The Skilled Worker visa is among the most common types of UK visas. It is for individuals who have an approved sponsor offering them employment in the UK. But this article isn’t about skilled workers; it’s about their dependents.
Read on to explore the ins and outs of skilled worker dependent visa applications.
Who counts as a dependent?
A dependent of a skilled worker is either their partner or their child. Depending on which one it is, there are certain requirements.
For instance, in the case of dependent partners, the partner, as well as the skilled worker, should be:
● Married
● In a civil partnership
This is also eligible for couples who have lived together for at least 2 years before sending their application. However, this doesn’t always have to be the case. There are certain situations like living separately because of caring responsibilities or work commitments that can be attributed to this.
It is important to note that you will be required to demonstrate that you and your partner are in a true, subsisting relationship. You also have to prove your intention of living together during the time the skilled worker stays in the UK. If the officials doubt the genuineness of your relationship, both you and your partner might have to attend an interview to get everything straightened out.
Now, let’s talk about dependent children. For children to be eligible to be dependent, they must be under 18 years old at the time the application was submitted. In the case of children who are above the age of 16, you have to prove that they are not living an independent life. Living an independent life here refers to being financially independent, being married to someone, or not living with a skilled worker. When you are applying for a visa extension for your dependent children and they are now over the age of 18, it won’t impact the chances of the extension approval.
While the dependent is applying for the visa, it is important that the other parent either is applying at the same time or has permission to stay in the UK. There are certain exceptions to this rule:
● The skilled worker is the one solely responsible for the child or is the only surviving parent
● The other parent is a citizen of the UK
● The other parent is already a resident of the UK
● There are compelling reasons to grant the child permission to stay.
Another thing that you need to take care of is to ensure that there are suitable accommodations and care arrangements for the child. You will have to show that these arrangements meet the relevant regulations.
Once you have done that, the decision regarding the dependent’s visa will take 3 weeks from the date of submission of biometric information. In case the applicants are inside the UK, the decision can take up to 8 weeks.
What is the fund requirement for the Skilled Worker Dependent visa?
All candidates are required to meet the maintenance requirements of the visa. You will have to show that you have held funds for at least 28 days. This is what you will need:
● £315 for the first dependent child
● £200 for another dependent child
● £285 for a dependent partner
If you, as a skilled worker, are also applying at the same time as your dependent applicants, you will also have to take into account the £1,270 amount you are required to show.
The funds must be present in your or your dependent’s account. There is another way to meet this requirement. You won’t have to prove this if your sponsor can certify that for the first month of permission, they are willing to accommodate your dependents.
Do the dependents of skilled workers have to go through a criminal record check?
The dependent partner of every skilled worker sponsored for a job listed in the Appendix Skilled Worker, paragraph SW 16.1, is required to provide a criminal record check. This must come from every country they have lived in for more than a year since the age of 18, in the 10 years before submitting the application. However, if the dependent partner can give a satisfactory reason for why they couldn’t get the criminal record certificate from a certain country, an exception can be made.
Paragraph SW 16.1 of the Appendix Skilled Worker list covers several jobs, including, medical practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, teachers, social workers, human resources officers, and fitness instructors. There are also several other related roles. It is important that you figure out if your job is covered under any of these roles.
Is it possible for the dependants to submit their applications from inside the UK?
Yes, dependents can submit their application. However, in order to do so, they must have a visa other than:
● Visitor
● Parent of a child student
● Short-term student
● Domestic worker employed in a private household
● Seasonal worker
● Outside the immigration rules
What is the cost of the skilled worker dependent visa application?
The cost of the skilled worker dependent visa application will depend on the stay period of the visa and whether or not you are applying from inside of the UK.
For applicants living outside of the UK, the cost of the application per dependent is:
● For 3 years – £610
● For more than 3 years – £1,220
For applicants living inside the UK, the cost of the application per dependent is:
● For 3 years – £704
● For more than 3 years – £1,408
If your job, as a skilled worker, is one of the shortage occupations, the fee is reduced to:
● For 3 years – £464
● For more than 3 years – £928
Apart from this, there is also the Immigration health surcharge that you have to pay. It costs £624 per year and gives you access to the NHS.
Can the dependents of a skilled worker settle in the UK?
Yes, the dependents of skilled workers can apply for settlement, but only after they have continually lived in the UK for 5 years on this route. However, for the settlement, there are certain requirements for you, as a skilled worker:
● Granted settlement at the same time as the application of the dependent or applying for it,
● Have been granted settlement while still working as a skilled worker
● Have been granted settlement while still working as a skilled worker and are now a British citizen.
Dependents must also meet the English Language and Life requirements to settle in the UK.
When it comes to applying for a skilled worker dependent visa, there are many things to consider. We recommend that you take help from a consultancy firm that can help you with the same.
