Adult Dependent Relative Visa – Who Qualifies and How to Apply
If you’re living in the UK and caring for an elderly or dependent family member overseas, you may be wondering how to bring them to live with you in the UK. The Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) route offers a pathway for close family members who rely on your care and support to join you in the UK.
What is the Adult Dependent Relative visa?
The Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) route is designed for people who need long-term personal care due to age, illness, or disability — and whose care can only be provided by a relative in the UK and without recourse to public funds.
This visa allows eligible family members to live in the UK permanently, provided they can demonstrate that adequate care arrangements are available and sustainable without relying on public funds.
Who can apply for the Adult Dependent Relative visa?
To qualify, the applicant must be an adult family member of a UK-based sponsor. Eligible relationships include:
- Parents or grandparents
- Siblings
- Children
A UK-based sponsor must be one of the following:
- a British citizen; or
- settled in the UK; or
- in the UK with protection status; or
- an EEA national with limited leave to enter or remain granted under the EU Settlement Scheme (also known as pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme)
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Dependency requirements
Meeting the relationship requirement alone isn’t enough. The key test is dependency. The applicant must show that they:
- Need long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks - for example, help with everyday activities like dressing, eating, toileting or washing, due to age, illness, or disability.
- Cannot obtain the required level of care in their home country even with the financial help of the sponsor - either because it’s unavailable or unaffordable.
If the applicant is the sponsor’s parent or grandparent, they must not be in a subsisting relationship with a partner, unless that partner is applying as an Adult Dependent Relative at the same time. If the couple are applying together, only one of them needs to require long-term personal care.
Financial requirements
The sponsor must demonstrate that they are able to support and accommodate the applicant without recourse to public funds. This is assessed under the ‘adequate maintenance’ test. In essence, the sponsor must provide evidence showing that, after deducting housing costs, their net income is equal to or greater than the state benefits a British family of the same size would be entitled to receive.
This usually means providing evidence such as:
- Proof of income and savings - must cover the 6 month period immediately before the date of application
- If sponsor is self-employed, they must be able to show the income of the last full financial year before the date of application, with additional evidence of ongoing self-employment
- Any non-employment income must be shown to have been received in the 12 months before the date of application
- Council tax letter and tenancy agreement establishing housing costs, i.e. council tax and rent
Maintenance undertaking
If the sponsor is a British citizen or a person settled in the UK, they must sign a legally binding undertaking confirming that they will be financially responsible for the applicant for a period of five years from the date the applicant arrives in the UK. If the applicant will only be granted temporary permission to stay, then the sponsor must provide an undertaking for the duration of permission to be granted. If the applicant receives public funds during the period covered by the maintenance undertaking, the UK government may seek to recover the public funds from the sponsor who gave the undertaking.
Long-term care and lack of care in home country
The Home Office will carefully assess whether the applicant could reasonably access comparable care in their country of residence. This is often the most challenging aspect of the application.
To demonstrate the need for long-term personal care, independent medical evidence must be provided. Such evidence should be prepared by qualified medical professionals and must clearly set out the diagnosis, explain how the condition affects the applicant’s ability to carry out everyday tasks, and confirm that the need for personal care is likely to be permanent.
In order to show that the required level of care is unavailable or unaffordable in the applicant’s home country - even with financial support from the UK sponsor - objective evidence should be submitted. This may include proof that suitable care homes or facilities do not exist, or confirmation that existing facilities are unable to provide the necessary level of care. Alternatively, quotes from care providers may be used to demonstrate that the cost of such care would be prohibitively high for both the applicant and the sponsor. In some cases, it will also be helpful to argue that the applicant must be cared by a close relative due to cultural reasons.
The Home Office generally expects detailed, independent evidence to support the application, and it may be necessary to instruct country experts to provide insights into local conditions. We can advise on the most relevant forms of independent evidence to strengthen your case and, where appropriate, arrange for expert reports to be prepared on your behalf.
How to Apply for an Adult Dependent Relative visa
For first-time applicants, applications can only be made from outside of the UK.
The application fee is currently set at £3,413. If the sponsor has temporary ‘protection status’, the relevant fee is £424.
After the application is submitted online, the applicant needs to attend a biometrics appointment - the applicant will need to provide fingerprints and a photograph at a visa application centre.
Processing times for this type of application vary but can take several months due to the complexity of these applications.
If successful, the applicant will be granted indefinite leave to enter if their sponsor is a British citizen in the UK or a person settled in the UK. If the applicant’s sponsor has limited leave in the UK, the applicant will be granted a duration which will expire at the same time as the sponsor’s limited leave.
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Human rights application in the UK
As previously mentioned, applications of this type must normally be submitted from outside the UK, unless the applicant already has leave under this route and is applying for further leave to remain in the same category.
However, in certain circumstances, an application may be made from within the UK by relying on the applicant’s and their family members’ rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, where a refusal would result in harsh or unjustifiable consequences.
Applications of this nature can be complex and are often subject to a high rate of refusal. It is therefore strongly recommended to seek professional legal advice before proceeding with such an application. This is particularly the case in light of judicial thinking on the relevance of Article 8 to relationships between adult family members. See for example the Court of Appeal decision in IA and others v SSHD [2025] EWCA Civ 1516 where the court found the test for Article 8 ECHR family life between adults is ‘additional elements of dependence, more than normal emotional ties’.
Remedies following a refusal
A refusal of an application made under the Adult Dependent Relative route will normally carry a right of appeal. The grounds of appeal typically rely on Article 8 Rights, focusing on the harsh and unjustifiable consequences that a refusal would have on the applicant and their family members, noting the difficulties in the case law referenced above.
Alternatively, it may be possible to submit a fresh application if stronger or additional evidence can be provided.
If you have received a refusal, please contact our immigration experts, who can advise you on the most appropriate course of action.
Conclusion
Bringing a loved one to the UK under the Adult Dependent Relative visa route can be life-changing - but it’s also one of the most challenging visa categories. Success depends on demonstrating genuine dependency, genuine care needs, lack of care in applicant’s home country, and adequate financial resources of the sponsor to provide maintenance.
If you’re considering this visa, don’t navigate it alone. Get expert advice from Latitude Law who can guide you every step of the way.
Book a consultation to discuss your Adult Dependent Relative visa options.
Supporting Adult Dependent Relative Applications with Latitude Law
Adult Dependent Relative applications are among the most demanding routes in the UK immigration system, with strict rules on long-term care needs and financial support. Our experienced immigration lawyers can assess whether your relative may qualify, explain the evidence required, and help you prepare a carefully documented application in line with current Home Office guidance.
Contact Latitude Law today by calling 0300 131 6767 or complete our contact form and we will get back to you.