Can my child join me if I have temporary permission to live in the United Kingdom?
This page explains how your child or children can join you in the United Kingdom if you have temporary permission to live here (we call this limited 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 is a permanent resident here or a parent who has permission to come to live here permanently (we call this indefinite leave to remain), see Can my child join me if I am a permanent resident of the United Kingdom?
If this page does not answer all your questions, you can Contact us.
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.
You may bring your child to the United Kingdom if you can show that:
- you have permission to come to the United Kingdom to live here temporarily (we call this limited leave to enter or remain) and:
- the child's other parent is settled in the United Kingdom or has permission to live here and is entering the United Kingdom with the child to settle here; or
- you have sole responsibility for the child; and
- 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.
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.
If the child comes here with a parent who has permission to live here temporarily, the child will normally be given permission to stay in the United Kingdom for the same length of time as that parent. This will not be more than two years, or not more than six months if the child is entering the country with a parent who is coming here as a fiance, fiancee or proposed civil partner. If that parent subsequently extends his/her permission to stay or is allowed to stay here permanently, the child will normally be given the same permission.
See Partners and children for details of how you can be joined by your:
- husband, wife or civil partner;
- fiance, fiancee 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.