Family Visitors
Inviting your family to visit you in the UK
Whether you have indefinite leave to remain in the UK or have a temporary status as a student or worker, you may invite your family members to visit you.
You will have to be as precise as possible about the proposed duration of their visit and show how the trip will be funded. If you are providing accommodation and maintenance for your family members, it is recommended that you provide bank statements covering not less than three months to show the funds and confirm in a letter of invitation what kind of accommodation you will offer your visitors.
It is good practice to provide evidence of relationship such as birth certificates if you are closely related.
Your visitors will also need to provide evidence of their social and economic ties to the country of origin and prove as far as possible intention to return home.
Due to hostile environment, this may be particularly burdensome for visitors from the so called “high risk”
countries or for retired and single people who have stronger family ties with the UK than the country where they live.
It is important that your family visitors are not invited for any specific household chore such as looking after a child or domestic work.
Normally, good immigration history is indicative of intention to comply with the rules and it is very important that your first application for a visitor visa is successful. It will clear the way for the subsequent applications as long as you do not stay in the UK longer than indicated in the application form and fully comply with the conditions of stay.
There is no requirement for family visitors to have travel insurance but it is highly recommended as visitors are not allowed to use the NHS and private treatment in the UK may be very expensive.
