Can I Bring My Parents to the UK Permanently?

Disclaimer: The information in this blog is accurate as of its publication date. Any updates after that date are not reflected here.

Quick Facts

Your parents cared for you in your youth, so it’s only natural to want to return the favour when they reach old age. If you are currently living in the UK and want to know how to bring your parents to the UK permanently through the Parent Visa UK route, this article is for you.

According to the Migration Observatory, between 2009 and 2022, around 38,000 family reunion visas were issued every year: a figure that has remained steady over time. While family reunification remains a popular route, it isn’t typically an inexpensive or straightforward one.

The family reunion category includes children moving to live with their parents, partners joining their spouses, and parents joining their children. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of this visa category, and how you can improve your chances of success in reuniting your family.

A Y & J Solicitors is a Legal 500 recommended immigration law firm and has guided 5,000+ families through complex UK immigration rules and family visa routes, helping loved ones reunite and build their lives together in the UK.

Visa Options to Bring Your Parents to the UK

When planning to bring your parents to the UK permanently, it’s important to understand that not all visa types allow long-term residence or settlement. The most common options are the Standard Visitor Visa and the Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) Visa.

This Standard Visitor Visa is a great option if you just want to see your parents more regularly, but they will continue living in their home nation. It’s important not to use this visa route to allow your parents to live in the UK permanently, as this is not permitted in this visa category. It’s important to note that this is not a route to permanent settlement, using it as such could lead to visa refusals in the future.

If your parents would like to relocate permanently, the family reunion visa route might be more suitable. In order to be eligible for this route, you have to demonstrate that your parent needs to be cared for and that you will be the care provider. This route is referred to by the Home Office as “Apply as an adult dependant relative visa”.

Family visas explained

The Family Visa category has come under fire in recent immigration changes due to fear that this category has been abused. The family visa allows individuals with the right to live, work or study in the UK to bring their family members with them. 

Examples of this would be a PhD student who would like to bring their spouse with them when they relocate to a UK university. Another example would be an overseas parent with a child that is currently settled in the UK. If they would like to move to the UK to care for their child, they would need a family visa.

For those with ageing parents who need additional care and support, you might be wary about leaving them in your home country so far away from you. The solution would be to bring your elderly parents to the UK so they can live in your home and you can provide the care they need.

With this visa category, you need to show how you will support your family member for the duration of their stay. 

Eligibility for a family visa

To bring your parents to the UK permanently under the Adult Dependent Relative Visa, both the sponsor and the applicant must meet specific eligibility requirements. Below is a clear step-by-step checklist to help you determine if you qualify.

Step-by-Step Eligibility Checklist

Step 1: Sponsor Status

The individual sponsoring the visa must be 18 years or older, along with one of the following:

• A British or Irish citizen
• A person with settled status, such as indefinite leave to remain or proof of permanent residence
• From the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein with pre-settled status (must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021)
• Someone with humanitarian protection or refugee status in the UK

Tip: If your family member holds pre-settled status, they may be eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme, which can significantly reduce costs.

Step 2: Parent’s Medical or Care Needs
Your parent must require long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks (e.g., dressing, cooking, or managing household activities) due to age, illness, or disability.

Step 3: Proof of Lack of Adequate Care Abroad
You must demonstrate that the necessary care is either unavailable or unaffordable in your parent’s home country. If paid carers or relatives are available in your parent’s home country, the Home Office may view this as adequate care, provided such support is reasonably available and affordable. However, this is often cited as a common reason for refusal, so it’s crucial to present strong evidence that suitable care cannot be arranged locally. Evidence may include:

• Medical assessments confirming ongoing dependency
• Proof of lack of reliable caregivers or medical facilities locally
• Financial records showing unaffordable care costs abroad

Step 4: Financial and Accommodation Support
The sponsor must prove they can:

• Prove they can provide adequate accommodation and financial support for the parent without recourse to public funds (via the SU07 maintenance undertaking).
• Care for the parent for the entire visa duration (or indefinitely if the sponsor is settled in the UK)
• Be over 18 years old at the time of sponsorship

Common Rejection Reasons

The Home Office often refuses Adult Dependent Relative applications because:

• Officials believe adequate care is available in the parent’s home country
• Medical evidence is insufficient or lacks clear professional documentation
• The sponsor’s financial proof or accommodation details are incomplete
• The application doesn’t demonstrate that relocation is the only viable option

Financial Requirements for the Parent Visa (Adult Dependent Relative)

Fees & Timelines

Important things to Consider:

• If the sponsor has temporary protection status (refugee or humanitarian protection), the outside-UK ADR fee is £424, while the inside-UK fee remains £1,321.
• The standard IHS rate is £1,035/year for adults and £776/year for children or students.
• Where the sponsor is British or settled, ADR applicants are generally granted Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE) — no IHS payment required.
• Where the sponsor has limited leave, ADR applicants typically receive limited leave in line, and the IHS must be paid.

In addition to the fees, the sponsoring relative also needs to demonstrate that they have the means to support their family member. This will typically mean that you need to provide a floor plan of your home, including the size and number of rooms. This needs to clearly show that you have the space for your parent(s) to live comfortably.

In addition to this, you need to show you have the funds to support them, either through regular income or savings. You will likely need to provide financial documents to back up this information.

How long does the Parent Visa UK processing take?

When it comes to securing care for your parents, you are right to be concerned about how long the application process will take. At present, processing times for this visa category are around 12 weeks if you apply from outside the UK and 8 weeks if you are applying from inside the UK. This could take longer if UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) needs more information about your application. 

UKVI might contact you to request more information. It’s important to respond in a timely manner as this can further delay your application. Adult Dependent Relative applications have historically high initial refusal rates; if you appeal, the overall timeline from refusal to a final outcome can realistically stretch to 12–18 months (allowing for First-tier listing/decision times and any Upper Tribunal stage).

What documents do I need to provide for this visa?

The documents you need to provide will all depend on the nature of your application. You can generally expect to share the following information:

1. Your name, date of birth and your birth certificate
2. A valid passport with certified copies of each page, your visas and entry stamps
3. A copy of your biometric residence permit, if relevant
4. Details of previous immigration applications
5. A criminal record check
6. Your national insurance number
7. Your parents’ date of birth and their nationalist
8. A TB test result, if required
9. No English language test is required for ADR.
10. Proof of finances, clearly showing that you have the space to accommodate your parents and the funds to support them. Include SU07 maintenance undertaking signed by the sponsor, in particular.
11. Details of other people who will be living in the home

Difference Between “Parent Visa” and “Visit Visa”

Several people search “parent visa UK,” while in fact, they are actually referring to the Adult Dependent Relative route or a Standard Visitor visa. These two are worlds apart. 

More commonly referred to as Parent visa, the Adult Dependent Relative route, which can confer permanent residence on proving strong dependency and care needs.

It is not the same as a visit visa and doesn’t exist straightforwardly as a parent of a British citizen route without dependency. A Standard Visitor visa is used temporarily to visit relatives for short stays. No job, no long-term settlement, and usually a maximum of 6 months each arrival, even when the visa is good for two years, five years, or 10 years. 

Key takeaways

• If your goal is long-term settlement with access to long-term care from family in the UK, you should explore Adult Dependent Relative.
• If your goal is short family visits, events, or caregiving support for a short period, you should explore the Visitor or Long-term Visitor options.

Success Rate and Challenges of ADR Applications

Why outcomes are challenging

• The rules set a high threshold. You must show that the applicant cannot reasonably access the required long-term personal care in their home country.
• Evidence must be comprehensive, current, and consistent across medical, social care, and financial documents.
• Priority services are typically not offered for ADR, so applicants should plan for the standard decision window and potential delays.

Common reasons applications fail

• Care can be arranged in the home country with paid carers or available relatives.
• Medical evidence is limited, outdated, or does not explain day-to-day care needs.
• Finances are unclear or cannot sustain long-term care and accommodation in the UK without public funds.
• Accommodation evidence in the UK does not prove adequacy or suitability.
• Gaps or inconsistencies between statements, medical letters, and financial records.

How to strengthen an ADR file

• Provide detailed medical letters that explain the functional impact on daily living and why care must be delivered by family in the UK.
• Document unsuccessful attempts to secure reliable care in the home country, including costed options and why they are not suitable.
• Show sustainable UK-based support and maintenance without public funds, with clear banking and income records.
• Include accommodation evidence such as a floor plan and occupancy details.
• Keep all evidence consistent on names, dates, diagnoses, and care tasks.

Permanent vs Temporary Options for Parents

Why might your ADR visa application be rejected?

There are some common reasons that family reunification visas might be rejected. This includes:

• Mistakes in your application. Sometimes honest errors in your application can lead to a refusal. If this happens, we recommend requesting an administrative review and providing the correct evidence.
• The case worker believes that your parents can access the care they need in their home country. If you have demonstrated sufficient means to support your parent(s), the Home Office might question why you can’t pay for care in your home country.
• You have failed to provide sufficient evidence that your parent(s) have long-term care needs. You need to show that they are unable to complete everyday tasks independently due to illness, disability or age.
• The case worker looking at your case might not believe that you have provided sufficient evidence that you have the means to support your parent. This could mean that UKVI does not believe that your home is sufficient for additional residents, or you don’t have the income to care for your parents.

If your application is rejected and you believe there has been a mistake and the case worker has not correctly applied the law to your case, you should have the right to appeal. If you choose to appeal, you have 28 days from the date of your rejection letter to submit your appeal.

We recommend working with an immigration specialist to prepare your appeal, as the process can be quite complex. Having an understanding of immigration law and past experience with appeals will help to fix any potential holes in your application to give it the best possible chance of success.

How can A Y & J help?

A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience with UK family visas and family reunion visas. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us on +44 20 7404 7933 or contact us today. We’re here to help!