Entry Clearance For Senior Or Specialist Worker Dependant Visa

You can apply for entry clearance for a Senior or Specialist Worker dependant visa if you are the partner or a child under 18 of a migrant holding permission under the Senior or Specialist Worker route. As specialist immigration solicitors, we can provide fast, reliable, and fixed-fee legal services for Senior or Specialist Worker dependant visa entry clearance. 

Ask a question to our expert team of dependant visa solicitors for free immigration advice or book an appointment for detailed immigration guidance concerning your application for Senior or Specialist Worker dependant visa entry clearance.

Who Qualifies as a Dependant of a Senior or Specialist Worker?

The dependants of a Senior or Specialist Worker include a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, and children under 18. Children over 18 can only qualify if they already have valid leave as a dependant.

What are the Eligibility Criteria for Dependants of a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?

To qualify for Entry Clearance as a dependant of a Senior or Specialist worker visa the applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria.  

Relationship Requirement 

To meet the relationship requirement, the applicant must demonstrate that the relationship with their partner is legally recognised in the UK, is genuine and subsisting, and has existed for at least two years. The Home Office may accept periods without cohabitation when there are valid reasons such as work, study, or cultural circumstances, provided there is clear evidence of an ongoing and committed relationship.  

The relationship requirement for the dependant children aged 16 or over is that they must live with the main applicant unless they are in full-time education away from home, must not be married or in a civil partnership, must not have children of their own, and must remain financially dependent on the main applicant. 

Age Requirement for Partners 

If applying as a partner, the applicant must be at least 18 years old on the date of application. 

Children’s Eligibility 

The eligibility requirements for children include being under the age of 18 at the time of application, unless the child has previously been granted leave as a dependant and is now applying to extend or switch their visa. In addition, there must be adequate care and accommodation arrangements in place for the child in the UK, consistent with UK legal standards. 

Suitability Criteria 

For Entry Clearance as a Senior or Specialist Worker Dependant, the applicant must meet the suitability requirements set out under Part Suitability. The Home Office may refuse the application if mandatory refusal grounds apply, including circumstances in which the applicant’s presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good, the applicant has been convicted of serious criminal offences, or deception has been used in a current or previous immigration application. The Home Office may also refuse the application on discretionary grounds, including lesser criminal convictions or previous breaches of UK immigration laws. 

Criminal Record Certificate (If Applicable) 

Where applicable, dependant partners aged 18 or over must provide a criminal record certificate for any country in which they have lived for 12 months or more in the 10 years before applying. This is required only if the main applicant is sponsored in certain specified occupations. 

Tuberculosis Screening 

If the applicant is applying from a country listed in Appendix Tuberculosis and the stay will exceed 6 months, a valid TB test certificate must be submitted with the application.

Financial Requirements for Senior or Specialist Worker Dependant Visa

To meet the maintenance requirements under the UK immigration rules, applicants for a Senior or Specialist Worker Dependant Visa must show they have sufficient funds to support themselves during their stay in the UK. This financial requirement applies to the main applicant as well as any dependant family members. 

According to the Home Office guidelines, the following minimum amounts must be available to meet the financial requirement: £285 for a dependant partner, £315 for the first dependant child, and £200 for each additional dependant child. 

These funds must be held for at least 28 consecutive days, with the final day of that period falling within 31 days prior to submitting the visa application. 

Dependants of individuals who are settled in the UK or have acquired British citizenship must provide proof of adequate personal funds, as sponsor certification of maintenance is not permitted in these cases. 

If the evidence submitted does not confirm sufficient financial resources to support the entire family unit, the applications will be refused.

How long does it take?

The processing time for entry clearance applications made by dependants of Senior or Specialist Worker visa holders is usually 3 weeks from the date they have applied online, proved their identity, and submitted the required documents. 

Faster decision: Priority and Super priority service

Applicants for a Senior or Specialist Worker Dependant Visa from outside the UK can opt for the Priority Visa service, which costs £500 and typically provides a decision within 5 working days from the date of biometric enrolment or document submission (Subject to Availability).  

Alternatively, the Super Priority Visa service, which costs £1,000, offers a decision by the end of the next working day after identity verification, or within 2 working days if the appointment or upload falls on a weekend or UK bank holiday. Both services are subject to availability and eligibility at the time of application.

Visa Conditions of Stay for Dependants of Senior or Specialist Workers

Dependants of Senior or Specialist Workers will be granted leave to enter the UK that is same as the validity period of the main applicant’s visa. This ensures that their permission to stay aligns with the duration of the main applicant’s immigration status. 

When both parents are in the UK with valid leave, a dependant child’s visa will typically be granted in line with the parent whose permission expires first 

The Senior or Specialist Worker dependant visa is subject to the following conditions: 

• The dependant is not entitled to access public funds. 

• Employment is permitted, including self-employment and voluntary work, except for working as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. 

• Study is allowed, subject to the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) condition for applicants aged 18 or over, where applicable under Appendix ATAS. 

How Can Sunrise Solicitors Help?

Our specialist dependant visa solicitors offer fast, friendly, and reliable legal services. We provide fixed fee support for Senior or Specialist worker Dependant visa entry clearance. Our team will carry out all the work on your entry clearance application for Senior or Specialist worker dependant visa until you get a decision from the Home Office UKVI on your application. Our work on your Senior or Specialist worker Dependant visa application may include the following: 

• assessing your eligibility for Senior or Specialist worker dependant visa by considering all the relevant eligibility requirements; 
• advising you on the relevant documents to be submitted in support of your Senior or Specialist worker dependant visa application; 
• completing the online application form for Senior or Specialist worker dependant visa entry clearance; 
• submitting your completed application online, paying the Home Office UKVI fees and booking your appointment with the Visa Application Centre for you to enrol your biometrics; 
• preparing a detailed cover letter in support of your entry clearance application to explain in detail how all the relevant requirements for Senior or Specialist worker dependant visa have been satisfied by you; 
• uploading all the supporting documents online in support of your Senior or Specialist worker dependant visa entry clearance application; 
• doing all the follow up work including responding to any queries raised by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) until decision is reached on your Senior or Specialist worker dependant visa entry clearance application.

Our Fixed Fees For Entry Clearance For Senior or Specialist Worker Dependant Visa

The fixed fees for entry clearance application for Senior or Specialist worker dependant visa from outside the UK are as given in the fee table below:

We determine the agreed fixed fee on the complexity of the Senior or Specialist Worker dependant visa entry clearance application. We also consider the volume of casework involved in the application.  In addition to our fixed fee, the applicant must also pay the Home Office UKVI fees. These cover the UK visa entry clearance application.