Skilled Worker visa dependants: who qualifies and what to prove

Your partner and children can apply to join you or stay with you in the UK as dependants on a Skilled Worker visa, but they must each submit a separate application and prove their relationship to you. The rules differ depending on whether you work as a care worker or senior care worker, whether your job is classed as ‘medium skilled’, and whether your family members are applying from inside or outside the UK. You will also need to show that you have enough money to support them, unless an exemption applies.

Who counts as a dependant

A dependant partner or child is any of the following:

• your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
• your child under 18, including a child born in the UK during your stay
• your child over 18 if they currently have permission to be in the UK as your dependant

Each family member must provide evidence of their relationship to you when they apply. If their application is successful, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. Where a child’s parents hold visas with different expiry dates, the child’s visa ends on the earlier of the two dates.

If you are the first person in your family to apply, you can get a ‘family linking code’ to connect your applications. Your family members enter the same code when they apply, and they will also need your application number — either a Global Web Form (GWF) number or a Unique Application Number (UAN) — which appears on emails and letters from the Home Office.

Special rules for care workers and senior care workers

If you are a care worker or senior care worker, the ability of your partner or children to apply as dependants depends on where they are applying from and on your employment history.

If your partner or children are inside the UK, they can apply to stay as your dependant if any of the following are true:

• you have been continually employed as a care worker or senior care worker in the UK and on a Skilled Worker visa since before 11 March 2024
• they are your child and they were born in the UK
• they are your child and you are the only living parent responsible for them
• they are your child and their other parent is also sponsored as a care worker or senior care worker

If your partner or children are outside the UK, they can apply to join you as your dependant if either:

• you have been continually employed as a care worker or senior care worker in the UK and on a Skilled Worker visa since before 11 March 2024
• they are your child and they were born in the UK

Special rules for ‘medium skilled’ jobs

If your occupation code is a ‘medium skilled’ job (not a care worker or senior care worker), different conditions apply.

If your partner or children are inside the UK, they can apply to stay as your dependant if any of the following are true:

• you have been continually employed in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa and in a ‘medium skilled’ job since before 22 July 2025
• they are your child and they were born in the UK
• they are your child and you are the only living parent responsible for them
• they are your child and their other parent is also sponsored for a job listed as ‘medium skilled’
• they are your child or partner and you are extending your visa or switching to this visa as a prison officer (occupation code 3314)

If your partner or children are outside the UK, they can apply to join you as your dependant if either:

• you have been continually employed in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa and in a ‘medium skilled’ job since before 22 July 2025
• they are your child and they were born in the UK

Proving your relationship

For a partner, you must prove one of the following:

• you are in a civil partnership or marriage that is recognised in the UK
• you have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply
• you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply but you cannot live together, for example because you are working or studying in different places, or because living together is not accepted in your culture

If you are not living together, you also need to prove an ongoing commitment to each other. Evidence could include showing that you communicate regularly, support each other financially, care for any children you have together, or spend time together as a couple, for example on holiday or at events.

For a child, the requirements are that they must live with you, unless they are living away from home in full-time education such as boarding school or university, and they must not be married or in a civil partnership. You will need to provide evidence of their address, which could include a bank statement, credit card bills, a driving licence, an NHS registration document, or an official letter from their university or college.

Money they need to support themselves

Your partner and children must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they are in the UK. You, your partner, or your child will need:

Family member	Amount required
Partner	£285
One child	£315
Each additional child	£200

For example, you would need £600 to bring your partner and one child with you (£285 for your partner and £315 for your child). You would also need £1,270 available to support yourself for your own application.

The money must have been available for at least 28 days in a row, and day 28 must be within 31 days of you or them applying for the visa. You will usually need to show proof of this when they apply, unless either:

• you have all been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months
• your employer can cover your family’s costs during your first month in the UK, confirmed on your certificate of sponsorship

If your partner or child is applying at a different time to you, they will only need to prove they have enough money to support themselves if they have been in the UK for less than 1 year.

How to apply and prove identity

Each family member must complete a separate application and pay the visa fee. They must apply before they travel to the UK. They will need your application number, and can also enter a family linking code if you obtained one.

As part of the application, your partner and children will need to prove their identity. They will either:

• use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan their identity document, and create or sign into their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
• have their fingerprints and photo (biometric information) taken at a visa application centre

They will be told what they need to do when they apply. If they need an appointment, they must take their passport to the visa application centre and may have to travel to reach their nearest centre.

What to do next

Before applying, confirm which category you fall into — care worker or senior care worker, ‘medium skilled’, or standard Skilled Worker — because the dependant rules differ. Check whether your partner or children are applying from inside or outside the UK, and gather the relationship and address evidence listed above. Calculate the maintenance funds required, ensure the money has been held for 28 consecutive days within the correct window, and check whether an exemption applies.

Verify the current fee and any additional requirements on the official GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa pages, since fees and rules can change. The official guidance does not state the current Skilled Worker visa fee, so you must check the fee on the GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa page before applying.