Family Reunion Application For UK Asylum

Please note, if the applicant did not form a family unit with the person settled in the UK before they left their country, or the applicant is not eligible, they must apply for another visa to join them in the UK.

The applicant will also not be able to join their family member if the person in the UK:

• Has not received a decision on their asylum claim
• Is under 18 years old

Often applications are refused because they have not provided appropriate identification or they were not mentioned in the initial asylum claim made by the settled refugee in the UK.

Please note, the Family Reunion visa does not apply to relatives abroad that are not classed as immediate, for example, siblings, parents or children over 18 years old. These family members must apply through other applications.

In order to apply for a Family Reunion visa, you must provide personal documents for the person who is applying as well as evidence to show that your family is related to you. Each family member must make separate applications.

Typically, partner applications are refused because the couple cannot prove they were lawfully married before the refugee left the country of origin or in a genuine relationship.

The applicant must provide:

• Biometric information taken at a Visa Application Centre, which includes fingerprints and facial photographs
• Identity documents of the refugee settled in the UK and the family member, for example, passport or national identity card

As part of the application process, the Home Office asks that the applicant includes as many of the following documents as possible to confirm their relationship with the person granted refugee status:

• Marriage certificates or marriage ceremony documents
• Documents relating to accommodation or joint purchases
• Birth certificates or other documents proving parental relationship, for example, baptism certificates, taskeras or adoption paperwork
• Original letter from UKVI or Immigration Enforcement confirming the person settled in the UK has leave and status in the UK
• Information already given at any interviews with the Home Office during the asylum application process of the refugee in the UK. For example, the asylum interview, Statement of Evidence form or screening interview
• Family photographs or copies of phone messages to show ongoing family relationships
• Communication records, for example, telephone records, emails, letters or social media messages
• Proof of financial support, for example, money transfer receipts
• Some applicants choose to have DNA tests; this is optional and done at personal cost
• Written statements from the applicant and settled refugee
• A valid tuberculosis (TB) certificate for 6 months before their application (only for applicants applying from outside the UK if they have been living in one of the countries listed under ‘Immigration Rules Appendix T’ available on the gov.uk website)

In addition to the above documents, the family must prove their relationship will continue and they intend to live permanently with each other in the UK. Where a family has been separated for a long time or have not been in contact with one another, this can be a problem.

Any evidence of phone records, letters, cards, text messages, video call logs and any evidence of financial support can help to prove the relationship is genuine and means to continue.

An application must be submitted for each individual applying for a Family Reunion visa, including eligible children.

Evidence must be provided to prove the child’s relationship with the parent settled in the UK, as included in the required documents section above. Applicants could include any number of documents to support their relationship.

Children Who Have Formed a Separate Family Unit

Part of the eligibility criteria for children is that they:

• Were a part of the family unit when the family was separated by one or both of the parents becoming refugees
• Have not formed a separate family unit

However, there may be cases where a child is a part of two family units if their parents are divorced and they are in regular contact with both parents, or if a child under the age of 18 years old is a parent themselves.

Additional evidence will have to be submitted for consideration to show the relationship and dependency between the settled refugee parent in the UK and the child applicant, and to show that the child has not formed their own independent family unit.

For additional information and support with Family Reunion visa applications, there are a number of charities that can offer support, for example:

• The British Red Cross
• GMIAU
• Sheffield Hallam Refugee Rights Hub
• RLAP
• Notre Dame Refugee Centre
• Other charities operating in your region

Newcastle Immigration Lawyers are also able to support applicants at any stage of their application process. Call us on 0191 303 8965, or contact us online today.

Fees

There is no fee for applying for a Refugee Family Reunion visa.

There is no fee for refugee family reunion applicants to use a Visa Application Centre or the UKVI Service and Support Centre.

There may be possible costs when applying for passports, translating documents, DNA and TB tests, travel costs to the Visa Application Centre or travel costs to the UK.

Processing Time

The family reunion process takes at least 3 months. The UK government website suggests if the applicant has not heard back after 9 months that they contact the UK Immigration and Visas team for help.

Newcastle Immigration Lawyers is also available to help with applications that have not yet received a decision. Call us on 0191 303 8965, or contact us online if you would like support with your visa application.

When an asylum seeker applies for asylum in the UK, they are able to include a partner or children under 18 years old in their application as ‘dependents’.

Please note, there are some important restrictions and eligibility criteria separate to the Family Reunion visa that must be adhered to in order to support a UK asylum application.

Illegal Migration Bill 2023

Since the Illegal Migration Bill passed in July 2023, it is especially important that all asylum seekers pursue safe and legal routes to the UK. Anyone arriving to the UK illegally will be detained and removed and will have no right to re-entry, settlement or citizenship.

For specialist information on the asylum seeking process for the UK, please don’t hesitate to contact Newcastle Immigration Lawyers. Call us on 0191 303 8965, or contact us online today.

Family members who have successfully been granted a Family Reunion visa will be allowed to come to or stay in the UK with the same permission as the family member with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK.

If the applicant has applied from outside of the UK, they will typically have 90 days to travel to the UK.