HomeFamily & Partner VisasAdult Dependent Relative
Adult dependent relative visas
For a parent or relative abroad who needs long-term personal care that only family in the UK can provide. It is one of the most demanding routes in the Immigration Rules, so we assess the case plainly before you spend anything on it.
Written by Dipendra Fakira, Supervising Immigration Caseworker · Reviewed by Georgette Thomas, Principal Solicitor · Last reviewed 12 July 2026
At a glance
Home Office fee
Home Office publishes current fees
Decision time
Priority service not available
Care test
Unavailable or unaffordable at home
Length of grant
ILR granted immediately on success
Home Office fees and thresholds change - check gov.uk for the current figures. We confirm them in writing when we quote you.
Who can sponsor a relative
The applicant must be 18 or over and sponsored by a relative in the UK who is a British citizen, settled here, holds protection status or has permission to reside under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Most applications are made by parents, but grandparents, siblings and adult children can apply where the relationship and the care needs are made out.
What you must demonstrate
the relative needs long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks, because of age, illness or disability.
that care is not available or not affordable in the country where they live, even with help from the sponsor.
the sponsor can maintain, accommodate and care for them in the UK without claiming public funds.
medical reports, evidence of what care exists locally and what it costs, and the sponsor's finances.
Why we assess before you apply
The Home Office refuses a high proportion of adult dependent relative applications because the care test is deliberately strict. A refusal costs the application fee and months of waiting, and it sits on the record for any future attempt.
So we start with the merits. If the evidence is not there yet, we say so and tell you what would change the position - which is a much cheaper conversation than a refusal.
What it costs
| Service | Our fixed fee |
|---|---|
Full application package Merits assessment, care and finance evidence, forms, submission and updates until the Home Office decision | £3,069.60 + VAT |
Single services Application checking, form filling, document perusal, one hour of general advice | £358.33–£936 + VAT |
Initial advice A plain assessment of the case before you spend anything else | from £50 + VAT |
Four tips for the Adult Dependent Relative visa
Adult Dependent Relative questions
A parent, grandparent, brother, sister or adult child aged 18 or over of a British citizen or person settled in the UK, who requires long-term personal care that is not available or affordable in their home country.
The evidence bar is high. You must show the applicant needs long-term personal care because of age, illness or disability; that this care cannot be reasonably obtained in the country where they live, either because it is not available or because it is not affordable. Refusal rates are high and appeals are common.
Independent medical evidence describing the condition, the level of care required, and why the applicant cannot perform everyday tasks alone. A GP letter alone is rarely enough - specialist reports carry more weight.
Country evidence on the state of care provision, the cost of professional care, the availability of family who could realistically provide it. This is often the hardest limb to evidence. We help build the country and market evidence.
As a minimum, a written undertaking to maintain, accommodate and care for the applicant without recourse to public funds for at least five years. You must have adequate accommodation and income - the Home Office will scrutinise both.
Successful applicants are granted indefinite leave to remain immediately - no probationary period. If you already qualify, you settle straight away. That is one reason why the eligibility test is so strict.
There is a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal on human rights grounds. Article 8 arguments about family life are central. Appeals succeed where medical, country and financial evidence is thorough and consistent.
Start with the assessment, not the application
Book an initial consultation, from £50 + VAT. We will tell you plainly how strong the case is and what evidence it would need before you commit to anything.