If you hold or are applying for a UK Skilled Worker Visa, your partner and dependent children can usually come with you — or join you later. Here is everything you need to know.
The following family members can apply to join you in the UK as dependants on your Skilled Worker visa:
| Dependant | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Partner | Spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner (if you have lived together for at least 2 years) |
| Children under 18 | Your child or your partner's child. Must be unmarried and not living an independent life. Must be under 18 on the date of application. |
| Children aged 18+ | Not eligible as dependants — they must apply in their own right on a separate visa route. |
Parents, siblings and other relatives cannot apply as your dependants on the Skilled Worker route.
You have flexibility on timing. Dependants can apply:
If your dependants apply separately after you arrive, they will need your visa reference number and their applications are processed independently.
Each dependant must meet the following requirements:
If you are not married or in a civil partnership, you must provide substantial evidence that you have lived together for at least 2 continuous years. This typically means joint bank statements, tenancy agreements, utility bills or official correspondence showing the same address over time.
Each dependant must pay their own visa fees and Immigration Health Surcharge — these cannot be combined with the main applicant's fees.
| Fee | Amount (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application fee (up to 3 years, outside UK) | £819 | Per dependant |
| Visa application fee (more than 3 years, outside UK) | £1,618 | Per dependant |
| Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) | £1,035 per year | Per dependant — covers NHS access |
For example, a family of four (main applicant + partner + 2 children) applying for a 5-year visa from outside the UK would pay approximately £6,472 in visa fees (4 × £1,618) plus £20,700 in IHS (4 × £1,035 × 5 years) — a total of around £27,172 before any priority service fees.
Some employers cover dependant visa fees as part of a relocation package. Always check your employment contract or ask HR.
| Activity | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Work (any job, any employer) | ✓ Yes — unrestricted |
| Study (school, college, university) | ✓ Yes |
| Access NHS healthcare | ✓ Yes — covered by IHS |
| Claim most public funds / benefits | ✗ No — no recourse to public funds |
| Travel in and out of UK freely | ✓ Yes — within visa validity |
Dependants have full work rights in the UK — they can work in any occupation for any employer without restriction. This is one of the most attractive features of the Skilled Worker dependant route.
Dependants are granted leave that runs in line with the main applicant's visa — typically the same end date, or up to 14 days before and after. If you extend your Skilled Worker visa, your dependants must also apply to extend their leave separately before their current permission expires.
Yes. Dependants can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) once they have spent the required continuous period in the UK — currently 5 years for most routes. The government has proposed extending this to 10 years ("earned settlement"), but that proposal is still under consultation and not yet in force as of June 2026. Time spent as a dependant counts towards whichever qualifying period applies.
For more detail on the settlement route, see our Settlement and ILR guide.