Expert Employee Dependent Visa Utility Information

By Georgina Griggs –
Immigration Barrister

29 Oct 2025

The UK Expert Employee route is for expert professionals with a job provide in an eligible function from a licensed UK sponsor to work within the UK. Dependents of Expert Employees can apply for permission to affix or accompany the Expert Employee. 

This information solutions essentially the most generally requested questions on how Expert Employees can carry their relations, or sponsor their software to stay within the UK.

1. Who Qualifies as a Dependent of a Expert Employee?

To qualify as a dependent of a Expert Employee, candidates have to be the associate or baby of a Expert Employee who already holds permission on this route, or who’s making use of on the identical time. 

To satisfy the definition of a associate, candidates should both be married, in a civil partnership, or be an single associate of the Expert Employee. Extra particulars on this are set out under. 

Youngsters have to be beneath the age of 18 to use, together with in the event that they have been born within the UK, although they might apply to increase their permission as a dependent in the event that they have been already depending on the Expert Employee previous to turning 18. This is applicable even when the Expert Employee’s earlier permission was in a distinct immigration class. 

2. Eligibility Necessities for Dependent Companions of a Expert Employee

With a view to meet the definition of a associate, candidates have to be legally married or in a UK recognised civil partnership. Candidates can even apply as single companions, if they’ve been in a relationship much like marriage for at the least two years earlier than making use of. Cohabitation for single companions is just not prerequisite, however is normally anticipated except an applicant can present good causes as to why they haven’t beforehand resided collectively. 

All companions have to be at the least 18 to use and should present that they’re in a real and subsisting relationship with one another. No matter whether or not a pair has resided collectively beforehand, to use, they need to present that they intend to dwell collectively throughout the Expert Employee’s keep within the UK.

If the genuineness of a relationship is doubted, candidates could also be requested to attend an interview or present supplementary proof. Accordingly, it’s important that these functions are ready fastidiously, notably if a pair has not lived collectively beforehand. 

3. Eligibility Necessities for Dependent Youngsters of a Expert Employee

Youngsters have to be beneath the age of 18 on the time of their first software (extensions for over 18s are permitted in the event that they have been already depending on the Expert Employee) and, if over 16, they need to not be dwelling independently (e.g., married or financially self-sufficient).

The kid’s different father or mother have to be making use of on the identical time or have already got permission to stay within the UK, on a route aside from as a customer. There are some exceptions to this rule, however it may be tough to navigate. Exceptions embody:

• The Expert Employee is the one surviving father or mother; or
• The opposite father or mother is a British citizen or has Indefinite Depart to Stay and is resident within the UK;
• The Expert Employee has sole duty for the kid; or
• There are critical and compelling causes in favour of granting the kid permission.

Sole duty is a really excessive threshold to satisfy, and goes past authorized custody/the opposite father or mother offering their assist and/or permission for the kid to dwell within the UK. Please see our article Baby Visa Purposes: How To Show ‘Sole Accountability’ for extra info. Equally, ‘critical and compelling causes’ means simply that. It’s not merely sufficient for a household to resolve to dwell individually. Purposes on these bases are notoriously tough and may at all times be approached with warning. 

Candidates should additionally present that there are appropriate care and lodging preparations for the kid within the UK, that meet the necessities of related UK laws and rules. 

It ought to be famous that not all Expert Employees are eligible to carry their dependents to the UK, or to sponsor their in-country functions for permission to remain. Solely roles listed in Desk 1, 2, or 3 of Appendix Expert Occupations might carry/sponsor their dependents’ functions. Basically, solely Expert Employees sponsored in roles that are RQF Stage 6 or above are eligible to sponsor their dependents’ functions, except one of many under exceptions applies. 

Care staff in occupation codes ‘6145 Care staff and residential carers’ and ‘6146 Senior Care Employees’ are usually not permitted to carry/sponsor dependents to use. Those that have been sponsored in these roles previous to 11 March 2024, nevertheless, are permitted to carry/sponsor their dependents as transitional preparations apply.

Expert Employees who’re sponsored in a job listed in Desk 1a, Desk 2aa, Desk 2a or Desk 3a (or an equal SOC 2010 occupation code listed in any of these tables) (aside from care staff, as set out above), might carry/sponsor their dependents’ functions provided that they have been sponsored in these roles previous to 22 July 2025. They need to even have constantly held permission, sponsored in one in every of these roles, since their preliminary grant on this class, previous to this date. 

5. Monetary Requirement for Expert Employee Dependents

Candidates should present that they’ve the monetary means to assist themselves within the UK. Until they’ve already been resident within the UK for 12 months or extra, candidates should present that the monetary requirement is met.

To satisfy the monetary requirement, candidates should present that  they’ve held at the least the next quantities, for a interval of at the least 28 days, ending no later than 31 days previous to the date of software. 

• £285 for a dependent associate; and
• £315 for the primary dependent baby; and
• £200 for some other dependent baby.

It ought to be famous that these quantities are along with the required funds for Expert Employees – £1,270. 

The funds have to be held in checking account(s) belonging to both the Expert Employee and/or the dependent applicant(s). Alternatively, this requirement will be met if the Expert Employee’s sponsor certifies that they may keep and accommodate the dependents as much as the top of their first month of permission.

6. Further Necessities for Scholar Switchers

Dependents who’re making use of for permission to remain as Expert Employee dependents, who’ve, or have final had, permission as a Scholar should meet further necessities. This rule doesn’t apply to entry clearance functions. 

Candidates should have both accomplished their course of examine (for which their Affirmation of Acceptance for Research was assigned) or, in the event that they have been finding out full-time for a PhD at a better training supplied with a monitor report of compliance, they should have accomplished at the least 24 months of examine on this programme. This rule additionally applies to these making use of for permission as Expert Employees. 

7. Legal Report Certificates for Dependent Companions

If the Expert Employee is sponsored for a job listed in paragraph SW 16.1 of Appendix Expert Employee, dependent companions should present a prison report certificates from any nation they’ve been current in because the age of 18 for 12 months or extra (whether or not constantly or in whole) within the 10 years earlier than the appliance. The one exception to that is the place the dependent associate may give a passable clarification of why they’re unable to acquire a prison report certificates from the nation.

Paragraph SW16.1 covers all kinds of jobs together with medical practitioners, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, social staff, lecturers, health instructors and human assets officers. These occupation codes additionally cowl associated roles; the record of eligible occupations and codes supplies a extra detailed breakdown.

8. Can Expert Employee Dependents Apply from Contained in the UK?

Dependents can apply from inside the UK, offered that they maintain permission to reside within the UK aside from as a Customer, Quick-term scholar, Guardian of a Baby Scholar, Seasonal Employee, Home Employee in a Personal Family, or Outdoors the Immigration Guidelines. Candidates who maintain permission in any of those classes might be able to apply for entry clearance as an alternative. 

9. Utility Charges for Expert Employee Dependents 2025

Candidates are granted permission consistent with the Expert Employee’s Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS), which signifies that software charges are depending on the sponsorship size, as set out on the CoS. 

Purposes outdoors the UK value £769 per applicant if the CoS is issued for lower than three years, or £1,519 per applicant if the CoS is issued for greater than three years. 

Purposes contained in the UK value £885 per applicant if the CoS is issued for lower than three years, or £1,751 per applicant if the CoS is issued for greater than three years. 

Nevertheless, if the Expert Employee’s job is on the Immigration Wage Checklist, the charges are barely discounted at £590 for permission of as much as three years, and £1,160 for permission of over three years.

Candidates can even must pay the Immigration Well being Surcharge. This may enable entry to the NHS throughout their time within the UK and normally prices £1,035 per yr for adults, and £776 for kids.

10. Processing Instances for Expert Employee Dependent Purposes

The www.gov.uk web site at the moment states that the common resolution time for functions from outdoors of the UK is three weeks from the date of offering biometric info, while functions from contained in the UK take as much as eight weeks.

11. Settlement Eligibility for Dependents of Expert Employees

Dependents of Expert Employees are eligible to use for settlement on the identical time, or after the Expert Employee. Candidates should present that they’ve accomplished 5 years of steady residence within the UK on this route. 

Dependents aged between 18 to 65 can even want to satisfy the English Language and Life within the UK necessities. See our article Settlement as a Expert Employee/Tier 2 Dependent for extra info on settlement as a Expert Employee Dependent.

For professional recommendation and help in relation to an software because the dependent of a Expert Employee please contact our immigration barristers in London on 0203 617 9173 or through the enquiry kind under.

13. Often Requested Questions

Who qualifies as a dependent of a Expert Employee?

Dependent candidates have to be the associate or baby of a Expert Employee who already holds, or is making use of for, permission beneath the Expert Employee route. Companions will be married, in a civil partnership, or single companions who’ve been in a relationship much like marriage for at the least two years. Youngsters should usually be beneath 18 when making use of, although these already dependent earlier than turning 18 can prolong their permission.

What are the eligibility necessities for dependent companions of Expert Employees?

Companions should both apply similtaneously the Expert Employee, or after they’ve obtained permission. Companions have to be at the least 18 years outdated and in a real and subsisting relationship with the Expert Employee. Single companions should normally present two years of cohabitation, except there are good causes for not having lived collectively. All companions should intend to dwell collectively within the UK. The place relevant, companions could also be required to supply a TB check certificates. The monetary requirement should even be met. 

What are the eligibility necessities for dependent kids of Expert Employees?

Youngsters should both apply similtaneously the Expert Employee, or after they’ve obtained permission. Youngsters have to be beneath 18 once they first apply as a dependent, and people aged 16 or over should not be married or dwelling independently. The kid’s different father or mother should normally be making use of on the identical time or have already got permission to stay within the UK, except one of many restricted exceptions applies (for instance, the place the Expert Employee has sole duty).  Ample lodging and care should even be obtainable for the kid. The place relevant, kids could also be required to supply a TB check certificates. The monetary requirement should even be met. 

Can all Expert Employees carry dependents to the UK?

No. Solely Expert Employees in eligible occupations listed in Tables 1, 2, or 3 of Appendix Expert Occupations might carry dependents. Care staff and senior care staff usually can not carry dependents except they have been sponsored earlier than 11 March 2024, and transitional preparations apply.

What’s the monetary requirement for Expert Employee dependents?

Candidates should present that they’ve held the next funds for at the least 28 days: £285 for a dependent associate, £315 for the primary dependent baby, and £200 for every further baby. These funds are along with the Expert Employee’s personal upkeep requirement of £1,270. Alternatively, the sponsor can certify upkeep for dependents.

Are there particular guidelines for dependents switching from a Scholar visa?

Sure. Dependents who at the moment maintain, or final held, permission as a Scholar can solely swap if they’ve accomplished their course, or, within the case of a PhD scholar at a compliant increased training supplier, accomplished at the least 24 months of examine.

Do dependent companions want to supply a prison report certificates?

Sure, if the Expert Employee is sponsored for sure roles listed in paragraph SW16.1 of Appendix Expert Employee, corresponding to medical doctors, nurses, social staff, lecturers, or HR officers. Certificates should cowl any nation the associate has lived in for 12 months or extra up to now 10 years.

Can Expert Employee dependents apply from contained in the UK?

Sure, offered they don’t seem to be within the UK as a Customer, Quick-term Scholar, Guardian of a Baby Scholar, Seasonal Employee, Home Employee in a Personal Family, or with permission outdoors the Immigration Guidelines. These in these classes should apply from outdoors the UK.

How a lot are the Expert Employee Dependent Visa charges in 2025?

Utility charges depend upon the size of the Expert Employee’s Certificates of Sponsorship. For functions outdoors the UK, charges are £769 (as much as three years) or £1,519 (greater than three years). For functions contained in the UK, charges are £885 or £1,751. Discounted charges apply if the Expert Employee’s job is on the Immigration Wage Checklist. The Immigration Well being Cost can also be payable.

When can dependents of Expert Employees apply for settlement?

Dependent companions can apply for settlement after 5 years of steady residence within the UK as dependents of a Expert Employee. Dependent kids can apply with their mother and father. Grownup dependents aged 18 to 65 should additionally meet the English language and Life within the UK necessities.