If you are coming to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, it is natural to want your partner and children to join you as smoothly as possible. In many cases, dependant applications are perfectly achievable, but delays often happen for practical reasons rather than because the family is not eligible. The most common issues are poor timing, confusion about maintenance, and document packs that leave obvious questions unanswered.
For families, that matters because a delay does not just affect paperwork. It can affect housing plans, school arrangements, travel dates, and the emotional pressure of trying to settle into life in the UK while part of the family is still waiting.
A well-prepared application is usually less about saying more and more about making sure the evidence is consistent, current, and easy for a caseworker to follow. That practical, solution-focused approach is very much in line with the tone of Garth Coates Solicitors, where the emphasis is usually on clear advice and careful preparation rather than unnecessary drama.
When should your dependants apply?
Your partner and children do not have to apply on the exact same day as you. They can often apply with you, after you, or later, depending on your circumstances. GOV.UK states that each dependant must make a separate application. If you are extending or switching, your dependant can apply at the same time as you or at any point before their own current permission expires.
If they apply separately, they may need your application number, and they may also be able to use a family linking code to connect the applications.
In straightforward cases, applying together can make the overall picture easier to present. It can also help with practical planning, especially if you want everyone to travel together and start life in the UK at the same time. But separate applications can still work well.
You may prefer to travel first, begin work, arrange accommodation, and then have your family join you once everything is in place. Where the timing is split, it often helps to explain the reason clearly in a brief covering letter, especially if the gap is likely to raise questions.
The article on how to write an immigration cover letter that works is a useful starting point if you are dealing with unusual timing or a slightly messy document history.
One point that now needs extra care is eligibility for dependants in certain occupations. GOV.UK currently states that care workers and senior care workers can only sponsor dependants in limited situations, such as where the worker has been continuously employed in that route since before 11 March 2024.
GOV.UK also states that workers in jobs listed as “medium skilled” can only sponsor dependants in limited circumstances, including where they have been continuously employed in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa and in a medium skilled job since before 22 July 2025, alongside a small number of exceptions. That means timing is not just an administrative issue. In some cases, it goes directly to eligibility.
What timing mistakes tend to cause delays?
Most delays are not caused by one dramatic error. They usually happen because several smaller points have not been lined up properly.
Common examples include:
- Applications are submitted separately but not linked correctly
- Biometrics are booked late, which pushes the decision date back
- A dependant tries to switch in-country from a route that does not allow switching
- A family assumes a child’s permission will automatically extend when the main applicant extends
- A separate application is filed without explaining why the family is not applying together
Processing times also need to be understood realistically. GOV.UK says that dependants applying from outside the UK will usually get a decision within 3 weeks once they have applied online, proved their identity, and provided their documents.
Dependants applying from inside the UK to extend or switch will usually get a decision within 8 weeks after those steps are complete. Faster services may be available in some cases, but you should not build your whole family plan around the shortest possible turnaround.
The guide on biometrics, appointments, and document submission is helpful if you want a clearer picture of what happens after submission.
Maintenance: where many families slip up
Maintenance is one of the most misunderstood parts of the dependant process. GOV.UK currently says that the required funds are £285 for a partner, £315 for one child, and £200 for each additional child. These funds usually need to be held for 28 consecutive days, with day 28 falling within 31 days of the application date.
The rules sound simple, but problems happen when families use bank statements that are too old, count the 28-day period incorrectly, or rely on an account that briefly dipped below the required amount.
Another common misunderstanding is assuming that sponsor certification has taken care of everything when the certificate of sponsorship does not actually confirm maintenance in the right section. GOV.UK states that, where the sponsor is covering costs, the certificate must confirm this.
The main Skilled Worker guidance also points to the “sponsor certifies maintenance” section under additional data.
There are important exemptions. Dependants do not usually need to show funds if everyone has already been in the UK lawfully for at least 12 months. GOV.UK also says that dependants applying at a different time only need to prove funds if they have been in the UK for less than 1 year.
If your employer is supposed to certify maintenance, it is worth checking that the paperwork actually says so. That is one reason employer-side processes such as sponsor licence compliance and sponsor duties and compliance can matter to family applications as well.
You should also budget for the wider cost of the application. GOV.UK currently states that the Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year for most visa applicants and £776 per year for applicants under 18. GOV.UK also states that the standard Skilled Worker application fee is currently £819 for applications made outside the UK for up to 3 years and £1,618 for more than 3 years, while in-country applications are £943 for up to 3 years and £1,865 for more than 3 years.
If your job is on the immigration salary list, lower fees apply. Dependants pay the fee for the same length of permission as the main applicant.
Common documentation gaps that delay families
For partners, the main issue is usually proving that the relationship meets the rules in a way that is easy to follow. GOV.UK states that you must be able to prove that you are in a recognised marriage or civil partnership, that you have lived together in a relationship for at least 2 years, or that you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years but cannot live together for an acceptable reason.
Where you are not living together, GOV.UK says you need evidence of ongoing commitment, such as regular communication, financial support, shared care of children, or time spent together.
Common partner-document issues include:
- Marriage certificates are uploaded without a proper translation
- Cohabitation evidence only covers part of the claimed period
- Different addresses appear across documents without explanation
- Relationship evidence is uploaded in a random way that tells no clear story
- The application says the couple cannot live together, but the reason is not explained properly
For children, problems usually arise around evidence of parentage, residence, or dependency. GOV.UK states that a dependant child can include a child under 18, including one born in the UK during your stay, and in some cases a child over 18 who already has permission as your dependant.
GOV.UK also states that if a child is born in the UK during your stay, you must apply for a dependant visa before they turn 18 if you want them to stay in the UK in that capacity, and you will need a full UK birth certificate showing both parents’ names.
Common child-document issues include:
- Missing full birth certificates
- Weak evidence showing where the child actually lives
- No explanation where one parent is not applying
- Missing documents about parental responsibility in more complex family arrangements
- Assuming a child over 18 can be added fresh as a dependant when the rules are narrower than that
A practical way to reduce delays
Before submitting, it is worth checking each file as if you were seeing it for the first time.
A sensible checklist would include:
- Confirm that passports are valid and match the application details
- Confirm that maintenance evidence meets the exact timing rule
- Confirm that every non-English document has a proper translation
- Confirm that relationship evidence is consistent from start to finish
- Confirm that children’s documents clearly show parentage and dependency
- Confirm that any unusual point is explained in a short covering letter
- Confirm that biometrics and uploads are completed promptly
If your case also involves sponsor-side concerns, previous refusals, or future settlement planning, it can help to read around the wider route. Useful related pages include right to work checks, Skilled Worker visa refusals, switching to a Skilled Worker visa, ILR for Skilled Workers, and visa refusals support.
Final thought
A Skilled Worker dependant application is rarely delayed because one family forgot a single document and nothing else. More often, delays happen because the overall picture is unclear. If you get the timing right, understand the maintenance rules properly, and provide a document pack that answers the obvious questions before they are asked, you put your family in a much stronger position from the outset.
