Family
Parent of a British or settled child visa for Indian applicants
Direct answer
Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, Visa counsellors, Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, Patiala. Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Last verified .
Home Office fee
£2,064
about ₹2,73,129 at 132.33 INR/GBP, effective 8 April 2026
Verified 8 October 2026 · source
Health surcharge
Not payable
This route is exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge
Verified 8 October 2026
Processing time from India
12 weeks
Priority 30 working days
Verified 8 October 2026
Our filing price
₹29,999
All-in, GST included
Verified 8 October 2026
Summary
In short
The UK Parent visa under Appendix FM costs £2,064 from India (fee table effective 8 April 2026) plus the health surcharge of £1,035 a year, £2,587.50 for the 33-month grant. The officer tests that you have sole or shared parental responsibility for a British or settled child living in the UK, that you can maintain yourself adequately without the £29,000 income rule, and that you hold A1 English. Standard decisions from India take about 12 weeks. The common Indian mistake is applying as a parent while still in a relationship with the child's other parent, which belongs on the Partner route.
In practice
Worked example
Example: Manpreet applies to be near her daughter in Southall. A file like the ones the desk prepares; the figures are from the datasets and dated.
The situation
Manpreet, 34, from Jalandhar, married a British citizen in 2016 and lived in the UK on a Partner visa until the marriage broke down in 2022. She returned to India before settling, and her daughter Ria, now 7 and British, lives with her father in Southall. A family court contact order from 2024 gives Manpreet in-person contact in school holidays, and she video calls Ria every evening. She has a UK job offer as a care assistant at £24,000 and savings of ₹18 lakh. She applies from Chandigarh in October 2026 with an IELTS Life Skills A1 pass.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Visa fee, Appendix FM parent, entry clearance | £2,064 (₹2,73,129) |
| Health surcharge, £1,035 a year for 33 months | £2,587.50 (₹3,42,404) |
| IELTS Life Skills A1 test in Jalandhar | about ₹15,000 |
| TB test | about ₹3,500 |
| Savings shown, ₹18 lakh at ₹132.33 | £13,603 |
| Job offer salary, counts towards adequate maintenance | £24,000 a year |
| Priority settlement service, optional, 30 working days | £500 (₹66,165) |
| Home Office charges before add-ons | £4,651.50 (₹6,15,533) |
| Standard decision time from biometrics | 12 weeks |
Outcome
The visa was granted after 10 weeks for 33 months. The contact order and the call logs showed an active role, and the job offer plus savings put her well above income support levels after rent for a room near Ria's school. She can work from arrival, extends after 30 months and can settle after 5 years on the route. Without the court order, the file would have rested on the father's cooperation, which is the weak point in most refused parent cases.
The officer’s view
What the officer checks
What the entry clearance officer checks on an Appendix FM parent file
| What they check | Why it matters | Evidence that answers it |
|---|---|---|
| The child is under 18, in the UK, and British, settled or 7 years resident | Appendix FM E-ECPT.2.2: the child's age, residence and status at the date of application | Child's British passport, settlement letter or eVisa share code, birth certificate and school letter with the UK address |
| Sole parental responsibility, or direct access by order or agreement | E-ECPT.2.3: the applicant has sole responsibility, or the child lives with the other parent or carer who is British or settled and the applicant has direct access in person | Family court contact or residence order, or a signed agreement with the other parent plus their passport or BRP |
| Active role in the child's upbringing | E-ECPT.2.4: the applicant is taking and intends to continue taking an active role | Call logs, visit records, school reports addressed to the applicant, money sent for the child, photographs over time |
| Not eligible as a partner | E-ECPT.2.1: the applicant must not be eligible to apply as a partner of the other parent | Divorce decree, separation agreement or evidence of separate households |
| Adequate maintenance and accommodation | E-ECPT.3.1 and 3.2: income after housing costs at least the income support level for a family of that size, with no public funds | Job offer, UK savings or Indian bank statements for 6 months, tenancy or owner's letter and a property inspection report if shared |
| English at A1 speaking and listening | E-ECPT.4.1: an approved SELT at A1 or a degree taught in English confirmed by Ecctis | IELTS Life Skills A1, LanguageCert, PTE Home A1 or Skills for English certificate from an approved centre |
| Tuberculosis screening | Appendix Tuberculosis for applicants resident in India | TB certificate from an approved clinic, within 6 months |
| Suitability | Section S-EC of Appendix FM and Part 9: criminality, deception and previous breaches | Declared immigration history, old passports, police clearance if asked |
From the desk
Mistakes we see
From files Indian applicants have brought to the desk after a refusal, most frequent first.
| The mistake | What it costs | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Applying as a parent while still married to and living with the British parent | Refusal under E-ECPT.2.1 because you are eligible as a partner and must meet the partner route instead | Separated families use the parent route; couples use the Partner route with the £29,000 rule |
| No court order or written agreement on contact | The officer cannot find direct access and refuses under E-ECPT.2.3 | Obtain a family court contact order or a signed, witnessed agreement with the other parent, with their status documents |
| A year or more of silence in the contact evidence | The active role test under E-ECPT.2.4 fails | Keep a continuous record of calls, visits, school involvement and money for the child, and explain any gap |
| Showing a £29,000 salary but no budget | Income is not the test; the officer looks at income after housing against income support levels and may still refuse if rent is unknown | Give a simple monthly budget with the rent, the income and the household size |
| A1 test booked at a non-approved centre | Refusal under E-ECPT.4.1 even with a pass | Book only through the approved SELT providers at centres such as Chandigarh, Jalandhar or Ludhiana |
| The child moved to the UK only after the application date | The child was not in the UK at the date of application and the route does not apply | Apply only once the child is living in the UK with the other parent or carer |
| Relying on an Indian custody order with no UK recognition evidence | The officer may give it little weight on access in the UK | Add the other parent's agreement or a UK order; an Indian order alone is weaker |
Step by step
Timeline
From the first document to the decision, in the order Indian applicants actually do it.
Step 1: Settle the contact arrangement
Months 0 to 3Get a family court order or a written agreement with the other parent and begin a dated contact record
Step 2: Book and pass the A1 English test
Month 1IELTS Life Skills A1 or PTE Home A1 at an approved centre; results take 1 to 2 weeks
Step 3: Build the maintenance file
Months 1 to 2Job offer or savings, 6 months of statements, accommodation evidence and a monthly budget
Step 4: TB test
Month 2Approved clinic; valid for 6 months, so time it with the submission
Step 5: Submit online and pay
Month 2Pay £2,064 and the surcharge for 33 months; upload documents to the VFS portal
Step 6: Biometrics at VFS
Month 2 to 3Attend with passport and appointment confirmation; priority settlement at £500 can be added here where offered
Step 7: Decision
About 12 weeks after biometricsPriority settlement aims for 30 working days; refusals carry a right of appeal
Step 8: Passport returned and eVisa
Within 2 weeks of the decisionVignette valid 90 days; create the UKVI account and check the eVisa
Step 9: Arrival, work and extension planning
Within 90 days and at 30 monthsStart work without a sponsor, keep the contact record going, and extend for 30 months at A2 English before the visa ends
Home Office data
How Indian applicants fare
This route is used by Indian parents who are separated or divorced from a British or settled partner and whose child lives in the UK, and by parents of a child who became British through birth or registration. It is not for a parent living with the child's other parent as a couple; that family applies on the Partner route. The two things officers test are parental responsibility, shown through contact and a court order or the other parent's agreement, and that you can maintain yourself and the child without public funds. The financial test is adequate maintenance, measured against income support levels, not the £29,000 partner figure. English at A1 is required. Decisions from India take about 12 weeks and the route leads to settlement after 5 years.
The rules
Eligibility
- Your child is under 18 at the date of application, lives in the UK, and is a British citizen, settled, or has lived in the UK for 7 continuous years
- You have sole parental responsibility, or the child lives with the other parent or a carer who is British or settled and you have direct access in person by court order or agreement
- You are not in a relationship with the child's other parent that would qualify you as a partner; if you are, you apply on the Partner route instead
- You are taking, and intend to continue taking, an active role in the child's upbringing (E-ECPT.2.4)
- You can maintain and accommodate yourself and the child adequately without public funds, judged against UK income support rates, with no £29,000 minimum
- English at CEFR A1 in speaking and listening from an approved Secure English Language Test, or a degree taught in English confirmed by Ecctis
- A clear tuberculosis certificate from a Home Office approved clinic in India, and no Part 9 suitability issues
Checklist
Documents, named the Indian way
- Your passport and the child's British passport, settlement evidence or eVisa share code, and the child's birth certificate naming you
- Court order from the UK family court or an Indian family court setting out custody, residence or contact, or a signed and witnessed agreement with the other parent
- Evidence of your active role: video call logs, visits to the UK or the child's visits to India, school reports addressed to you, money sent for the child, photographs over time
- Letter from the child's school or nursery confirming your contact and involvement
- Statement from the other parent or carer, with their passport or BRP, confirming your access and their status
- Adequate maintenance evidence: your job offer or savings, the carer's income, or your own ITR acknowledgements and bank statements for 6 months, and a budget showing the family above income support levels
- Accommodation: tenancy or ownership papers for where you and the child will live, with a property inspection report if shared
- A1 English SELT certificate from IELTS Life Skills, LanguageCert, PTE Home or Skills for English, or a degree with the Ecctis statement
- TB test certificate from an approved clinic in India, valid for 6 months
- Divorce decree, separation agreement or death certificate relating to the child's other parent
- Your Aadhaar or voter ID and a short statement explaining the family history and why the child lives in the UK
In rupees
Cost from India, in rupees
| Charge | GBP | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Parent of a child, entry clearance (Appendix FM, route to settlement) application fee | £2,064 | ₹2,73,129 |
| UK Visa Desk all-in filing price, GST includedPaid to Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd. Home Office fees are paid by you on gov.uk. | ₹29,999 | |
| Required Home Office charges plus our filing price | £2,064 | ₹3,03,128 |
Fees from the Home Office table effective 8 April 2026, verified 8 October 2026; converted at 132.33 INR per GBP (8 October 2026). Pass-through charges paid on gov.uk; card and bank margins extra. Optional lines are not in the total.
Risk
Why Indian applications are refused
- E-ECPT.2.3 and 2.4: parental responsibility or active involvement not proved, usually because there is no court order and contact evidence is thin
- The officer finds you are still in a relationship with the child's other parent, so you should have applied as a partner and met the income rule
- E-ECPT.3.1: adequate maintenance not shown, with no credible income, savings or support and a budget below income support levels
- E-ECPT.4.1: English test from a provider or centre not on the approved list, or a degree without the Ecctis confirmation
- The child is 18 or over, or is not British, settled or 7 years resident, or does not live in the UK
- Accommodation not shown to be adequate, or the carer's status in the UK not proved
- Part 9 suitability: an undeclared refusal, overstay on an earlier UK visa, or a document the officer could not verify
Exclusion or deportation order in force
A mandatory refusal: you were deported from the UK or formally excluded, and that order is still in force. No visa can be granted until the order is revoked.
What to fix: apply for revocation of the deportation order (normally after 10 years, earlier only in exceptional cases) with a UK regulated adviser; do not submit new visa applications while the order stands; each refusal adds to the record.
Decode 9.2.1Presence not conducive to the public good
The officer considers your behaviour, character or associations make you unsuitable, for example extremism, serious dishonesty not covered by other paragraphs, or a pattern of conduct abroad. Used rarely but it is mandatory.
What to fix: obtain the full reasons (ask for the decision notice and consider a Subject Access Request); character evidence and clearance certificates; this ground usually needs legal representation.
Decode 9.3.1Criminality: custodial sentence of 12 months or more, persistent offender, serious harm
A mandatory refusal for a prison sentence of 12 months or more anywhere in the world, or for repeat offending or serious-harm offences. Sentences under 12 months are considered under 9.4.2 to 9.4.5 (discretionary, with time limits for visitors).
What to fix: always declare convictions; non-disclosure leads to a 9.7.1 deception finding on top; for shorter sentences, show the time elapsed and rehabilitation evidence; get the court record and sentence length in English.
Decode 9.4.1Free tools
Tools for this route
English requirement lookup
The CEFR level for your route and the SELT centres near you.
Fee calculator in rupees
Every Home Office fee and the health surcharge, totalled in rupees at a dated rate.
Document checklist generator
A checklist for your route and situation, sent on WhatsApp.
Processing times tracker
Standard, priority and super priority times for Indian applicants, updated monthly.
Refusal reason decoder
Paste the paragraph from your refusal letter and read what it means.
Questions
Questions Indian applicants ask
How much does the Parent visa cost from India in 2026?ShowHide
£2,064 plus the health surcharge of £1,035 a year, charged for the 33-month grant, so about £4,900 before the A1 test, the TB test and VFS add-ons. Our fee calculator converts the total to rupees at today's rate.
Do I need to earn £29,000?ShowHide
No. That rule applies to the Partner route. The Parent route uses adequate maintenance: your household income after housing costs must be at least what a British family of the same size would get on income support. Savings and the carer's income can count.
I am divorced from my British wife and our daughter lives with her in London. Can I apply?ShowHide
Yes, if you have direct in-person access, usually shown by a court order or a written agreement with her, and you are taking an active role. Evidence of regular calls, visits and money sent for your daughter is the heart of the file.
My child lives with me in India and is British through her father. Does this route apply?ShowHide
No. The child must be living in the UK at the date of application. If the child moves to the UK first with the other parent or a carer, you can then apply from India.
Can I work on the Parent visa?ShowHide
Yes, any job, and you can study. You cannot claim public funds. The 33-month visa is extended for 30 months and settlement follows after 5 years, with B1 English and the Life in the UK test at that stage.
Which English test do I need?ShowHide
A1 Speaking and Listening from an approved SELT provider: IELTS Life Skills A1, LanguageCert, PTE Home A1 or Skills for English. Centres run in Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar. Our English lookup lists them.
How long does the decision take from India?ShowHide
The Home Office target is 12 weeks after biometrics for family applications. Priority, when offered at Indian centres, costs £500 and aims for 30 working days. Super priority is not available for settlement entry clearance.
Can I appeal if refused?ShowHide
Yes. Parent route refusals carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal on human rights grounds, but appeals from India take a year or more. Our refusal decoder shows which paragraphs were cited and whether a fresh application is faster.
- Punjab licence: 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024valid to 22 July 2029
- CIN: U52291PB2024PTC060508Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd
Dataset dates: fees 8 October 2026. No outcome is guaranteed.
Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Applicants outside the UK only; applicants in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.