When’s the right time to bring your family to the UK?
If you have been living in the UK for a couple of years now, you might have been thinking of bringing your family with you. However, it’s difficult to know the right time to bring them into the country because there are several factors to consider. For instance, you need to consider your eligibility, residency and your status, so you can let your family be with you.
So, in this article, we present some of the possible best times to sponsor your family to the UK while considering the factors mentioned above.
You can bring your family to the UK if:
#1. If you’re already a resident in the UK
As a British citizen, it’s not hard to help a relative enter the premises of the UK as long as you can prove your relationship with them and your financial status can support them. However, if you’re an ex-pat working in the UK, studying or setting up a business, it takes time for you to be eligible in sponsoring a family to be with you. Typically, it’s best to bring a family if you are already a permanent resident of the UK since it’s part of the conditions when it comes to applying for a family visa for your relatives. Therefore, before you get a sponsor licence application, you should ensure your settlement in the UK for a more convenient process.
#2. If you know the right kind of family visa to apply for.
It’s not a secret that applying for a family visa is quite complex since various types are available for your family to apply for to bring them to the UK. For example, there are particular visas if you wish to bring your children, and there are also visas specifically designed for sponsoring a spouse. So, it’s essential to know first the kind of family visa applicable for your relatives before you sponsor them.
Here are the types of family visas that you can let your relatives apply to bring them to the UK:
Spouse Visa: This is the type of visa for married partners and those with proven long-term relationships.
Child Dependent Visa: If your children outside the country are totally dependent on you regarding finances and care.
Adult Dependent Visa – This visa is applicable for your parents or grandparents who depend on you, regardless of whether they are biologically related to you or they are your adoptive family.
#3. If you’re financially capable of supporting them.
As part of the immigration process when bringing a family, the sponsor does not only need to prove his relationship with the relative he’s getting, but he also needs to prove that he’s capable of supporting them. Usually, this is applicable if you bring your relative as your dependent or someone who needs your care and assistance.
Therefore, in this care, it’s convenient to sponsor your relative once you are finally stable in the UK if you’re a worker or business owner. Ensuring your financial eligibility will make the process much easier.
#4. If you have the documents ready.
When you plan to bring your family with you to the UK, you can’t skip the part where you need to provide lots of documents as proof of your eligibility, residency and relationship with the relative you’re bringing in. Without these proofs ready, your sponsorship application might get rejected.
So, it’s best to ensure that all the needed papers are prepared to prevent struggling along the process. For example, if you’re bringing your wife or husband, you should prepare your marriage certificate and other evidence that you are married to them.
#5. If you ensured their Eligibility
It can be the right time to bring your family to the UK if you have ensured that they are eligible to apply to enter the country through your sponsorship. However, they need to meet the criteria before migrating them to the UK since there are rules and restrictions to follow.
For example, if you’re planning to bring your long-term partner to the UK, you should be living together for at least two years to be eligible. Similarly, if you want to migrate your parents, spouse or children, there are eligibility requirements that you should consider. Once you ensure that they meet the criteria, you can provide a smooth sailing journey of bringing your family to the UK.
Summary
Bringing your family with you to your new-found home in the UK is rewarding. So, you must know the right timing to migrate them to avoid having problems along the process. Moreover, you should also remember that the option for you can vary depending on your situation. If you want to know what you should do, you can consult immigration lawyers to give you the best solution that corresponds to your case.