UK Family Visa for US Citizens: Requirements & Application Process in 2026

A UK Family Visa is a type of immigration permission that allows non-UK citizens to enter or remain in the United Kingdom to be with a close family member who is a British citizen or has settled status.

There are several options for US citizens who would like to come to the UK using the Family Visa Route.

The visa you need depends on your relationship: options include the Spouse Visa for married couples, the Unmarried Partner Visa for long-term partners, the Fiancé Visa for those planning to marry, the Child Dependent Visa for dependent children, and the Adult Dependent Relative Visa for those requiring long-term care.

Most UK Family Visas require the UK-based sponsor to meet a minimum income threshold and can serve as a pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years.

Following the end of free movement on 31 December 2020, EEA and EU citizens living outside the UK can no longer rely on free movement rights to join family in the UK. They must now apply through the same UK immigration routes as non-EEA nationals.

Page Contents

• What is Family Visa and Who Can Apply?
• Types of UK Family Visas
• UK Partner Visas
• UK Dependent Visas
• UK Ancestry Visa
• UK Family Visitor Visa
• Can I come to the UK as the parent of a child in the UK?
• Financial Requirements
• Knowledge of English
• Document Checklist
• Application Process
• Fees and Processing Time
• What Happen After You Apply
• Extending your Family Visa in UK
• Switching to a Family Visa in UK
• Applying for ILR in UK
• Common Reasons for Refusal
• How can IAS help?
• Frequently asked questions

There are many Family Visa UK types available for those who would like to join their loved ones in the United Kingdom. They include the:

• Spouse Visa 
• Unmarried Partner Visa 
• Fiance Visa
• Adult Dependent Visa
• Child Dependent Visa
• PBS Dependent Visa
• Ancestry Visa

You may be able to apply to join your family in the UK if your family member has refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK. This humanitarian protection means that you or dependent child could be eligible to apply for Family Reunion.

Each of the Family Visa types has its own individual requirements that you must meet.

The Family Visas that allow you to join a partner in the UK include the Spouse, Fiancé, and Unmarried Partner Visas.

The Spouse and Unmarried Partner Visas are valid for up to 30 months, after this period you can apply to extend them. These visas are also a route to Indefinite Leave to Remain, after 5 years you could be eligible to apply for this to live in the UK permanently.

The requirements for these are similar, you must:

• Prove that your partner is a British Citizen or a person who is settled in the UK
• Prove that your relationship is genuine and subsisting
• Demonstrate your knowledge of the English language
• Be able to support yourself financially whilst in the UK and have adequate accommodation.

The Fiancé Visa is intended for couples who wish to marry in the UK, it is valid for just six months with the assumption that you proposed civil partner will be married and living in the UK this time. To be eligible for this visa you must meet the same requirements as the other partner visas as well as proving your intentions to marry. If you want to continue living in the UK after six months, then you can apply for another UK visa, such as the Spouse Visa, once you are married to your partner.

There are two types of child visas for UK Dependent Visas, the Child Dependent and the Adult Dependent Visa. You should ensure you have the documents required for UK Child Dependent visa before submitting an application.

Child Dependent: A child can apply as a dependent to join their family members in the UK either at the same time or separately to their other parent visa. Their parent must have applied to enter the UK as a partner. For this visa, the child must not be living an independent life and will need to be able to be supported financially whilst in the UK.

Adult Dependent: It is very difficult to successfully apply for this type of visa. It is for those who need long-term personal care and they must prove that only their relative in the UK can provide this either due to the care not being available in their home country or being unaffordable. However, the UK relative must prove that they can support the applicant financially whilst in the UK.

You may be able to apply to join your family member in the UK as a dependent via the Family route visa if they are already in the UK, or will be moving to the UK on a Work visa or Student visa.

The UK Ancestry Visa is for citizens of Commonwealth countries who have at least one grandparent born in the UK or who are a citizen of a UK Overseas Territory. US citizens are not eligible for this visa, but if you are a Commonwealth citizen living in the US then you could be.

This visa allows you to stay in the UK for extended period of up to 5 years, you can apply to extend it as many times as you like but it is also a route to Indefinite Leave to remain.

PBS Dependent Visa UK: Joining a Skilled Worker or Student Visa Holder

A Points-Based System (PBS)  Dependant visa allows holders to remain in the UK if they have a qualifying relationship to someone who is in the UK via the PBS system such as a Skilled Worker or an qualifying Student Visa.

The UK Family Visitor Visa — officially the Standard Visitor Visa — allows non-UK nationals to visit family members living in the UK for up to 6 months. American citizens (US passport holders) do not need to apply for a visitor visa in advance; they can travel to the UK as a visitor for up to 6 months without a visa. However, if you plan to stay longer than 6 months or wish to work, you must apply for the appropriate UK family visa before travelling.

However, US citizens do not need a visa to visit the UK because they are recognized as “non-visa nationals”. This means that you can come to the UK for up to 6 months without a visa, however, you cannot work whilst here. If you plan to remain in the UK for more than 6 months then you must apply for another UK visa.

As the parent of a child with British Citizenship or settled status, you can apply for permission to join them or stay here. You will need to show:

• You have sole responsibility or access rights to the child
• You can support yourself and your family without public funds
• You meet the suitability and English Language requirements

If you meet these requirements, you will be able to apply for a UK Family permit for temporary leave to remain in the UK for 30 months. You will be eligible to extend this for a further 30 months if you continue to meet the requirements and, after five years, you can apply for ILR.

If you are applying from outside the UK, you must be granted your permit before traveling.

If you are already in the UK, you will eligible as long as:

• you are not on a Visitor Visa;
• you are not on temporary admission;
• permission to stay was not given for less than six months (unless on a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner visa); and
• you are not in breach of the Immigration Rules (overstaying for less than 28 days will not be taken into account).

When applying for a Family visa as a partner, there are certain financial requirements which you will need to satisfy.

Specifically, you and your partner will generally need to demonstrate that you have a combined annual income of at least £29,000. A range of sources can count towards your income total, including salary, pension money, and cash savings of above £16,000.

However, you will be exempt from needing to satisfy the minimum income requirements if your partner receives any of the following benefits:

• Disability Living Allowance
• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Attendance Allowance
• Pension Age Disability Payment
• Carer’s Allowance
• Carer Support Payment
• Personal Independence Payment
• Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
• Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme
• Police Injury Pension
• Child Disability Payment
• Adult Disability Payment

In the event that you are unable to meet the income threshold and are not exempt from needing to meet the threshold, you may still be able to obtain a Family visa if you have a child in the UK who is either a British or Irish citizen or if they have lived in the UK for at least 7 years. You may also still be eligible if preventing you from living in the UK would breach your human rights.

When applying for a UK Family visa, applicants will generally need to prove that they have sufficient proficiency in the English language. There are 2 main routes through which applicants can do this: through an eligible degree or an eligible English language test.

However, note that not all applicants are required to satisfy the English language criteria. If you are a citizen of certain countries, including the US, you will not need to prove your English language proficiency. Canada, Australia, Jamaica, and New Zealand are also included on the list of exempt countries. Additionally, child applicants or applicants over the age of 65 are also exempt.

English-Speaking Degree

If you have a degree from a UK educational institution, you can use this as evidence of your English language proficiency, even if your campus was not in the UK.

If you have a degree from a non-UK institution but your degree was taught in English, you may also be able to use this degree as evidence of English proficiency. In this case, you will need to apply for an Ecctis assessment. Ecctis will verify that your degree is equivalent to at least a UK bachelor’s degree and that it was taught in English. They will then provide you with a confirmation code which you can use in support of your visa application.

English Language Test

You can also satisfy the English language requirement through taking an eligible English language test. You will need to score at least an A1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.

If you are applying from outside of the UK, the approved test providers are as follows:

• IELTS SELT Consortium
• LANGUAGECERT
• Pearson
• PSI Services (UK) Ltd

If you are applying from within the UK, you should use one of the following providers:

• ELTS SELT Consortium
• LANGUAGECERT
• Pearson
• Trinity College London

As mentioned earlier, US citizens will not need to provide evidence of English proficiency.

When applying for a UK Family visa, there is a range of documentation which you will need to provide. This generally includes the following:

• Valid passport
• Details of any previous visas or visa applications
• Details of any previous criminal convictions
• National insurance number, if applicable
• Proof of relationship (e.g. marriage certificate or birth certificate, depending on the family relationship in question)
• Proof of sufficient English proficiency (though note that US nationals are likely to be exempt from this requirement)
• Proof of sufficient collective income (if applicable)

Note that the exact documentation which you need to provide will depend on the family relationship in question.

If you are applying for a Family visa from the US, you will need to complete a number of steps. These are generally as follows:

Step 1: You will need to ensure that you satisfy the eligibility criteria and gather the necessary documents. You will need this documentation at the point of application and so it is important to prepare it in advance.

Step 2: Whether applying from the US or the UK, you should submit your application online, via the UK government website. You will need to upload the relevant documentation in support of your application.

Step 3: You will also generally need to verify your identity as part of the visa application process. You can either do this via the UK Immigration: ID Check app, in which case you will be asked to scan your ID, or in person. If applying from the US, you can attend a UK visa application centre. These can be found in multiple locations throughout the US, including New York, LA, Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans.

Step 4: Once you have submitted your application, you will need to wait for a decision. If your application is successful, you will be granted an e-visa which can be used to enter the UK.

When submitting an application for a UK Family visa, you will usually need to pay a processing fee. This is generally £2,064.

It may sometimes to be possible to obtain a fee waiver, in the following circumstances:

• You have no accommodation and are unable to afford accommodation
• You do have accommodation but are unable to cover other essential living costs, such as groceries
• Your income is very low and paying the fee would have a harmful impact on the wellbeing of your child

After submitting your application, you will also need to wait for it to be processed. Applications submitted from outside of the UK normally receive a decision within 12 weeks. If you are applying from within the UK, on the other hand, you should hear back within 8 weeks, unless you do not satisfy the financial requirements, in which case it may take up to 1 year for you to receive a decision.

After you apply for a UK Family visa, you will need to wait for a decision to be made. This generally takes between 8-12 weeks.

If your application is successful, you will likely be granted an e-visa. This will allow you to enter the UK and join your sponsoring family member.

Once in the UK, you will generally be able to work and study. You can also leave and re-enter the UK as you wish.

You will also be able to extend your visa, provided that you continue to satisfy the eligibility criteria. Further information on this is given below.

When you are first granted a Family visa, it will generally have a duration of 2 years and 9 months. Once you reach the end of this period, you will be able to apply for an extension, provided that you continue to satisfy the usual eligibility criteria, such as:

• In the case of a Partner visa, you are still in the relationship in question and are still living together permanently
• You continue to satisfy the minimum financial requirements, if applicable
• You continue to demonstrate good character (i.e. have not committed any disqualifying crimes during your time in the UK)

If you successfully obtain an extension, this will generally be granted for an additional period of 2 years and 6 months.

Once you have lived in the UK for at least 5 years, you will ordinarily be able to apply for permanent settlement status, meaning that it is not generally necessary to continue extending your Family visa indefinitely. Further detail on applying for permanent settlement status is given later in the article.

If you are currently in the UK on a different visa but have an eligible family member in the UK then you may be able to apply for a UK Family visa. If you first came to the UK on a Student visa but entered a long-term, committed relationship during your studies, for example, you may be eligible for a UK Family visa.

You can submit your application for a Family visa online, from within the UK. If your application is successful, you will be able to remain in the UK beyond the expiry of your current visa.

However, note that not all visas are eligible for switching to a Family visa. If you entered the UK on a Tourist visa, for example, you will first need to return to your country of origin and apply from there.

You will generally need to have lived continuously in the UK for at least 5 years on your Family visa before becoming eligible for permanent settlement status, known in the UK as ‘indefinite leave to remain (ILR)’.

Once you have obtained ILR, you will gain access to a number of rights and benefits, such as the ability to access the National Health Service without needing to pay the annual healthcare surcharge. You will also obtain permanent legal residence status in the UK without needing to renew a visa.

Once you have had ILR for at least a year, you will generally be able to apply for British citizenship. If you successfully obtain British citizenship, you will be able to participate in UK elections and to apply for a British passport.

There are a number of reasons why a Family Visa or a Family Reunion UK visa may be refused. In the majority of cases, it is because the applicant does not meet the criteria or has failed to provide enough evidence to the the UK Home Office that they qualify for visa.

If your application to join a loved one is rejected or refused, you should reach out to an immigration expert to consider what your next steps are. It is possible to resubmit your application if you feel you do need to include vital evidence first time. Alternatively, if you believe the decision was not correctly made then you can appeal the result.