Working in UK - Family members of Graduate Entrepreneur (Tier 1) visa holder

Your family members (‘dependants’) can travel with you when you travel to the UK on Graduate Entrepreneur Visa (Tier 1). 

Your family members must have a visa if they’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:

• your husband, wife or partner
• your child under 18

They’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their application. Check how much they’ll have to pay before they apply.

They must complete their visa application by 5 July if they’ve already paid the immigration health surcharge or you they have to pay it twice. They’ll get a refund for their first payment.


Savings
You must show that your dependants can be supported while they’re in the UK.

Each dependant must have a certain amount of money available to them - this is in addition to the £945 you must have to support yourself.

The amount you must have depends on your circumstances.

You must have £1,260 for each dependant if you’re applying from outside the UK or have been in the UK for less than 12 months. If you’ve been in the UK for more than 12 months, you must have £630 for each dependant.

You must have proof you have the money, and that it’s been in your bank account or your dependant’s bank account for at least 90 days before you or they apply.

Example: You must have £3,465 if you want to bring your partner and 1 child with you to the UK: £945 to support yourself + £1,260 for your partner + £1,260 for your child.

You don’t need to provide evidence of your savings if you have a letter from UK Trade and Investment saying you’ve been given funding to support yourself and your dependants.

Dependants applying from outside the UK
Your family members must apply online.

They’ll need to have their fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of their application.

They’ll have to collect their biometric residence permit within 10 days of when they said they’d arrive in the UK (even if they actually arrive at a later date).

Dependants applying in the UK on their own
Your dependants can apply to extend or switch their visas to stay with you if they’re already in the UK. Dependants can:

• apply online - dependant partner application
• apply online - dependant child application
• download the paper form
• apply in person for the premium service

You must use the paper form if you’re applying as a family group at the same time or using the premium service.

NOTE: Family members cannot apply in the UK as your dependant if they hold a visitor visa.

Biometric information
Each person applying must also provide their biometric information (fingerprints and a photo). This costs £19.20.

Children born while you’re in the UK
If you have children while you’re in the UK, you can apply for permission for them to stay.

You must do this if you want to travel in and out of the UK with them.

When you apply, send a full UK birth certificate for each child showing the names of both parents.

You can:

• apply online - dependant child application
• download the paper form
• apply in person for the premium service

You must use the paper form if you’re applying as a family group at the same time or using the premium service.


Read:   Working in UK - Graduate Entrepreneur Visa (Tier 1)