Apply for Switching to a Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route) - Super Priority Service for a Decision Within 24 Hours

You can apply for switching into the parent of a British child visa UK under the 5-year route if you meet all the requirements of the Immigration Rules as set out in Appendix FM, including the immigration status requirement, adequate maintenance requirement, and English language requirement. An application to switch to leave to remain as a parent of a child is made following the breakdown of the relationship with the other parent of the qualifying child. The application as a parent of a child is made using the FLR (M) application form. The successful applicant is granted leave to remain for 30 months under the parent of a British child visa (5-year route). You can apply to switch to a parent of a child visa through the Super Priority Visa Service to get a decision within 24 hours.

Free Immigration Advice for Switching to Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route)

Our family visa solicitors can provide one-off 5-minute free immigration advice online in relation to your application for switching into the parent of a British child visa under the 5-year route. Ask a question online to our specialist team of family visa solicitors for free immigration advice, or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice and consultation with one of our family visa solicitors concerning your application for switching to the parent of a British child visa in the UK.

Specialist Solicitors for Switching to Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route)

Our family visa solicitors specialise in applications for switching to the parent of a child visa (5-year route) from within the UK. As one of the best family visa solicitors, we have successfully helped thousands of clients with their applications for switching to the parent of a child visa under the 5-year route. Our highly experienced and fully qualified family visa solicitors offer fast, friendly, reliable, and fixed-fee advice and legal representation for switching to the parent of a child visa (5-year route) from inside the UK. 

Meet Our Team of Family Visa Solicitors in London

At Premium Solicitors, our strength lies in the expertise, dedication, and unwavering commitment of our family visa solicitors in London. We understand that immigration matters are life-changing events, and our team is here to guide you through every step of the parent visa process with professionalism and care. 

Our team comprises a diverse group of family visa solicitors with extensive experience and knowledge. We are united by a shared goal: to deliver the highest level of legal support and advocacy tailored to your immigration needs.

Languages Spoken By Our Team

Schedule Your Consultation With Our Family Visa Solicitors

Are you seeking expert immigration advice and consultation from our highly skilled team of family visa solicitors and lawyers in London? It's easy to secure an appointment with our dedicated parent visa specialists. Our expert team of family visa solicitors and advisors can provide detailed immigration advice and consultation, face-to-face in our London offices or virtually via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, or Phone. Book your appointment today using the appointment booking link provided below:

• Book An Appointment Online With Our Family Visa solicitors in London

Our spouse visa experts are ready to assist you with your parent visa concerns. Book your appointment today for personalised guidance and support.

How to Apply for Switching to a Parent of the British Child Visa (5 Years Route)?

To apply for switching into the parent of a British child visa (5-year route), you should take the following steps:

1. Complete the online application form FLR (M) on the UKVI website.
2. Submit the completed application online by paying the Home Office UKVI fees, which include the application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
3. Book your biometrics appointments with TLSContact by creating an account on the TLSContact web portal.
4. Upload all the supporting documents online before the biometrics enrolment appointment date.
5. Attend your biometrics enrolment appointment. You should take your BRP card, your passport, and your biometrics appointment letter with you to your biometrics appointment.
6. Wait for a decision on the application, which will normally be made within 3 to 6 months if submitted through the standard service and within 24 hours if submitted through Super Priority Service.

When Can I Apply for Switching to the Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route)?

You can apply to switch to the parent of a British child visa under the 5-year route at any time after your relationship with the other parent of the child has broken down irretrievably. There is no need for you to wait until 28 days before the expiry of your current leave to remain. There is also no need to wait until you get divorced from the other parent of the child if you and the other parent of the child are legally married to each other. You must meet all the relevant requirements set out in Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules to apply for switching to the parent of a British child visa under the 5-year route.

Super Priority Service for Switching to the Parent of a Child Visa (5 Years Route)

As specialist family visa solicitors based in London, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) to provide Super Priority Service for switching to the parent of a child visa, whereby a decision on your application will be made within 24 hours if you submit your application through Super Priority Service.

Our family visa Solicitors can prepare and submit your application faster and secure a decision faster through Super Priority Service. This way, you will not have to wait months (sometimes years) for a decision on your application.

Requirements for Switching to the Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route)

To apply for switching into leave to remain as a parent of a child under 5 years route, the applicant must meet the following requirements as set out in Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules:

• The applicant and the child must be in the UK;
• The applicant must make a valid application;
• The applicant must not be in the UK-
  • as a visitor; or
  • with valid leave granted for a period of 6 months or less, unless that leave was granted pending the outcome of family court or divorce proceedings;
  • in breach of immigration laws (except that, where paragraph 39E of these Rules applies;
• The child of the applicant must be:
  • under the age of 18 years at the date of application;
  • living in the UK; and
  • a British Citizen settled in the UK, or in the UK with limited leave under Appendix EU in accordance with paragraph GEN.1.3.(d); or
  • has lived in the UK continuously for at least 7 years immediately preceding the date of application and paragraph EX.1. applies.
•  Either-
  • the applicant must have sole parental responsibility for the child or the child normally lives with the applicant and not their other parent (who is a British Citizen, settled in the UK, or in the UK with limited leave under Appendix EU in accordance with paragraph GEN.1.3.(d)), and the applicant must not be eligible to apply for leave to remain as a partner under Appendix FM; or
  • the parent or carer with whom the child normally lives must be:
    • a British Citizen in the UK, settled in the UK, or in the UK with limited leave under Appendix EU in accordance with paragraph GEN.1.3.(d).;
    • not the partner of the applicant (which here includes a person who has been in a relationship with the applicant for less than two years prior to the date of application); and
    • the applicant must not be eligible to apply for leave to remain as a partner under Appendix FM.
• The applicant must provide evidence that they have either-
  • sole parental responsibility for the child, or that the child normally lives with them; or
  • direct access (in person) to the child, as agreed with the parent or carer with whom the child normally lives or as ordered by a court in the UK.
• The applicant must provide evidence that they are taking, and intend to continue to take, an active role in the child’s upbringing.
• The applicant must provide evidence that they will be able to adequately maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants in the UK without recourse to public funds.
• The applicant must provide evidence that adequate accommodation will be available in the UK, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but who live in the same household, which the family owns or occupies exclusively.
• The applicant must meet the English language requirement by demonstrating English proficiency at CEFR level A1, as required by the UK Immigration Rules.

What is the Sole Or Shared Parental Responsibility for the Child?

To apply for the parent of a British child visa, you must have either sole or shared parental responsibility for your child. If you share parental responsibility, the child’s other parent must not be your partner. They must also either:

• be a British or Irish citizen
• have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
• be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021

If the child lives with their other parent or carer, you must have access to the child in person, as agreed with the other parent or carer or by a court order. Furthermore, you must be able to prove that you are taking an active role in your child’s upbringing and that you plan to continue after you apply.

What is an Adequate Maintenance Requirement?

The applicant must meet the financial requirement for adequate maintenance to succeed in their application to switch into the parent of a British child visa under the 5-year route.

The Home Office UKVI will use the following formula to determine whether you meet the adequate maintenance requirement for your parent of a British child visa application:

A – B ≥ C (A minus B is greater than or equal to C)
Where:
A is the net income (after deduction of income tax and National Insurance contributions);
B is housing costs (Rent and Council Tax); and
C is the amount of Income Support an equivalent British family of that size can receive.

The applicant must provide evidence that he/she will be able to adequately maintain and accommodate himself/herself and any dependants in the UK without recourse to public funds

What is an Adequate Accommodation Requirement?

The applicant must provide specified evidence that there will be adequate accommodation, without recourse to public funds, for the family, including other family members who are not included in the application but who live in the same household, which the family owns or occupies exclusively: accommodation will not be regarded as adequate if-

1. it is, or will be, overcrowded; or
2. it contravenes public health regulations.

What Is the English Language Requirement?

The applicant must provide specified evidence that he/she:

1. is a national of a majority English-speaking country; or
2. has passed an English language test in speaking and listening at a minimum of level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages with a provider approved by the Home Office, UKVI; or
3. has an academic qualification recognised by UK Ecctis to be equivalent to the standard of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or PhD in the UK, which was taught in English; or
4. is exempt from the English language requirement because at the date of application:
   • the applicant is aged 65 or over;
   • the applicant has a disability (physical or mental condition) which prevents the applicant from meeting the requirement; or
   • there are exceptional circumstances which prevent the applicant from being able to meet the requirements prior to entry to the UK.

What is the Immigration Status Requirement for Switching to the Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route)?

The immigration rules require that the applicant must meet the immigration status requirement to successfully switch to the parent of a British child visa (5-year route) from inside the UK. For an application for switching to the parent of a British child visa under 5 years route to succeed, the applicant must not be in the UK-

• as a visitor; or
• with valid leave granted for a period of 6 months or less, unless that leave was granted pending the outcome of family court or divorce proceedings;

Can I Switch from a Spouse Visa Route to a Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route)?

If you are in the UK under the spouse visa category and your relationship with your British or settled spouse has broken down irretrievably, you can apply for switching into the parent of a British child visa (5 years route) at any time during the validity of your leave to remain as a spouse if you are a parent of a British child with residence or access rights. We can prepare and submit your application to switch from a spouse visa to a parent of a British child visa (5-year route) via Super Priority Service, so you get a decision within 24 hours.

Can I Switch from the 10-Year Parent Route to the 5-Year Route?

If you are in the UK under the parent of a British child visa (10 years route), you can apply for switching to the parent of a British child visa (5 years route) at any time during the validity of your leave under 10 years route. Ideally, you should switch to the 5-year route as soon as you meet both the financial and English language requirements. Your time for the ILR under the 5-year route will start from the date you are granted initial leave under the 5-year route, and all the time you spent under the 10-year route cannot be combined with the time spent under the 10-year route. We can prepare and submit your application through Super Priority Service, so you receive a decision within 24 hours.

Appeal Against Refusal of the Parent Visa

If your application for switching to the parent of a British child visa has been refused by the Home Office UKVI and you have been given the right to appeal against the refusal decision, you should file an appeal with the First Tier Tribunal within 14 days of the refusal decision. The appeal against the refusal decision can be successful on the grounds that the decision to refuse is not in accordance with rules or in contravention of your right to private and family life as envisaged under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). An Immigration Judge at the First Tier Tribunal will hear and determine the appeal. Our specialist family visa solicitors can provide the legal services you need to represent you in your appeal challenging the refusal decision.

How Can We Help You?

Our specialist team of family visa solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representation for your application to switch to the parent of a child visa on a fixed-fee basis. Our family visa solicitors can legally represent you in your application for switching to a parent of a child visa and carry out all the work on your application until the decision by the Home Office UKVI on your parent of a child visa application. The immigration casework to be carried out by our immigration solicitors in relation to your application for switching into the parent of a British child visa will entail the following:

Advice on requirements: Our family visa solicitors will advise you on the requirements you need to meet for your application to switch into the parent of a child visa to be successful.

Documentary advice: Our family visa lawyers will prepare and email you a comprehensive list of supporting documents to submit in support of your application to switch to the parent of a British child visa.

Assessing documents: Our immigration lawyers will review your documents to ensure that all documents you provide in support of your application to switch to a parent of a child visa comply with the immigration rules.

Completing the application form: Our immigration lawyers will complete the relevant application form for your switch to the parent of a child visa.

Submitting an application through Super Priority Service: If required, our immigration lawyers will submit your application to switch to a parent of a child visa online through Super Priority Service to obtain a decision within 24 hours.

Booking an appointment with the application centre: After the online submission of your application for switching to the parent of a child visa, our immigration lawyers will book your appointment with the application centre for you to enrol your biometrics.

Detailed cover letter: Our specialist immigration solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of your application for switching to the parent of a British child visa to explain all the relevant legal requirements for your application to be approved by the Home Office UKVI.

Uploading documents online: Before the biometrics enrolment date, our immigration lawyers will upload all supporting documents online to support your application for switching to the parent of a British child visa.

Follow-up work: Our immigration lawyers will handle all follow-up until the Home Office UKVI decides on your application.

Why Choose Us for Switching to the Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route)?

There are several reasons you can choose our family visa solicitors and lawyers in London to handle your application to switch to the parent of a British child visa from inside the UK. The main reasons include the following:

High-Quality Legal Services: Our team of the best family visa solicitors in London provides high-quality legal services for switching into the parent of a British child visa UK from inside the UK. The high quality of UK visa and immigration legal services provided by our best team of immigration lawyers is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.

Remote Legal Services: Our specialist family visa solicitors and lawyers can provide you with expert immigration advice and legal representation, delivered remotely from our London offices. Using modern technology, our specialist family visa solicitors and lawyers can handle your application to switch to the parent of a British child visa remotely, without you needing to visit our offices. Whilst we are more than happy to welcome clients into our offices, if this is their preference, we are proud to offer our legal services for a parent of a British child visa application remotely to save you time and travel costs.

Open 7 Days A Week: We pride ourselves on providing dedicated immigration advice and legal representation for parents of British child visas 7 days a week.

All Work Carried Out By Qualified Specialist Immigration Solicitors: Our specialist team of fully qualified and experienced family visa solicitors, who have extensive experience dealing with parent of a British child visa applications, will carry out all the casework on your application for switching to the parent of a British child visa UK.

Fast Track Visa Service: Our experienced and qualified family visa solicitors will prepare and submit your application for switching to the parent of a British child visa in the shortest possible time using the fast-track process. Where possible, our family visa solicitors will submit your application through the Super Priority Visa Service to obtain a faster decision within 24 hours.

Free Immigration Advice Online: Our specialist team of family visa solicitors and lawyers can provide one-off free immigration advice online for switching into the parent of a British child visa UK through our website enquiry form.

Fixed Fees With Payment Plan: Our family visa solicitors and lawyers charge reasonable and affordable fixed fees for an application for switching into parent of a British child visa with an option to pay our fixed fee in two instalments whereby you pay half of the agreed fixed fee when we start our work on your parent of a British child visa application and the remaining half when we have fully prepared the application and it is ready for submission to the Home Office UKVI.

How Much Does Switching to the Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route) Cost?

Get a Fixed Fee Quote for Your Immigration Matter

What Are Our Other Related Services?

• Parent of a British Child Visa UK
• Entry Clearance for the Parent of a British Child Visa UK
• Switching to a Parent of a British Child Visa (10 Years Route)
• Extension of Parent of a British Child Visa (5 Years Route)
• Extension of Parent of a British Child Visa (10 Years Route)
• ILR as a Parent of a British Child (5 Years Route)
• ILR as a Parent of a British Child (10 Years Route)
• Family Visa UK
• Immigration Appeals UK
• Naturalisation After One Year of ILR
• In-Country Immigration Appeals

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The following are the various Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about an application for switching into the parent of a British child visa (5-year route):