Do you qualify?
- You hold a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa as a care worker or senior care worker
- You’ve held that permission continuously since before 11 March 2024
- Your partner or child meets the relationship and maintenance requirements
Documents you'll need
| Document | Details | Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Passports | For you and each family member | Required |
| Your visa history | Grant letters showing when you first came into the care worker route | Required |
| Relationship evidence | Marriage or civil partnership certificate, or evidence of living together for two years; birth certificates for children | Required |
| Financial evidence | Bank statements, unless you’ve been in the UK for 12 months or your sponsor certifies maintenance | Required |
| Application forms | Completed and checked by us before submission | We prepare |
We give you a full checklist for your circumstances at your consultation.
The 11 March 2024 rule
From 11 March 2024, people newly sponsored as care workers or senior care workers can’t bring dependants. This applies whether they came from overseas or switched into care work from inside the UK.
If you were already in the route before that date, you’re protected. You can usually keep your family with you, extend their visas when you extend yours, and bring dependants who haven’t joined you yet, as long as your permission has been continuous.
If you came into the route after 11 March 2024
Your partner and children generally can’t apply as your dependants. Switching visa route doesn’t restore that right. There may still be other options, such as your partner qualifying for a visa in their own right, or a child born in the UK applying in some circumstances. We look at your family’s situation and tell you honestly what’s possible.
Extending your family’s visas
Dependants who are already here usually apply to extend at the same time as you. Each family member makes their own application and pays their own fees, including the Immigration Health Surcharge. We prepare the applications together so the dates and evidence line up. See care worker visa extensions.
How we help
- Check your eligibility and confirm the right route at your consultation
- Give you a personalised document checklist
- Prepare and complete your application forms
- Review all evidence against the current rules before submission
- Keep you updated until you have a decision
Fees and timescales
Our fee is agreed before we start. See our fees. Government fees are paid separately, and are listed on GOV.UK.
Common questions
Can a care worker bring a spouse to the UK?
Only if the care worker has held care worker permission continuously since before 11 March 2024, in most cases.
My family is already here. Can they extend?
Usually yes, if you were in the route before 11 March 2024 and have had no gap in your permission. They normally extend alongside you.
Can my dependants work?
Yes. Dependants of sponsored workers can work in almost any job without needing their own sponsor.