The UK’s Immigration Rules make provision for the admission of parents who wish to live in the UK with their children who are present and settled in the UK. Details of these requirements are outlined below.
- The child must be under the age of 18 years when the application is made; and
- The child must be living in the UK; and
- The child must be British or settled in the UK.
You as a parent must also need to show that you have sole parental responsibility for the child or that the parent/carer with whom the child normally lives with is:
- A British citizen or settled in the UK; and
- Not your partner
You will need to provide evidence that you intend to continue to take an active role in the child’s upbringing and are able to support yourself in the UK, plus you will also need to demonstrate your English language ability.
Duration of stay
If you make a successful application for entry as a parent to a child resident in the UK you will being granted leave to enter the UK for a period of 33 months provided that a valid UK entry clearance for entry in this capacity is produced to Immigration Control upon arrival in the UK.
In order to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK as a parent you will need to spend a total of 5 years in the UK in this category. Therefore you will need to extend your stay once in the UK.