Dependent Visa Guidance Your Family Can Trust
- 350+ Family Files
- 2025-26 Rules Verified
- Honest Eligibility Checks
Every application is checked against the latest immigration guidance for the destination country before submission.
- Relationship verification
- Sponsor eligibility
- Required documentation
- Financial evidence review
350+
Family files
4
Country routes
10+
Years since 2015
2
Gujarat offices
Check Your Family Visa Eligibility
Answer five quick questions for an instant route-readiness indicator. It is not a visa decision, approval prediction or guarantee — only the immigration authority decides — but it shows whether a route looks open for your family and what to prepare.
Can I Bring My Family?
It depends on YOUR status — student, worker, PR or citizen. Start there, and we map the exact route for your spouse and children.
Student
Depends on the level. UK: only PhD / research master's & govt-sponsored. Canada: master's 16+ months, doctoral or select professional. Australia: yes on subclass 500. USA F-1: spouse (F-2) can join but cannot work.
Work-permit holder
Usually yes. UK Skilled Worker, Canada high-skilled (TEER 0/1), Australia and US H-1B (H-4) / L-1 (L-2) all allow a spouse and children — work rights vary by route.
PR holder
Strong position. Permanent residents can typically sponsor a spouse and children, and in several countries parents too — through family-sponsorship routes rather than a temporary dependant visa.
Citizen
The widest options. Citizens can sponsor spouse, children and, in most countries, parents through dedicated family-migration routes. We map the exact route to your relationship.
Who Can Bring Dependants — Country by Country
The honest version, including the routes that recently closed. Verified against official government sources as of 2025-26.
United Kingdom
Tightened for students (Jan 2024)- Skilled Worker route: partner and children under 18 can still apply as dependants, with full work rights.
- Student route: since January 2024, only postgraduate research students (PhD or research-based master's of 9+ months) and government-sponsored students can bring dependants.
- Taught master's and bachelor's students cannot bring a partner or children on the Student route.
- Dependant fees: application fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge per person per year; maintenance funds must be held for 28 consecutive days.
Canada
Tightened for students & workers (Jan 2025)- Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) for students' spouses is now limited to spouses of students in master's programmes of 16+ months, doctoral programmes, or select professional degrees (as of 21 January 2025).
- Spouses of college diploma and most bachelor's students no longer qualify for an open work permit.
- Spouses of foreign workers qualify only when the worker is in a high-skilled occupation (TEER 0/1, plus selected TEER 2/3 roles).
- An approved SOWP still allows full-time work for any employer; children can attend K-12 public school without a separate study permit in most provinces.
Australia
Dependents still permitted on subclass 500- Student visa (subclass 500) holders can include a spouse/de facto partner and dependent children — at lodgement or by subsequent-entrant application later.
- Partner work rights: up to 48 hours per fortnight while the primary student's course is in session — uncapped if the primary is in a research master's or PhD.
- Each dependent pays an additional visa application charge; health insurance (OSHC family cover) is mandatory.
- Dependents may study short courses of up to 3 months; longer study needs their own student visa.
United States
Rules stable — work rights vary by category- H-4 (spouse/children under 21 of H-1B workers): can live and study in the US; work only with an EAD, which is available only in limited cases (e.g. approved I-140).
- F-2 (dependants of F-1 students): spouse cannot work and may only study part-time; children attend school full-time.
- L-2 (dependants of L-1 transferees): spouses are considered work-authorised — the most flexible US dependant category.
- All routes file the DS-160 with biometrics and consulate interview from India; children are separate applications.
Dependent visa rules are among the fastest-changing in immigration — the UK changed student-dependant eligibility in January 2024 and Canada narrowed spousal open work permits in January 2025, with further adjustments since. We re-verify every rule on the official government site at your consultation and again on filing day. When in doubt, check gov.uk, canada.ca, homeaffairs.gov.au or travel.state.gov directly.
Who Can Join You, by Country
Spouse and children can join on study and work routes — but the rules, ages and work rights differ by destination.
| Country | Spouse | Children | Parents | Work rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes — Skilled Worker & research students | Under 18 | Visitor visa only | Full work (most routes) |
| Canada | Yes — work permit varies | Under 22 (dependent) | Visitor / Super Visa | Open work permit if eligible |
| Australia | Yes — subclass 500 | Under 18 | Visitor visa only | 48 hrs/fortnight (uncapped for HDR) |
| United States | Yes — H-4 / F-2 / L-2 | Under 21 | Visitor visa (B-2) only | Varies — L-2 yes, F-2 no, H-4 EAD-only |
Parents are generally not a dependant category on study/work routes — they visit on a visitor visa; citizens & PRs may sponsor parents through separate family-migration routes.
Why Dependent Visas Get Refused — and How We Prevent It
A dependant refusal keeps your family apart and stays on record. Here are the reasons we see most, and exactly how we close each gap before you file.
Missing or weak marriage proof
A relationship-genuineness pack — certificate, photos, joint accounts and communication history — so a recent marriage is never in doubt.
Weak or unseasoned finances
Maintenance funds held exactly as the route requires (e.g. UK 28 consecutive days), with clean statements and ITRs behind them.
Insufficient relationship evidence
We layer documentary + circumstantial proof — joint lease, joint insurance, shared travel — beyond just the certificate.
Incorrect or un-apostilled documents
Certificates apostilled/attested where required, translated correctly, and matched to the consulate's exact format.
Sponsor not actually eligible
We confirm the main applicant's visa level, income and status qualify BEFORE filing — no wasted fees on a closed route.
How a Family File Moves at AEOC
Six connected steps from the eligibility check to post-arrival — one continuous line, one team.
Free eligibility check
Bring the main applicant's visa or admission plus family passports. We confirm — against current rules — whether dependants qualify at all, before anyone spends money.
Filing strategy
Concurrent filing with the main applicant, or follow-to-join later — chosen based on timelines, finances and where the main applicant's own process stands.
Document collection
Marriage and birth certificates, apostilles, address proof and the financial pack — with missing notarisations flagged upfront.
Relationship-genuineness pack
Wedding photos, joint accounts, joint insurance and communication history compiled so the officer never has to guess the marriage is real.
Submission & biometrics
Online filing, fee payment and VFS/VAC appointments for the spouse and each child — everyone briefed on what to carry.
Decision & post-arrival
Visa collection, then a briefing on work-permit timing, school admission for children and local registrations after landing.
Processing Time & Approximate Costs
These are approximate government figures only — the AEOC service fee is quoted after a free eligibility check. All figures change without notice.
| Destination | Approx processing | Govt cost (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ~3 weeks standard (priority faster) | App fee £558 per dependant (same as the student) + IHS £776/yr per person — the discounted student/dependant rate, not the £1,035/yr standard rate. |
| Canada | Often several months — plan ahead | Spouse open work permit CAD 155 + CAD 100 holder fee (or visitor visa CAD 100); biometrics CAD 85 per person, CAD 170 family maximum. |
| Australia | Varies by stream | Base VAC AUD 2,500 per applicant (from 1 Jul 2026) + additional-applicant charge per dependant — child under 18 ~AUD 625; adult partner charge higher (confirm current amount on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au) + OSHC family cover. |
| United States | Consular-appointment dependent | F-2 visa (MRV/DS-160) ~US$185 per person. F-2 dependants pay no separate SEVIS fee — the F-1 principal pays the US$350 I-901 SEVIS fee. |
Government costs above are approximate and change without notice — we reconfirm on the official source before you pay.
The Dependent Visa Document Core
Officers scrutinise relationship evidence hardest — especially for recent marriages. This is what we compile.
Relationship & identity
- Marriage certificate (apostilled where required)
- Birth certificates for each child
- Wedding photos, invitations and joint travel evidence
- Joint bank account, joint insurance or shared-address proof
- Passports for every applicant, plus the main applicant's visa/CAS/CoS/I-20
Financial & supporting
- Maintenance funds held per the route's rules (e.g. UK: 28 consecutive days)
- Main applicant's employment or enrolment evidence
- Sponsor's pay slips or scholarship letters where applicable
- Children's school letters and vaccination records
- Country-specific extras — we issue the exact checklist after the eligibility check
Sponsor Requirements, Children & Proof
Sponsor / main-applicant must show
Valid qualifying visa/status
The route must actually permit dependants
Income / maintenance funds
Held as the route requires (e.g. UK 28 days)
Accommodation
Adequate housing for the family
Employment or enrolment
Job letter / CAS / CoS / I-20 as applicable
Health insurance
IHS, OSHC family cover or equivalent
Can my children come?
- Age limits vary: under 18 (UK, Australia), under 21 (USA), under 22 dependent (Canada).
- Each child is usually a separate application filed alongside the spouse.
- School admission is generally allowed — K-12 public school in most of Canada/US; local schooling in the UK/Australia.
- Documents: birth certificate, passport, the child's own photos and, where asked, consent letters and vaccination records.
Relationship proof we compile
Marriage certificate
Apostilled / attested where required
Wedding photos
Ceremony, family, across dates
Joint bank account
Shared finances over time
Joint lease / address
Cohabitation evidence
Birth certificates
For each child applicant
Communication history
Chats, calls, visits between you
Why Dependent Files Come to Apex
Current rules, not last year's
Dependant rules changed sharply in 2024-25. We verify eligibility against the official source on the day we file — and tell you honestly if a route is closed.
Main applicant and family together
We sequence the main applicant's file and the dependants' files so timelines line up and nobody is left waiting behind.
Marriage proof done right
Recent marriages get extra scrutiny. Our relationship-genuineness pack answers the question before it's asked.
Work-rights briefing per country
You should know before filing what the spouse can and cannot do — full work, capped hours, EAD-only or no work at all.
Children's files in parallel
Birth certificates, school letters and vaccination records handled alongside the spouse's file — one coordinated submission.
Cross-timezone coordination
Often the main applicant is already abroad. We coordinate signatures and uploads over WhatsApp and email so the file never stalls.
Families Belong Together.
Helping spouses and children reunite with the people they love abroad, through carefully prepared, honestly assessed applications.
From an Eligibility Check to the Family Together.
The kind of family files we build, across four country routes.
Spouse joining a UK PhD student
Unsure the route was even openEligibility confirmed, dependant filed
We checked the post-January-2024 rule first, then filed the partner as a dependant of a research student with full work rights.
A recent marriage under scrutiny
Married months before filingRelationship-genuineness pack ready
Wedding photos, joint accounts and communication history were compiled so the officer never had to guess the marriage was real.
A Canada work-permit question
College-diploma spouse, no open permitHonest answer, alternatives mapped
We explained plainly that the open work permit no longer applied after January 2025, and mapped the routes that did.
Children joining a working parent
Birth certificates and school letters pendingOne coordinated family submission
The spouse and each child were filed together, with work rights and school admission briefed before anyone landed.
350+
Family files
4
Country routes
10+
Years since 2015
2
Gujarat offices
Representative journeys - illustrative composites of the files we handle, shown to protect client privacy. Not individual testimonials.
Dependent Visa Questions, Answered Honestly
Honest answers on eligibility, work rights and timelines — updated for the 2025-26 rules.
Joining Your Spouse Abroad? Check Eligibility First
Walk in with the family's passports and the main applicant's visa or admission. The first consultation is free — and if a route has closed, we'll tell you straight and map the alternatives.