How do family members join someone in the UK?
Family routes allow partners, children and some other relatives to join a person with UK status, subject to relationship, financial and English language requirements. Work and study routes have their own dependant rules.
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How it works
The applicant evidences the relationship and meets a minimum income or maintenance requirement, and permission is granted for a set period that can be extended. Time on a family route can count towards settlement under the published rules.
Commonly mixed up with
Dependant on a work visa and a family visa are different routes with different requirements, and one is not a substitute for the other.
How do family members join someone in the UK?
| Knowledge, London | Legal, visa and entry |
|---|---|
| Short answer | Family routes allow partners, children and some other relatives to join a person with UK status, subject to relationship, financial and English language requirements. Work and study routes have their own dependant rules. |
| How it works | The applicant evidences the relationship and meets a minimum income or maintenance requirement, and permission is granted for a set period that can be extended. Time on a family route can count towards settlement under the published rules. |
| Commonly mixed up with | Dependant on a work visa and a family visa are different routes with different requirements, and one is not a substitute for the other. |
| Last reviewed | 2026-08-08 |
Short questions
- Is there an income requirement?
- A minimum income or adequate maintenance test applies to family routes.
- Do children need separate applications?
- Each person applies individually.
- Is English required?
- Language requirements apply to partner routes.
- How long is permission?
- It is granted for a fixed period and can be extended.
- Where are the rules?
- GOV.UK publishes each family route.
Sources
More in this track
- What is the UK ETA and who needs one?
- Which UK work visa routes exist?
- What passport validity does the UK require?
- Can visitors use the NHS in London?
- How long can a visitor stay in the UK?
- What is the right to rent check in England?
- Can you drive in the UK on a foreign licence?
- What consumer rights apply when you buy in the UK?
- What happens at the UK border on arrival?
These pages explain how the rules work and link the authority that owns them. They are not legal, tax or immigration advice, and amounts and thresholds change, so open the source before you act.
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