Family Reunion Application for a Person with Refugee Status
The UK’s Refugee Family Reunion Policy allows people with refugee status or humanitarian protection to be reunited with their pre-flight dependent family members. Family members of an individual who fled their home country to seek asylum in the UK can come to the UK by applying for Refugee Family Reunion.
Refugee Family Reunion
Recognised refugees can live in the UK for up to 5 years and then apply for Indefinite leave to remain. Refugees fleeing to the UK often have to leave family members, spouses, and dependent children behind.
Under the Family Reunification UK policy, people with refugee status or humanitarian protection can sponsor their family members to join them in the UK. The family of a refugee can only be reunited if the applicant successfully proves they were part of a family unit before the sponsor fled their home country.
Family members arriving in the UK will not be granted refugee status under the Refugee Reunion route. If the Refugee Family Reunion application is approved, the leave to remain of the family member will be of the same duration as the sponsor’s.
Who Can Bring Family Members Under the Refugee Family Reunion Route?
The person seeking to bring the immediate family members to the UK will be called a sponsor. Under the UK Refugee Family Reunion policy, the qualifying sponsor is the one who
- Entered and currently residing in the UK lawfully
- Is not yet a British citizen
- Held a refugee or humanitarian protection for at least 5 years
- Admitted under the Gateway Protection Programme, Mandate Refugee Programme, or Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement (VPR) scheme
If the sponsor wants to bring their partner to the UK, they must prove that they are married or in a civil partnership. If the applicant fails to prove this, they can still qualify if
- They were granted humanitarian protection status or refugee status on or after 9 October 2006
- They have been living together for a minimum of 2 years and the sponsor made a successful claim for asylum on or after October 2006
If the sponsor’s children are coming to the UK using Refugee Family Reunion, they must
- Be aged under 18 years
- Intend to live with their parents in the UK
- Not be married or have an independent family unit
Applying For Family Reunion UK
Go to the gov.uk website to apply online for the entry clearance under the family reunion route.
The sponsor can apply on the behalf of the children, however, the partner or any adult family member has to complete and submit their own application.
If the Family Reunion application is approved, the applicant will be granted entry clearance the family member must travel to the UK within the validity period.
The Border Force officer will examine the entry clearance and identity of the family member. Additionally, the family member has to collect the Biometric Residence Permit from their chosen post office it the UK within the stated period of time after arrival.
