Bringing Family to the UK on a Global Talent Visa

Your partner qualifies as a dependant if you are married, in a civil partnership, or in a genuine and subsisting unmarried relationship of at least 2 years. For unmarried partners, you will need to provide evidence of your relationship: joint accounts, shared tenancy, photographs, and correspondence addressed to both of you at the same address.

Your children under 18 qualify as dependants regardless of whether they were born in the UK or abroad. Children aged 16 or 17 can apply as dependants if they are living with you and not leading independent lives. Children aged 18 or over must apply for their own visa. They cannot continue as dependants after turning 18.

Parents and other relatives do not qualify as dependants on a Global Talent Visa. Only partners and children under 18 are eligible.

Each dependant submits a separate visa application and pays a separate fee. The dependant visa application fee is £766 per person (from outside the UK) or £551 (from inside the UK), as of 2026. Verify current fees at gov.uk before applying.

Every dependant must also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which gives access to NHS services. The IHS rate is £1,035 per year per person, paid upfront for the duration of the visa.

For a family of three (you, a partner, and one child) applying from outside the UK on a 5-year visa, the total government fees would be approximately: £259 (your visa) + £766 + £766 (two dependants) + £1,035 x 3 people x 5 years = around £17,341 in total government fees. This is a significant cost. Factor it into your planning.

Dependants on a Global Talent Visa get remarkably broad rights. They can work for any employer in any occupation with no restrictions, unlike dependants on some other visa routes who are restricted to specific occupations or employers. They can also be self-employed, run a business, or work for multiple employers.

They can study at any UK institution without needing a separate Student Visa. They get full access to NHS services through the IHS they have already paid.

Dependants cannot access most public funds (benefits) during their time as dependants. This restriction ends if they later get ILR.

Your dependants can apply for ILR at the same time as you. They do not need to have been in the UK for the full qualifying period independently. Their ILR eligibility is tied to yours: when you become eligible to apply for ILR, so do they (provided they have maintained continuous residence in the UK).

If your dependant has spent time outside the UK (for school holidays, visiting family, or working abroad), the same 180-day absence rule applies to them. Keep records of their absences just as carefully as your own.

If you and your partner separate before you apply for ILR, their dependant status ends. They would need to qualify in their own right (for example on a work visa) or leave the UK.

Dependants apply through the UKVI online portal. The application can be submitted before you receive your own visa, at the same time, or after. There is no strict timing requirement, though it makes practical sense to apply together to avoid your dependants having to wait.

Each dependant will need to attend a biometrics appointment at a UK Visa Application Centre. Appointments for families can often be booked together at the same time and location.

Children under 5 do not need to attend biometrics appointments in most cases, but check the current guidance on gov.uk for your specific location.