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Dependants

Important Update: Please note that there recently has been a significant change to the UK immigration rules regarding the eligibility of students to bring dependants to the UK for courses that start on or after 1 January 2024. Please see further details below. 

It may be possible for you to bring family members (dependants) with you to the UK when you come to study at Brunel University London with a Student visa. However, this will depend on your immigration status and the type of course that you will be studying.

Can I bring my dependants with me to the UK with my Student visa?

You will be eligible to bring certain family members with you to the UK if:

  • You are being sponsored to study by your home government and your course is more than six months long OR;

  • You will be studying on a designated research degree course - typically a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Research (MRes) or a Master of Philospohy (MPhil) programme. Unfortunately, the recent rule changes mean that postgraduate taught students are no longer eligible to bring dependants to the UK, unless being government sponsored. 

  • If your current or most recent immigration permission was as a Student for a course of more than six months and your relevant family members have current or recent dependant immigration status, it may be possible to apply for another dependant visa/s. This depends on certain other circumstances – please read the relevant paragraphs of the UK Immigration Rules for the dependants of students (28.1 - 39.3) for further details of this. 

Students who are studying in the UK for less than six months cannot bring dependants to the UK in any circumstances. 

How and where can my dependants make their application to come to the UK?

If you are already in the UK on a Student visa, your dependants can apply from their home country to join you in the UK. However, if you are in the same country as your family members, you can make your visa applications at the same time.

If your family members are outside of the UK, the application form can be found at the UKVI website

Just like in your own Student visa application, there are finance requirements that each dependant must meet.

For further details about making a student dependant visa application and the requirements, please refer to the UKVI Policy Guidance (this is the same document as for making a Student visa application). This should be reviewed carefully before making the application/s.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) also has a useful guide for dependants available on their website.

Who can be my dependants?

Only the following family members can be classified as dependants:

  • Your partner – this can be your husband/wife, civil partner or an unmarried or same-sex partner who you have been living with in a relationship for at least two years. In these cases, you must both be aged at least 18. 

  • Your child/children – they must be aged under 18 and must not have formed an ‘independent life or family unit.’ Please refer to the policy guidance for further details of this.

In the case of children, it is a requirement that both parents must be coming to the UK to be eligible to apply for a dependant visa. The only exceptions to this are if one of the parents has died or one parent has sole responsibility for the child.

Financial Requirements

As with your Student application, each of your dependants will also have to meet financial requirements as part of their dependant visa application. Please refer to the policy guidance for more information.

Brunel University is based in London, so each dependant will need to evidence funds of £845 per month for each month of leave (visa) that will be granted, up to a maximum of nine months (9 x £845 = £7,605).

The documentation requirements for dependants are largely similar to what you would have to supply in your Student visa application (as outlined on our website). But please refer to the guidance above for full details.