Apply as a Parent of a British Child 5 Years Route 2026

The Parent of a British Child 5 Years route is a UK immigration pathway that allows a parent to live in the UK based on their relationship with a British or settled child, leading to settlement after five years.

Quick Overview: Parent of a British Child 5 Years Route

The Parent of a British Child 5 Years route allows a non-British parent to live in the UK if they have an active role in their British or settled child’s upbringing and are not in a relationship with the child’s other parent.

Key points:

• Your child must be under 18 and British or settled in the UK
• You must have sole parental responsibility or direct, in-person access
• You must show adequate maintenance without public funds
• You must meet the English language requirement (A1)
• The visa is granted for 2 years and 9 months, extendable
• After 5 continuous years, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

This route is governed by Appendix FM of the UK Immigration Rules and is commonly used following relationship breakdown or separation. 

For expert immigration advice, call our solicitors on +441614644140 or email info@deluxelawchambers.co.uk.

What Is the Parent of a British Child Visa?

This visa is for parents who want to live in the UK to care for their British or settled child. You cannot be in a relationship with the child’s other parent to qualify for this route.

Key benefits:

• Stay in the UK for 2 years and 9 months initially
• Work without restrictions
• Extend your visa and apply for settlement after 5 years
• Eventually apply for British citizenship

Table of Contents

Can You Apply?

Your child must

Your child needs to be living in the UK and be one of the following:

• A British citizen
• An Irish citizen
• Have indefinite leave to remain
• Have EU settled or pre-settled status (arrived before 1 January 2021)
• Have lived in the UK continuously for 7 years (if applying from inside the UK)

Your child must be under 18 when you apply. They cannot be married or living independently.

You must

You need to show that you have parental responsibility for your child. This means either:

Sole parental responsibility: You make all the important decisions about your child’s care and upbringing because the other parent is not involved.

Shared parental responsibility: You share responsibility with the other parent, but:

• They cannot be your partner
• They must be British, Irish or settled in the UK
• You must have regular, in-person contact with your child
• You must play an active role in raising your child

If you’re eligible for a partner visa, you must apply for that instead of this visa.

What Evidence Do You Need?

1. Proof of your involvement in your child’s life

The Home Office wants to see official documents from the last 4 years that prove you’re actively involved in your child’s upbringing.

Strong evidence includes:

• Letters from your child’s school confirming you attend parents’ evenings or drop-offs
• Letters from your child’s GP, dentist or health visitor about attending appointments
• Council letters about your child’s education sent to your address
• Court orders showing your parental responsibility (you need court permission to use these)

Alternative evidence:

• Solicitor-drafted parental agreement signed by both parents
• HMRC letters about Child Tax Credit claims
• Social services documents about your contact with your child

Photos, birthday cards, text messages and social media posts won’t strengthen your application.

2. English language ability

You must prove you can speak and understand basic English at A1 level.

Three ways to prove this:

Pass an approved test

Book a Secure English Language Test (SELT) with:

• IELTS for UKVI
• Trinity College London
• Pearson PTE Academic UKVI
• LanguageCert
• PSI Services (UK) Ltd

Tests cost £150-£200 and certificates are valid for 2 years. You’ll need A2 level for extensions and B1 level for settlement after 5 years.

Have a qualifying degree

You can use a UK bachelor’s degree or higher, or an overseas degree that Ecctis confirms was taught in English and meets UK standards.

Be from an English-speaking country

You’re automatically exempt if you’re a national of: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, or the USA.

You don’t need to prove English if you’re:

• 65 or older
• Unable to take the test due to a physical or mental disability
• Already in the UK on a family visa for 5 years

3. Financial ability to support yourself

You must show you can afford to live without claiming benefits. The Home Office checks whether your income minus your housing costs covers your basic living expenses.

What you need to provide:

• Bank statements for the last 6 months
• Recent payslips
• Tenancy agreement or mortgage statement
• Evidence of any savings

There’s no set minimum income. The caseworker will assess whether you can reasonably support yourself and any dependants.

Important exception: If your child is British, Irish, or has lived in the UK for 7 years, you may still qualify even if you can’t meet the financial requirement.

4. Suitable accommodation

You need to prove you have adequate housing that isn’t overcrowded.

Evidence required:

• Tenancy agreement or mortgage statement
• Letter from your landlord confirming the arrangement
• Council tax bill or utility bills in your name

5. Your relationship with your child

You’ll need your child’s birth certificate showing you as a parent. If the birth wasn’t registered within a year, you may need DNA test results.

If you have shared parental responsibility, provide:

• Court-ordered contact arrangements, or
• A written agreement from the other parent or carer, or
• A solicitor-drafted parental agreement

How Much Does It Cost?

Application fees

Applying from outside the UK:

• Visa fee: £1,938
• Health surcharge: £3,105 (for 33 months)
• Total: £5,043

Applying from inside the UK:

• Visa fee: £1,321
• Health surcharge: £2,587.50 (for 30 months)
• Total: £3,908.50

Extension after 2-3 years:

• Visa fee: £1,321
• Health surcharge: £2,587.50
• Total: £3,908.50

Settlement after 5 years:

• £2,885 (rising to £3,029 from 9 April 2026)

Additional costs

• English language test: £150-£200
• Document translation: £30-£100 per document
• TB test: £75-£150 (if required for your country)
• Priority service: £500 for 5-day decision
• Super priority service: £1,000 for next-day decision

Fees are non-refundable if your application is refused.

How to Apply

Step 1: Prepare your documents

You’ll need:

• Your valid passport and previous passports
• Your child’s birth certificate
• Your child’s British passport or proof of settled status
• Evidence of your active role (school letters, medical letters, council correspondence)
• English language test certificate or degree
• 6 months’ bank statements
• Payslips or proof of income
• Tenancy agreement or mortgage documents
• TB test certificate (if required)

All non-English documents need professional certified translation.

Step 2: Apply online

From outside the UK:

1. Complete the online application on the UK Visas and Immigration website
2. Fill in Appendix 5 (Access Rights to Child form)
3. Pay your fees
4. Book your appointment at a visa application centre

From inside the UK:

1. Apply online at gov.uk
2. Pay your fees
3. Book your appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services centre

Step 3: Attend your appointment

Give your fingerprints and photo. Submit your documents or upload them digitally. Keep your appointment confirmation.

Step 4: Wait for a decision

Processing times:

• Outside UK: around 12 weeks
• Inside UK: currently up to 12 months
• Priority service: 5 working days (costs extra £500)
• Super priority: next working day (costs extra £1,000)

You might be asked for more information or invited to an interview.

Step 5: Receive your decision

If approved:

• Outside UK: You’ll get a visa sticker valid for 90 days to enter, then collect your residence permit within 10 days of arrival
• Inside UK: Your residence permit arrives by post or you collect it from a Post Office

If refused:

• Read the refusal reasons carefully
• Consider asking for an administrative review
• Get legal advice about your options

Extending Your Visa

Apply before your current visa expires (we recommend 28 days before). You’ll need to:

• Show you still meet all the requirements
• Prove your continued involvement in your child’s life
• Pass an A2 level English test (one level higher than A1)
• Pay the extension fees of £3,908.50

Don’t let your visa expire. If it runs out before you can apply for settlement, you’ll need to extend first.

Switching From Other Routes

From the 10-year route to 5-year route

If you’re on the parent visa 10-year route, you can switch to the faster 5-year route anytime if you meet the requirements. This gets you to settlement quicker.

From partner visa to parent visa

If you’re on a partner visa and your relationship breaks down, you can switch to a parent visa without leaving the UK, provided you have a British child here and meet the other requirements.

Getting Permanent Settlement (ILR)

After 5 continuous years on this visa, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which gives you the right to live permanently in the UK.

Requirements for ILR:

• You’ve been in the UK for 5 years on this visa
• You haven’t spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any year
• Your child was under 18 when you got your first parent visa
• Your child hasn’t married or started living independently
• You pass a B1 level English test
• You pass the Life in the UK test (costs £50)
• You have no serious criminal convictions

Apply no more than 28 days before you complete 5 years. The fee is £2,885 (£3,029 from 9 April 2026).

Important warning: The government is consulting on major changes to ILR requirements from April 2026. These may include:

• Higher English requirement (B2 level)
• Proof of earnings of £12,570 for several years
• Longer qualifying periods (possibly 10 years instead of 5)

If you’re approaching your 5-year mark, speak to an immigration solicitor about applying before these changes take effect.

Path to British Citizenship

After holding ILR for 12 months, you can apply for British citizenship if you want to.

Requirements:

• You’ve had ILR for at least 12 months
• You’ve lived in the UK for at least 5 years
• You’ve passed the Life in the UK test
• You meet the B1 English requirement
• You have no serious criminal record
• You plan to continue living in the UK

The naturalisation fee is £1,605.

Adding Your Other Children

You can include your other children as dependants if they:

• Are under 18 when you apply (or were under 18 when first granted leave)
• Will live with you
• Aren’t married or in a civil partnership
• Aren’t living independently

Each child costs the same as the main application.

Can You Get Help With Fees?

You might not have to pay if you:

• Don’t have anywhere to live and can’t afford it
• Can’t afford basic living costs like food or heating
• Have very low income and paying would harm your child

Apply for a fee waiver before submitting your visa application.

Why Applications Get Refused

Common refusal reasons:

• Weak evidence of your involvement in your child’s life
• English test from wrong provider or expired certificate
• Insufficient proof you can support yourself
• Unsuitable or overcrowded accommodation
• Missing or incorrectly translated documents
• Criminal record or previous immigration breaches
• Providing false information

How to avoid refusal:

• Use strong, recent evidence from official sources
• Double-check your English test is from an approved provider
• Make sure your financial evidence is complete and clear
• Get all non-English documents professionally translated
• Answer all questions honestly and accurately
• Get legal advice if your case is complicated

Recent Changes for 2026

New suitability rules

All family visa applications now follow stricter character requirements. The Home Office will look more closely at your immigration history. Overstaying or breaking visa conditions can lead to refusal.

Electronic Travel Authorisation

From February 2026, most visitors to the UK need an ETA before travelling. This doesn’t affect you if you have a parent visa.

Proposed settlement changes

The government is consulting on major changes that could make it harder to get ILR from April 2026. The consultation closes on 12 February 2026.

What this means for you: If you’re close to completing 5 years, consider applying for ILR before April 2026 to avoid stricter rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Parent of a British Child 5 Years Visa Route: How Deluxe Law Chambers Can Help

At Deluxe Law Chambers, we help parents navigate the visa process successfully. Our experienced immigration solicitors:

• Assess your eligibility and advise on the best approach
• Prepare comprehensive applications with strong supporting evidence
• Review all your documents to ensure they meet Home Office requirements
• Handle complex cases including relationship breakdowns and appeals
• Keep you updated on changing immigration rules
• Provide honest advice about your chances of success

We’ve helped many parents secure visas and settlement in the UK. Our fixed-fee consultations give you clear, practical advice without hidden costs.

Get in touch today:

• Call: +441614644140
• Email: info@deluxelawchambers.co.uk
• Book online: Visit our website for a detailed immigration consultation

Don’t risk refusal by applying alone. Professional advice increases your chances of success and gives you peace of mind throughout the process.

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