Can my child join me if I am a permanent resident of the United Kingdom?
This page explains how your child or children can join you in the United Kingdom if you are a permanent resident here or you have been given permission to come to the United Kingdom to live here permanently (we call this 'indefinite leave to remain').
For specific information about the rules for adopted children, see Can my adopted child come to live in the United Kingdom? For information about how a child can join a parent who has been given temporary permission to live in the United Kingdom (known as 'limited leave to remain'), see Can my child join me if I have temporary permission to live in the United Kingdom?
If this page does not answer all your questions, you can Contact us.
You may bring your child to the United Kingdom if you can show that:
- you currently live and are settled in the United Kingdom legally, or have permission to come here to settle, with no time limit on your stay;
- you have adequate accommodation where you can all live without help from public funds (see Rights and responsibilities for more information on what this means); and
- you are the child's parent - this includes the stepfather or stepmother of a child whose father or mother is dead, both the father and mother of an illegitimate child, and an adoptive parent in certain defined circumstances (see Can my adopted child come to live in the United Kingdom?)
Your child must show that he/she:
- is not leading an independent life;
- is not married or in a civil partnership;
- has not formed an independent family unit; and
- is aged under 18.
Children cannot normally come to live in the United Kingdom if one parent is living in another country, unless the parent living in the United Kingdom has sole responsibility for the child or there are serious reasons why the child must be allowed to come here.
Your child must obtain permission to enter the United Kingdom before travelling here. We call this permission 'entry clearance'. It will be in the form of a visa or entry clearance certificate. To obtain it, he/she should apply to the British diplomatic post in the country where he/she lives. For information about visas, see our visa services website.
The child will normally be allowed to stay in the United Kingdom permanently from the date he/she arrives if:
- both you and the child's other parent are settled here; or
- both you and the child's other parent have permission to settle here permanently and you are entering the country together with the child; or
- you have permission to settle here permanently and you are entering the country together with the child, and the other parent is already settled here; or
- you have sole responsibility for the child.
See Partners and children for details of how you can be joined by your:
- husband, wife or civil partner;
- fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner; or
- unmarried or same-sex partner.
News & updates
Terms explained
-
Civil partnership
A legal relationship that can be registered by two people of the same sex and that gives the couple legal recognition for their relationship. In a range of legal matters, civil partners are treated the same as opposite-sex partners who are married.
-
Diplomatic post
A British diplomatic post is a United Kingdom embassy, high commission or consulate.
-
Indefinite leave to remain
Indefinite leave to remain (often known as ILR) is permission to stay permanently (settle) in the United Kingdom, free from immigration control.
-
Limited leave to remain
Permission to stay in the United Kingdom temporarily, for the length of time stated on your visa.