- Page Contents
- Overview
- Which Family Members Can Qualify?
- Eligibility Requirements
- Who Cannot Switch?
- Relationship Requirement For Dependent Partner
- Relationship Requirement For Dependent Child
- Age and Care Requirement For A Child
- Financial Requirement
- Period and Conditions of Grant
- Fast Track Visa Service
- How Can We Help?
- Our Fixed Fees
- Frequently Asked Questions
You can apply to switch into Skilled Worker Dependant visa from inside the UK if you are already in the UK and meet the relevant requirements for switching into skilled worker dependant visa as set out in Appendix Skilled Worker. An application for switching into skilled worker dependant visa is made online from the Home Office UKVI website. If the applicant is applying as a dependent partner they must be aged 18 or over on the date of application. An application for switching into skilled worker dependant visa is made in accordance with requirements as set out in Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules. You can apply for switching into Skilled Worker dependant visa through Priority or Super Priority Service for faster decision on your application.
Premium Solicitors are specialist UK immigration solicitors and the high quality of UK visa and immigration legal services provided by our best team of fully qualified and experienced immigration solicitors is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.
Our specialist team of dependant visa solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representations on fixed fee basis concerning your application for switching into skilled worker dependant visa. Ask a question to our specialist team of dependant visa solicitors for free immigration advice online or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice with our specialist dependant visa solicitors concerning your application for switching into Skilled Worker dependant visa.
Which Family Members Can Qualify For Switching Into Skilled Worker Dependant Visa?
The following family members of the Skilled Worker migrant can qualify for switching into dependant visa:
- husband, wife or civil partner of Skilled Worker migrant; or
- unmarried or same-sex partner of Skilled Worker migrant; or
- child aged under 18 years old of Skilled Worker migrant.
Your dependant children can be over 18 years old if they entered the UK on dependant visa whilst they were under 18 but have since turned over 18.
- Other Related Pages
- Entry Clearance - Dependant Visa
- Extension Of Dependant Visa
- ILR As A Dependant
Eligibility Requirements For Switching Into Skilled Worker Dependant Visa
As a dependant of Skilled Worker, you should satisfy the following requirements to be eligible for switching into Skilled Worker dependant visa:
- Valid application: The applicant must submit a valid application for switching into Skilled Worker dependant visa;
- Switching requirement: The applicant must meet the immigration status requirement to be eligible for switching into Skilled Worker dependant visa;
- Relationship requirement: The applicant must meet the relationship requirement as per appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules;
- Age requirement for partner: If the applicant is applying as a dependent partner they must be aged 18 or over on the date of application;
- Age and care requirement for child: If the applicant is applying as a dependent child they must be aged under 18 on the date of application unless they were last granted permission as the dependent child of their parent or parents. If the applicant is a child aged under 18 on the date of application, there must be suitable arrangements for the child’s care and accommodation in the UK, which must comply with relevant UK legislation and regulations;
- Suitability requirement: The applicant must not fall for refusal under Part 9: grounds for refusal;
- Financial requirement: The applicant must meet the financial requirement as per Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules.
- Not be in breach of immigration laws: The applicant must not be:
- in breach of immigration laws, except that where paragraph 39E applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
- on immigration bail.
Who Cannot Switch Into Skilled Worker Dependant Visa?
An applicant who is applying for permission to stay must be in the UK on the date of application and must NOT have, or have last been granted, permission:
- as a Visitor; or
- as a Short-term student; or
- as a Parent of a Child Student; or
- as a Seasonal Worker; or
- as a Domestic Worker in a Private Household; or
- outside the Immigration Rules.
Relationship Requirement For Dependent Partner Of Skilled Worker
The applicant must be the partner of the sponsoring skilled worker where one of the following applies:
- The sponsoring skilled worker must have Skilled Worker visa; or
- The sponsoring skilled worker is, at the same time, applying for (and is granted) entry clearance on the Skilled Worker route.
If the applicant and their Skilled Worker partner are not married or in a civil partnership, all of the following requirements must also be met:
- they must have been living together in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least the two years before the date of application; and
- any previous relationship of the applicant or their Skilled Worker partner with another person must have permanently broken down; and
- the applicant and their Skilled Worker partner must not be so closely related that they would not be allowed to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK.
The relationship between the applicant and their Skilled Worker partner must be genuine and subsisting and the applicant and their Skilled Worker partner must intend to live together throughout the applicant’s stay in the UK.
Relationship Requirement For A Dependent Child Of Skilled Worker
The applicant must be the child of the sponsoring skilled worker visa holder where one of the following applies:
- The sponsoring skilled worker has permission on the Skilled Worker route; or
- The sponsoring skilled worker is, at the same time, applying for (and is granted) entry clearance or permission on the Skilled Worker route.
The child’s parents must each be either applying at the same time as the applicant or already have permission to be in the UK (other than as a Visitor) unless:
- the parent applying for or with entry clearance or permission to stay as a Skilled Worker is the sole surviving parent; or
- the parent applying for or with entry clearance or permission to stay as a Skilled Worker has sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing; or
- the parent who does not have permission as a Skilled Worker –
- is a British citizen or a person who has a right to enter or stay in the UK without restriction; and
- is or will be ordinarily resident in the UK; or
- the decision maker is satisfied that there are serious and compelling reasons to grant the child entry clearance or permission to stay with the parent who is applying for or has entry clearance or permission as a Skilled Worker.
If the applicant is a child born in the UK to a Skilled Worker or their partner, the applicant must provide a full UK birth certificate showing the names of both parents.
Age and Care Requirement For A Child
The child must be under the age of 18 on the date of application, unless they were last granted permission as the dependent child of their parent or parents. If the child is aged 16 or over at the date of application, they must not be leading an independent life.
If the applicant is aged under 18 on the date of application, there must be suitable arrangements for the child’s care and accommodation in the UK, which must comply with relevant UK legislation and regulations.
Financial Requirement
The skilled worker or the dependants of the skilled worker must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they are in the UK. If the applicant is applying for permission to stay and has been living in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, they will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.
If the applicant has not been lawfully resident for 12 months or longer on the date of application, the funds for maintenance required for skilled worker dependant visa will be as given in the table below:
| Dependant Applicant | Funds Required |
| Partner of the Skilled Worker | £285 |
| One child of the Skilled Worker | £315 |
| Each additional child of the Skilled Worker | £200 |
Skilled worker or dependants of skilled worker will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of the applicant applying for this visa.
You may not need to show funds for maintenance in the bank account if the Skilled Worker’s A-rated sponsor certify that they will, if necessary, maintain and accommodate the dependent partner and/or any dependent child as well as the Skilled Worker, up to the end of the first month of each of their grants of permission to stay in the UK.
Period and Conditions Of Grant
A dependent partner of a skilled worker applying for switching into skilled worker visa will be granted leave to remain which ends on the same date as their partner’s permission as a Skilled Worker.
A child of a skilled worker applying for switching into skilled worker dependant visa will be granted leave to remain which ends on the same date as whichever of their parents’ permission ends first.
The grant will be subject to all the following conditions:
- no access to public funds; and
- work (including self-employment and voluntary work) is permitted, except as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach); and
- study is permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS, if the applicant is over the age of 18; and
- if Part 10 of the Immigration Rules applies, the applicant will be required to register with the police.
Fast Track Service For Switching Into Skilled Worker Dependant Visa
Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide fast-track visa service to get you a decision on your application faster under the Priority Service or Super Priority service. This way, you will get a decision on your application faster and will not have to wait for a decision on your application for months (sometimes years).
Our fast track immigration solicitors can prepare your application faster and submit your application under the Priority Service or Super Priority Service to get you faster decision on your application.
As specialist immigration solicitors in London, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) and its commercial partners UKVCAS Sopra Steria to provide Priority Service or Super Priority Service for your application whereby decision on your application will be made by the Home Office UKVI faster. An application submitted through Priority Service is normally decided within 5 working days, and an application submitted through Super Priority Service is normally decided within 24 hours (usually by the end of the next working day).
How Can We Help?
Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representations on a fixed fee basis in relation to your application. Our fixed fee for your immigration application will cover all the work of our immigration solicitors on your immigration application until a decision is made by the Home Office UKVI on your application. The casework to be carried out by our immigration solicitors in relation to your immigration application will entail the following:
- Advice on requirements: Our immigration solicitors will advise you on the relevant requirements you have to meet for your immigration application to succeed.
- Advice on documents: Our immigration lawyers will prepare and email you a comprehensive list of supporting documents to be submitted in support of your immigration application;
- Assessment of documents: Our immigration lawyers will assess your documents to ensure that all the documents you provide in support of your application comply with the requirements of the immigration rules.
- Completing application form: Our immigration lawyers will complete the relevant application form for your immigration application.
- Submitting an application through Priority or Super Priority Service: Where possible, our immigration lawyers will submit your online immigration application through priority or super-priority service to get a faster decision on your immigration application.
- Booking an appointment with the application centre: After you submit your immigration application online, our immigration lawyers will book an appointment with the application centre for you to enrol your biometrics.
- Preparing a detailed cover letter: Our specialist immigration solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of the immigration application to explain all the relevant legal requirements and how the applicant has satisfied such requirements with the documents submitted with the application.
- Uploading documents online: Before the biometrics enrollment date, our immigration lawyers will upload all the supporting documents online to be considered in support of the immigration application.
- Follow-up work: Our immigration lawyers will carry out all the follow-up work until the Home Office UKVI decides on the immigration application.
Our One-Off Services For Immigration Applications
Our immigration solicitors can also provide a wide range of one-off legal services for UK visa and immigration applications. Using our one-off services can help those who do not want to use our full service for immigration applications. You can use one of the following one-off legal services offered for UK visa and immigration applications:
Our Fixed Fees For Switching Into Skilled Worker Dependant Visa
Our fixed fees for dependant visa applications are as given in the fee table below:
| Our Service | Our Fixed Fees Range |
| Full service for dependant visa Entry Clearance to cover all the work until decision by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) | From £800 To £1,500 (no VAT) |
| Full service for switching into a dependant visa from inside the UK through Super Priority Service to cover our work until a decision on your application | From £800 + VAT To £1,500 + VAT |
| Full service for the extension of dependant visa from inside the UK through Super Priority Service to cover our work until a decision on your application | From £800 + VAT To £1,500 + VAT |
| Full service for ILR as a dependant from inside the UK through Super Priority Service to cover our work until decision on your application | From £800 + VAT To £1,500 + VAT |
The agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of the application and the volume of casework involved. In addition to our fixed fee, the applicant also has to pay the Home Office UKVI fees for the application.
FAQs - Switching Into Skilled Worker Dependant Visa
Yes, under the Immigration Rules, a student visa holder can switch to a skilled worker-dependent visa from inside the UK.
No, the Immigration Rules do not allow switching from a visitor visa to a skilled worker dependant visa from inside the UK.
An applicant who is applying for permission to stay as a dependent partner or dependent child of a Skilled Worker must be in the UK on the date of application and must not have, or have last been granted, permission:
- as a Visitor; or
- as a Short-term student; or
- as a Parent of a Child Student; or
- as a Seasonal Worker; or
- as a Domestic Worker in a Private Household; or
- outside the Immigration Rules.
Yes, you can apply to switch to a a skilled worker dependant visa using priority service (decision within 5 working days) or super priority service (decision within 24 hours).
The skilled worker or the dependants of the skilled worker must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they are in the UK. If the applicant is applying for permission to stay and has been living in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, they will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.
If the applicant has not been lawfully resident for 12 months or longer on the date of application, the funds for maintenance required for a skilled worker dependant visa will be as given in the table below:
| Dependant Applicant | Funds Required |
| Partner of the Skilled Worker | £285 |
| One child of the Skilled Worker | £315 |
| Each additional child of the Skilled Worker | £200 |
The skilled worker or their dependants must have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of the applicant applying for this visa.
You may not need to show funds for maintenance in the bank account if the Skilled Worker’s A-rated sponsor certify that they will, if necessary, maintain and accommodate the dependent partner and/or any dependent child as well as the Skilled Worker, up to the end of the first month of each of their grants of permission to stay in the UK.
The child must be under 18 on the date of application unless they were last granted permission as the dependent child of their parent or parents. If the child is 16 or over at the date of application, they must not be leading an independent life.
Yes, you can switch from a T5 Temporary Worker visa to a skilled worker dependant visa from inside the UK.