to support the application. Establishing an inadequate level of care in the home country requirement is especially challenging. The Adult Dependent Relative must be unable to receive the required level of care in their home country, even with the support of their family member in the UK. If it can be shown that the family member could pay for the required level of care in the Adult Dependent Relative’s home country, the Home Office will likely refuse the visa application.

In recent years, the Home Office has only granted a very limited number of these visas per year, and most applications are refused at first instance.

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, Instagram, 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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